Stop Using Speakerphone in Public
It is sensory torture for Autistics like me.
I’m curled up in a booth at a local coffee shop, editing a manuscript while I wait out the rain. The place is bustling with activity and lots of loud conversations, which I know to expect, and is usually fine. Then a middle-aged man sidles into the table next to me, opens up his laptop and starts arranging and rearranging Powerpoint slides.
It’s clear the guys’ about to jump in a meeting. I roll my eyes and brace myself for the overly loud, one-sided chatter that will ensue. We all know how grating it can be, hearing someone monologue into the phone — but we all choose to tolerate the mild annoyance, understanding that one day, we too will need to jump into a webinar or a telehealth appointment under similar circumstances. Sure, people speak in all caps when they’re on a call for some reason, with an overly performative professional tone, and it’s a bother, but we all learn to tolerate it.
Though I have intense sensory sensitives related to my Autism, I understand that being out in the world amongst other people means politely enduring the sounds of phone conversations, lip smacking, pealing laughter, and gurgling babies. The benefits of writing around other people often outweigh these negatives for me. Being around others is motivating and focusing. I find it…
