Re: Annoyance of cell phone use in public spaces

["OMard, Lowel P" <lowel@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi People,

Hannes Muesch wrote:

> Dear List
>
> I am afraid I am not the only one who is at times annoyed by having to
> overhear mobile phone users ranting in public spaces. Strangely
> enough, it
> seems to me that overhearing a face-to-face conversation happens much
> less
> frequently and when it does it seems much less annoying. I wonder whether
> there is a consensus that
....


There is another reason why overhearing people using mobile phones are more annoying than hearing face to face conversations, that nobody seems to have mentioned.  When overhearing a mobile phone conversation we can only hear one side, whereas eavesdropping on a face to face conversation generally gives us access to both.  Being naturally nosey creatures it is of course frustrating to only hear half the conversation.


...Lowel.

--
_______________________________________________________________
Dr. Lowel P. M. O'Mard PhD.
CNBH, Hearing Research Laboratory, Dept. of Psychology,
University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK.
http://www.essex.ac.uk/psychology/hearinglab