When did the London gentrification start?

zagubov

Sapphire wrote: »

Travelling by train can be bliss (even if you don't have children), because it gives you a chance to read, but not if you have someone yapping loudly on a mobile phone near you for long periods of time, or if there is a crying child anywhere in the carriage, or if it is hot and there is no air conditioning. First class is OK, though.

Ditto sitting in the pub alone, particularly if you are overlooking a beautiful river view, etc.

NB I was coming back to London by train from somewhere the other day (a Sunday). A youngish couple sat down opposite me and talked fairly quietly/played on their mobiles. However, the man suddenly rang someone, and his voice became five times as loud. I nearly hit the roof with the shock of the noise. I glared at him and the woman was obviously a bit embarrassed, but he continued yapping – talking about business at long length when he could have said the same thing in two minutes. Then, a couple of days ago I was on a crowded train to Waterloo and for the entire journey the woman opposite was talking loudly about her personal life. In the end one of the passengers (actually an American) asked her politely but loudly to stop. It's that sort of thing that really gets to me – the complete lack of consideration for other people.

I'm baffled and offended by people that don't understand that the phone transmits and amplified their voice so that the other person can hear it. Instead they shout down the thing as if the volume of their voice will drive the microwaves to their target phone, which for all we know could be in the building next door.

I would suggest a tax on sound pollution by mobiles. They'd all have to have a volume sensor before they can connect to the network and all the quiet talkers should be subsidised by the thoughtless chumps who seem to have taken a vow of loudness and screech into their handsets.

zagubov

chewmylegoff wrote: »

I always hated commuting until I had children. Now, 45 minutes on the train is bliss, the only opportunity I get to sit down and read a book, or watch an episode of something on the generic tablet device.

In addition to this, prior to having kids I never understood the attraction of sitting in the pub on your own and just having a quiet pint by yourself.

With children come the gifts of wisdom and self-knowledge.

When I became a dad, I started listening to talking books in my car, because there was no time at home to read any more. Everybody tells you that it'll be different when you're a parent, but god help me I never paid attention and had to learn it all for myself.

There was a woman on a radio phone-in who was pregnant and who asked what schedule she should use for waking the baby up in the morning to feed it.

I doubt there was a mum or dad in the country that wasn't shrieking at the radio at that point about how she just didn't get it.

Sapphire

zagubov wrote: »

I'm baffled and offended by people that don't understand that the phone transmits and amplified their voice so that the other person can hear it. Instead they shout down the thing as if the volume of their voice will drive the microwaves to their target phone, which for all we know could be in the building next door.

I would suggest a tax on sound pollution by mobiles. They'd all have to have a volume sensor before they can connect to the network and all the quiet talkers should be subsidised by the thoughtless chumps who seem to have taken a vow of loudness and screech into their handsets.

Yes, good idea! It sometimes seems to me that people who engage in prolonged, loud conversations about work on public transport do so because it somehow makes them feel important – in other words, it's an ego thing. The conversations I've heard have always been repetitive (not to mention extremely boring) and could have been concluded in a couple of minutes.

A category of very intrusive sound on public transport I forgot to mention comes from foreigners (yes!) who talk very loudly on their mobile phones, sometimes throughout a whole journey. They tend not to be northern Europeans (who are generally quiet, though there are a lot of them in London), but eastern and southern Europeans, as well as non-Europeans, of course. Again, no consideration for anyone around them, even on very packed transport.

I tend to move as soon as I hear intrusive noise on public transport, but sometimes you've got no option but to stay put. Glaring too much at the culprits isn't really a very good idea – you never know what that might provoke. :eek:

chewmylegoff

The easiest ways to avoid phone noise are (I) NEVER sit in the quiet carriage as it attracts idiots with their phones like moths to a flame; (II) travel as early as possible - if no one is awake then there is no one to phone to talk about your latest colonic irrigation session.

zagfles

Sapphire wrote: »

Yes, good idea! It sometimes seems to me that people who engage in prolonged, loud conversations about work on public transport do so because it somehow makes them feel important – in other words, it's an ego thing. The conversations I've heard have always been repetitive (not to mention extremely boring) and could have been concluded in a couple of minutes.

I used to go to work on the bus every day, regular thing was some loudmouth who thinks the whole bus is interested in their social diary for the next month. "TONIGHT I'M GOING TO MANDY'S, TOMORROW I'M GOING TO THE PICTURES WITH MARK AND STEPH, FRIDAY I'M OUT WITH RICK, SATURDAY I'M GOING TO TANYA'S PARTY, IT'S GOING TO BE A CRAZY NIGHT" etc etc.

Once there were a group of lads who'd probably had an afternoon down the pub sat near such a woman, after she'd hung up one of them said to one of his mates "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TONIGHT", to which his mate replied WELL TONIGHT I'M REARRANGING MY SOCK DRAWER, TOMORROW I'M CUTTING MY TOENAILS, FRIDAY I'M GETTING A HAMSTER, SATURDAY I'M GETTING SOME SELLOTAPE..." and it went downhill from there!! The whole bus was wetting themselves, except the loudmouth woman who went very red :rotfl:

Sapphire

zagfles wrote: »

I used to go to work on the bus every day, regular thing was some loudmouth who thinks the whole bus is interested in their social diary for the next month. "TONIGHT I'M GOING TO MANDY'S, TOMORROW I'M GOING TO THE PICTURES WITH MARK AND STEPH, FRIDAY I'M OUT WITH RICK, SATURDAY I'M GOING TO TANYA'S PARTY, IT'S GOING TO BE A CRAZY NIGHT" etc etc.

Once there were a group of lads who'd probably had an afternoon down the pub sat near such a woman, after she'd hung up one of them said to one of his mates "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TONIGHT", to which his mate replied WELL TONIGHT I'M REARRANGING MY SOCK DRAWER, TOMORROW I'M CUTTING MY TOENAILS, FRIDAY I'M GETTING A HAMSTER, SATURDAY I'M GETTING SOME SELLOTAPE..." and it went downhill from there!! The whole bus was wetting themselves, except the loudmouth woman who went very red :rotfl:

Nice one. Reminds me of an incident on a train a couple of months ago. A young, somewhat 'chavish' woman (for want of a better description) was talking VERY LOUDLY on her mobile. She was sitting at the other end of the carriage from me, yet I could hear her really clearly. During her long conversation she actually gave details of her bank account and sort code to someone on the phone. People were looking at each other in disbelief…

zagubov

DW was travelling home and noticed that two people had a phone conversation with each other really loudly until it gradually dawned on them (and everybody else) that they were only a couple of seats apart on the same train carriage.

mwpt

Sapphire wrote: »

Sure, I know London is an ever-changing city. However, I prefer it to change for the better, not to become some generic, overpopulated construct that'll end up as a polluted slum, with a no longer visible history, which no one will want to visit or enjoy living in – though there should be plenty of space in the massive tower-block slums of the future that developers are so busy building.

That isn't how I see London at all. But you are entitled to your view because "change for the better" is a very personal thing. Please don't try to force your view of what better change is on me though.

Sapphire

mwpt wrote: »

That isn't how I see London at all. But you are entitled to your view because "change for the better" is a very personal thing. Please don't try to force your view of what better change is on me though.

I'm not 'forcing' anything on you. Obviously, the situation in London is how I see it, having lived and worked in, and travelled all over the city throughout my life – and it is my own personal opinion. I happen to disagree with you, and you should just accept that with good grace instead of posting pointless, provocative messages about being 'forced' to take on someone else's opinion by another poster! Honestly… :wall:

mwpt

Sapphire wrote: »

I'm not 'forcing' anything on you. Obviously, the situation in London is how I see it, having lived and worked in, and travelled all over the city throughout my life – and it is my own personal opinion. I happen to disagree with you, and you should just accept that with good grace instead of posting pointless, provocative messages about being 'forced' to take on someone else's opinion by another poster! Honestly… :wall:

I'm glad we agree that it is your opinion that London is becoming worse and that you apologise for the previous leading language. I mean, tens of people read this forum and we wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea about London!