to be annoyed at the train conductor...

[oaks2012]

My nearly two year old and I were travelling home on the train from my SILs (visiting new baby).. We stayed longer than intended so he missed his nap and was restless on the train. I had him on my lap, looking at a toddler game which makes a twinkling sound when he touches the screen (along with colours and shapes).. The "conductor" (was the London Overground - it said conductor on his jacket, he seemed to be getting off at each stop and blowing a whistle!) told me to turn the sound off as it was disturbing others in the carriage - I hadnt noticed anyone looking disturbed by it, nor disturbed by a woman who kept shouting down her phone whenever it rang..

I did as I was told - turned the sound off - but my tired and grumpy boy had a meltdown and cried on my lap for the next few stops, and only stopped when I let him get down and wandered the carriage with him..

Surely the twinking mobile noise would have been better than a screaming child?!!!

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

YANBU - Your child was happy and the conductor made him cry. How could you be in the wrong here? If the noise was loud I guess he could have asked you to turn it down but making you turn if off and upsetting a toddler is beyond mean.

[Wallison]

Some toddlers also get upset if they can't charge up and down corridors and poke their fingers in strangers' eyes. Allowing a toddler to do what s/he wants seems an odd criteria for how people should behave in public spaces.

[Ephiny]

Like others I'm surprised the conductor bothered saying anything, I've never seen anything like that on the Overground .

I think YABU though, that sounds quite an anti-social and annoying toy to let your child play with on a train.

[Wallison]

I've seen people being chucked off overground trains for being pissed or smoking and probably other things as well that I've forgotten about. I've also seen one (hero of a) bus driver come upstairs and tell a bunch of teenagers to stop twatting about with ringtones on their mobiles, on pain of being thrown off. He got a cheer for that.

[GhoulWithADragonTattoo]

Wallison - Yes but crucially here the toddler wasn't doing any harm.

[Wallison]

Apart from disturbing other people, no. And my last comment was in response to people saying that they've never seen anyone reprimanded on public transport by public transport employees.

[edam]

beep beep beepy beep beep can be ruddy annoying when you are stuck in a confined space. Loud mobile conversations are also annoying.

Actually most people are ruddy annoying on the train. I have a nasty long commute and sometimes try to nap a bit on the way home. Last week I had a teenager opposite who was sniff sniff sniffing for half an hour - didn't hear him blow his nose once. I was contemplating reaching across and offering him a tissue... and a middle-aged guy next to him who fell asleep and SNORED with his gob open. Really irritating snoring with a whistle. I bet his wife hates him (or more likely has divorced him, poor woman).

Felt like telling both of them to shut the fuck up: 'YOU! Blow your nose, dammit, didn't your Mum teach you how to use a tissue! And YOU! You snore like a pig - stay awake on the train until you've found a gadget that keeps you effing quiet!' (Btw I have it on good authority that I Do Not Snore.) Crying baby would be far far less irritating than snoring man or sniffing teenager. But being a seasoned commuter, of course I didn't do either, I just directed evil thoughts at both of 'em.

[CaptainVonTrapp]

Whilst the toy sounds incredibly irritating, I've never seen a conductor do anything like this (including on quiet carriages). They usually conveniently don't 'notice'. So YANBU. Unless he does this to every annoying wanker with an overloud ipod or no speakers at all, he is U.

[LadyClariceCannockMonty]

All phone usage on trains is annoying. The conductor wasn't being U to ask you to turn the sound off but he ought to have shut up the bellowing woman as well. Or left you both alone.

[Jusfloatingby]

edam.

Threads like this remind me of how lucky I am that I now drive to work and no longer have to use public transport every day. My own personal 'favourites' were:

The ones bellowing about their private business into their mobile phones;

The gang of schoolgirls squealing and shrieking and shouting at the tops of their voices even though their friends were sitting right-beside-them.

The ones with their music turned up so loudly that we all had to listen to the thump thump emanating from their headphones.

[WelshMaenad]

I'd have ignored him too. Issues of bad noise vs bad noise aside, if it stopped my child from getting very distressed, I'm afraid I don't really give a fuck if others found it mildly annoying. Plenty of things other people do on trains annoy me, but I suck it up and soldier on because I wear big girls knickers.

[Wallison]

It's kind of nice not have to 'suck it up' though, isn't it? I mean, isn't it better if people don't be inconsiderate in public places?

[WelshMaenad]

I don't think entertaining a toddler semi-quietly on ones lap is that inconsiderate,really. But if it is, lo,behold my bothered face. Sometimes we have to do things that other people may or may not find mildly annoying. It's this thing called life, people could try being less precious.

[WelshMaenad]

We should make life really interesting and give them all a recorder.

[DinosaursOnASpaceship]

I play waybaloo and baby jake videos to my ds3 on buses and trains. Sometimes I sing along. Other passengers must hate me.

[Havingkitties]

I hope the OP gave the conductor a good 'told you so' face when her child started to wail at having their toy turned off. Nothing like a bit of passive aggression.

[Floggingmolly]

I'm intrigued by the "twinkling" noise. What the hell is twinkling?
Is it possible that what sounded like twinkling to you actually sounded like an annoying beeping, of chalk on blackboard irritation levels to everybody else?

[Wallison]

It's not the toddler that is inconsiderate but the parent. And playing a noisy electronic game is not something that you 'have to do'. Saying 'I'm afraid I don't really give a fuck' about disturbing others is an appallingly over-entitled attitude and does your child no favours when it comes to teaching them how to behave.