Why do some passengers not get how annoying it is to play music and videos out loud?

[Halwynd]

I've put a complaint into one of the train companies recently following a very unpleasant couple of journeys - asking if they have any plans to combat this antisocial behaviour and pointed out that I am less likely to choose to travel by train if it isn't sorted. Let's see what they say ...

Good on you...

Next time I encouter it I'll do the same, perhaps it's the only way the TOCs will get the message if more of us do this.

 

[trainophile]

Could be one of the reasons (some of) the guards don't make themselves more visible. They don't want the hassle if people complain to them.

 

[Discuss223]

I had a gentleman the other day on the phone, broadcasting his conversation to the entire carriage and also letting his phone ring aloud for nearly a minute. There should be signage to ask that customers make telephone calls in the vestibule areas and not the seated cabin. I will actively tell people playing loud music to turn it down. I've paid for the journey fair and square, and I won't allow some inconsiderate person to spoil it.

 

[Sprinter107]

I think some do it on purpose. I was travelling home a few Sundays ago, there was one other people in the carriage. A lad gets on, comes and sits right by me, and puts his music on loudly. He could have sat anywhere. So I put some loud rock which was louder than his. He got up and went into another carriage and I turned mine off. I'm fed up of this anti social behaviour. I also have no interest in listening to other people's phone conversations. Some folk ive noticed on long journeys will just call people after people just for the sake of it.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I had one woman recently shouting ‘Can you hear me?’ down her phone, shortly after our train entered Potters Bar tunnel.

I muttered a bit too loudly ‘No, but everyone else can’ and her daughter of about six tugged her jacket, whispered in her ear.

The call was re-attempted more quietly, minutes later, albeit with the line ‘Yeah, sorry about that, we went under a tunnel’ which was quite a feat…

 

[gabrielhj07]

Coach E of the 1A76 Manchester - Euston is currently subject to a pair of chavs, who are live-streaming themselves loudly eating their meal deals to their 3 friends. Such a shame we haven’t any droplight windows!

 

[lachlan]

Good on you...

Next time I encouter it I'll do the same, perhaps it's the only way the TOCs will get the message if more of us do this.

I got a very long but likely copy-paste response that was very apologetic but unfortunately didn't offer any actions going forward. In fact they went as far to say "there are no actual rules or regulations for the Quiet Carriage, as it is a complimentary service" but I can speak to the train manager if I like

 

[Sly Old Fox]

I was on board the 04.53 Bristol to London yesterday and two separate people were watching videos out loud in the quiet carriage (from Bristol). Couple that with the train manager whistling every time he made an appearance, it wasn’t very quiet.

 

[gabrielhj07]

"there are no actual rules or regulations for the Quiet Carriage, as it is a complimentary service"

Surely the Railway Byelaws would apply here?

7.1.2: Except with written permission from an operator no person on the railway shall, to the annoyance of any person:
- Use any instrument, article or equipment for the production or reproduction of sound.

 

[Krokodil]

Had to read a drunk woman the riot act yesterday when after asking her to turn her music off she became argumentative. "There's no law that says that I can't play music... f*** off" so I started reading out the byelaw, plus the ones about intoxication and unacceptable behaviour. Even her friends were embarrassed at her behaviour. Got the last laugh though, the trolley steward refused to serve her having witnessed the way I was spoken to.

 

[riceuten]

I had one woman recently shouting ‘Can you hear me?’ down her phone, shortly after our train entered Potters Bar tunnel.

I muttered a bit too loudly ‘No, but everyone else can’ and her daughter of about six tugged her jacket, whispered in her ear.

The call was re-attempted more quietly, minutes later, albeit with the line ‘Yeah, sorry about that, we went under a tunnel’ which was quite a feat…

Between Stevenage and Kings X, there are *8* tunnels and you can tell a relative newbie/infrequent traveller by the fact they often make calls and get cut off. The 2 tunnels by Welwyn North are just long enough for people to be cut off, redial when the first tunnel is passed, and then cut off again when you enter the 2nd tunnel. Generally soundtracked with "Hello? Hello?"

 

[yorksrob]

There seems to have been an uptick in noisy people on trains over the past couple of weeks.

 

[trainophile]

I got an 8-coach LNWR from Lime Street to New Street yesterday. To my surprise I was the only person in the now de-classified ex-1st Class section of the front end when it left Lime Street. However my joy was short lived, as a gobby 20-something female got on at South Parkway and proceeded to regail me and the other couple of people who had joined us with a loudspeaker (emphasis on the loud) conversation with her friend, who we now know has booked a Black Friday holiday that my fellow traveller was really envious of and wanted to know if she could get a booking too! Luckily she got off at Crewe, which was quite long enough.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Sorry, but I would have said something. I don’t let this stuff go unchallenged.

 

[trainophile]

Sorry, but I would have said something. I don’t let this stuff go unchallenged.

I did feel rather sorry for the chap at a table across the aisle from her, dressed for business and with his laptop out. I thought he might say something but I think we were all a bit intimidated, she didn't seem the "reasonable" type.

 

[yorkie]

Whether I would say anything about antisocial behaviour would depend on a range of factors surrounding the circumstances. I've certainly done so on many occasions, but there are times when I don't feel comfortable doing so.

Regarding the playing of loud music or anything else from electronic devices, when I am taking a group of youngsters on public transport, I don't let them have any audio playing from their devices, let alone loud stuff. I do feel it is very important that young people are introduced to public transport and that they are also taught how to behave respectfully towards others who use the service.

 

[trainophile]

Whether I would say anything about antisocial behaviour would depend on a range of factors surrounding the circumstances. I've certainly done so on many occasions, but there are times when I don't feel comfortable doing so.

Regarding the playing of loud music or anything else from electronic devices, when I am taking a group of youngsters on public transport, I don't let them have any audio playing from their devices, let alone loud stuff. I do feel it is very important that young people are introduced to public transport and that they are also taught how to behave respectfully towards others who use the service.

Have you ever been in a train coach that is packed with young primary school children, all at full volume? It's the stuff of nightmares and I don't know how the teachers cope with them all day long. I'm sure we were never as noisy in our young days.

 

[devon_belle]

There seems to have been an uptick in noisy people on trains over the past couple of weeks.

Same here - I wonder why! Quite a few off-duty staff too, unfortunately.

 

[bramling]

Whether I would say anything about antisocial behaviour would depend on a range of factors surrounding the circumstances. I've certainly done so on many occasions, but there are times when I don't feel comfortable doing so.

The difficulty is what happens if you get the response “what you gonna do about it?”. Even if you have the right look, you’re just as likely to get some do-gooder take their side.

Regarding the playing of loud music or anything else from electronic devices, when I am taking a group of youngsters on public transport, I don't let them have any audio playing from their devices, let alone loud stuff. I do feel it is very important that young people are introduced to public transport and that they are also taught how to behave respectfully towards others who use the service.

Absolutely. As a minimum there should be the expectation of wearing headphones.

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

Have you ever been in a train coach that is packed with young primary school children, all at full volume? It's the stuff of nightmares and I don't know how the teachers cope with them all day long. I'm sure we were never as noisy in our young days.

I'm in secondary school but we were on a public bus going somewhere, taking up the entire top deck. We were so loud (not me tho) and I felt really bad for the people that were already on the bus and they looked quite annoyed, and rightly so

 

[yorksrob]

*

 

[Krokodil]

Have you ever been in a train coach that is packed with young primary school children, all at full volume?

Yes, but as they were Welsh school children the singing was quite good.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, but as they were Welsh school children the singing was quite good.

To be honest I'd even rather hear some drunk students making a terrible job of a bit of Oasis (or something) than a phone speaker. Phone speakers are uniquely annoying because of the tinny nature of their output, and because it's often Tiktok nonsense or game audio and not actual music to start with. People make all manner of noise by talking etc, but that's just general hubbub and not that annoying.

 

[Purple Train]

Whether I would say anything about antisocial behaviour would depend on a range of factors surrounding the circumstances. I've certainly done so on many occasions, but there are times when I don't feel comfortable doing so.

Indeed. I commute into my educational establishment and, if someone from the same establishment in my age bracket is being antisocial, I will challenge them more often than not (depending on how drained I am already!). One thing I do ensure is that I'm wearing my college ID, so that they know I'm not just some randomer unconnected with them. Equally, if they are older or from a different establishment, I don't get involved, as I wouldn't feel safe doing so.

That being said, it isn't always that cut and dry, of course. I once politely asked an elderly lady and her daughter to open the door, as they were standing in front of me, had been dawdling for several seconds, and I had a very quick connection that it was vital for me to make, and I got a larger mouthful of abuse than I have ever received from someone of a demographic you may perhaps expect it from. Equally, I'm sure there are several people who I haven't challenged who will have apologetically desisted if I had! Unfortunately, it's mostly a game of stereotypes.

 

[35B]

Have you ever been in a train coach that is packed with young primary school children, all at full volume? It's the stuff of nightmares and I don't know how the teachers cope with them all day long. I'm sure we were never as noisy in our young days.

They were. There’s a huge difference between children being their age, and those messing.

I had a gentleman the other day on the phone, broadcasting his conversation to the entire carriage and also letting his phone ring aloud for nearly a minute. There should be signage to ask that customers make telephone calls in the vestibule areas and not the seated cabin. I will actively tell people playing loud music to turn it down. I've paid for the journey fair and square, and I won't allow some inconsiderate person to spoil it.

If we’re not dealing with a quiet coach, calls from the seat are perfectly reasonable behaviour. If I’m travelling, I won’t leave my laptop bag, and on many trains the vestibule is an impossible place to make a call.

It goes without saying that I need to keep the conversation quiet, and show respect to those around me - not shout, and not play on speaker.

 

[trainophile]

They were. There’s a huge difference between children being their age, and those messing.

I know kids will be kids, but when there's 30 of them and you can't hear yourself think for the racket I would expect the numerous staff accompanying them to have at least asked them before boarding to consider other people and keep the noise down. A public train or bus is not a school playground.

I did actually once message a secondary school after being on a home-time train where about ten teenage boys, probably aged about 12-14, were shouting, shrieking and barging up and down the carriage. I identified the school from their uniforms. I did get a nice reply from the head apologising and saying the pupils would be warned about future behaviour. I know it's different with 5-year-olds, but they have to behave in class so why can't they be reminded to be considerate of others on trains?

 

[35B]

I know kids will be kids, but when there's 30 of them and you can't hear yourself think for the racket I would expect the numerous staff accompanying them to have at least asked them before boarding to consider other people and keep the noise down. A public train or bus is not a school playground.

I did actually once message a secondary school after being on a home-time train where about ten teenage boys, probably aged about 12-14, were shouting, shrieking and barging up and down the carriage. I identified the school from their uniforms. I did get a nice reply from the head apologising and saying the pupils would be warned about future behaviour. I know it's different with 5-year-olds, but they have to behave in class so why can't they be reminded to be considerate of others on trains?

Because the reality is that, if they did try to get them to be quiet as you suggest, all you’d hear are demands for the little darlings to be quiet as they forget themselves - at 5, they’re small children and need to be seen as such. I chaperone for choir trips and the primary age kids just are noisy because they’re excited and talking to each other. As they get older, that eases.

There’s a massive difference between primary and secondary age groups, and between organised trips and school commutes. I’ve also had cause to complain to a school about the over-exuberance curdling into bad behaviour; there are limits.

 

[trainophile]

Apols for slightly off topic, but what gets me about the little ones is what are they actually talking about? All their little high-pitched voices merge into one indecipherable racket, and they are all milling around not chatting to anyone in particular. It's a very long time since I was that age but I don't think mass exuberance ever approached those levels. We had a best friend, or little group, and we just chatted normally, and only if we had something to say. And that's in the playground, we were never let loose in public!

Of course being exposed to adults shouting into their phones in public places probable doesn't set much of an example!

 

[35B]

Apols for slightly off topic, but what gets me about the little ones is what are they actually talking about? All their little high-pitched voices merge into one indecipherable racket, and they are all milling around not chatting to anyone in particular. It's a very long time since I was that age but I don't think mass exuberance ever approached those levels. We had a best friend, or little group, and we just chatted normally, and only if we had something to say. And that's in the playground, we were never let loose in public!

Of course being exposed to adults shouting into their phones in public places probable doesn't set much of an example!

You remember, as do I, the small groups. On the train, it’s the multiplication that makes the effect for those around.

Set aside your feelings about pitch and decibels, and observe - my experience is that the behaviour is generally excellent.

 

[londonbridge]

Was on a bus earlier which was sitting at a stop for a couple of minutes, then I heard someone dialling out on a phone, followed by what sounded like a call centre with “thanks for waiting, we’ll be with you shortly”, etc, and some classical music, all on the speaker. After a few more minutes I was on the point of calling out to ask them to take it off the speaker when someone answered. I then realised it was the driver phoning control to report the road being blocked and asking what was the best diversion route to take…..