DragonSoul

Love that one!

DragonSoul

In the past and occasionally in the present I've used an app that plays different frequencies to annoy the 'annoyer' back. Obviously hearing depends on age, so there are times I can't hear it, but I play it close to the annoyer, changing the frequency till they can hear it and are bothered by it. They try to pinpoint the source and, if they turn their sound down to do so, I pause play. And then vice versa.

I would say though it's surprising how much a person can be annoyed by a high pitched sound yet still not shut their own noise down.

carrotjuice

Mobile phone signal jammer used to work like a dream. Until people started doing data calls.

planes&trains

I used to think I have seen it all and I am a patient person, but the blokes on video calls in lounges and hotel restaurants are really pushing me to the limit. Over the last two weeks, I had to ask one pax to keep it down in a lounge and asked to be reseated at a restaurant. The latter was at a Ritz Carlton, which never used to be this way. Thank you Steve Jobs, for empowering stupid people.

Too much travel

I've taken the passive-aggressive approach a few times and offered my own earphones to the respective perpetrator, remarking to him (they're always middle-aged blokes!) at a high enough volume for everyone around him to hear it "It sounds like you've forgotten to bring your earphones - would you like to use these for everyone else's benefit?"

vanillabean

The interesting thing about people on phones is that they dislike other people on phones as much as we do. So I just walk up and stand next to such a person, hold up my phone and start talking like there's no tomorrow. Even softly when you're that close. It works every time.

moral_low_ground

Jamming wifi is no harder a problem than jamming GSM or similar. Hours of fun can be had switching the jammer on and off as the "annoying person" thinks their phone is the problem and gets increasingly irritated with it. Not legal to use in various jurisdictions and of course could interrupt those with a genuine or emergency need - but for occasional quick burst on and off in the appropriate location - I see no harm

jp-mco

I was recently in the Club lounge at MCO and there was an older Welsh couple FaceTiming with their daughter back home. They had it on speaker and of course we could all hear the conversation. The funniest part was when the dad handed the iPad to mum and their daughter back in the UK boomed, “By heck mam you’ve put on weight whilst you’ve been over there haven’t you?” Lots of us tittered and some people overhearing it even laughed out loud. After that the FaceTime was quickly wrapped up!

kileysmom

I've just found a use for all those cheap things they hand out for movies, etc. Keep them and go around the lounge handing them to offenders ... love the idea as I'm surely going to say something rather loudly and very condescending such as I'm sure their mother would want them to show good manners and use them.

higham44

I am assuming that this is a very tongue in cheek response and not a serious comment?

jamiegutz

Currently in the LX Senator Lounge in ZRH and there are a couple of calls going on, but those concerned are all using headphones and conscious to talk softly so as not to disturb others. The other thing I like here in ZRH, which BA could take note on, is the quiet lounge on the upper level; those who want peace and quiet have the option to sit up there and not be disturbed. Such a feature may not be so practical in LHR given lounge overcrowding.

I too despise loud speaker phone/video calls and would never even entertain answering such a call in a public place without headphones and making the caller aware that this will be a short call. Likewise my six year old, who like many kids his age, is often glued to his iPad during travel, but on the condition that headphones are used or if not available making sure the volume is at the very lowest setting and a polite mention to those nearby to let me know if it bothers them.

I do love the story of the guy who was sitting next to a guy on a Zoom call on full loud speaker discussing domain names for their new start up. As each potential name was discussed, the guy sat next to them went online and purchased each one before they discovered all of their domains were no longer available!

choosethedrew

Surely BA could have a quiet zone in the lounge? Or maybe some of those conversation booths that I have seen in other lounges?

subject2load

Would definitely be a start, agreed. Well worth a try.

But of course signage etc will only ever be a partial solution. Just like group boarding, it ultimately comes down to behaviour / culture and …….appropriate enforcement of course.

NickB

Indeed. Signage is not a miracle solution and will often be ignored but it does make it easier to remonstrate against the offender and more difficult for them to fob you off. To that extent, it is useful.

the810

I'm in a lounge right now. The guy next to me kept shouting "can you hear me?" into his phone until the point when I couldn't resist replying "sadly we can." He gave me an ugly look but moved away (presumably to annoy someone else).