Forum: Time for tough action against those who play loud music in trains
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It was not surprising that the Public Transport Council’s commuter satisfaction survey found that one of the pet peeves of commuters is inconsiderate commuters playing music or videos loudly without using earphones.
Their selfish behaviour has to be tolerated by fellow riders who may be trying to catch up on reading, or want a quiet ride after a day’s work.
I have witnessed several altercations between commuters over such behaviour. It can be a recurring problem as one person lowering his volume would be replaced by another noisy person boarding at the next stop.
There was even a man who, confronted by another, asked what offence he had committed as even the train authorities hadn’t stopped him.
It seems this isn’t confined to trains and buses. At polyclinic or hospital waiting areas, unwell patients are often subjected to such nuisance behaviour without recourse.
If we are far from being a civic-enough citizenry, why not just legislate against the few to protect the many?
In Singapore, there have been many examples of gentle exhortations going nowhere until legislation kicked in. One example is the tray-return concept at public eateries.
It is time to take a more resolute approach against the inconsiderate minority who affect many around them.
I recently took the subway in Beijing and there were many signs prohibiting disturbances from the use of devices in train cars. Throughout my commutes, I did not encounter any inconsiderate broadcasters like those here in Singapore.
Peh Chwee Hoe
