New: You can now listen to articles., there are few things more infuriating than the shrill laughter or pulsating music of a TikTok video from a fellow commuter's phone. It's a scene that plays out all too often in public transportation.
In a separate incident, a five-minute video of a man having an expletive-filled rant on the upper deck of a double-decker bus was widely circulated on social media. Reports said the man was upset after being asked to turn down the music on his phone. Notwithstanding these pronouncements, threats posed by noise remain “often underestimated” by government agencies, according to the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise.
Just last month, two members of parliament in Brussels tabled a motion for a resolution to punish users of excessively loud smartphones in public transport in the Belgian capital. One of them remarked: “Some people still do not seem to be aware that using a loudspeaker can be a real nuisance to the people around them. I am astounded by the number of people who adopt such behaviour.
With the rise of online videos and entertainment, commuters are habitually consuming these on public transport, especially on long journeys. There is a responsible way to consume them without disturbing the peace and privacy of fellow commuters - with headphones.