Weird behaviour by fellow passenger

[paulfoel]

On train last night. Packed. Old 'sprinter' type train which isn't the best at the best of times.

No seats so standing. Had earphones in listening to voice mail. Look up and theres woman right up close to my face so I take earphones out. She says "is that your music I can hear because its loud". Bit shocked I say "No". So she rants on "I don't mind you listening but I just don't want some peace and quiet" and walks off.

Then she sits down about 4 rows away from me. Looking around there's about 10 people with headphones on near her. Her head is bobbing around as if shes trying to work out where the sound is coming from. Three times in the next 10 mins she gets up, walks over to confront an alleged sound abuser.

Guard comes along eventually and she seems to be having a right dig at him. Seems to be pointing to some student looking lad too (one of the 3 she spoke to).

Struck me as weird behaviour. Did wonder if she was asking the guard to ask the driver to not rev the train so much to be honest.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Nothing more annoying that to have to listen to loud musical offerings from other people's earphones which patently do not do the job. God help their hearing in future years.

 

[Oliver]

I always carry earplugs in my bag, and generally put them in as soon as I board a train. Nothing worse than listening to tinny music leaking from someone's headphones.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Struck me as weird behaviour. Did wonder if she was asking the guard to ask the driver to not rev the train so much to be honest.

Come on, don't be silly. There is absolutely no comparison whatsoever between the motive power which drives the train that you are travelling upon, being an essential part of the rail traction, and the bad unsocial habit of a fellow passenger.

 

[BestWestern]

Rather strange to expect peace and quiet on a standing room only Sprinter!

 

[quarella]

Well done her for making a stand. On a fairly busy Saturday lunchtime train I did take issue with someone watching a film without headphones on their tablet due to the frequent offensive language. I was subjected to some of their own for my trouble. I can sometimes hear other people's music over the top of my own headphones. I think Arriva Bus Wales has their signage right even if it may be ignored. To the point it has a pictogram of headphones with the words "Turn it down" and another pictogram showing something being used without headphones saying "Turn it off."

 

[paulfoel]

Nothing more annoying that to have to listen to loud musical offerings from other people's earphones which patently do not do the job. God help their hearing in future years.

Maybe. But I don think you can kick off on a packed train about it.

To be honest, if I had mine that loud (I dont) and someone asked me nicely, I'd be mortified and turn it down. This woman did not ask nicely and was not polite.
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Well done her for making a stand. On a fairly busy Saturday lunchtime train I did take issue with someone watching a film without headphones on their tablet due to the frequent offensive language. I was subjected to some of their own for my trouble. I can sometimes hear other people's music over the top of my own headphones. I think Arriva Bus Wales has their signage right even if it may be ignored. To the point it has a pictogram of headphones with the words "Turn it down" and another pictogram showing something being used without headphones saying "Turn it off."

As I said yeh maybe but ask politely. And again I dont think having a dig at everyone with headphones on she could spot is the way to do it.
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Come on, don't be silly. There is absolutely no comparison whatsoever between the motive power which drives the train that you are travelling upon, being an essential part of the rail traction, and the bad unsocial habit of a fellow passenger.

I was only joking of course.

Also, not sure if she really though the guard was going to go up the carriage and ask everyone to turn it down. Its not practical.

I agree that it is rude to have it blasting out - not denying that. Just saying its rather unpractical to stop it.

Also, where to draw the line. Do you tell people to talk quietly? I've had many occasions where people talk crap at 100 decibels (probably because they like people to hear how important they are).

Of course, FGW (and others?) have the quiet carriage which is a v good idea. Annoys me when people in there abuse this.

If you're in there whatever you're doing should be something that no-one else should be able to hear.

 

[quarella]

As I said yeh maybe but ask politely. And again I dont think having a dig at everyone with headphones on she could spot is the way to do it.

Oops. Skim read missing the word rant. Yes I agree there are ways of doing things politely.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Nothing more annoying that to have to listen to loud musical offerings from other people's earphones ...

Oh, I don't know, the humble sprinter coach might become a Ric(h)ercar for such a performance.

That has to be my worst joke yet (hides).

 

[GodAtum]

Not as weird as an incident which happened to me. A lady asked me to turn my music down even though I wasnt listening nor had any headphones on. I corrected her to the real culprit.

 

[47802]

It can be annoying but if its a short journey I don't really bother, and if I use headphones I set the level I want and then check if other passengers are likely to be able to hear it, if so I turn it down, unfortunately some other passengers are less considerate.

 

[trentside]

I often listen to music while I'm on my travels, but after pressing play I always remove my headphones and hold them away from my ears - and if I can hear the music still, then they're too loud and might disturb others. I've never had a problem with anyone using this test, it also helps I had 'in-ear' type headphones, which insulate the noise better than other varieties (Apple ones in particular!).

I must admit, in this case, I think going around confronting people about it is a little strange - I'm not sure I'd appreciate such and intrusion. I'm guessing here, but by any chance was she only approaching people who were under 25(ish)?

 

[All Line Rover]

Nothing more annoying that to have to listen to loud musical offerings from other people's earphones which patently do not do the job. God help their hearing in future years.

I agree. People should either invest in good quality headphones which don't leak sound or not use headphones at all. Although on a single car (2 car?) train, it probably is a bit much to expect absolute peace and quiet.

On trains of at least 4 car length, I am firmly of the belief that they should have a 'Silent Coach' (no talking, no headphones, no nothing) plastered with stickers making nature of the coach clear. It would be easy to enforce, enabling passengers who fail to comply to be fined.

Longer trains could have a 'Quiet Coach' also (as most long distance operators already have) but these are more difficult to enforce as it's hard to say when someone is speaking too loud, or when their headphones are turned up too high.

 

[work-traveller]

On the rare occasion I listen to music on a train I have the volume on my headphones such that when I hold them at arms length i can't hear anything. That results in a comfortable volume when I'm listening to the music. So, by extension, I can only assume that people with music so loud it can be clearly heard by fellow travelers, are in the process of causing permanent damage to their ear drums.

From my point of view, I'm at a loss to understand why such people feel the need to continuously recreate the effect of being in front of a bank of speakers at a gig.


Slightly different, but related...

Some time ago I was on a CC Voyager quiet coach enjoying a tranquil journey when a young chap plonked himself opposite me and took a few brief phone calls. I didn't trouble myself about it and left him to it. Later on he went off to the shop (that will tell you how long ago it was!) to buy some more booze and left his phone on the table. It started ringing as we were approaching a station, at which a retired couple were disembarking. As the couple walked past the man gave me a really filthy look, obviously referencing the ringing phone. I (calmly and politely) said 'is that look because of the ringing phone on the table?', to which he replied in the affirmative. I then said 'I'll pass it on then when the owner of the phone (whom I don't know) comes back to his seat shall I?'. He then looked slightly sheepish, whilst his wife then gave him an embarrassed look.

 

[FQ]

I know it is off topic but when I was on a class 350 Deisro approaching Nuneaton about to stop a couple of lads were screaming for the train to stop. The guard heard the yelling and came to see what was wrong so they had a go at him, even though the train had stopped and the doors were open. The guard told them to get off but they said that this wasn't there stop. This is where I got off so I didn't hear the rest of the conversation.

 

[6Gman]

On trains of at least 4 car length, I am firmly of the belief that they should have a 'Silent Coach' (no talking, no headphones, no nothing) plastered with stickers making nature of the coach clear. It would be easy to enforce, enabling passengers who fail to comply to be fined.

Would make ticket inspection a challenge!

 

[paulfoel]

I often listen to music while I'm on my travels, but after pressing play I always remove my headphones and hold them away from my ears - and if I can hear the music still, then they're too loud and might disturb others. I've never had a problem with anyone using this test, it also helps I had 'in-ear' type headphones, which insulate the noise better than other varieties (Apple ones in particular!).

I must admit, in this case, I think going around confronting people about it is a little strange - I'm not sure I'd appreciate such and intrusion. I'm guessing here, but by any chance was she only approaching people who were under 25(ish)?

LOL. I'm 45!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Maybe. But I don't think you can kick off on a packed train about it.

It was not I who made that suggestion..:roll:

All that I made comment upon was the annoyance to fellow passengers caused by poor quality headsets not performing their task.

 

[Clip]

Well done her for making a stand. ."

Of which it seems she got horribly wrong on numerous attempts.

Wonder if it was her ringtone on her phone going off

 

[iguana]

Had earphones in listening to voice mail. Look up and theres woman right up close to my face so I take earphones out. She says "is that your music I can hear because its loud". Bit shocked I say "No". So she rants on "I don't mind you listening but I just don't want some peace and quiet" and walks off.

Then she sits down about 4 rows away from me. Looking around there's about 10 people with headphones on near her. Her head is bobbing around as if shes trying to work out where the sound is coming from. Three times in the next 10 mins she gets up, walks over to confront an alleged sound abuser.

I've got to admit that I've often been tempted to do exactly what this woman was doing. I hope I'd be nicer about it, and ask politely. Though I might well not manage. It's absolutely infuriating to have to listen to the "ts ts ts ts ts ts ts" of peoples' music on a train journey. And it's especially infuriating not knowing where it's coming from.

There's also something about someone listening to loud music on headphones - the vacant glazed expression, that arises exactly because what they're doing is precisely trying to block you and the rest of the world out - that would make it very hard to talk to them about it quietly and politely (wonder what ticket staff make of this?).

You did say that it was a packed Sprinter, so maybe it was a short journey. I think I'd be more inclined to put up with it on that kind of journey.

 

[edwin_m]

Sometimes the sound is still coming from the speaker on the gadget as well as the headphones, and the person wearing the headphones doesn't realise.

 

[trentside]

LOL. I'm 45!

That blows that theory out of the water, then

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Some time ago I was on a CC Voyager quiet coach enjoying a tranquil journey when a young chap plonked himself opposite me and took a few brief phone calls. I didn't trouble myself about it and left him to it. Later on he went off to the shop (that will tell you how long ago it was!) to buy some more booze and left his phone on the table. It started ringing as we were approaching a station, at which a retired couple were disembarking. As the couple walked past the man gave me a really filthy look, obviously referencing the ringing phone. I (calmly and politely) said 'is that look because of the ringing phone on the table?', to which he replied in the affirmative. I then said 'I'll pass it on then when the owner of the phone (whom I don't know) comes back to his seat shall I?'. He then looked slightly sheepish, whilst his wife then gave him an embarrassed look.

I commend you for your restraint in this case. I'd have answered the phone and not very politely either!

 

[Morden Via CHX]

I often listen to music while I'm on my travels, but after pressing play I always remove my headphones and hold them away from my ears - and if I can hear the music still, then they're too loud and might disturb others.

That's exactly what I do, not only to prevent being a nuisance to any other passengers but as Paul rightly says, your hearing is greatly at risk using headphones at high volumes.

 

[DiscoStu]

Come on, don't be silly. There is absolutely no comparison whatsoever between the motive power which drives the train that you are travelling upon, being an essential part of the rail traction, and the bad unsocial habit of a fellow passenger.

I'm not sure whether you're joking or not, but I'm pretty sure he was.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

Would make ticket inspection a challenge!

Just walk down the carriage with a big sign saying "Tickets and passes please" you can use the sign to accidentaly knock people around the head with lol

 

[DiscoStu]

I'm probably going to come across as the anti-Christ now, but ...

I do like to listen to my music fairly loud.

I am concious that I don't want anybody else to hear it, but it's quite difficult to know whether anybody can or not. Nobody has ever complained that it's too loud, but I can never be quite sure. I'm continuously nudging the volume up and down when I think a certain part of a track might be a bit noisy.

The style of music I listen too (trance/progressive) is really designed to be listened to in a club environment, so keeping the volume right down isn't on the menu for me ... I'd rather not listen to any music than not be able to appreciate it properly.

People who have the music on at full whack are bloody annoying though. Especially when it's music you don't like ... which is probably half the problem really.

 

[Deerfold]

People who have the music on at full whack are bloody annoying though. Especially when it's music you don't like ... which is probably half the problem really.

Then there's the music you do like but all you can hear is tsh-tsh-tsh-bang-tish.

 

[transmanche]

Then there's the music you do like but all you can hear is tsh-tsh-tsh-bang-tish.

And then there's the music where you can hear even more than just the tsh-tsh-tsh, but not quite enough to quite recognise what it is... which is immensely frustrating!

 

[Parallel]

Quiet coaches are good if people actually take notice of them. I witnessed a passenger ranting at the ticket office worker today because apparently the guard on the train shut the doors in her face and then saw her and then drove off and it was the ticket office guy's fault for being occupied with another matter for a few minutes, but then she boarded a train and said to her friend "Oh, it's a quiet carriage, at least we can relax now" before ranting (loudly) about her 'ordeal' for about 10 minutes, even to the guard who works for a different TOC who just dismissed her and walked straight past after seeing her ticket. Very strange behaviour though considering she recognised it was a quiet carriage.

In terms of music on trains, do listen to music (not ear deafeningly loud) but I have headphones which act as a seal around my ears, I've sat next to a friend before with them on quite loud but my friend couldn't hear anything. I don't tend to have it that loud though so I can hear if an announcement is being made and I want to avoid disrupting anyone else's journey!!