Can't understand a paragraph

[bmo]

From a wrtier to Miss Manners on 2/22/04:

" Is it incorrect, inappropriate, rude or wrong to carry on a conversation in a room where someone is using a telephone?

Several times now I have seen this occur, and the phone user has lashed out irrationally at the people conversing.

This seems harsh and rude, seeing as the people speaking are talking in hushed voices and are cognizant of the telephone conversation. "

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1. What seems harsh and rude, the behavior of the phone user?
2. Seeing as the people speaking. Who sees? The writer?

Thanks.

BMO

[RonBee]

It is the behavior of the phone user that seems harsh and rude.

The phrase "seeing as the people speaking are talking in hushed voices..." means "considering that the people speaking are talking in hushed voices..." The word "seeing" in that phrase is not being used as the verb that means to sense visually.

:)

[bmo]

Thanks. Never seen it used that way before.

BMO

[RonBee]

The word "see" is quite versatile.

• see
  http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=see

The meaning of "see" that was used in that sentence is in there somewhere.

:)