On board with can you hear me now?

When did we as a society decide that we needed to talk on the phone at all times, no matter the time or the place? I ask this because Friday I had to listen to people talking on their phones the entire way to and from work on the train. Most mornings you can count on the commuter train being relatively quiet, as people read newspapers or mentally prepare for another day in the office (i.e. sleep). But on Friday, the guy behind me spent the entire ride talking on his phone, discussing something work-related. And on the way home, a woman discussed personal matters the entire trip.

The worst, though, was listening to a teenager sitting behind us talking to a friend Sunday morning for 20 minutes. He had an incredibly annoying voice, sounding like a valley girl (yes, valley girl). I can tell you this: He worked at McDonald's for 6 months (beating his friend by 4 months), he spends about everyday in Brooklyn, he so badly needs a new phone, and when he gets his tax refund next year, he is soooo going shopping.

Do we really need to be available 24 hours a day? Do we really need to be able to talk about mundane things in public places whenever we want? And most importantly, should people feel comfortable speaking on their phones in public? In this age of social websites, blogs, and message boards, very little is private. But shouldn't we keep something things to ourselves? Shouldn't we respect others enough to not broadcast everything all the time?

Okay, you're right - I'm just bitter because no one ever calls me.