Private LIves?

Is it any wonder that we seem to be sleep-walking into a 'surveillance society' where our every move, conversation and social interaction, both on and off line - are monitored, when a large section of the UK's population seems to have no concept of privacy, loudly discussing intimate details of their lives in public on their mobile phones.  Let me give you a recent example.  This past Saturday I was minding my own business, perusing the model railway magazines in WH Smith, when I became aware of someone talking very loudly, very close to me.  From the one sided nature of the conversation, it was obvious they were talking to someone on their mobile.  They were so close to me and speaking so loudly that it was impossible to hear that the young man in question was arguing with his (presumably) ex-girlfriend or wife about child maintenance and what he thought were her unreasonable monetary demands.  Clearly she threatened to have his earnings attached via a court order, as he threatened to quit his job to prevent deductions from his wages.  He was still arguing and making similar threats as he finally walked away from me, apparently oblivious to the fact that he could be heard by everyone in the shop.

Or maybe he just didn't care that we could all hear him discussing what is pretty intimate personal business and discussing it in such a way that didn't reflect very positively upon him.  Personally, I can't imagine ever loudly discussing in public my private business. I mean, that's the key thing - it's private, not for public consumption.  But as I say, there seem to be a growing number of people who, these days, just don't seem to care that their entire lives are laid bare for everyone to see.  And it's no good saying that I don't have to listen to them - they talk about this stuff so loudly and freely that I - and anyone else in a hundred foot radius - have no choice but to listen to them.  If they aren't on their mobiles, they're walking too close behind you spilling out their intimate details, or sitting at the next table in the pub, shouting out their business.  Don't they understand - we don't want to know about their lives, we don't bloody care and if they had any sense they'd guard the details of their private affairs more closely.  Of course, the question is whether their lack of care about their privacy helps facilitate a 'surveillance state', or whether the intrusive surveillance we already suffered has so eroded the notion of personal privacy that they have become conditioned not to care?  Either way, they really need to shut the fuck up.