Dear LFTP: should callers be told they're on speakerphone?

• When I call my brother or sister I hear pots and pans — others are listening. Should callers be told they are on speakerphone?

A listener expects private calls with siblings but hears pots and pans — others are listening on speakerphone. The hosts agree courtesy demands telling people: conversations change based on who is in the room. They share stories — a boss furious on speakerphone, a wife calling a cubicle worker, dodging conference-room calls. John Eisenlauer recounts walking into a family fight while showing a house and having to pick a side. Secular's answer: ask at the start of each call whether you are on speaker.