Is watching mobile tv in a park worse than reading a book in a park?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I’m listening to NPR in the car yesterday, and I hear a story about mobile television being tested in D.C.:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126001141

The correspondent cheerfully reports the possiblity of sitting in a public park watching TV.

Now, being at that age when one begins to realize just how much better things were when one was a boy, I harumphed to myself at the thought of the feckless youth of today wasting a lovely day in the park by watching TV. But it then occured to me to wonder if open-air boob-tubery is any worse than reading a book al fresco, an activity I wholeheartedly approve of and indeed indulge in whenever I can.

So I throw it out to Dopedom: is there any difference, and do you have any objection to mobile tv in public?

2

The book reader doesn’t ruin the calming sounds of nature. The television does, just like a boombox.

One time I took a folding chair and a book to a wildlife reserve, and read. It was very calming.

3

Sounds like fun to me. I think I’ll take my little tv out on the patio tonight after dinner and try it.

4

This.

When I’m sitting in a public area and reading a book I’m not running the risk of disturbing others, or interfering with their right to enjoy themselves in whatever way they choose. Unless someone watching TV is wearing headphones, it is likely that they will be disrupting others. For that matter, judging from the volume at which most people listen to their music players, even using headphones isn’t a guarantee of that.

5

Ugh, I’d rather not have the sounds of TV blaring through the park! What noise pollution!

6

Worse is reading a book in a mobile home park. They can evict you for that.