Hang Up the Damn Phone!

I am in the gym, minding my own business, pedaling like crazy and rocking out to Led Zeppelin.  How is it possible that I can hear the DOPE two bikes over talking on his phone?

Dude, we are not in your living room.  We are not in your office.   Who the hell do you think you are?   How can you possibly be so rude, so inconsiderate and so clueless?

If your wife or kid calls and it's an emergency, ok.  Other than that, if you have to answer the phone, you have exactly 2 acceptable options:

1.  Tell the caller you can't talk and you will call them back, or 

2.  Get your DOPE ass off the bike and go find a quiet corner where you won't be disturbing me or anyone else.

Now all I can do is turn Zep up from too loud to deafening.   If I was 30 years younger, I would not take it so well.  I would go stand uncomfortably close to the DOPE and act interested in every word.   When he made a comment, I would tell him that his conversation is so interesting I didn't want to miss a single thrilling word.  I would advise him that he is a real DOPE:  Don't Operate Properly in the Environment.   In my mind, I am doing you a real service, though it is possible the DOPE may not feel the same way.

One further comment.  Why is it the DOPEs who use their phone so inappropriately have the loudest voices? 

- Grumpy Old Man