Why straphangers are scared to tell noisy commuters to turn down their their phones: 'Behavior backed by the threat of violence'

Blasting music and watching TV without headphones on a train or bus isn't just annoying - it's an unspoken act of aggression backed by the threat of violence - and everyone nearby knows it.

They are satiating some kind of psychological desire for power by engaging in that kind of behavior in public spaces... it confirms to them that there is fear in the room, which is something that they're trying to create.

Read at New York Post