Friday's Unscientific Poll: Video calls in changing rooms

[nanila]

Today's Unscientific Poll is purely hypothetical, of course!

Poll #21109 Is It OK

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 79

Conducting a video phone call in the changing rooms of a sports facility: acceptable?

Yes, that's fine.
0 (0.0%)

Dear goodness me, no.
79 (100.0%)

Earlier this week, I entered the changing rooms of the gym to see someone sat on one of the benches having a video phone call.

Now, for me this is completely socially unacceptable. I won't answer a voice call in the changing rooms as I find even that to be rather creepy, given that all phones have cameras on them these days. I can almost understand how the person might have come to the conclusion it was OK in this case given that (a) the changing rooms were empty at the time (b) a percentage of the people who use the changing rooms are students, and come into them already wearing their gym clothes and/or return to their dorms to shower and (c) different cultural norms.

HOWEVER, as soon as someone else came in, I would have expected them to terminate the call and leave. Did they do that? No, they carried on, oblivious to myself and another person who came in behind me, also wearing office clothes (as I was).

I summoned up my bolshiest inner American, went over, and politely asked them not to conduct a video call in the changing room. They ended the call and apologised, with an expression that clearly said, "I'm not sorry and I'm upset that you think I'm doing something wrong." So I put on my, "I am deeply unimpressed with you and I do hope I never see you doing this again" face. Because NO.

Comments

[bryangb]

Mobile phone use has gone a bit bonkers of late. I see people walking down the road making video calls, if someone did that to me I'd probably feel seasick! And I see *so* many people holding their phones in front of them as if they're walkie-talkies, presumably in speakerphone mode. At first I thought maybe this was a cultural thing, among people who'd not had much experience of actual telephones, but now it's everywhere. It's weird!

[davidgillon]

Whether videophone or reading text, I had about three different people almost run into me while walking though crowds while oblivious to those around them the other day, and that was just in negotiating the entrance to St Pancras station. It's a problem for everyone in crowds, but even worse for those of us who are wheelchair users, or kids, so completely blocked from sight by the phone.

[annofowlshire]

There's a light pole on the pavement outside of our house. I can't tell you how many people I see a week accidentally walk into it while staring into their phones.

[nanila]

I make myself stop and stand still when I'm using my phone. The one exception: when I'm playing Pokemon Go. ;)