People have forgotten common courtesy': what do people think of playing music out loud on public transport?

"Particularly since the pandemic, lots of people seem to have forgotten how to behave with common courtesy in public. I've started pulling people up on this kind of behaviour and it's really satisfying, to be honest. However, I think the other issue is a structural one: our public services, particularly transport (outside of London, anyway) are massively degraded. Asking people to respect public spaces, if it's going to work, needs to be a two-way street:"

"It absolutely needs to happen. I'm autistic and the constant bombardment of noise really upsets me. I've bought expensive noise-cancelling headphones that cost 299 and they're still not perfect. One person on a tram was blasting out music so loudly behind me that it overpowered my headphones. When I politely asked him to turn it down, he said I should just put my headphones back on. Only when he became threatening did the tram conductor get involved."

Transport for London is launching a campaign this week targeting people who play music or videos out loud on public transport, with posters appearing on the Elizabeth line and other services from autumn. TfL bylaws already ban singing or playing music out loud anywhere on the network unless a licence is held, such as those for approved buskers. Public responses are mixed: some view the campaign as overdue, others raise questions about enforcement. Individuals describe a post-pandemic decline in public courtesy, sensory harms for autistic passengers, and a belief that long-term solutions require improved investment in public transport.

Read at www.theguardian.com