Here’s my confusion. If I’m in a situation where it is fine to talk to a companion who is physically present with me, why would anyone presume to object if I talk to that person on the phone? I don’t shout into a phone so my voice volume is unchanged. It seems people are looking for a reason to complain.
Because that person is *not* physical present - and others are.
There’s a difference.
Although not specifically mentioned in these “commandments” I agree with your objection. I’ve never understood why it’s become “discourteous” to carry on a conversation on the phone in public (when only strangers are one’s “company”), especially the growing trend among business owners to demand their customers not talk on a phone while shopping and/or paying for a purchase.
A business owner has the right to demand that of course, but it has no basis in rational thought. I’m “sorry” such people demand my full attention at the cash register, but trust me, I am fully capable of making a purchase and talking on a phone at the same time, just as if my friend on the phone were physically present with me.
It’s as you said: it’s as if some are just looking for something to complain about.