What’s up with people in public places talking on speakerphone? Do they not realize they are not alone? Aren’t earbuds included when you buy a phone? Not only do we not want to hear your conversation, we certainly don’t want to hear the replies, gasps, sobs, and chatter of the person with whom you are loudly conversing. Why is this rude practice so common?
I was in the new Target near Columbus Circle a few weeks ago and a reckless woman had her mask pulled down around her chin and was literally screaming into her phone to chat with her mother about her aunt who happened to be in the hospital, the details of which I was completely uninterested. She leisurely pushed around a stroller without a care in the world. After an internal argument trying to talk myself out of saying something and begging myself to stop gritting my teeth, I politely asked her to please be kind to her fellow shoppers and pull up her mask and use the handset instead of speaker. Her reply? “THANK YOU, KAREN!” My mouth gaped open under my mask. Me, a Karen?
So of course the shock of being called an inflammatory, derogatory name set me on fire. And left me mute. I had one of those George Constanza moments when no reply immediately flew into my head but later I thought of a hundred solid comebacks.
Anyway, I was pissed. She even bitched to her mom about me right into the speaker! So I found a manager to track her down. As I was leaving the store, Manager was having a nice little chat with Rude about wearing a mask and respecting her fellow shoppers. Rude saw me heading to the up escalator and screamed “That racist white girl is harassing me!” while pointing in my direction. I just shook my head. I exited into the cold air and it served to lower my temper about zero degrees; I was fuming.
Earlier this week while I was having breakfast outside with my Dad at a lovely café in Hallandale Beach, a woman behind us sat solo at a two top table and took up company with her phone on speaker. I can understand wanting to make a call while you dine alone, but what’s with wanting everyone else to hear your private conversation?
The tables were spaced apart, but her phone was so loud that we couldn’t help but overhear. Apparently it was the tail end of the chat. The woman on the other end said, “Ok, Karen, I have to run but let’s talk tonight.” I laughed out loud and had to explain the irony to my Dad.
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