I was just about to enjoy my coffee.
That quiet moment when the house is still half-asleep and the day hasn’t started asking anything from you yet.
And then I hear it — clearly, as if it were coming from my own kitchen:
“What did you eat this morning? Did you take your vitamins?”
I froze, coffee mug mid-air.
It wasn’t the TV. It wasn’t my phone. The voice was right there. So clear that I instinctively looked around, checking if someone else was in the house.
Curious, I walked over to the window.
On the sidewalk, directly under my window, a middle-aged woman was strolling along with her phone on speaker. Volume all the way up. Everything she said — and especially everything the person on the other end said — was coming straight into my kitchen.
“Maybe she doesn’t realize,” I told myself.
I really tried to ignore it.
But after a few minutes, her conversation had become the soundtrack of my morning. I learned what she had for breakfast. What supplements she takes. And, unfortunately, I was also treated to some very personal details about her bathroom habits.
All while drinking coffee.
In silence.
In my own home.
So I finally snapped.
I leaned out the window and said, calmly but firmly:
“Could you maybe hold the phone to your ear? Or, if you need to use speaker, maybe do it at home. The whole block can hear you — it’s like a morning soap opera.”
She stopped. Looked up at me. And replied, annoyed:
“It’s private. It’s none of your business.”
I explained, without raising my voice, that once you’re on speaker, on a public sidewalk, at full volume, it’s not really private anymore. That the noise travels into people’s homes. That not everyone wants to know someone else’s breakfast, vitamin routine, and digestive situation at 8 a.m.
I don’t think she fully understood.
But for a few seconds, at least, she looked surprised.
Maybe next time she’ll still use speakerphone.
But for that moment, I got to finish my coffee in peace.
What Other People Say
“I’ve seen people walking down the street on speaker like they’re recording a podcast about their own life.”
“On the subway, a guy was on speaker arguing with someone. I learned who made him mad, why, and who he wanted to beat up.”
“At a restaurant, someone was on a video call with no headphones. We were eating. He was in a meeting. We were all included without consent.”
“At a crosswalk, a woman was holding her phone like a slice of buttered toast.”
“I’ve seen people talking on speaker while driving, holding the phone, even though the car had Bluetooth. The technology was there. Common sense wasn’t.”
“In the grocery store: speakerphone, max volume. The cashier, the shopping carts, and his personal life were all on the same sound level.”
“Some people use speaker just so they don’t hold the phone to their ear. They hold it near their mouth instead. The logic disappears somewhere along the way.”
“I’ve seen people doing video calls on the street, no headphones, like the entire city is their living room.”
“At the airport, right next to a ‘no phone calls’ sign, someone was yelling on FaceTime. The sign felt decorative.”
“Some people use speaker like the world is obligated to listen. Spoiler: it isn’t.”
“I’ve overheard intimate conversations on the bus without asking. I didn’t request access. It was provided.”
“There are people who walk around on speaker and think it’s normal. It’s not.”
“Some say they don’t realize how loud they are. But they don’t seem interested in finding out either.”
“Yes, the street is noisy. That doesn’t mean you need to add your personal life to the soundtrack.”
“Once you use speaker in public, it’s no longer a private conversation. It’s an announcement.”
“I’ve noticed the same people who talk on speaker also litter. Probably a coincidence.”
People have gotten used to holding their phones at arm’s length. Sometimes it’s because they don’t want the screen touching their face — sweat, makeup, whatever. Still, talking on speaker in public is ridiculous unless you actually need to show something on camera. You force an entire store or bus to hear your conversation.
At home, do whatever you want.
In public, maybe don’t make strangers part of your call.