

To want to yank the earphones out of the ears of every inconsiderate bastard on the bus that makes me listen to their music?

(40 Posts)
Scottishtanguera Thu 11-Apr-13 15:06:28

Am I the only one that still finds this infuriating?
I know talking on a mobile is considered rude but judging by the amount of people with the tinny sound of music coming from their ears on public transport this is ok now, is it??

I always do an exaggerated "what's that noise? Oh, it's your music!" kind of look in any offenders direction but I have never, ever known anyone to turn it down. Sometimes I can literally hear the lyrics, how the fuck can they not know its too bloody loud?!angry

I know it shouldn't bother me but years of putting up with it has taken its toll...
Hence the title of this thread-in my head I've done it many times.

picnicbasketcase Thu 11-Apr-13 15:11:03

Wave to get their attention, then treat them to a verse or two of a loud song of your choosing. When they inevitably look at you like you're loopy, just say 'Oh sorry, I thought since you're making me listen to your music, it would be my turn now'.

somebloke123 Thu 11-Apr-13 15:11:40

Agree completely.

It's always the same piece of music too. The one that goes

Tshsh tsh, ti Tshsh tsh, ti Tshsh tsh, ti Tshsh tsh

and so on ad infinitum.

HandMini Thu 11-Apr-13 15:11:57

Tap them on the shoulder and tell them. I do it on the tube and only once or twice have I been threatened with violence!

TerrariaMum Thu 11-Apr-13 15:16:11

You know what's even worse? When they don't even bother to use headphones but play it on their mobiles v. loudly.

And somebloke is right. It is always the same song.

angelos02 Thu 11-Apr-13 15:19:08

They are setting themselves up for tinnitus when they get older.

harleyd Thu 11-Apr-13 15:22:51

I listen to music because I don't want to hear other people's conversations
If it bothers you that much ask them to turn it down a little

bigkidsdidit Thu 11-Apr-13 15:24:50

I once sat next to a man on teh tube who played Rude Boy by Rihanna for the ENTIRE 45 minute journey, over and over and over again angry

I hate it. I hope it will die out as headphones get better.

Ooopsadaisy Thu 11-Apr-13 15:33:22

I am sitting in a room with my children.

Both are wired up to their techno-toys.

I have Taylor Swift on my left with DD (14) and (I think) Bastille on my right with DS (16).

I am left humming a little tune to myself.

If you're sat next to them, just start drumming along/singing/miming along to the song they're listening to. They should soon get the hint.

TigerSwallowtail Thu 11-Apr-13 15:38:49

Yanbu, when I've got headphones in I always double check that nobody else can hear it, I'd be mortified if I was subjecting everyone around me to tinny earphone music.


They probably can't hear you if their music is up so loud grin

Scottishtanguera Thu 11-Apr-13 15:39:47

I do listen to music on my own headphones too, but never at a volume that will irritate others.
Sometimes it's because of someone like that (usually I shut my book huffily and stuff into my bag - childish, I know and it's not like they're going to hear it anyway) - only to find I can still hear their music over mine!

likesnowflakesinanocean Thu 11-Apr-13 15:49:11

i do this, not on the bus though just while walking, so i flit past and im gone.

EldritchCleavage Thu 11-Apr-13 15:51:44

Just ask. I have never had anyone refuse to turn it down when I've asked them. Oh, and if it's me, just ask. I would be mortified and turn the volume down immediately.

YABU to assume that people will know your dirty look is about their music being too loud. Public transport is ALL dirty looks these days-how are people to know why you're scowling unless you tell them?

wineoclocktimeyet Thu 11-Apr-13 15:53:01

Console yourself with the fact they will have tinnitus and lose their hearing within the next 20 years

<worked for a deafness charity and wont let my children use headphones>

Scottishtanguera Thu 11-Apr-13 15:57:58

I dunno Eldridge, I've mastered it now:
Look round, frowning, confused.
"Spot" offender.
Make eye contact.
Look pointedly at phone/iPod,etc.
Look back at offender.
Repeat the above 2 until they look uncomfortable and and refuse to meet my eye.

They know, believe me. grin

EldritchCleavage Thu 11-Apr-13 16:00:51

Yeah, but by then you've annoyed them, so they don't turn it down. Just ask! But do it sweetly.

infamouspoo Thu 11-Apr-13 16:07:55

yanbu. Ripping their heads seems fair

TigerSwallowtail Thu 11-Apr-13 17:42:50

wineoclock what about using headphones at a low volume? My 6 year old son needs to use headphones with his iPod to keep him calm if we're out as he has AS but I always make sure the volume is low.

marjproops Thu 11-Apr-13 17:50:12

YYYYYYYY. me too. and as someone said always the tsh tsh tsh stuff.

i just think 'what a shame, so young and yet so deaf'.

ONCE and only once, after about 5 people asked politley but firmly asked a dude to turn his '''music''' down did i signal him, he took offending ''personal'' headphones off (these people dont know waht personal means) and said (V rare of me to be bold) thank you SO much for being so thoughtful and sharing that wonderful sound with us. he got embarrassed and got off next stop. but not before the standard finger gesture and the obligatory F off parting shot.

sensesworkingovertime Thu 11-Apr-13 19:35:51

Scottish, you speak wisely, so you are definitely not BU, I will yank along with you, infact it's not the only thing I'd like to yank...or squeeze.

Only this evening on bus some young bloke got on, sat next to me and had an awful din blaring out of his ithingymijiggy. It's always the same, you're trying to have a bit of piece, nod off (as I was) and some dope thinks you want to listen to the same trash as them. I question the word 'music' though, one I heard recently actually sounded like the racket you hear when you pass an amusement arcade, not a tune.

Chottie Thu 11-Apr-13 20:37:19

It's even worse when they are eating a smelly takeaway at the same time!

marjproops Thu 11-Apr-13 20:40:26

cousin of mine is almost stone deaf now cos of doing that in her younger days and warns people now. do they care a fig? nope.

i say bring back bus conductors, all this health and safety stuff and no one thinks that drivers have more than enough to do and they cant leave their seat and tell people to turn it down/off, get off the bus/stop dinging the bell/stop your precious tarquin dinging the bell/get your feet/bag off the seat and let someone sit there/this is a diabled/pram section.....

i HATE public transport.

MsBella Thu 11-Apr-13 20:46:44

Its the headphones fault that's all
Keep a supply of very expensive high quality headphones that don't leak sound with you to hand out, it will solve this problem

wineoclocktimeyet Thu 11-Apr-13 21:23:34

Tiger - low is better and those that go over the ears are better than those that go directly into the ears but none are best of all smile

The problem is that the hair cells in the ears that allow you to hear dont regenerate (the only cells that dont) so if they are damaged, thats it for ever.

Loud noise is a major cause of damage and also long periods of sustained sound. The problem with headphones is that they channel the sound directly into the ear, its not 'diluted' like outside world sound is.

I know I am paranoid about damage - its a case of too much knowledge!

featherbag Thu 11-Apr-13 21:36:31

When I was 16 and en route to college, the us driver once stopped the bus to shout at me to turn my music down - I was sitting on the very back seat, it's no wonder I'm hard of hearing now! In my defence, these were the days before decent headphones. I use in-ear ones now, safe in the knowledge I'm not inflicting Pendulum on anyone else at 7.30am! If I don't listen to my own music I find myself fantasising about getting my nail scissors out and snipping the headphone wires of the worst offenders!

ChocsAwayInMyGob Thu 11-Apr-13 21:38:12

I totally agree with you OP. It's bloody anti social. if it's on full volume then OF COURSE the rest of the bus/train can bloody hear it! Do they honestly think we can't?

*It's always the same piece of music too. The one that goes

Tshsh tsh, ti Tshsh tsh, ti Tshsh tsh, ti Tshsh tsh* Yes that's the song! I think it must be Number One because everyone's been playing it non stop! smile

ChocsAwayInMyGob Thu 11-Apr-13 21:39:18

featherbag- you sound very nice, but we can still hear you even with in ear headphones! I think it's a volume issue.

b4bunnies Thu 11-Apr-13 21:40:44

just laugh. they are making themselves deaf.
i know. i did it.

DTDs (15) do this angry

I once yanked DTD2's earphones out on the Tube blush not my proudest moment tbh, but she was listening to Thrift Shop which I HATE, and, well...

We invested in better earphones and thankfully they can now listen to Taylor Swift, One Direction and all the rest without me knowing <bliss>

Scottishtanguera Fri 12-Apr-13 07:06:46

I must admit I didn't realise the extent to which that can damage your ears-it's some consolation, at least.
Absolutely love the notion of snipping the wires, think that will become my new fantasygrin

livinginwonderland Fri 12-Apr-13 08:18:14

a lot of the problem is cheap earphones. the ones that come with iphones/ipods/phones are awful quality, and a lot of people turn up their music to drown out the sound of people talking/other people's music.

if you have good headphones, you don't need the sound up as loud because they don't let in as much "outside" sound, but they cost a small fortune.

although, i do know someone who cut someone else's headphone wires on a bus because they refused to turn their volume down!

featherbag Fri 12-Apr-13 08:35:49

Chocs - you can't, I promise! I was so mortified by the bus experience that even 16 years later I'm still paranoid and check carefully that noise doesn't leak! And I spent the money on a decent pair of headphones.

ComposHat Fri 12-Apr-13 11:34:19

headphone leakage I've been guilty of that myself, but then isn't everyone's bus journey improved by barely audible snatches of Dinosaur Jr? Public service broadcasting I'd say.

The twats that use their phones to play some generic techno/ house /hip hop or Sod casting as it is known deserve to be humanly put to sleep. ..with a lump hammer.

ChocsAwayInMyGob Fri 12-Apr-13 14:33:25

featherbag,I wish more music lovers would follow your very considerate example!

ChocsAwayInMyGob Fri 12-Apr-13 14:34:11

ComposHat- I LOVE Dinosaur Jnr and would borrow one of your earphones if you were playing that.

WhitesandsofLuskentyre Fri 12-Apr-13 14:42:50

TerrariaMum is right - the other day on the train I had to listen to an hour of bhangra being played loudly on some guy's mobile. Didn't feel I could complain because I hadn't paid to sit in a quiet carriage!

ComposHat Fri 12-Apr-13 14:47:26

chocs let's hope we end up on the same bus route, you ate welcome to an ear phone!

redexpat Fri 12-Apr-13 14:49:32

Have you tried saying 'excuse me, I can hear your music. Would you mind turning it down?' It would probably be more effective than passive aggressive looks.

marjproops Fri 12-Apr-13 17:55:26

i always want to ask for our money back on trains and buses if our journeys are spoilt, get off and get next bus/train, only the headphones never disappear on these things .

and 'quiet' carraiges? ha ha ha ha ha.

even the train condutors who walk up and down the train dont tell people to turn down the noise, cos they just get abuse.

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