"Your ring tone is really annoying!"

[Piratelvr1121]

DH had this ringtone for a former friend who would call him up and just gripe and gripe about anything he could. (the ringtone starts at 19 seconds) I haven't heard that ringtone in over a year, though DH says the guy still calls, he just ignores it.

http://www.zedge.net/ringtone/1577651/?pos=0&search=seaside&cep=0

My ringtone for DH is Scotland the Brave. 

[GreenEyedHawk]

My phone is always on vibrate for many reasons (I find most if not all the default ringtones on my phone annoying, for one, and for another, I'm losing my hearing so I can't hear most of the ringtones anyways.)

Anthony's ringtone is some flamenco music that we both like.  My alarm tone is ducks quacking.

[blarg314]

Ringtones need to be audible and distinctive to be effective.  I'm on board.

It's out of line to whine 'O. M. G.  I so hate that Katy Perry song.  You have to change it to something by Pink or Lady Gaga.' 

But if it's of such a nature that people are regularly commenting - and not positively - about it, I believe it would be polite to consider changing to something else.  You (general you) know it bothers others - probably many more who don't comment than those who do - and it's only serving your own purpose.  Why not be considerate and change it to something else you like?

I think that's a good line to draw.

Not liking that particular song?  Not a problem.  Multiple people think that it's insanely annoying - yeah, changing it is polite.

The single most annoying ring tone I've encountered was the phone's owner screaming "Mommy" in a piercing at increasingly loud volumes.

I would also say that ringtones that involve things like profanity or racial insults should not be used.

As an aside - there's one of the standard ringtones that I absolutely loathe.  I think it's called "roll on". But the reason I hate it is because it's the loudest of the default ring-tones, and therefore the one I use for an alarm clock while travelling. So I associate it with being awoken from jetlag induced slumber into a state of queasy disorientation.

[Library Dragon]

I have told one person to either keep the phone on vibrate at all times or change the ringtone.  It was a LOUD crying baby that you could hear through walls and closed doors. 

An old phone had some nice smooth jazz options and when my phone would ring in my locker library volunteers would go, "Oh that's nice.". I started keeping my phone on vibrate because it would chirp a missed call notice and that was really annoying.

[GratefulMaria]

DH's old phone had the ring tone for my calls set to "Stars and Stripes Forever."  One time he and then 14 y.o. DS1 were at a computer-users related activity and he hadn't set it on vibrate when I called.  The meeting paused while everyone clapped and stomped their feet in time . . . whoops.

Another time I was in a small store and the proprietor's purse started screeching.  I immediately thought, "That is the coolest ring tone I have ever heard!"  She starts crooning, "Oh, there there, you're just tired, aren't you?" and scoops out her daughters' pet sugar glider.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_glider

[spookycatlady]

I almost never have my phone's ring set to audible:  all vibe, all the time.  I can't hear my ring tones, but I can hear the vibrations.  My Dude has his set to various degrees of annoying.  I used to gripe at him about some of the sounds, but quickly figured out that this was not a hill worth dying on.  He was oddly defensive about them.

I've never been offended by someone's ringtone, but I do find it rude when people let their phones ring and ring and ring, rather than checking it and hitting "ignore" or similar.

[Redneck Gravy]

Reading through all this made me change my default ring tone to Stars & Stripes Forever

[Outdoor Girl]

At one point, all of us at work got the same new phone and for the first time, downloadable ringtones were possible.  (We didn't end up doing it because you had to pay for it on the bill, which work wasn't willing to do.)

But on the website, one of the guys found a ringtone that was a male but effeminate voice saying, 'Brian, your phone is ringing.  Briiiiaaan, your phone is ringing.'  Cracked us all right up, especially with one of the guys being named Brian.  He was going to download the ring tone and we were going to call him when he was out in the field.  Because we are all 12 year old boys like that.

Another coworker had a phone set to a giggling baby.  Freaked me right out, that one.

[Diane AKA Traska]

I almost never have my phone's ring set to audible:  all vibe, all the time.  I can't hear my ring tones, but I can hear the vibrations.  My Dude has his set to various degrees of annoying.  I used to gripe at him about some of the sounds, but quickly figured out that this was not a hill worth dying on.  He was oddly defensive about them.

I've never been offended by someone's ringtone, but I do find it rude when people let their phones ring and ring and ring, rather than checking it and hitting "ignore" or similar.

I feel the same way about car alarms.

[Twik]

Ringtones need to be audible and distinctive to be effective.  I'm on board.

It's out of line to whine 'O. M. G.  I so hate that Katy Perry song.  You have to change it to something by Pink or Lady Gaga.' 

But if it's of such a nature that people are regularly commenting - and not positively - about it, I believe it would be polite to consider changing to something else.  You (general you) know it bothers others - probably many more who don't comment than those who do - and it's only serving your own purpose.  Why not be considerate and change it to something else you like?

Agreed. It's sort of like the old rule that if one person tells you you're drunk, you can say you're not, but if half a dozen people tell you you're drunk, you should go lie down. There are always a few special snowflakes who don't like something perfectly innocuous, but if it's a common complaint, the tone is probably not appropriate.

I agree that things that should be avoided include:
- profanity/vulgar terms
- anything obviously racist/sexist or similar
- sirens or warnings
- very loud noises likely to startle others
- anything reminiscent of fingernails on a blackboard....

[Venus193]

My current one is a smooth jazz tune, but I once had the James Bond theme (previous phone).

What annoys me more about ringtones is the length of time they run.  I finally realized the reason for that when I mislaid my cell phone at my mother's house when I was cleaning it out.  My realtor had to call my cell for me to find it.

[otterwoman]

DH's ring tone: http://www.zedge.net/ringtone/578966/

I laugh every time I hear it.

[Piratelvr1121]

For the eldest pirateboy, I set his phone to play this whenever I call him.

http://www.zedge.net/ringtone/1285173/?cep=14

[siamesecat2965]

I've had mine ring to the giggling minions from Despicable Me, but it got on my nerves after a wihle!

[Calistoga]

My last ring tone was the opening theme from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which people thought was awesome.

I was going to ask about the flip side- if you know people hate your ring tone, should you still use it- but it looks like the conversation went that way anyway!