A man talks endlessly on his cell phone while your family is having a nice meal in a restaurant?

Question

You are in a nice restaurant, eating a nice meal with your family.
You notice a guy sitting by himself talking really loud on his cell phone. 1/2 an hour passes, he keeps getting work phone calls.
Everyone else in the restaurant just keeps minding their own business.
What would you do?
a. politely ask him to stop
b. talk to the manager
c. just talk about him, & make fun of him
d. do nothing

Answer 1

I do the same thing I would do if some idiot was talking loudly to a dinner companion. Talk equally loudly about something as inane and pointless as possible. They always shut up.

Answer 2

I don't know of any law yet to prevent these individuals from exhibiting this rude behavior.
I would make a complaint to the manager with hope that management comes up with at least a restaurant policy to prevent this kind of behavior.
Since there is no way to share the space and not hear the sound; maybe restaurant management could come up with something like allowing cell phones and the like, only to be used during certain times of the day.
When one is trying to enjoy a meal out; particularly dinner, most prefer to enjoy it in peace and quiet.
I don't know whose attention to get to have some kind of law instituted, e.g. the No Smoking law in certain areas but keep searching.
Maybe in your search you will find to whom to write; To Whom It May Concern.
I'm quite sure you are not alone with this complaint.

Answer 3

a. politely ask him to stop.

He may not realize how loud he is being. You have a fifty/fifty chance that he'll respond and bring his voice down a notch, or he'll continue to be a jerk. If he gets obnoxiously angry with you and more rude, then you procede to b. The manager or staff may have noticed that there is a problem by then and they only need you to request that they take action.

Usually there is a general tone/mood in a restaurant. If there is someone in particular that is violating that in a particular place, I don't think it is out of line to ask them to keep it down. You wouldn't do that at a kids' pizza place or Disneyland, though

Answer 4

There's no law against what he's doing. I agree that it's annoying. It's just as annoying when two people are sitting across from each other talking loudly.

I would talk to the manager. The manager could possibly sit you somewhere else. S/He could also possibly talk to the man and ask him to either talk more quietly, move somewhere else, or take the conversation outside.

I wouldn't approach him yourself. He probably would get defensive at your request. He probably would also think that you're in the wrong and he's in the right.

Answer 5

Mind my own business and try to not listen in on her conversation because I could really care less what she was talking about. Not many things get on my nerves so it probably wouldn't bother me at all. If I was a person who got easily irritated over minor things such as this I would probably just move to another table. Life's too short to worry about what everyone else is doing and letting it bother you.

Answer 6

Do nothing, i don't understand people who get pissy if someone is on their cell phone in a restaurant. Is it any different if he was talking to someone sitting at the table with him? What difference does it make if he is talking directly to someone or into a phone? He didn't ask you to watch him or listen. Mind your own business.

Answer 7

I would do nothing. Just because he's not talking to someone in person doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to be talking in the restaurant. Did you sit there the entire time without talking? ...My guess is no. Some people are just loud talkers and there's nothing you can do about it.

Answer 8

Hi Trinity,
You should talk to the manager and tell him or her ( the manager ) you and your family or whoever it is they are trying to have a quiet meal in the restaurant. At least my writing my blogs at the table is no more of a pain.

Answer 9

Honestly everyone has their rights. So its better to say nothing and communicate more with your family. This would keep your mind of any loud jerk. And also with how high violence has gotten and how everyone is accusing everyone of being rasict i dont think telling someone to stop is a good idea.

Answer 10

you really can't do anything without looking uptight/crazy--besides, anyone who talks on their phone like that in a restaurant is clearly rude...perhaps one day they'll figure it out and realize how ridiculous they look/sound! But if you're ok with the bad rep., then go ahead and talk to the manager!