To everyone on the bus who gets annoyed if they can hear someone’s music playing through their headphones while they are listening to their mp3 players/discman…I have a question for you…If I have to listen to your annoying fucking loud conversations, gum snapping in my ears, obnoxious laughing fits and inane cell phone conversations at FULL volume, why can’t I crank my tunes on my player? It is not unusual for me to get on the bus and have some dipshits practically yelling comments at each other right behind me at such high volumes that my mp3 player on full blast still doesn’t drown out their goddamn voices! And no, I do not keep my player on full blast on the bus, because I am courteous of other people around me. However, once I was listening to my music at medium volume and the bus driver stopped the bus, turned and looked at me, so I turned the volume down to see what the deal was. He politely said ‘thank you’ and started the bus again. Now, I assure you, the decibel emitting from my headphones in my ears could not have been more than that of a dull whisper, but I had a bus driver stop to get me to turn it down, which I did politely. I just pisses me off that people can practically scream their conversations at each other, yell into their cellphones and be rude in countless other ways with zero consequence. They are certainly much louder than my ‘headphoned’ mp3 player could ever be, and ten times as ‘ear-assaulting’. So next time you hear someone’s mp3 player on the bus, take note to see if there are ten ‘loud-as-fuck’ asswipes yapping their gobs off and evaluate who is hurting your ears (and your sanity) more.
Sincerely,
Loud Music Girl
This article appears in Jul 17-23, 2008.
I think a good general rule is that if you’re not sitting in the handicapped/elderly seats and the driver can make out the lyrics to what you’re listening to, it’s too loud. I agree with the op about conversations/gum snapping being issues. It annoys the piss out of me too when people make their conversations known to the whole bus. I’ve determined that some people lead strange lives through these loud convos.
Buy in ear headphones, then all the sound actually goes into your ear. You also don’t have to use the same amount of power to get the same volume so you save battery life as well.
I have witnessed this happen before…but in the situation I saw, it was WAY out of line. Here’s the sit-rep:about 12 passengers on the bus total.2 individuals listening to music through headphones (both over the ear type headphones)1 of them is white and the other is African-AmericanWhite dude is listening to DJ Dan (I could tell because I could hear it quite clearly) he is also sitting within 4 seats of the driver.African-American dude is listening to rap (I could tell because he was sitting almost next to me – 23rds of the way back on the bus, near the back exit)Bus driver stops the bus and glares at the black guy…he lets an ear out to see what the driver wants, driver tells him to turn it down and the guy does….then with everyone completely able to hear the DJ Dan blasting, driver starts off again, completely ignoring the fact that white guy had his music louder and was closer to the driver.I was so shocked I called the driver on it…after exchanging a few confused looks with the African-American guy (he eventually shrugged and was going to just let it slide, as if this is quite a regular occurrence…that is what pissed me off the most, poor guy)The driver basically tried to ignore me until I walked right down to him and called him a bigot, to which he said casually…who cares…yep who cares. WAY TO GO METRO T.
Generally your music is louder than these snappy noises!
I agree that all the other noise on the bus is a pain, but contributing to it does not make the world a better place. Solution is as Christopher suggests ear headphones, but with noise canceling. They really work. This way you hear your music and you don’t hear the noise on the bus and you do not disturb others. Thus, you get to keep your sanity and not become part of the circus called the bus ride.Now there is a new headphone out with speakers on the outside.I don’t get this, ipods are suppose to be personal listening devices?
Sorry I meant Trevor’s suggestion
i couldnt agree more with you jdiggy. so many inconsiterate people who dont notice their own social quirks dont have the right to bitch about headphones.Things/people that piss me off more on the bus:-take up other seat with bags while others have to stand-wear to much cologne/perfume-morning people who yack nonsensical small chat loudy, its 7am, piss off-eat on the bus and leave garbage-certian “individuals” who play their downloaded ringtones full blast -bigger people who dont know their own size, dont try to seat with me on those buses where the very back seats are 2 and 2 spaced by the engine and others sitting in the sideways seats, if u squish me i’ll make a point to mention it to you, which doesnt help your self-esteem, nor make me feel any better-racist/bias bus drivers-people who cant hold their liquor and think they can ride it out, feel dizzy, get off the bus-guys who wont give up their seat for a lady or elderly, i work long shifts standing up but always forfeit my seat to more deserving ppl- and people who cant realize that tall people like me dont have enuff room, when i sit down, back straight, my needs push hard against the seat infront of me causing me to have to open my legs just to fit in there, dont give me dirty looks when i cant provide you with more than half of those 2 seats, so if you got bags or are heavy-set, sit elsewheresif it wasnt for my iPod, i’d prbly have killed u all by now