I am behind the latest trends. I must be because I just can't seem to get into the ringtone rage. I prefer to use a traditional "ring ring" to indicate a call and in my "younger" days, for about a year, I had a mellow electronic version of "Take me out to the ballgame". Even before ringtones took off, I've never really used the "Samba", "Bach Partita", "Marriage of Figaro", or whatever generic ringtones came with the phone. Yes, I know, I'm behind times, but call me old-fashioned, boring, or whatever, I prefer a normal ring.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love music! Anything from classical, 80s, 90s, to whatever is in these days that has a good beat. But I just don't like hearing these songs blasting on BART. My phones are either on silent/vibrate or a soft ring. I generally try to pick up immediately or just send straight to voicemail for the sake of all the passengers around me.
Ringtones are part of self-expression, so I've been told. That's fine, but hearing them blasting from left and right on a train isn't exactly pleasant. But since people paid for them, they want them world to hear the ringtones...thus, it tends to always be on the loudest volume the phone can get.
Just yesterday evening, I heard over and over:
smack that, all on the floor,
smack that, give me some more.....
The guy just won't pick it up! Not sure what was holding him back. Whoever was calling him also won't quit....Akon was blasting 3 times in a row.
It has nothing to do with the type of music. It's the volume and the inconsideration of the phone owner to let it go on and on.
This morning, the train was silent and sleepy. Suddenly, Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl woke everyone up like a loud alarm clock. The only person that DIDN'T wake up was the person who owned the phone.
Anyways, my point is, please be considerate and turn it down or at the very least, pick it up immediately. If I have to hear the whole chorus at least once, you've let it rang too long.
10 comments:
ARG! I completely agree. I think ring tones are the most horrible thing. Oh, I long for the days of simple 'ring-ring' on the phone. Why oh why must people waste their money on this crap. I also wonder how many of these are in severe debt, yet they have the money to purchase lame stuff like this.
Just imagine the day the FAA says it's ok to use phones in an airplane - my goodness, can we start a pool now as to how many people will end up in jail because they will lose their temper with not only annoying rings like this, but annoying conversations in such close quarters. Oh, how I pray the day will never come.
I know where you are coming from. Those ring tones are way too loud and often inappropriate. I have even heard "sound" ring tones with adult noises that really should not be played anywhere near kids. But what can we do about it? It's someone's cellphone. We can't stop them from letting their phone ring.
Ringtone haters: get with the times. They are here to stay whether you like it or not.
I'm looking forward to using the internet while on the planes but can't see myself ever really using my cellphone to pass time when that becomes possible. just like BART, I just don't like having personal conversations while people are all around me. the only times i've talked on the phone were for totally urgent work or personal matters.
sorry, loud ring tones are not my fave in cramped spaces. in a mall, however, i have nothing against people who let their ring tones blast.
I am also not a fan of obnoxiously loud ringtones, but I've definitely paid for ringtones of songs I like as well. I try not to just pick the current hits cause I know after a few months they'll be played out (although it is pretty neat though when I hear a friend's phone playing a pretty new/popular song), so I look for songs that are somewhat timeless (but still reasonable for a 22 year old college student to be listening to).
Anyways, I definitely think people need to utilize the vibrate functions of their phones more often, regardless of whatever hip ringtones they may have. I set my phone to vibrate whenever I know I won't be able to hear it ring cause I'm napping (on BART, in class hehe), or when I know it'll be so loud that I won't hear it no matter how loud it's set to (parties/bars/clubs, BART). I don't think this is a matter of a "ding-dong" tone vs. Akon, but just a matter of people remembering to change their phone volume before boarding a train.
And by the way, my ringtone is Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and my roommate has Journey on his phone. Go figure.
I find the musical ringtones to be rather juvenile. I expect it from a teenager, but not a grown adult. I think that people don't realize how silly it makes them look. I notice that the people with these ringtones tend not to be the professionals on their way to work. Especially when on the train, vibrate is all you need.
Of course, the ringtones pale in comparison to the people who blast their iPods so loud that you can hear it across the train.
I sound like a 28 year-old old fogey.
I actually quite like Akon but it's just the volume and the fact that people let it go on and on. And you're right, even if it's a normal ring-ring, if it's loud and goes on forever, it's pretty darn unpleasant too.
Anon #3 - Yes, I realize ring-tones are here to stay, but must you be so rude as to blast the obnoxious sound when it's not appropriate?
Kind of like those people who walk around with their blue-tooth ear piece yet never receive a call. Are people so vain that they feel they need to wear this to make themselves look important? I've actually been around someone for an entire day wearing their blue-tooth ear piece and the individual NEVER received nor made a phone call. All they while, he looked like robot-man.
ConcordCommuter - I completely agree, it's very juvenile, especially when it's blaring loud & the person doesn't answer, or send it to voice mail. Again, I think it's a narcissistic thing.
It all comes down to respect and what's appropriate / not appropriate. Having a phone blaring at 6:30am on the BART train and refusing to answer or send to voice mail to terminate the obnoxious sound is extremely selfish & shows a complete lack of respect.
Let's not even get into some of the 'loud' conversations some of these people have on the train. Do they not realize there is no privacy? I don't care whether or not your significant other thinks your cheating on them when you're working late. If they don't trust you, drop them like a hot potato. I don't care to know who's doing who, when, or where, who showed up at such & such party & got plastered, etc - people there is no privacy on the train.
I apologize, I've digressed from the topic at hand.
It's a lot like that Holiday Inn commercial where the guy has a quack for his new mail tone... I agree in that a professional setting (like working with clients) you would want to keep the phone on vibrate or some kind of beeping tone, but whatever they have in their own personal free time is their own business.
I wouldn't think anything of a professional who had a musical ringtone, whether it be gangster rap or classical music, as long as it's away from the workplace. This is more of a technology/professionalism issue... Like I wouldn't care if a suit was playing a DS/PSP/mobile game while on BART just because adult gamers are much more common now. Even though musical ringtones are definitely a more overt form of expression, people can spend their money however they want to.
Yes, I'm a very open-minded college student, and while I have no problem with people taking advantage of new technologies, I think that as people use these technologies, they must also continue to be aware of what is required in a professional setting. Keep the phone on vibrate, it's the easiest way to avoid any problems.
Oh and with regards to the whole Bluetooth headset thing, while it is kind of ridiculous for a person to wear one all day long (unless they're like a delivery person), it also kind of defeats the purpose if you have to put it on every single time you got a call then take it off right afterwards. If it's for a reasonable amount of time in an appropriate setting then it's no problem.
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