My wife and I were having a pleasant dinner at a local Italian restaurant. As we were munching on our entrées, we became aware of a one-sided conversation that was becoming increasingly louder. We looked across the small restaurant and saw a man talking on his cell phone about a business trip to Hawaii. He kept getting louder and louder and louder. Everyone in the restaurant, including the staff, was looking at him.
Since I could no longer hold a conversation with my wife because of his loudness, I decided to do something about it. I got up and walked over to his table. Upon arrival I said “Excuse me, but could you hold down the volume on your conversation? It has been getting louder and louder” just as he was closing the cell phone. He mumbled something and said he was through with the call. As I was walking back to my table, I overheard his wife say something like “I told you you were talking too loud.” And I heard his daughter ask why I did what I did. He responded saying something about some people are just rude that way.
We continued our dining. After a short while, the man got up and came over to our table. My wife said she thought he was going to attack me. He didn’t. He apologized for the disruption and attempted to blame it on the acoustics of the restaurant. I thanked him, and he returned to his table.
I got thumbs up from the other diners and the restaurant staff, and free dessert. And we have received celebrity treatment there ever since.
Since I could no longer hold a conversation with my wife because of his loudness, I decided to do something about it. I got up and walked over to his table. Upon arrival I said “Excuse me, but could you hold down the volume on your conversation? It has been getting louder and louder” just as he was closing the cell phone. He mumbled something and said he was through with the call. As I was walking back to my table, I overheard his wife say something like “I told you you were talking too loud.” And I heard his daughter ask why I did what I did. He responded saying something about some people are just rude that way.
We continued our dining. After a short while, the man got up and came over to our table. My wife said she thought he was going to attack me. He didn’t. He apologized for the disruption and attempted to blame it on the acoustics of the restaurant. I thanked him, and he returned to his table.
I got thumbs up from the other diners and the restaurant staff, and free dessert. And we have received celebrity treatment there ever since.
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