Noise on trains

[Flower884]

Why do parents think it’s ok to let their child listen to a children’s programme loud on a train with no earphones?

I’ve experienced this a few times now on trains and planes. They seem oblivious to the noise.

Another lady has just asked the mum to turn it down as she’s trying to work. The mums response - well my child can’t hear it!

People singing recently 🙄 not to mention people who play music through their phones without headphone. Stop bashing parents who are most likely just trying to get through a train journey themselves wit
Surely thats because they had parents who dont teach their children to have regard for others from little.
We used to do long journeys before mobiles, they had gameboys but not allowed the sound on etc or lots of colouring etc, food. My best buy ever was a credit size pack of little colouring pencils that were always in my bag.

@Flower884 see post above too. I'm not defending the situation. Of course in an ideal world I'd sit and talk to lo about the journey but reality is not always possible. Give the poor woman a break. We don't know her situation

There are so many twats out there who don't care what noise they inflict on the rest of the passengers, it's scary.

@Klouise777 I’m pretty sure she’s not struggling and this is a one off. she then turned to her other child and complained about the lady who asked her to be quiet. She is just teaching her children to be inconsiderate.

It's an increasing problem - and it's always parents! I travel by train very often and it's now more usual than not to have children in every carriage watching tablets with no headphones.

I'm sure children travelled on trains before tablets were universal. They coloured books, read, played with stickers, lego... but then parents didn't have to be constantly on their phones.

If the child won't wear headphones then tablets are not suitable entertainment for public transport.

It's very hard to keep him occupied on a train, would you rather an ipad or him running around all over you?

There are plenty of alternatives to iPad playing loudly and child running around. Unfortunately, they require effort on the part of the accompanying parent, something not all parents are willing to do.

Sure, the parent might be having a hard day, but most parents who allow this sort of behaviour just don't care about others. Parents who are generally considerate but having a hard day will, in my experience, still try and keep noise levels and disruption to a minimum.

I'm sure children travelled on trains before tablets were universal.

Exactly. And we brought games, books, colouring materials etc. It was hard work at times.

very hard to keep him occupied on a train, would you rather an ipad or him running around all over you

And yet most people managed it perfectly well on trains before iPads for kids became a thing - just fancy that!!

Lazy parenting...

Not being in the quiet carriage is not an excuse for antisocial behaviour.

If you've moaned about the parent in question and of course done differently please tell me you've never, not once, played a child in front of a cartoon for 5 mins when you want 5. I'm not defending the woman's actions entirely but like I said previously we don't know what kind of day she's had. Maybe she hadn't planned ahead and didn't have a collection of crayons and toys with her. Maybe she's been up all night with dc and wanted 5. Maybe we should all stop and think a moment. I take lo regularly on train and I'm Getting a bit of a bashing myself for saying I take an ipad as a backup. But we all don't know her situation. Of course she could have turned it down but maybe she already felt judged or guilty or just defeated and didn't want the hassle. Be kind people. Of course we'd all do different we have absolutely no idea of her circumstances. Can we all just agree train travel is pretty annoying regardless of an ipad?

@HopeClearwater yeah they probably did but you never used a phone yourself to occupy yourself on a train journey? What if I didn't have anything else on me to occupy a child whos too young to understand the importance of sitting down safely with an overcrowded train?

Klouise777 - ive raised all my kids without shoving digital devices in front of them without headphones. I've travelled alot on trains with young kids without disturbing other travellers with digital noise.

@klouise777 we can’t keep using the excuse maybe someone’s having a bad. We will end up with everyone being rude and antisocial and we just excuse everything. When the reality and the most likely scenario is that she’s just selfish.

I wouldnt put headphones on my toddler! Many of you default to calling it lazy parenting but if you want a quiet toddler on a train there is little alternative. I could of course play a game of eye spy and read a book but it will be a hell of a lot more noisy than a quiet episode of peppa pig.

I've travelled alot on trains with young kids without disturbing other traveller pray tell the secret when dealing with a very active 2 year old who needs to travel to central London for a drs appointment during rush hour?

@Klouise777 there will be a lot of people who need a break and put their kids in front of a screen which is fine in my opinion. The difference is that you shouldn’t do it on public transport without headphones

@Vulpine great good for you. You know we're all trying our best. You know if my lo is in front of an ipad on a train I've probably exhausted all other options and trying my best not to disturb anyone but yay for you you don't need technology

I have no issue with anyone using a tablet etc but it’s either headphones or silent. Rude if it’s a child or an adult.

I too would rather hear the noise of a crying/winging than a cartoon / music / programme / game; at least you know the noise of the cold will stop eventually.

I've done long journeys with toddlers without resorting to iPads. You colour in, read stories, do puzzles, play with small bricks, do jigsaws, play I spy, talk to them, do lego etc. Just takes a bit of planning and effort, and it's no fun at all for you, but better than pissing off an entire carriage of people. It's also much better for the child developmentally than just plonking them in front of a screen and ignoring them.

unless at a musical event or in a room with the agreement of all concerned, no-one of any age should be listening to anything without headphones.

quiet coach or not - your shite music is not what the rest of us want to hear. And if it is the quiet coach, SHUT UP. If it isn't - talk, don't scream at each other. Especially if you are one of those who uses 'like' as a preposition.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers there are loads of things to do with a kid on a train. You can colour in, play eye spy. Look out of the window. Guess how many (insert random thing) there are on the train. Take a walk through the train.

@Klouise777 why can't you turn it on silent?

YANBU. Dicks. A couple of years ago someone in the airport next to us had baby shark on repeat on full blast. Could’ve murdered them. And, yes, I’m a mother. I’ve managed to grow my child to the age of 12, travelling to London and further afield often, without inflicting unnecessary noise on others.

The other thing I hate is performance parenting “OH LOOK VANESSA A COW...MOOOO” at the top of their voice. Just no need.

Flower884 yes all good options except they are all more noisy and disturbing to the public around me.
A walk through the train at rush hour sounds fantastic. I have to keep my toddler strapped into the buggy though (30min journey up town) not ideal at 2years old but I will never get her off at the stop if not/ she would fall all over when the train swerves etc.

The first generation of kids who were entertained with ipads in this way are now turning into the teenagers who listen to music through their phones with no head phones because they've been brought up thinking its normal and acceptable.