Man fined $300 for using speakerphone in French train station

Recently, a man in France was fined $300 for using his phone's speakerphone in a train station. This incident has sparked discussions about the norms of using mobile phones in public places, prompting people to reflect on appropriate behavior.

According to CNN affiliate BFMTV, the man, identified as "David," revealed that the incident occurred on a Sunday while he was waiting for a train at the Nantes train station in western France. He was speaking to his sister on speakerphone when an employee of the French national railway company SNCF intervened and issued a ticket.

"An SNCF security officer told me that if I didn't turn off the speakerphone, I would be fined 150 euros," David told BFMTV. He initially thought it was a joke. "I think the person was offended. She took out her notebook and gave me a ticket," he added. Because he did not pay the fine on the spot, the final amount increased to 200 euros (approximately AUD 329). The passenger has hired a lawyer and plans to contest the fine. CNN has contacted SNCF for comment.

Making phone calls or watching videos in public places without headphones has become a common phenomenon, much to the annoyance of many. Recently, a Reddit user asked, "What do you secretly judge people for?", and the response "playing TikTok loudly in a quiet room without headphones" received 13,000 upvotes, highlighting the widespread disapproval of such behavior.

Debrett's, a British authority on etiquette, published an article on new rules for mobile phone use in 2023. The article stated: "Be discreet when making calls. If you are video calling in a public place (or you are simply too lazy to hold the phone to your ear), you must use headphones or earbuds." The article also emphasized: "No one should be forced to listen to your phone conversations; it is annoying and distracting, and can even be intrusive or embarrassing. The other party may also object to their conversation being overheard by a carriage-full of unwilling eavesdroppers."