A man says he was fined €200 (£166) for making a call on loudspeaker at a train station in France.
The man, named only as David, told French broadcaster BFM TV he was on a call with his sister at Nantes station on Sunday when an employee from SNCF, the French railway company, approached him.
David said he was told that he would be fined €150 if he did not turn off the loudspeaker – a fine which he claims was later increased to €200 because he did not pay it on the spot. He has since hired a lawyer to dispute the penalty.
SNCF has not yet responded to a BBC News request for comment.
The state-owned train company confirmed the fine to French outlet La Parisien, but disputed some details of the passenger’s account.
David, reported to be 54 years old, said he initially hung up the phone when he was told about the fine, thinking it was a joke, BFM TV reported.
SNCF described an escalating interaction between the passenger and its staff member before the fine was issued.
According to Ouest-France, the incident happened on Sunday.
While there is no national law in France prohibiting the use of mobile phones on loudspeaker in public places, there are noise control regulations.
According to the French Transport Code, those who use “sound devices or instruments” or “disturb the peace of others by noise” in areas used for public transport could face a fine.
Opinion surveys suggest speaking loudly in a public place is among the behaviours deemed most unacceptable when it comes to phone calls.
In a survey of 2,005 adults in Great Britain last year, pollster YouGov found 86% felt the use of speakerphone in a shared environment was unacceptable, while 88% felt the same for speaking loudly.
With such strong feelings, countries around the world have different approaches to policing the issue.
Some train operators in the UK offer “quiet coaches” or “quiet zones” – carriages where passengers are encouraged to keep the noise level down. For example, London North Eastern Railway asks passengers travelling in such coaches to make sure music they are listening to cannot be heard through their headphones and to move if they want to make or receive a call.
Italian train operator Trenitalia offers a similar service on the Frecciarossa train. Passengers “who wish to travel in complete relaxation and away from noise pollution from cell phones” can travel in a “silent area” in its business carriage.
In Japan, where there are strict cultural norms around public behaviour, talking on the phone while on a train is considered impolite and it is strongly discouraged.
Guidelines for train etiquette issued under the website for the West Japan Railway Company asks passengers to not speak loudly on the train and set their phones on silent mode, as well as refrain from making and accepting calls while on the train.
“Speaking loudly inside trains is an annoyance to nearby passengers,” it says.
Meanwhile, the Busan Transportation Corporation located in the city of Busan in South Korea, advises passengers to put their phone on vibration mode and “have conversations quietly” under a rail etiquette guide posted on its website.
