Your Phone Conversation Annoys Me

When I answer the phone, I usually move into another room for privacy and so I won’t distract others. This seems natural and reasonable to me. I talk in a normal tone and no one has ever complained that they couldn’t hear me. Others seem to either think differently or don’t realize they’re being obnoxious. They’ll sit right next to me and carry on their one-sided conversations at a heightened volume. It can get so bad that I can’t focus on anything but the words coming out of their mouths.

What is going on? Don’t they get it? It seems that manners and consideration don’t evolve as quickly as technology. I’ve often wished for a pocket-size cell phone jammer that I could activate at a whim to silently punish these phone offenders. I found one that has a range of ten meters, runs for four hours, and fits in a pocket, but it’s $220; a little steep for a transient yearning for vengeance. But prices always go down.  Soon…