What's really wrong with Singaporeans? Are they just rude, inconsiderate or what? I was on the train yesterday and came a guy (in his mid 60s) who sat next to me. He was talking on the phone with his loud voice that can turn the train upside down. Even though I have my earpiece plugged-in listening to my MP3, I could still hear him. Just imagine how fucking loud it was. I'm seriously mad. And, he spoke in Hokkien to whoever was on the phone. I hate Hokkien, mind you. It's irritating to the ear, no?

You might be wonderinf is it acceptable to use a cell phone? That's really a difficult question. Especially because the answers can differ widely depending on who is responding to them. For example, if you are the person who is being annoyed by the fact that another person is talking on the phone, inside a restaurant blah blah blah, you'll probably say that it is not polite of him/her to use the phone in such a public place where people go expecting to have a good time, without too many noise or loud talking. But if we ask the person who is on the phone, he or she will probably say that he/she knows that it's not completely right to talk on the phone inside public places but the call was tremendously important, they couldn't help talking back.

Well, for my own experience in that matter, I would say that it really annoys me to be in a place with another person talking on the phone, especially when talking loudly, but I too already had to talk on a cell phone at inappropriate times and places…

See, a cell phone is a relatively new gadget, it will take some time until we can establish fair enough and well-accepted rules for its use. But hey, one should of course, use some common sense when using a cell phone or any other device in a public place. The same way that you probably wouldn't use a radio inside a restaurant or while watching a movie or play, you should not use your cell phone; instead, you must turn off it before entering these places. If you are expecting a very important call, the best thing to do is choose another place instead, a more informal and open space like a bar where you can sit outside.