I get that there are times when people are out in public and need to use their phone. That's why we have cell phones. Work, family, gambling addiction - we all have our reasons. What I don't understand is why somebody will sit in a crowded area (think DMV waiting area), and although they posses technology that allows for a private conversation, instead put the phone on speaker and this ...
Person beside me: DIALS...."Hey, I wonder if I should put walnuts in the brownies?"
Person on speaker: "Nancy always did and hers were great. Whatever happened to Nancy?"
Person beside me: "I thought they moved to Kansas"
Person on speaker: "Didn't her husband just buy a riding lawn mower?"
Person beside me: "He did. He hurt his leg playing softball. I think it happened last year. He was on the same team as Greg, remember him?"
Person on speaker: "Never liked Greg, his motorcycle was too loud."
Person beside me: "Greg didn't have a motorcycle"
Person on speaker: "Yes he did"
Person beside me: "Oh, maybe I'm thinking of somebody else."
Person on speaker: "You're thinking of Kevin. He had a motorcycle but he just crashed it. In fact, I was going to make him some brownies"
Person beside me: "Are you going to put walnuts in them?"
If these two people were sitting beside me having this conversation, I would be annoyed, but recognize that they have no other reasonable way to communicate and that making polite conversation during the wait seems normal. But if you're alone in a waiting room and just start making calls because you're bored and then subject everybody else to the conversation, I like you less. Equally annoying - if you are playing video games on your phone, turn the sound off.