Train travel in France just became a little more expensive, for one commuter at least – a man who was fined €200 for making a phone call while on loudspeaker at a train station.
The incident occurred at Nantes train station, in northwestern France on the first Sunday in February. The traveller in question, identified only as “David” by French broadcaster BFMTV, told reporters he was speaking to his sister on speakerphone mode when he was approached by a French railways (SNCF) staff member who told him he needed to end the call or he would be charged a penalty of €150 for creating a disturbance.
Not illegal but against the Transport Code
Accounts of what happen next vary. On the one hand, David claims, slightly contradictorily, that he hung up the phone call immediately even though he initially thought the employee was making a joke. SNCF, on the other hand, have told Le Parisien news outlet that David entered into an argument, escalating the issue. He was eventually fined an increased total of €200 because he did not pay the penalty straight away – a sum he now intends to contest by challenging the fine in court.
SNCF: un passager reçoit une amende pour avoir téléphoné en haut-parleur dans une gare pic.twitter.com/ec1R1LBFL7
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) February 6, 2025
Making phone calls in public, even while using loudspeaker mode, is not illegal in France. However, while there is no national law in place, the French Transport Code stipulates that “sound devices or instruments” used in such a way as to “disturb the peace of others” in public transport spaces, can result in a financial penalty.
Transport etiquette
Transport etiquette, and indeed, how to behave in any public space, is a subject that can cause fervent disagreement, as it is so dependent on differing cultural norms and diverse views on what is suitable or not. Japanese railways, for example, are havens of complex manners, where everything from food consumption to making noise is subject to strict rules on decorum.
In the UK, pushing to the front or being unaware of one’s place in a queue will provoke fury among others lined up. It is also common to disapprove of loud music, phone calls or video streaming, with a YouGov poll finding nearly 90% of people dislike noisy passengers, yet many Brits are too polite (or afraid) to challenge antisocial behaviour when they encounter it. Rail companies around the world, such as Eurostar, or Italy’s Trenitalia Frecciarossa trains, manage the issue by reserving certain carriages or waiting areas on platforms for those who wish to travel in peace and quiet.
It is not known whether David ever managed to finish up his call, what the conversation was about, or whether his sister offered to help him pay his fine, but the story touches on a nerve for so many travellers, it is bound to get people talking.
