A man identified as David has reported being fined €200 for making a phone call on loudspeaker while waiting at a train station in Nantes, France. The incident occurred on a Sunday, when David was reportedly conversing with his sister on his mobile device. An employee of the state-owned railway company, SNCF, approached him and warned that he would face a €150 penalty if he did not turn off the loudspeaker. David was taken aback, initially hanging up, thinking the situation was a prank. The fine allegedly increased to €200 since he did not pay it on the spot, compelling him to enlist the help of a lawyer to contest the charge.
SNCF has acknowledged the fine to the media but has not confirmed the specifics of David’s narrative. While there isn't a national law banning loudspeaker usage in public, noise regulations under the French Transport Code can penalize those who disturb the peace in public transport areas.
Public sentiment around loud phone conversations is strongly negative, with surveys indicating that 86% of people in Great Britain find speakerphone usage in shared spaces unacceptable. Various countries have different strategies for dealing with noise complaints in public transport. For instance, train operators in the UK have introduced "quiet coaches" where sound levels must be kept low, and similar arrangements exist in Italy with Trenitalia's "silent area" option designed for noise-sensitive travelers.
In cultures such as Japan, loud talking on public transportation is particularly frowned upon and actively discouraged; guidelines from the West Japan Railway Company recommend that passengers refrain from both making and responding to calls while on public transit. Meanwhile, South Korea's Busan Transportation Corporation advises on quieter communication in a dedicated etiquette guide. With evolving social norms around mobile phone use in public settings, the application and interpretation of noise regulations continue to spark discussion among travelers and authorities alike.
