A pain in the bluetooth
Sunday September 27 2009
Sir -- Florence Hogan (Sunday Independent, September 20, 2009), only echoes what all of us feel, namely that mobile phones are a pain in the bluetooth. Yes, they can be handy (as the Germans call them) in an emergency but otherwise they are just so overused that it's no joke anymore.
When mobiles first appeared, everyone was keen to show they had one and whipped it out at every opportunity; but now that every five-year-old owns one (yes, in Finland, the home of Nokia, all children carry a mobile to constantly reassure their parents that they are OK), surely the prestige and the novelty has worn off and we can keep usage to a minimum.
Of course, mobile phones are no longer just mobile phones. They are cameras, MP3s, DVD players, cappuccino makers or whatever you want them to be. Making calls on them is purely incidental. I am just waiting for the day when they put wheels on them so I can drive to work on my new Toyota Speakeasy. I digress. We need to tackle the problem of privacy invasion and public nuisance. However, apart from inventing jamming devices or fitting the offending party with a muzzle, it is difficult to see how the noise pollution laws can be enforced. Perhaps Ms Hogan has the right idea when she suggests joining in the conversation. I have found myself doing this on public transport and restaurants . . . "She's sleeping with who? Get outta here!! What a strumpet! I was only saying to Gladys last week, it's the quiet ones you want to watch." It always works. They either terminate the call or move well away from you.
Paul Cleary,
Castleknock, Dublin 15
