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.
Events and protests were held in downtown Los Angeles Saturday on the one-year anniversary of one of the largest immigration enforcement actions in California.
One June 6, 2025, federal agents stormed the L.A. Fashion District, arresting and detaining dozens of workers.
The enforcement action served as a catalyst, igniting a wave of subsequent raids across Southern California. In response, city leaders affirmed their “unwavering commitment to the immigrant communities” in Los Angeles, as events were held throughout the city to remember those who were deported and those whose immigration cases remain unresolved.
Protesters advocating for immigrant communities gathered outside a federal detention center in downtown Saturday, waving flags and signs. One woman was arrested during a clash with police.
The initial raid in the L.A. Garment District swept up workers, including the father of one woman who described the experience as “one of the most traumatic experiences” of their lives. This operation was among the first deportation actions that resulted in families being separated and triggered days of civil unrest.
At a commemoration event, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and the Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of L.A. stood together, vowing to protect immigrant communities living in fear.
“We all felt attacked, and I think what’s so critical today, is to know and remember and acknowledge that this is still going on every day,” Bass said.
While the Department of Homeland Security maintains that its enforcement operations target criminals, families of those detained argue that immigration enforcement terrorizes hardworking people. These families contend that many immigrants pay taxes and contribute to society, even if they are not U.S. citizens.
Immigration attorneys report that thousands of individuals are still trying to locate their loved ones. They also highlighted that hundreds of people swept up in immigration raids last year remain detained in facilities, facing medical neglect, inhumane conditions and the denial of basic due process protections.
Watch the full report from KTLA’s Sara Welch in the video at the top of this story.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTLA. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTLA staff before being published.
Los Angeles, Ca
Pasadena motorist knocked unconscious in unprovoked assault after other driver flashes high beams at him
A motorist was rendered unconscious after what authorities are calling an unprovoked attack that occurred after another driver flashed their high beams at him, authorities say.
According to the Pasadena Police Department, the victim, a 63-year-old man, was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue near Washington Boulevard when a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction flashed him around 1 a.m. Saturday.
“The victim reported that he was driving northbound on Raymond Avenue from Washington Boulevard when he observed a vehicle traveling southbound flashing its high beams at him,” a Pasadena Police Department spokesperson confirmed to KTLA. “The victim stated he stopped his vehicle and exited. He was then assaulted by an unknown suspect. The assault was unprovoked.”
The attack left the man unconscious and with a three-inch deep laceration to his head, police added. Upon regaining consciousness, the man transported himself to Huntington Hospital, and it was around 1:20 a.m. when police responded there to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and began their investigation.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the victim told police that, due to his injuries, he was not able to provide a description of a suspect, vehicle or the weapon used, nor was he able to tell police the exact location where the assault occurred, although it was confirmed to be somewhere near Raymond Avenue and Washington Boulevard. La Pintoresca Park is located near that intersection.
No further details were immediately available.
Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact the Pasadena Police Department right away.
Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report.
A woman was struck and killed by a driver while crossing the street on Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach.
On June 3, the female pedestrian was using the crosswalk at Pacific Coast Highway and Pacific Avenue around 4:50 a.m.
She had walked against a red light and was hit by a 19-year-old driver in a Chevy sedan, Long Beach police said.
Despite lifesaving efforts, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
“At this time, impaired driving, distracted driving and excessive speed are not believed to be a factor in this collision,” police said.
The woman’s name is being withheld pending identification by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information on the incident is asked to call Detective Joseph Johnson at 562-570-7355.
Anonymous tips can be provided to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.
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