Last Friday, I was in the shoe department looking for some new tennis shoes. And no matter where I roamed, I could hear a 70 year old woman practically screaming into her cell phone. Mind you, it was a very important conversation about how she didn't turn on her furnace when the temperature went down again to the 40's and how she wasn't about to turn on her a/c just because it was 80 degrees. Also, she heard from her daughter a few days ago. It got to the point where I was so freaking annoyed, I was trying to catch the eye of other shoppers, wondering if they were as irritated as me. Nobody would look at me, however! The talking was so distracting, I was having trouble concentrating on even finding for my own shoe size. I was walking around saying, "10 . . . . 10 . . . 10 . . ." aloud.
Next thing I know, the woman has given up any pretense of shopping and has plopped herself down on one of the benches in the middle of the department, where people sit to try on shoes. As though this were her living room and she was chit chatting with her friend over a cup of tea.
That's when I lost my mind. I grabbed five random pairs of shoes off the shelves and marched myself right over to her bench, dropped the boxes on the floor and proceeded to sit right next to her. Surprisingly, she did not flinch or even turn her back. Just kept right on yakking. Fortunately, the shoes came with plenty of tissue paper surrounding them, so I made a big show of wrestling with the paper. After a few minutes of her having to say, "What? I can't hear you!" she finally stormed off to finish her conversation in another part of the store. Buh-bye!
Deep breaths, Bijoux. . . Deeeeeeep breaths. . .
ReplyDeleteAnd now, I'm imagining myself encountering a crazed-looking woman wandering through the shoe department, muttering, "ten. . . ten. . . ten. . ." to herself. . .
;)
Does it really not bother other people?
DeleteYou know I'm mostly just teasing you, right?
DeleteI know exactly how annoying and obnoxious it is (it's even more fun if they're talking on a bluetooth); I generally just do my best to tune it out. But, as you say, sometimes that easier to pull off than others. . .
I do know you're joking, but I have zero ability to tune out. I wish I knew how others do it.
Deletelmao you showed her. People like that are sooooo annoying. I get if it is something super important, but nonsense you can talk about at home is just stupid
ReplyDeleteExactly! And it kills me that they are always SO loud!
Delete"What? I can't hear you!" she finally stormed off to finish her conversation in another part of the store. Buh-bye!"
ReplyDeleteHA! Good for you! Glad you were able to find a way to get rid of her to another part of the store!
Oh dear god, I feel the same as you -- people talking out LOUD on their cell phones GRATES on my nerves like you have no idea. It's like, who the hell wants to hear their dirty laundry being aired in public? And the customers who really annoy me are the ones who come into my store and do nothing but talk on their phones and ignore me when I ask them if they need any help, but then get pissed off when suddenly they're ready to be waited on and say, "Can someone PLEASE help me???"
Great story. And I love the post title photograph you used. Hilarious!
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I knew you'd love this story, Ron. You must see this constantly. I get so mad when I'm in line and the person in front of me is on their phone ignoring the salesperson. Some places have signs now stating no cell phones during transactions. People are so rude!
DeleteNow I'm stressed out. I hate it when someone I am supposed to be having lunch with whips out that phone and spends more time on/with it than talking to to me.
ReplyDeleteI do have one friend who does this....she keeps the damn phone right on the table. Her kids are adults! Not necessary!
DeleteI hate rude people who talk on their cell phones at the wrong times and in the wrong places. I just tweeted a tweet on twitter about how it's rude to talk on your cell phone right outside your apartment door when you live right next door to other people. I stood at my door and stared at him until he walked down the side walk. He didn't even ask me 'what?" because he knew he was being loud. So irritating so I can totally understand what you mean.
ReplyDeleteI know how irritating that is at a hotel, so I feel your pain!
DeleteThat is why I don't carry my cell phone with me (very rarely). I leave it in the car and have it for emergencies. I am not owned by it :)
ReplyDeletebetty
I really only use mine for texting. I can't even remember the last time I talked on mine.
DeleteCan't say I'm bothered about people having bizarre convos on their mobiles. In fact they can be most entertaining. But I do share your annoyance with friends who prefer checking their phones to actually talking to you. Why do they bother to meet up with you in the first place?
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be some sort of security blanket for many people.
DeleteI had a co-worker whose pet peeve was people talking on their cell phones in the bathroom. Whenever someone would do it, he would move to the stall next to the guy and flush every time!
ReplyDeleteI think I'd really like your co-worker!
DeleteGood for you, Bijoux! People seem to have no regard for anyone around them. I don't know if technology is causing this or it's just a general breakdown in society, but whatever it is, I'm fed up.
ReplyDeleteI'm fed up, too! Maybe some day they will be sent outside, like smokers!
DeleteHa ha ha! Good move! I don't get it either - I don't take a call in public except to let the person know I"ll call them later. I don't people hearing my conversation and I don't want to hear theirs. An interesting study showed that people are more distracted by hearing a phone call than by hearing two people talking because you automatically try to fil in what the person on the other side of the phone is saying.
ReplyDeleteThat definitely explains why it is so distracting. Plus, I think some people tend to yell into a phone. Probably the same type of people who would talk loudly to a blind person!
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ReplyDeleteThat is irritating! I hated these people when I had to commute to work on the train. At least I hope they don't ask everyone they call, "Guess where I am calling from" anymore. 15 minutes of "Yes. on the train, can you believe it?"
ReplyDeleteGood grief! Nothing worse than when you are the captive audience!
DeleteThanks for scoring one for us folks still craving sanity! Public phone chatting annoys me as well. I may need to borrow those shoe boxes tomorrow when I am waiting in line to pick up the elementary schoolers. With all the mindless blabbering on phones, that 10 minutes can certainly be a long one.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. These are the same people who ignore their kids while talking on the phone. There will be a name for this syndrome some day!
DeleteI was thinking about an incident that happened many years ago. It was weird because I remember getting stuck somewhere and needing a ride. But I can’t recall how I got in touch with someone to help me out. I must have had to use a public payphone. It is strange, isn’t it, how easily we take for granted the fact we are able to have constant and immediate contact. My grandkids, I am sure, don’t even know what a public payphone is.
ReplyDeleteIf I have to be on my cell in a public place, I will try to find privacy.
I think about that too, esp. when I pick my son up at college. I never have to leave the car, which is great, since there's never a place to park, I'm grateful for cell phones and texting, but people need to respect others!
DeletePeople like that are everywhere these days, sigh*
ReplyDeleteYou can't escape them!
DeleteGood for you! I would have picked up my phone and replied to everything she said as if she were having the conversation with me. I'm sure that would be nice and annoying...and maybe get your point across in a not-so-subtle manner!
ReplyDeleteHa! Good idea!
DeleteOMG. I LOVE you. (in other words: yes, I share this pet peeve...and I love that you got in her face about it, even though she was oblivous)
ReplyDeleteMy husband thinks I'm passive aggressive, but I'm glad you like me!
DeleteYou say Passive aggressive like it's a BAD thing .... ;-)
DeleteBe kind to your elders, that'll be you some day!!! That's the mantra people keep telling me but I think it's a generational thing. Today's seniors (teens) and senior citizens seem to be the best at being oblivious. I'm tyhinking we come in as just desserts (would that make us the meanest?)
ReplyDeleteToday I saw an 80-something woman at the grocery store with a Bluetooth in her ear. This is just too much for me.
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