Topic 41 公共场所陌生人打电话

1. How do you feel when someone is speaking loudly on the phone or talking aloud on public transport?
I find it really annoying. I don’t want to listen to a random person’s conversation366. People should be aware that they’re in a public space. And they should respect others by keeping their voice down. Plus,it’s actually dangerous. If you speak loudly on public transportation, someone might overhear367 private information and use it against you368.

2. Should people be banned from talking aloud in public places?
Well, I don’t think people should be banned from speaking loudly in public places. After all, it’s impossible to be perfectly quiet when you’re in public. People definitely shouldn’t be really loud if they’re in public. But it’s not fair to ban them from talking at all. As long as they’re being respectful of others, it’s fine for them to talk out loud.

3. Do you prefer staying beside a person who is on the phone or two people who are talking?
I like being around369 two people who are talking. It can be fun to hear another conversation. But if you’re around just one person on the phone, you won’t know the whole conversation. It’s a lot more boring. Just last week, I was on the bus and two girls were talking in front of me. I heard about a big fight one of them had with her boyfriend. It was just like watching TV.

4. What are the side effects of making phone calls in a public place?
The first one I can think of is annoying other people. Not everyone likes hearing other conversations in front of them. Sometimes, they might get annoyed or even mad at you for talking on the phone. Another side effect is that strangers could overhear private information and use it to scam you. You definitely want to avoid that situation.

5. Why do some people always break rules in public places?
One reason is that they don’t respect the people around them. If you don’t care about other people’s comfort370, then you don’t feel bad about littering371 or being really loud. It’s totally rude, but I guess some people just don’t care about being polite. Or maybe they aren’t aware of the rules. It’s hard to say.

366 listen to a random person’s conversation：一耳朵不小心就听到别人的谈话
367 overhear：无意中听到
368 use it against you: 用它来对付你、攻击你、利用你
369 being around: 在…周围
370 care about other people’s comfort：顾及他人感受
371 littering: 乱丢垃圾