Is there any way to tell someone yelling down their mobile phone that you don't want to hear details of their personal life

asks PDTV:
A. There is only one thing more irritating than listening to an extremely dull personal conversation between two loud-mouthed people and that is only hearing one side of it.

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But don't be too harsh - mobile phones can be invaluable.

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Q. Oh really
A.�Yes, if you're on a train, for example. Calling ahead prevents those meeting you from, a) hanging around cold, wet railway stations for two hours because your train has been delayed by a spider on the line, or b) worrying that you've been abducted by aliens between Crewe and Birmingham.

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You will, of course, be forced to say, 'I'm on the train' - something that will be more than obvious to those disgruntled passengers sitting beside you. But if you keep the conversation limited to the time you expect to arrive and refrain from filling in those extra hours by discussing the family's illnesses/love lives, everyone will be extremely grateful.

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Q. But why are people so loud when they are on mobiles
A. In the olden days, when telephones started out, people used to shout into them because they couldn't grasp the fact that their voices would travel great distance down a little line. Unfortunately, some people nowadays still seem to be confused about the technology and haven't realised that you don't have to bellow down a mobile phone to be heard at the other end.

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Q. Aren't mobiles very demanding
A. Oh yes. People tend to be slaves to their mobile and interrupt conversations, meetings and, erm, personal time to answer them. The first thing to remember is that you are not a slave to your phone: YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER IT!

(This is made easier by having a ringing tone which is not so awful that you have to answer just to stop it driving you insane.)

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Conversely, you shouldn't be irritated if you call someone's mobile and they don't answer it. No one is available all of the time.

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Q. What are the no-nos of mobile phone use
A. We are so used to seeing people going about their everyday business with a phone clamped to their ear that it doesn't attract a passing glance. If, however, you own a hands-free set, expect strangers to point and laugh as you 'talk to yourself'.

And while text is very useful for sending a quick message, it should never be used to, a) dump girlfriends/boyfriends, or b) rely to formal invitations.

And finally, never ever use your mobile while driving. Research by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) found that drivers using mobile phones were more likely to have an accident because they drive more closely to other vehicles, fail to maintain speed control and meander about on the road. A similar US study found that using a mobile phone while driving increases the risk of accidents by four times.

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By Sheena Miller