Sir, - David S. Kelly (April 21st) suggests that using a mobile phone, like picking one's nose, should be done in private! This seems a somewhat harsh oversimplification. One's nose, after all, is a very sophisticated air conditioner and filter and requires "servicing" from time to time. Certainly, if a handkerchief is used the job shouldn't have to be done in private! But a mobile phone user, on the other hand, can be an absolute menace. There are situations where such a person should be barred on the grounds of public nuisance or noise pollution.
Some time ago, I was in a train carriage on my way to Cork. A man who evidently worked in the cooked meals trade rang his customers, one after another; discussed business with each, and invited a number of them to a golf outing. Bring the wife, the partner, or the girlfriend! Ha, ha, ha! Just for a respite, I went to the bar and had a very slow drink, but alas, when I came back, there he was, still bellowing at the top of his voice.
Yes, there should be private areas for mobile phone users, especially for those who have no consideration for others. - Yours, etc.
Owen Daly, Shankill, Co Dublin.