The man was approached while making a call in a quiet area of the Nantes station; he maintains that he thought he was being pranked when informed of the fine. Following the encounter, which escalated according to SNCF, he hired legal counsel to advocate for his case. SNCF reported that its security personnel have the authority to issue fines for disturbances in public transport areas, where noise regulations apply.

Even though there’s no explicit national law forbidding loudspeaker use in France, there are provisions under the French Transport Code that penalize noise disturbances. Public sentiment is notably against loud phone calls, as highlighted by a recent YouGov survey revealing that 86% of Britons deemed loudspeaker use in shared spaces unacceptable.

Countries worldwide have varying responses to this issue; for instance, the UK and Italy promote "quiet zones" on trains, while Japan strongly discourages loud conversations. South Korea's Busan Transportation Corporation also emphasizes quiet interactions, offering noise etiquette guidelines promoting silent phone usage.