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A man using the speaker feature on his phone in a Nantes train station was fined more than $200.
The delay in payment led to an increase in the penalties. (Representative Image)
A man was slapped with a fine of over $200 (over Rs 16,000) for using his cell phone’s speakerphone feature at a train station in Nantes, France. According to the New York Post, the man, identified as David, was conversing with his sister on speakerphone when an official from France’s state-owned rail company, SNCF, approached him.
As per reports, the incident occurred while David was waiting for a train at Nantes station in the west of France on February 2.
“An SNCF security person told me that if I didn’t turn off my loudspeaker, I was going to be fined €150,” David narrated to BFM TV, a French news broadcast television and radio network. At first, he thought the warning was a joke, so he was surprised when the official actually imposed the fine.
“I think the person was offended. She took out her notebook and fined me,” David added. Originally €150 (about Rs 13,000), the fee was then raised to €200 (around Rs 17,000) because of the late payment.
David is reportedly contesting the fine with the assistance of a lawyer, arguing against the penalty. Since he didn’t settle the fine immediately, the amount increased significantly.
A Reddit post recently sparked a debate, with many users noting that the widespread habit of not using headphones to watch videos or make calls in public spaces has become increasingly common.
When one of the users asked “What do you secretly judge people for?” the response “When they watch TikToks loud in a quiet room without headphones” was upvoted 13,000 times.
Meanwhile, a user said, “Nobody should be forced to listen to your phone conversation; it will be annoyingly distracting and might be intrusive or embarrassing. The person at the other end might object if they realise their conversation is audible to a train carriage full of unwilling eavesdroppers.”
In France, using a cell phone on speakerphone in public is allowed, but the volume is regulated by noise control laws to prevent disruptions in shared spaces.
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