Jeremy Vine sent someone with a megaphone to shout at ‘phone zombies’ and it didn’t end well
Spare a thought for Tim Johns, producer and reporter on Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show, who was sent into the outside world to shout at people who had their heads buried in their mobile phones.
Using a megaphone.
Here is how I spent my morning: using a megaphone to heckle members of the public for having their heads buried in their phones.https://t.co/4Nqa1OSZMH@BBCRadio2 @theJeremyVine
— Tim Johns (@timoncheese) September 5, 2018
You can listen to it here and while the people he spoke to were all very nice and polite, the responses on Twitter were, well, have a look for yourself.
1.
Hi Tim, I 'have my head buried in my phone' when I'm out and about because I suffer from anxiety and chatting to my friends on Twitter helps me to relax when I'm in public, thus making me a functional member of society.
You're a twat.
— Bøkka 💖 Ace Aromancer (@tainkirrahe) September 6, 2018
2.
https://twitter.com/MhairiMcF/status/1037621030657908736
3.
You might not be aware of this as a old man screaming at clouds but smartphones also offer things like Checking The News, Listening To The Radio, Reading Books, Editing Documents, and more! Meaning people aren't just staring at a blank screen – they're connecting and learning.
— Bøkka 💖 Ace Aromancer (@tainkirrahe) September 6, 2018
4.
You bellowing at strangers like an utter cad for some cheap entertainment points is far more pathetic than anything they could be looking at, even if it IS only a blank screen.
Gosh I'm so glad my TV license is going on this WOW bbc what GOOD CONTENT
— Bøkka 💖 Ace Aromancer (@tainkirrahe) September 6, 2018
5.
Please join Tim on the next episode of Modern Technology Is Scary where he'll be accosting people with digital hearing aids and demanding to know why they can't just be deaf like in The Good Old Days™
— Bøkka 💖 Ace Aromancer (@tainkirrahe) September 6, 2018
6.
“ATTENTION! STOP LOOKING AT YOUR HANDHELD DEVICE THAT CONTAINS THE SUM OF HUMANITY’S KNOWLEDGE AND LOOK AROUND YOU AT”
*squints*
“THOSE TWO PIGEONS FIGHTING EACH OTHER OVER WHO GETS TO EAT THAT BIG PILE OF LAST NIGHT’S SICK” https://t.co/hlK7yEzhLM
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) September 6, 2018
7.
You win today, hands down.
— Graham Gameboy Law☀ (@itsa_me_gameboy) September 6, 2018
8.
Does the concept of people freely accessing information within their own personal space upset you? Would you do the same to someone reading a book?
— Bryan McDowall (@bryoz) September 6, 2018
9.
“There’s some bloke wandering about down there with a megaphone,most folk are pretending to check their phones so they don’t have to talk to him”
— Kev. (@Boredstoopid) September 6, 2018
Ha, we quite like number 9. Fortunately for all concerned they weren’t all negative. In fact, we thought there’d be more of this sort of thing.
I listened to it while dodging pedestrians oblivious to all traffic on Mayfair. Can I borrow your megaphone for tomorrow?
— Bob Dore (@BobDore) September 5, 2018
it was a lot of fun if ever so slightly awkward.
— Tim Johns (@timoncheese) September 5, 2018
We love you Tim. To conclude, a word from the presenter.
This single tweet from my colleague @timoncheese is the most engaging item we put out @BBCRadio2 yesterday — and not in a good way — he has promised not to use the megaphone on pedestrians again https://t.co/8A00oqmJsh
— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) September 7, 2018