to ask people playing music from their phones without headphones in public spaces to turn them off?

[Stangirl]

This happened to me this week sat waiting in a hospital for my 12 week scan. The person next to me was playing music off their phone so everyone could hear it. I thought it was extremely rude but didn't say anything as I was anxious about my upcoming scan and thought the conversation might take a turn for the worse. I've had this several times recently - particularly on buses. Am I BU to ask them to turn it off, or put headphones on?

"Josie you seethed with rage....really?"

I seethe with rage too. It's simplifying things too much to say that I am seething simply because of some shit drum and bass being played through wanky Nokia speakers. I'm fuming because of the lack of consideration and because these morons know they will go unchallenged because they usually look intimidating. One day I will flip like Micheal Douglas in Falling Down...

I forgot to mention BROKEN BRITAIN

People who do this always have appalling, appalling taste in music. And the tinny little shitty speakers make it sound even worse.

I can't imagine that this is the best way to enjoy music and because the listening experience for everyone is so poor, I've always interpreted it as really anti-social and deliberately provocative.

YANBU to hate it but I've never asked someone to turn it off though because I'd probably get shanked at the back of the bus.

Bupcakes, I love that film! I too could see myself having a 'Falling Down' episode.

I had a giggle to myself the last time I ordered a hamburger which looked like it had been sat on, and nothing like the luscious meat patty advertised. Kept my gun in the bag though

Twinklepants, I don't know about other people, I just felt that I was an angrier person as a consequence of reading the book, and so it wasn't a good influence on me.

I was once at Cambridge Folk Festival, and some random woman appeared and started screaming at me at 1am, while I had children asleep in the tent. Her claim was that the size of my tent was 'anti-social behaviour.'

I believe that screaming at people at 1am is anti-social behaviour, and I blame Lynn Truss for this sort of outburst.

This has to be the most offtopic post I have ever made.

I popped out and have come back and read all the responses.

Many of you have picked up on my previous recent irritation on buses and have commented about public transport.

Please note that yesterday's particular incident was in a hospital waiting room where there were no free chairs to move to as it was full of about 20 women and their partners/mums/friends. Everyone else was speaking quietly to one another and seemed to know what constitutes good manners in such a communal space. There was one woman in tears at the reception who had obviously received bad news from her scan and I just thought that given the level of anxiety of everyone there the person pumping music out would have thought better of her decision to inflict her musical taste on everyone else.

Milly I am confused about how you can can make such an association? You blame an author of books about grammar and manners on one woman (who admittedly does sound a bit froot loops) having a bizarre outburst at you over the size of your tent?

I don't want to get into any rows about it (I am too well mannered obviously ) but I don't think the solution to preventing or minimising anti social behaviour is just to throw out all the guidance,do what we all want and damn everyone else?

I am not suggesting other people throw the book out! It was just in my personal case I thought it for the best. As for the woman, I was just speculating, but her yelling did have a very Lynn Truss turn of phrase.

I hate it too, as it's always terrible music.
Having said that I hate the sound of the inner-city dublin accent, I hate the sound of teenage girls gossiping away, I hate the sound of parents talking to their kids in a stupid voice they only use when talking to their kids, I hate a host of things too numerous to mention which I encounter if I get the bus. But it's public transport. you get on with it because I have no right to try and make others fit their lives around me. If they're blaring the music out (unlikely on a phone speaker) then I think it's reasonable to ask them to turn it down a bit. If it's no louder than a conversation then let them enjoy their tunes.

My dh always notices music, he loves most music so hears it everywhere and comments, but isn't against music being played in public, even confined spaces, he actually enjoys hearing it I think. I, on the other hand, could have a ghetto blaster in my face and I still wouldn't notice hat music was on. My dh can't understand how I never hear it, and I can't undrstand how he hears music in the next street on a mobile! I always thought it's because he's into it and I'm not. To me the music just ends into kids noise traffic noise people chatting etc. And no I am not deaf, i just don't seem to noice. So because of that I have no objections to music in public spaces, it's just a noise, and there are loads of noises everywhere, can't see the big deal adding a few more in sociable hours. I'm 26 if that makes a difference?

YADNBU. It's tinny and intrusive, and they almost always have very crap taste in horrible grime or techno.

But they are also usually devoid of manners and social skills and might well look like they want to knife you, or at least start an unseemly public scene.

Milly it probably WAS Lynn Truss!

YANBU, especially in a hospital waiting room of course, but I think it's bad in any confined space including public transport.

It always makes me think the people doing it can't entertain themselves with their mind while their headphones are lost or whatever. Do they really need music to fill every moment? I love music and don't like working in silence but it would never occur to me to inflict my tastes on others, and if I couldn't listen to something on the tube, for example, I'd just have a daydream or whatever instead (like I would alongside the music).

I agree that it's even worse to do it in a hospital wating room,than on pubic transport though I don't care to hear it anywhere.

actually everything annoys me. Tapping, clicking, humming, carrier bag rustling... the list goes on!

Why is technology regressing?

Weren't earphones invented to solve this very problem?

technology for 2011

New technology for 2011

firsttimemummy - well if you look like a thick, ill-mannered person then I am going to assume that you are one aren't I?

If you want people to think well of you, you need to demonstrate your positive credentials through deeds and actions.

If you don't care what people think, carry on listening to rubbish music through tinny speakers in public places.

YANBU. If people want to listen to music in public, they can use their headphones. Why should anyone be allowed to force other people to listen to their taste in music when they sitting on the bus/in waiting rooms etc. Rude, ignorant and inconsiderate.

Not too keen if its intrusive.

In the Library they are asked to turn it down if it can be heard by others,

seems reasonable

OP - I'm surprised that the hospital staff didn't ask the 'offender' to turn their phone off - most hospitals have a 'no mobile phone on' policy, especially in the vicinity of sensitive machinery etc. I work in a hospital and I would have asked them to switch the whole thing off!