Los Angeles, Ca
Many loathe public speakerphone calls, so why do people do it?
(NEXSTAR) – Few things are as universally reviled as a loud phone conversation infringing on your personal space. (Mosquitoes and taxes aside.) Doing it on loudspeaker is even more incendiary.
To me, having a phone conversation on speakerphone in public is puzzling. Doesn’t it make it harder to hear for everyone involved? Yet in the past month I’ve seen this behavior play out in a crowded airport terminal, the lobby of a boutique fitness studio and the grocery store pasta aisle. (Nowhere is safe!)
Aside from being odd, it’s rude, say etiquette experts. “Taking a call on a loudspeaker around others can unintentionally send the message that you’re not considering their presence or personal space,” said Myka Meier, founder of Beaumont Etiquette. “It can come across as inconsiderate or even self-centered, as though you assume everyone else should be subjected to your conversation.”
The fact that it’s a phone conversation — not just in-person chit-chat — could be part of the reason people find loud speakerphone calls so grating, speculated Ozlem Ayduk, professor and chair of the UC Berkeley psychology department. Because people have another choice (using headphones, or waiting until they get off the hypothetical bus), it seems like an intentional affront to other people’s peace and quiet.
“Talking to someone out loud in person on a bus where you’re dominating everybody else’s consciousness is just as rude as talking on the phone … in terms of real impact, it’s the same,” Ayduk said. “But there’s something about it being a phone, because I think we have conceptions that phone conversations are private, so it’s violating that expectation or assumption.”
People who use hearing aids (and might experience feedback when they hold a phone up to their ear) may get a free pass, but they’re not the only ones transgressing this unspoken rule.
The motivations for those without hearing impairment isn’t clearcut. It could be a number of things that lead to people speaking loudly — on the phone or otherwise — with abandon.
“I have no idea, but the person talking on the phone on a bus could be like, I don’t give a damn about all these people, you know, they’re just strangers to me. I’m never going to meet them again,” Ayduk said. “There may be some more nefarious reasons like somebody is narcissistic and they want to show the world how many friends they have. It could be totally benign to nefarious.”
They may also have trouble reading social cues and may not realize how their behavior impacts others, she explained.
Plus, how we act in any social situation also depends on the context we grew up in, our individual values and our goals. What’s rude to one person could be completely fine to another.
“We tend to temper our behavior depending on how we think it’s perceived, how socially acceptable those behaviors are,” Ayduk said.
The more you see the behavior happening around you, the more normalized it becomes. So if you see people speaking loudly on the phone all the time, you may not shy away from doing it yourself.
“Humans learn from observing other people’s behaviors. And especially in situations where there may not be very strong established norms, they look to others to gauge their own behavior,” she said.
Meier, for her part, hopes the norms around loud phone conversations won’t change too much. She suggests using speakerphone in private settings only, and generally being mindful of the people around you when taking a call.
“Whether you’re on the street, in a coffee shop, or even on public transport, the goal is to minimize the impact your conversation has on everyone around you. Being discreet and respectful makes all the difference,” she said.
Despite my fascination with this slice of human behavior, there hasn’t been much academic interest. Ayduk said she wasn’t aware of any scientific studies or journals published on the matter. (Free research paper idea for anyone who wants it!)
In the meantime, the conduct will remain a mystery to me. But people are complicated, after all. That’s what makes them so interesting to study.
Los Angeles, Ca
‘Shut up, I’m trying to steal!’: Burglars ransack Southern California homes while posing as deliverymen
Residents are frightened and angry as a group of suspects continue ransacking San Fernando Valley homes, leaving a trail of destruction behind.
A Valley Village resident said she was stunned and shaken up after thieves targeted her home on Dec. 17 between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The break-in was captured on home surveillance cameras as a male suspect approached the house and appeared to be disguised as a delivery man.
“Ten minutes after we left [our home], someone was knocking at the door and our dog was barking away,” she said. “Then within a minute, someone had broken into the back of the house, smashed the glass door, came in and locked the dog in a room and just trashed the house. They took all of my jewelry.”
Photos of the aftermath showed drawers in every room were removed and emptied and all of the woman’s belongings were thrown across the floor in heaping piles.
“It was very frightening and very scary,” the homeowner, who did not want to be identified, told KTLA’s Angeli Kakade.
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A suspect is seen on security footage rummaging through a victim’s closet in the San Fernando Valley. -
Three hooded burglary suspects run into the backyard of a San Fernando Valley home, knocking over any security cameras they spot. -
Home surveillance cameras captured a fake delivery man knocking on the front door of a Valley Village home while several suspects shattered the back door to burglarize the home on Dec. 17, 2024. -
The male suspect posing as a delivery person is seen walking away. -
The destructive aftermath of a burglary at a Valley Village home on Dec. 17, 2024. -
The destructive aftermath of a burglary at a Valley Village home on Dec. 17, 2024. -
Three hooded burglary suspects run into the backyard of a San Fernando Valley home, knocking over any security cameras they spot. -
Three hooded burglary suspects run into the backyard of a San Fernando Valley home, knocking over any security cameras they spot. -
The back door of a Valley Village home was shattered as a group of thieves ransacked the property on Dec. 17, 2024. -
The destructive aftermath of a burglary at a Valley Village home on Dec. 17, 2024.
She posted the surveillance video on the NextDoor app and was shocked to discover how many other nearby residents came forward with similar burglary stories.
“I didn’t know this was going on until I let our neighbors know and then you start finding out that it’s happening all the time,” another neighbor told KTLA.
A Sherman Oaks resident posted a video of a thief rummaging inside a closet and at one point, he was heard yelling to the homeowner, “Shut up bi*ch! I’m trying to steal!”
Victims reported the same details — a fake delivery man knocks on the front door to check if anyone’s home while several accomplices enter the house by shattering a back door or window.
At times, when the suspects would spot a security camera, they would quickly run over and knock it to the ground.
The Valley Village victim said she’s angry over the constant break-ins her community is forced to endure. The worst part, she said, was that she had no idea it was taking place. She believes local law enforcement needs to prioritize alerting citizens of burglary threats.
“I’m very frustrated because I feel like if people had let us know, maybe we could’ve taken more precautions,” she said.
The burglaries remain under investigation and no suspects have been arrested. Anyone with information can call the Los Angeles Police Department at 818-374-9500.
Police in Anaheim are asking for the public’s help to find the person who attacked a local business owner and left them with major injuries.
The attack happened on Dec. 9 around 10 p.m. at a store near the intersection of Anaheim Boulevard and South Street, police said.
According to the Anaheim Police Department, a man attacked the business owner inside the store. The unidentified victim suffered serious injuries that police officials described as “severe.”
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Anaheim police are searching for the person who assaulted a business owner, leaving him severely injured on Dec. 9, 2024. (Anaheim Police Department)
On Friday, the Police Department released two images of the suspect with a plea to the public for help locating him.
“Any information you have could help us bring justice in the case,” the Police Department wrote in a post to Instagram. “Your assistance is appreciated.”
Anyone who might recognize the man is urged to contact the Anaheim Police Department at 714- 765-1900. Anonymous tips can be made online or by calling Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-847-6227.
Bluey, a blue heeler dog from the children’s show of the same name, will be making her theme park debut at Disneyland and Walt Disney World next year. Walt Disney Co. also announced that the character will join the Disney Cruise Line as well.
“Beginning in January 2025, onboard Disney Cruise Line voyages originating from Australia and New Zealand, families can interact with Bluey and her sister, Bingo, like never before. From special meet-and-greets to an interactive and clue-filled game that ends in a dance party featuring Bluey’s signature moves, families in the region can embark on a magical holiday with their favorite blue heeler,” the company said in a news release.
The company will share more details about how guests can meet Bluey and her family at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort in the coming months.
The announcement comes amid an expanded partnership between Disney and BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC that distributes the popular Australian animated series, and Ludo Studio, which produced the program.
It’s not completely unusual for Disney to highlight other intellectual property in its theme parks. For example, the Star Wars and Muppets attractions were in place at Disneyland and Walt Disney World before Disney bought LucasFilm and Jim Henson Productions, respectively.
The companies also announced that a Bluey movie will be released theatrically in 2027, with Disney leading distribution.
The show follows a family of cartoon dogs who live in Brisbane, Australia.
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