Nobody Wants to Hear Your Music
On my recent trip to London, I noticed signs posted by the Transport for London organization asking us to please turn down our music while riding the Tube (subway). While many urban areas have been dealing with the issue of noise pollution from a neighboring vehicle for a long time now, this same problem has apparently leaked into the personal music arena. The popularity of the iPod and other portable music players, exacerbated by the close proximity of tite spaces people share on buses, subways and elevators has apparently caused some updates to social ettiquete in big cities.
While noise pollution spilled by somebody’s earphones don’t really bother me too much (especially if it’s a song I like), I just had to report an outrageous incident that I witnessed while riding the Tube.
While waiting for the South Kensington stop on the District Line, I hear music coming out from what sounds like EXTREMELY loud headphone speakers. Turns out it was some kid (looks about 17 or so) listening to music from the speakers of his mobile phone.
It was very loud and extremely annoying, as he wasn’t even using headphones. Now I’m a fan of Rap music, but to enjoy it I would prefer listening to it with a nice system… at the very least some decent headphones. Now when GZA was dissin other MC’s by saying that their “lyrics are weak, like clock radio speakers” 10 years ago, he probably didn’t think they could get any weaker. Little did he know mobile phone speakers would be the big thing in 10 years.
So after about 5 minutes of this kid playing his loud annoying music for everyone to hear, a lady (approx 40 yrs old), asks him if he could turn it off, as it was disturbing people on the train. He looks at her, ignores her, then shruggs off her comment. A minute later, some guy in his late 20’s approaches the kid, and tries reasoning with him. He tells him.. “just turn it off mate”. Again.. the kid ignores him. Now things are starting to heat up, and another guy asks him to turn it off. Now all three people are asking him why he won’t turn it off. The kid FINALLY responds by saying.. “I ain’t got headphones” and keeps the music going. In America, I would expect a fight to breakout, but since the British seem much more reserved, it doesn’t escalate into much more than a shouting match. At this point we are at my stop, and as I glance back to them while exiting the train, they are still arguing, and the music is still playing.
