In message , at
09:34:09 on Fri, 18 Nov 2005, Brimstone
remarked:
I don't care what people do on trains/busses/in public as long as
it doesn't affect other people. As soon as that happens, the
perpetrator has over-stepped the mark, and should stop.

So if someone insists on silence, and that affects someone who has
an important phone call to make...

Tough ****.

Glad we got that one sorted. Tough **** can work both ways, of course.

However, in law at least, the person who wants peace and quiet usually wins
over the person who wants to make a noise and disturbe others. The reality
"on the street" (to borrow a phrase) may well come down to who can
intimidate who.

It's all about reasonableness. I have no time for the people with silly
ring tones (someone on the train yesterday had one which shouted "answer
the phone!" over and over again) or with those who conduct one-sided
conversations as if they were speaking at a public meeting.

Nevertheless, it's galling for those of us who do know that we can talk
quietly and still be heard the other end, to be prevented from doing so
by "one size fits all" rules.

A final note: I refrained from making a long call on the train
yesterday. Making the call later from a (very cold metal) seat at a
London terminus I was dismayed to have to stop the discussion three
times as I was overpowered by the station announcer sufficiently that I
wasn't just unable to hear what the other person was saying, but even
tell if they were speaking at all!

So much for silence winning over peace and quiet :-)
--
Roland Perry