More Cell Phone Jackassery

Unlike my mom, who was with me when this happened, I DO understand the lure of sitting contentedly in Starfucks or somewhere with a nice cup of coffee and a cell phone and calling an old friend for a chat. It's not so different from meeting a friend for coffee and having that same chat - it's just that this particular friend is, maybe, 1,000 miles away at the time.

But what's weird is when people have intensely personal conversations on cell phones, in public, LOUDLY.

A guy I've seen around came into the coffee shop the other day while my mom and I were working quietly. He sat near us and rang a friend. He was wearing one of those earpiece phones that make other people think you are crazily talking to yourself - so already, there was one strike against him.

This fellow was having a difficult time with his girlfriend, who was jealous of his friendships with women who found him attractive, apparently because he had cheated on her in the past. He didn't seem to understand why she was still with him if she was having this issue - it was as if he felt she lost the right to be paranoid because she didn't break up with him - because, as he said, "I told her I would understand if she didn't want to be with me anymore after that. That's what I don't get." (Yeah. If you're going to spill it in public, loudly, while I'm trying to work at the next table, I'm going to write about it.)

As the conversation went on, it became clear that the guy was pretty torn up about the big fight they'd had, during which time the girlfriend had become hysterical ("I mean, scary."). And as he expressed his feelings, he got louder and louder, seemingly oblivious to the little glares I kept directing his way. (Which was weird because we made eye contact a couple of times, but he never lowered his voice. Most people do, even if just temporarily, until they get excited about something and raise them again.)

At the end of the second phone call (which also covered topics such as which roommates clean up after their parties and which expect everyone else to clean up after), the guy said, "I need to go study."

And left.

So, understand this: he came to the coffee shop for the express purpose of talking on the phone with his friends about his relationship issues with people who live in the area (and who could have easily walked in at any point, as could their friends) - in public. And then, when he was done, he left to go study somewhere else (that was, presumably, more private).

THAT, I don't understand.