Mia,
I don't know if people actually talk louder on cell phones or to a live person standing near them on a subway, but I doubt it. Having spent many a year riding the NYC Subway system I am pretty confident that I could hear a person on the other end of cell phone, with the ear piece next to or an ear bud in my ear block a great deal of the ambient sound than I could somebody near me trying to be heard over that same ambient sound. I'm equally as sure that I would probably have to speak much more loudly to make my self heard to somebody a foot or more away from me than I would into the mouthpiece of a phone scant millimeters from my mouth.
I'm also curious as to how you define "abuse the amenity?"
As for being annoyed at only hearing one side of a conversation, I can only say that begs the question: What are you doing listening to other people's conversations to begin with? And please don't tell me it's unavoidable because people can tune things out, unless you are sitting immediately next to the individual, in which case the same problem might present itself in a local conversation with one party being further away from you than the other. But if it's really an issue for you, can I suggest a nice set of headphone with some smoothing music? Or, if music isn't your thing, perhaps a simple set of ear plugs. That's what I use when traveling when I want to concentrate on something or just sleep.
That said, I rarely ride the Subway anymore but I do commute regularly via Amtrak and I also conduct business on my cell phone during that time. The conduct of that business is billable time for me and represents a not so insignificant portion of my earnings. In addition to the monetary considerations, it also allows me to get more done with less "dead" time and that allows me more time with my family. Weighed against your annoyance I'm afraid that last one will take precedence all the time.
If the issue ever really became "an issue" for the transit system, then the MTA could take a lead from Amtrak and institute a "Quite Car" system where one or two cars per train are set aside as quite cars where the use of cell phone is prohibited. Although frankly, I consider the terms "Subway" and "Quite" to be mutually exclusive.
That said, yes, there are any number of places where I would consider it inconsiderate and down right rude to use a cell phone, or even leave the ringer turned up/on but the subway, or any other form of mass transit do count among them.
Mia Pixley wrote:
Talking on a cell phone is different than talking to the person next to you. One: because there is the volume issue, people talk louder on cell phones-mainly because it is harder to hear someone through a phone verses someone right next to you. Two: from a psychological angle it is just annoying for everyone else to over hear one side of a person's conversation.
I do not disagree with the use of cell phones in public spaces in general. Also, I realize that the main use of public transportation is to TRANSPORT people. It just so happens that riding the subway is also a time for many people to zone out. If people need to use their cell phone to arrange plans etc that's cool and that is the benefit of having service in the tunnels but I don't think that is what is going to happen. I think people will abuse the ammenity. But, I also realize that the anticipation of the abuse of such a service is not reason enough to not offer it. I just think it will be another annoying aspect to a daily subway ride.
Quoting Bruce Ehlers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
How is talking on a cell phone any different than talking to the person next to you?
I fail to understand the reasoning the folks who are against cell phones used on public transportation including planes are using. Conversation is conversation whether it's on a cell phone or face to face, whether it's you talking or the folks next to you talking.
Maybe people that are concerned with conversation shouldn't venture out into the world!
===================== Bruce Ehlers [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mia Pixley Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2005 10:47 AM To: Dustin Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [nycwireless] Boston Plans Wireless Access in Subways
Well I disagree with Boston: I think having cell phone service in subways is the worst idea ever. I can't stand it when I'm on a train or bus and people start talking on their phones the whole way (3 mins is cool but 20 minutes, no way!). A ride on public transportation is also a private occasion as much as it is glaringly public. Cell phone talking is just another opportunity to ruin the private time people spend on their communte whether it be reading, working, listening to music,having a quiet conversation with their friend, or taking a nap. The cellphone connection capability does not seem like a good idea to me.
I know we have all had experiences where we wanted someone to get off their phone. Or...on a non-wireless scale, when someone thinks riding the subway is an opportune time to choose a new ringer for their phone...annoying.
-mia
Quoting Dustin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
This would be cool in NYC. But our trains are so damn loud. I
couldn't
even shout over those things.
- Dustin -
Jacob Farkas wrote:
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=68025
Coming soon to a subway tunnel near you: wireless By Casey
Ross
Friday, February 11, 2005
The T is going wireless.
On subway lines in downtown Boston, passengers will soon be
able to
use cell phones without interruption as trains whisk them
through
tunnels that used to be among the few places wireless signals
couldn't
reach.
``This will be a new convenience for our customers,'' T
General
Manager Michael Mulhern said yesterday. ``And it will be a
benefit to
safety and security, so we're excited about it.''
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