Heavy Metal vs. Speakerphone Sinners: The Petty Revenge That Rocked a Hotel Lobby
Has public speakerphone culture finally reached its breaking point? If you’ve ever been held hostage by someone else’s full-volume phone call in a supposedly quiet public space, you’re not alone. One Redditor, u/NomadGabz, shared a gloriously petty act of revenge in the r/PettyRevenge subreddit that struck a power chord with thousands. When a hotel lobby was invaded by a speakerphone abuser, NomadGabz fought fire with fire—and heavy metal.
The result? Over 19,000 upvotes, a tidal wave of “finally, someone gets it!” comments, and a cathartic outpouring of stories from fellow sufferers. Grab your headphones (or at least turn off your speaker) and settle in for a deep dive into the loudest pet peeve of the modern age—and how a little bit of Killswitch Engage can restore peace to the world.
The Speakerphone Epidemic: When Private Calls Go Public
It’s a scenario we all know too well: you’re minding your own business in a public place, only to have someone plop down nearby and start broadcasting their phone call at full volume, as if the world needs to know about Gary’s bunion or Janice’s latest work drama. In NomadGabz’s case, it was a hotel lobby—a space where quiet is currency and phone charging is a sacred ritual.
When the “old dude” cranked up his phone and conducted his entire call on speaker, NomadGabz tried the polite route: relocating to a distant table. No luck—the volume was so high, it still shattered the lobby’s peace. That’s when inspiration struck. Instead of suffering in silence, our hero queued up Killswitch Engage (on half volume, out of consideration for the staff), and let the metal rip. The result? The speakerphone offender, suddenly unable to hear his own conversation, turned down his call and finally put the phone to his ear, just like in the good old days.
The best part? As NomadGabz gleefully updated, when the phone rang again, the man answered “like a normal person.” Victory for the silent majority.
When Petty Becomes Public Service
Reddit’s response was thunderous—and not just because of the music. Commenters flooded in with tales of their own, revealing just how universal this frustration has become. As u/medusa63 recounted, “My daughter and I were waiting on her car in a dealership. Dude sits next to us with his speaker on and talking… We started joining in the conversation. He said this is a private call, I said then why you have it on fucking speaker.” This sentiment echoed across the thread: if you’re going to blast your business, don’t be surprised when others join in.
Others, like u/Lumpy_Marsupial_1559, took a more direct approach: “Does the person you’re speaking to know you’re on speakerphone and everyone can hear what they’re saying?” This classic move once led to a guy’s wife utterly roasting him over the phone for his speakerphone habit, much to the delight (and stifled laughter) of the room.
The community consensus is clear: speakerphone in public isn’t just annoying, it’s an open invitation for mischief. As u/stromm brilliantly summarized, “Just join in on the conversation. When they complain say ‘Oh, speaker phone calls are for EVERYONE in the room.’” If you can’t beat them, out-weird them.
Why Are People Like This? The Psychology (and Evolution) of Loud Calls
But why has speakerphone culture gotten so out of hand? Several commenters pointed fingers at technology and pop culture. u/xXAcidBathVampireXx wondered, “When the fuck did talking on speaker become the norm?!” u/Genki79 traced it back to the Nextel walkie-talkie era, when every call was a public announcement—complete with the infamous “roger beep” that still haunts office workers’ dreams.
Others argued that reality TV and vlogging have normalized this oversharing. As u/npsimons suggested, “We could place a lot of the blame on reality TV where they do it because it’s cheap and easy… plus everyone on reality TV is an attention whore.” And then there’s the design flaw of modern smartphones: “I use [speakerphone] more ever since getting phones that turn the screen on for my ear and cheek to push random buttons when I hold it to my ear like a normal phone,” admitted u/re_nonsequiturs (though, importantly, not in public).
But at the end of the day, it often comes down to simple self-absorption. As u/Homeboat199 put it after confronting a restaurant phone-blaster, “You obviously want us involved in your conversation since we’re all forced to listen to it.” Sometimes, the only way people realize they’re being rude is when someone gives them a taste of their own medicine.
Revenge is a Dish Best Served Loud (or Embarrassing)
The creative retaliations shared in the thread are nothing short of legendary. Some fight noise with noise—blasting death metal, children’s songs, or even the sounds of toilets flushing (shoutout to u/BigCaterpillar8001 for the YouTube “worst sounds” playlist). Others weaponize embarrassment: u/Newbosterone described getting friends to leave hilariously awkward voicemails to break a coworker’s speakerphone habit.
For the bold, there’s nothing more effective than simply joining the call (“Wow, that’s crazy! What did Bob say when you did that?” as u/Pypsy143 recalled), or loudly offering “helpful” advice: “DO YOU NEED SOME HEADPHONES?” (thanks, u/shelle399). And, of course, some just wish the offenders a daily stubbed toe or papercut between the fingers—a fate well deserved, if you ask the Reddit hive mind.
Yet, as the original poster confessed, “Do I like to bring myself to their level? No. I usually shush people but this one didn’t get it.” Sometimes, petty isn’t about vengeance—it’s about defending the silent, headphone-loving masses.
The Takeaway: Headphones Are Humanity’s Last Hope
So, what have we learned from this symphony of shared annoyance and petty justice? First, you’re not alone—there’s an army of headphone warriors out there, ready to blast Killswitch Engage (or Baby Shark) in defense of public peace. Second, if you must take a call, do everyone a favor: use headphones or take it somewhere private. And if you absolutely must broadcast your business, don’t be surprised when the rest of us get involved.
Now, we want to hear from you: What’s your worst public speakerphone horror story? Have you ever struck back with your own brand of petty revenge? Share your tales in the comments below—and remember, when they go loud, we go louder.
Rock on, headphone heroes.
Original Reddit Post: Dude decided to have a full volume speaker convo in the shared space. Let's give him a taste of his own medicine.