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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Rude woman on the bus, WWYD?

450 replies

DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:28

Last night I got on the bus like normal, there was a guy watching the news out loud without headphones on. It was annoying but it is what it is, you can’t force someone to put headphones on, so I put my AirPods in and that was that.

a couple of stops later an older woman (probably 50-ish?), got on and goes straight up to the man, starts jabbing him and shouting at him to turn it off, because the news was now about Trump and a speech he made and the woman “can’t bear to listen to it”. The man said no and turned back to his phone. She started screaming hysterically about the fact she can’t stand Trump, shouldn’t be subjected to listening to him in a public place, and demanding that the bus driver remove him from the bus.

The driver refused and told her that she needed to sit down or get off, as he couldn’t continue his route with her being disruptive. She sat down, but was crying loudly and told every single person that got on about what had happened, how she was so much better than that man and criticising everyone else on the bus for not “speaking up” about him listening to it.

AIBU to think I should’ve just told her to shut up? Looking back I regret it because as much as I dislike Trump (and people not using headphones on public transport), the man wasn’t actually doing anything wrong and shouldn’t have been attacked like he was.

OP posts:
Sleepeye · 17/09/2025 08:29

She clearly had mental health problems
You should just ignore and look out the window
she wasn’t harming anyone
just being bloody annoying

Sleepeye · 17/09/2025 08:30

The man seemed unbothered by it op
so it would have been daft to rise up and create more noise for the other passengers
clearly she had issues and better off just being left alone

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 17/09/2025 08:30

I wouldn’t do anything - she’s clearly mentally unwell.

Laserwho · 17/09/2025 08:30

The man was rude to begin with.

DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:31

Laserwho · 17/09/2025 08:30

The man was rude to begin with.

I agree that watching things out loud is annoying, but I don’t think it’s to the point that he deserved to be physically touched and screamed at

OP posts:
DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:31

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 17/09/2025 08:30

I wouldn’t do anything - she’s clearly mentally unwell.

Possibly, but I don’t think that excuses poor behaviour like this

OP posts:
DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:31

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 17/09/2025 08:30

I wouldn’t do anything - she’s clearly mentally unwell.

Possibly, but I don’t think that excuses poor behaviour like this

OP posts:
DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:31

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 17/09/2025 08:30

I wouldn’t do anything - she’s clearly mentally unwell.

Possibly, but I don’t think that excuses poor behaviour like this

OP posts:
DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:31

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 17/09/2025 08:30

I wouldn’t do anything - she’s clearly mentally unwell.

Possibly, but I don’t think that excuses poor behaviour like this

OP posts:
DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:31

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 17/09/2025 08:30

I wouldn’t do anything - she’s clearly mentally unwell.

Possibly, but I don’t think that excuses poor behaviour like this

OP posts:
ladyofshertonabbas · 17/09/2025 08:33

The man shouldn’t be listening to stuff without headphones. Although shd did overreact just a teensy weensy bit, she has a point when she says more people should stand up to antisocial behaviour.

Laserwho · 17/09/2025 08:33

The man also had poor behaviour.

Radiatorvalves · 17/09/2025 08:34

Agree with PP. But having a phone on speaker is BLOODY ANNOYING. I was having a curry last week. Last night before DS went to uni. And suddenly a guy waiting to pick up a takeaway was blasting out something about Charlie Kirk. It was so intrusive. The restaurant owner is lovely but didn’t do anything. I went up to the guy and v politely asked him to turn it down. He seemed surprised - is it disturbing you? But did turn it off. My deaf old dad at the other end of the country probably heard it!

I think people are really selfish and lack self awareness. Tfl did a study recently and it’s one of the most annoying things about public transport.

Buddingbudde · 17/09/2025 08:36

The guy got what he deserved. What a total dickhead.

No33 · 17/09/2025 08:36

I'm with the old lady. No I wouldn't have cried etc, but it's so fucking rude listening to stuff without earphones.

Sleepeye · 17/09/2025 08:36

DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:31

I agree that watching things out loud is annoying, but I don’t think it’s to the point that he deserved to be physically touched and screamed at

Well he seemed pretty chilled about it

He cracked on being rude and gazed out the window

BitOutOfPractice · 17/09/2025 08:37

DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:31

Possibly, but I don’t think that excuses poor behaviour like this

Nobody is saying it excuses it. It does explain it though. Just ignore it. Like you managed to ignore the man’s annoying behaviour.

smallpinecone · 17/09/2025 08:37

He was being rude, it’s annoying when people don’t use headphones, but her reaction was wildly disproportionate, and it’s ridiculous to start criticising other passengers for not getting involved. I don’t want to have arguments with random strangers on the bus either.

Sconcing · 17/09/2025 08:37

BitOutOfPractice · 17/09/2025 08:37

Nobody is saying it excuses it. It does explain it though. Just ignore it. Like you managed to ignore the man’s annoying behaviour.

Exactly.

TheaBrandt1 · 17/09/2025 08:37

Yes she was bonkers but serves him right. Might give him pause for thought next time he wants to be a selfish oaf.

Sleepeye · 17/09/2025 08:38

BitOutOfPractice · 17/09/2025 08:37

Nobody is saying it excuses it. It does explain it though. Just ignore it. Like you managed to ignore the man’s annoying behaviour.

Exactly

sounds like you wanted to wade in and create more drama and noise for other passengers

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 17/09/2025 08:38

DontReinMeIn · 17/09/2025 08:31

Possibly, but I don’t think that excuses poor behaviour like this

I didn’t say it excused it, but it’s a valid explanation and a good reason not to get involved.

SoftPillow · 17/09/2025 08:39

The man should have had headphones on. He was behaving poorly by not doing this.

The woman sounds unwell. She shouldn’t have touched him and shouted at him. She needed to calm down.

WWID: sit far away from him probably do nothing but seethe inside at the man for not wearing headphones. I don’t know that I’d be brave enough to politely ask him to turn it down or plug in.

Itsnottheheatitsthehumidity · 17/09/2025 08:40

I wouldn’t have done anything. It’s a normal Tuesday night where I live.

DeepBlueScroller · 17/09/2025 08:44

Jumping in could have made you the target of her anger.