AIBU to be absolutely flabbergasted that there are people who think this is acceptable?

[ArghMeToes]

I'm on a train. The guy behind me is watching some kind of sports match on a tablet. I travel a lot by train and often, mostly at the weekends, there are people with gadgets that play films or TV and they don't put their earphones in. Slightly separate issue from having the earphones up too loud - that's annoying but a part of life, however to not even try to mute the noise by just playing your TV show to the whole carriage? Fuming.

When I was 19 (and too shy to turn around and politely ask someone to keep it down) I had to endure Dora the Explorer at full volume from Penzance to London whilst the child's parents read their own book.

AIBU? Is it acceptable not to put earphones in? Am I missing a trick?

I was on a packed train once. I had to sit opposite a woman swearing into a moby while her

You ought to have reported those soldiers. (I say that as an ex soldier myself.) Soldiers are supposed to be disciplined. They are also supposed to be aware of their personal security so travelling in uniform is banned at the moment. (Well at least my husband's regiment has banned it and I think the ban is general.) And finally the army are trying to recruit reservists, and soldiers are representatives of the reputation of the armed forces... If they behave like prats it puts people off joining.

A snotty middle aged woman (I was a scruffy student) once asked me to turn my music down on a train as it was so loud she could hear it. Miraculous then that I managed to have a full blown conversation with her about what music I was supposed to be listening to whilst still keeping the headphones in. I actually didn't have any music on. I just used the headphones as ear plugs to drown out the general chatter of the carriage (before quiet carriages) whilst studying. She must have had the most sensitive hearing in the world!

I genuinely cannot understand why anyone thinks it's OK to listen to or watch anything on public transport without headphones. It's breathtakingly selfish.

Public transport is for peasants. That's why you get peasant like behaviour.

Manners and civilised behaviour cost nothing Reekypear.

Anyway, I disagree that public transport is for peasants, it should be functional mass transit for when lots of people need to travel in similar directions.

It's a shame people have such an attitude - it contributes to the terrible public transport, congested roads and lack of safe facilities for cyclists that we have in this country.

Rant over!

We went for a 'quiet' drink in a lovely pub in Lincoln the other week - there was a couple looking at a video on a phone with the volume turned up to maximum at one table and on the other side of us a couple eating a meal with open mouths and maximum lip smacking noises.
We left.

YANBU - I've noticed other passengers smiling when I explain to DD that she might want to listen to her Peppa Pig game on the train but other passengers probably don't want to.

Public transport is for peasants. That's why you get peasant like behaviour.

I know my place.

Wasn't always the case, once upon a time in my living the most offensive thing you could take on a train was a Sven Hassel novel.

Pico2 - that's very nice of you!

I haven't had the pleasure pain of kids running up and down trains recently (London to Bath and back and London to Exeter and back). Don't get me started eg if I have a cup of tea on my table (and said child is running near it) or I'm walking down holding a bag with hot beverage in it and it spills. I think I'd be 10 kinds of crazy if that spilled on me and a child was running amok in a carriage - with a weaving/wobbly train too.

YANBU.

This really gets my goat.

On a flight with our 3 dcs over the xmas break, using headphone splitters so that they could share access to our ipad (whilst we read books/papers in peace) - blardy child in front watching blardy blaring Peppa Pig on seriously full volume.

Ask if they could perhaps use headphone.

Offered our nice 'over the ear' child friendly headphones (had new spare pair).

Got told 'no, she's got a bit of an ear infection. sorry'.

And that was that.

5 hours of Peppa Pig. Because heaven forbid that the child should engage with her clearly very doting parents, read a book, do some colouring yada yada instead of watching tv for the benefit of the entire flight.

(And, before anyone flames me, I very vaguely know the family. Mum is a teacher. Only child. No health ishoos that would prevent them from engaging/turning off ipad)

The squaddies story is horrifying. Must have been very nasty. I probably would have filmed it and sent to their barracks.

TheCat - I wonder sometimes - recently I've had the misfortune to travel down to Exeter via whatever motorway it is (don't get me started with the Little Chef/Welcome Break near Stonehenge where in the toilets you get baa-ing sheep sounds... , I am not even serious - the peasants you get in those places, I would almost prefer the civilisation of London - Exeter/Bath train.

Filly you can bet your bottom dollar the 'ear infection' line was a blatant lie...

My mum was a teacher too by the way, we entertained ourselves on long car journeys (never took the train, didn't fly until teenagers) by screaming at each other, kicking the back of the car seats or singing happily along to The Muppets tapes in the car how my parents didn't crash god only knows

YANBU! It's awful listening to something you really don't want to hear.

I do hate the way some people deal with these situations, though. There was a 17 year old girl sitting next to me on a local train, listening to music through headphones, but so loudly that you could hear it seats away. An elderly man got up and started yelling at her 'TURN THAT BLOODY CRAP DOWN, YOU YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT GOOD MUSIC IS, HARUMPH HARUMPH!' It was aggressive and unnecessary. The music actually wasn't bad, just way too loud.

shove - I agree the man was BU but honestly what do some young people (gosh I sound ancient) expect if they intrude on others' space?

YANBU. Equally annoying are people who spend an entire bus journey yakking at top volume into their phone. As soon as they finish one conversation, they immediately call someone else. I swear, I sometimes end up knowing more about fellow passengers' lives than I do about my own family's.
Are some people completely incapable of sitting quietly for half an hour, and just looking out the window, thinking their own thoughts, reading a book, or all those old fashioned pursuits that used to sustain people through a journey?

No, that's not acceptable. Ask politely, the first time at least, particularly when someone is actually using headphones. No need for such aggression.

That's regarding the comment super made.

I know it's not acceptable Uncle but I can see why the old man would get irate.

but I can see why the old man would get irate.

He broke the golden rule[s] AFAICS - Ask very nicely first for them to cease and desist - and if they don't, then be a c*nt.

I would almost prefer the civilisation of London - Exeter/Bath train.

Lucky you. East Coast Line train travellers don't often get much civilisation.

I'd sooner drive. I get to choose the soundtrack - and DW likes a lot of what I like (but not Combichrist)

TheCat didn't you see my post about the Welcome Breaks down to the SW of England.

c'mon the man was old - cut him some slack...

I can't do much about East Coast's lack of civilisation....

Kinkyfuckery. Earphone splitters are a thing you can buy.

Though seriously, no child NEEDs a tablet on a journey, neither do multiple children need to share one.

Super they were in the boarding queue just behind us on the flight back.

Slight smiles/nods of recognition and a brief 'have you had a good trip' exchange.

Then I turned to their dd and (with a super-large fixed grin on my face) --asked very pointedly "Are your ears feeling better now?"

She wore headphones all the way home