Cell Phones and Obnoxious People

The other day I was riding the bus and a man was talking on his cellphone at the top of his voice. A dear sweet little old lady (someone's loving grandmother) asked him to please not be so loud. The conversation went something like this:

Sweet Lady: "Please, sir, could you be quieter. I don't want to hear your conversation."

Loud Mouth: "Huh?"

Sweet Lady: "I'm asking you to not be so loud on the bus."

Loud Mouth: "I can be as loud as I want. Who are you to tell me how loud I can be."

Sweet Lady: "I am asking you nicely to stop shouting into your phone on the bus."

The loud mouth wasn't getting anywhere with her and it was messing with his conversation so he hung up and glared at the lady for the rest of the trip saying things like...

"Thinks she can tell me the #@(#* how I can talk. Who is she? Mutter, mutter, mutter...etc."

It made me more conscious that day of my own cellphone usage and location of usage. I have sworn off cellphone conversations in public places that are confined in space (busses, restaurants, etc). When I'm walking down the street or in a park I might still talk on the phone but I'm going to be more aware of how much of an annoyance I am presenting to the people around me. After all, just because I can talk on the phone anywhere doesn't mean I should.