French man fined over $200 for talking on mobile speakerphone at train station in Nantes

A man was fined over $200 for using his phone's speaker function in a Nantes train station.

In a recent incident underscoring France's stringent public noise regulations, a man identified as David was fined over $200 (over ₹16,640) for using his cell phone's speaker function in a train station in Nantes. David was conversing with his sister on speakerphone when an official from France’s state-owned rail company, SNCF, approached him, reported the New York Post.

The fine was increased due to delayed payment.(Representational Image/Pexel )

“An SNCF security person told me that if I didn’t turn off my loudspeaker, I was going to be fined €150,” David recounted to BFMTV. Initially perceiving the warning as a joke, he was taken aback when the official proceeded to issue the fine. “I think the person was offended. She took out her notebook and fined me,” he added.

The fine, originally €150 (approximately $154), increased to €200 (around $207) due to delayed payment. David has since hired a lawyer to contest the penalty.

Internet reacts

Earlier, a Reddit post sparked debate, with many noting that making calls or watching videos without headphones in public spaces has become a modern habit that many find frustrating. A Reddit user recently asked, “What do you secretly judge people for?” the response, “When they watch TikToks loud in a quiet room without headphones,” received 13,000 upvotes.

Debrett’s, regarded as Britain’s go-to guide for etiquette, addressed the evolving norms of mobile phone usage in a 2023 article. It emphasised: “Keep phone calls to yourself. If you’re making a video call in a public space (or if you’re just too lazy to hold the phone up to your ear) you must use headphones or earbuds.

A user noted, “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.”