Merepeka Raukawa-Tait: Move out of earshot and keep it short

Nobody wants to hear other people's business, especially in confined spaces, because, quite frankly, we don't care.

I never really noticed it before in the big Koru lounges in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports. But I did this week in the Koru Lounge of a provincial airport - probably because the lounge was not much bigger than a lounge in a modern house.

Conversations by people using their mobile phones. I overheard what they were saying, couldn't help it. Three people were sitting in close proximity to me, all using their mobile phones. Their conversations weren't private at all, particularly the man sitting directly opposite me. He was trying to deal with a staff problem, getting frustrated and louder at the same time.

He was talking so loudly that when a flight was called, I couldn't hear which flight it was. He stopped abruptly mid-sentence when he heard the loud speaker, asking those of us sitting close by, if the flight to Auckland had called. I said I wasn't sure as I had difficulty hearing over his loud talking.

He looked a little taken aback, apologised, lowered his voice considerably and went back to his conversation on the phone. It was the flight to Auckland.

And guess who I was sitting next to on the flight? The man with the mobile phone. He apologised again. We talked and had a pleasant conversation. He explained his staffing dilemma. It was a serious issue, and we discussed some options he might want to consider.

I would hate to be seated next to me on a flight. I don't go out of my way to engage in conversation with my fellow passengers. I don't want to be rude but usually I'm heading to a meeting and want to read my papers again before I land.

And if I'm heading home, that's all I want to do. Rest and get home.

But maybe I should reconsider. On the flight this week, the man sitting next to me was interesting. He was in a position to know about the current drop in dairy payouts that farmers are having to live with. However, he did say that things will not get worse. Let's hope so.

As I see it, the problem with people who use their mobile phones in confined spaces is they don't seem to realise they tend to speak loudly. More loudly than when having a conversation with someone sitting beside them. And as we don't go anywhere these days without our phones, smart or otherwise, maybe we should think about a few basic courtesies.

As soon as your phone rings, and there are people close by, get up and move.

Quietly tell the caller, you are moving to a place where you can talk undisturbed and won't be overheard. You may not think your conversation isn't really that private, not a big deal and you're probably right. But spare us please. We don't want to know or hear about it. Who cares if you can't tee off until 1 o'clock on Saturday, or that the plumber hasn't shown up yet again and that the school wants their fees paid this week? It's your business not ours. Try to speak quietly for all our sakes. Move out of earshot and keep it short.

We got along fine before mobile phones became an absolute necessity.

Schools always managed to get hold of someone when a child was sick and needed to be picked up and taken home. And most of us are contactable at work should something require our urgent attention.

Technology is here to stay. Nothing wrong with that and we are applying it in different areas of our private and working lives.

We just need to know that conversations are essentially private affairs. Not meant to be shared, and listened to, by every Tom, Dick and Harry. It's your business so let's keep it that way.

-Merepeka lives in Rotorua. She writes, speaks and broadcasts to thwart the spread of political correctness.