Ah yes, the old argument always used by mobile phone proponents, or rather, since we all use them, proponents of using them intrusively.

The problem is that 2 people having a conversation tend to speak quietly, not least to prevent ear-wigging on what might be a business chat.

A mobile phone user invariably shouts, for reasons explained in the thread.

Try, next time you're in a train, walking down the aisle when someone is using a phone, to see how far the sound reaches. Then do the same with two people, side-by-side, talking to each other.

What always astonishes me is what people are prepared to reveal about themselves, their affairs and their businesses while using a phone in a train.

Several years ago I was on the way with a colleague to a tenderers' beauty contest for a multi-million MoD contract. Across the aisle was someone evidently going to the same thing. During the 3-hour journey he told me, loudly and clearly, all the relevant details of his bid as he discussed it with his MD and FD using his mobile. I took notes, my colleague read The Times. At the meeting he did not recognise us, or if he did gave a good impression of not doing so.

So I admit that other people's phone habits are not all to the bad.

I don't look forward to cellphones being useable on aeroplanes at all. As a regular air [and rail] traveller, at present I regard a flight is part of my "downtime" when I can legitimately have some peace and quiet away from the phone. Likewise, the Midland Mainline is a wonderful railway - the mobile reception can be so flakey particularly south of Leicester that again I can come close to legitimately abandoning the cellphone for an hour or two. And for similar reasons the "no cellphones in cars except with a hand-free" law is excellent - whilst my employer would pay for a hand-free kit, I have no intention of pushing to have one and as yet haven't been forced to do so. I look at it this way - if I have to get up at stupid-o'clock to get a flight (or a train, or drive a fair distance), and get back late into what in some respects I regard as my own time, then I'm going to use the uncontactable time to get a little peace and quiet. I admit that data would sometimes be useful in the air and in particular on longer flights, just as it was last week when I tried GNER for the first time, but voice is one step too far for me to personally want to use it. I shall therefore avoid airlines that offer cellphone use in flight, not because I'd get annoyed by people shouting into phones (although I would, actually) but just so that I can continue to have my uncontactable time whilst sipping a G&T at leasure.

A

Now there's a difference; I use a hands-free phone in the car a great deal, especially on long trips. It's an ideal time to catch up, when you cannot do anything else apart from drive. I'm self-employed, so taking time out from an employer's business is not an option.

Moreover it's the best way I know to stay alert.

I think the main problem with some mobile phone conversations is the fact that most people, subconciously, fall into the "personal conversation" mode of speaking. They "switch off" to the reality that they aren't in the same room having a private conversation with the person on the other end of the phone and as a consequence tend to talk at the levels they would if they were. This, basically, is a stupid person regardless of their educational background. Of course, there are those who WANT the world to know how busy/important/rich/powerful etc ad nauseum they are; these are the people who should have said cellphone forcibly inserted into very private parts of their anatomy, preferably wrapped in barbed wire first. For me, I don't mind mobiles on a/c as long as the usage of such can be conducted in a discreet manner; perhaps defining certain block areas where they can and can't be used in the manner of the old smoking/non-smoking segregation? Obviously without the associated stench!

Paxboy

I noted your experience in telecomms, so do not wish to criticise, but just ask a dumb telecomms question.

My understanding of why people talk more louldy on mobiles ,is due to a fundamental difference, between 'traditional' phones and mobiles. In traditional handsets (for landlines), the telephone circuit actually feeds back the sound of your voice in to the receieving speaker on your handset, so you actually hear your own voice in your own handset. Mobile phones on the other hand, do not have this feedback circuit, and the person speaking therefore cannot hear their own voice. This is why people talking on a mobile (as opposed to a landline), are so oblivious of how loud they are talking. This is why they are a bad idea on aircraft.

Or is this just an urban myth??

Either way, mobile phone used near me on a plane, will have me whistling loudly, or maybe even singing(badly). I'm surprised cabin crew unions are not fighting this, due to the grief it will cause them, sorting out the inevitable multiple disputes, after chit chatty pax on the phone get told by adjacent pax to 'shut the f*** up'.