Common Etiquette in Public Places

 

Here is something that I have been thinking about for a while and have finally started to write this blog post about things that I have seen and things that are frustrating to me. 

Mobile device

Have you noticed that a lot of people think that using their mobile device in speaker mood in public is correct?  I have noticed that a lot of people think that listening to a phone conversation that they are having with the speaker on makes it easier for them to hear the person.  I have news for them, the person on the other end of the conversation is hearing a lot of additional noise that they don’t need to hear.  When you are using the speaker part of your phone, you are capturing all the other sounds around you as well, and nine times out of 10 the other person is having trouble hearing you until you are talking right into the mic.  When you are in public places, everyone else shouldn’t be able to hear both sides of the conversation that you are having.  If you have a challenge being able to hear the other person when you are taking a call, try to use some headphones as they will help you hear the person a lot better and mobile device headphones are available with a mic included.

Video viewing

The ability to watch videos on mobile devices is a wonderful thing to a point.  Now the reason I say to a point is that people think that watching a video in restaurants, food courts or even in malls is enjoyable for everyone.  Well, I have some news for you, and that is not everyone wants to hear what you are watching and listening to.  If you want to watch videos while you are enjoying your coffee, etc. please put some headphones on so that you can enjoy it and everyone else around you can enjoy their coffee.

Headphones

I love when people are using headphones to listen to their music or videos when they are in the person’s ears.  I have seen people with headphones just around their neck so that they can hear the music they want.  Now remember when the headphones are around your neck people around you can also hear the music, and they might not want to listen to what you are listening to.  Headphones are to be used over the ears.  I know on public transit there is a policy that if you are listening to music, you should only be able to hear it, but no one seems to enforce this.  I think this is a policy that transit drivers need to start enforcing so that other riders can also enjoy their trip.

Mobile devices can be very handy when you are out and about and have some time to kill.  I know that I have music, books and videos on my device all the time, but I also ensure that I have my headphones on when I decide it is time to enjoy some of those sounds out in public.  My taste in music might not be someone else’s taste, and they don’t want to hear only part of the video or book, so I ensure that I am the only one that can hear what I am listening to.  When I take my phone calls, it is either holding the device up to my ear, or using my hands-free earpiece, which means I hear the conversation, but no one else does.

Mobile devices are a great thing to have, but remember that your taste in music and videos is your taste and not everyone else.  When you are out in public, remember that making sure that only you can hear your stuff is important.  I am not saying don’t watch the videos or listen to your music when you are out, all I am asking is that you use some headphones so that I don’t have to listen to what you are watching or listening to.  Some common sense makes everything a little more enjoyable for everyone.

Headphones

So many people are now using headphones to listen to music on their commutes to and from work.

I have noticed that some people figure that even with the headphones on, everyone around them needs to hear what they are listening to. It is amazing how loud the music sounds even through the headphones so I wonder how loud it is for the person wearing them. On our transit there is a policy that you are to listen to music at a volume that only you can hear it. The problem with this is there is no way for a person to know their music is too loud unless someone tells them.

For me, my headphones are very important when I am at the gym, as I listen to music when I exercise. I also use my headphones when I am trying to focus on some writing. There are even times when I have my headphones on when I just want to escape all the other sounds that are going on around me. My headphones are wonderful because they help me escape from everything else that is happening and all the various sounds that you hear on a daily basis.

I have three different pairs of headphones but two of them have one thing in common and that is they are noise cancelling headphones. I don't use the noise cancelling headphones when I am at the gym but otherwise I use them to help me block out the other sounds around me. The noise cancelling headphones that I have make it that I can focus on just hearing what I want to listen to and not everything else. My headphones have also been used when I just want to block out the sounds around me and I will sit with them on without listening to anything. It is such a nice feeling when you can just sit and not have all the daily sounds around you.

My headphones are also a means of helping me deal with hearing too much. I have extremely good hearing so there are times when all the high pitched sounds start to get to me and my headphones help me deal with those sounds. The headphones also come in very handy when I start to feel like I am just hearing too many sounds. Being able to focus on hearing what you want to hear is such a good feeling especially in the world today when we deal with just too many sounds around us on a daily basis.

With my hearing, I have been teased that I really can't hear the high pitched sounds but I have proven more than once that I can hear the sounds that most other people can't. Imagine being in a store and being able to hear the alarm system that sends out a signal ever few seconds, that is what I deal with in some stores. Thank goodness the alarm systems have gotten better over the years and there aren't as many stores that I have to avoid now, I just have to limit my time in some stores.

Headphones can sure make a big difference in how I handle different things in my life. I have learned that making sure I always have a pair of my noise cancelling headphones close by, can make my life so much easy. Knowing that I can escape into my little world for even a few minutes can mean that I can face the rest of the world a lot easier.

So, next time you see someone quietly listening to something and you can't hear anything maybe they aren't really listening to anything other than quiet. Headphones are great, but if you are one of those that needs to play your music extra loud, please remember, that not everything wants to hear what you like listening to.