Rude woman on the bus, WWYD?

[DontReinMeIn]

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.

Personally, I'd like to turn a fire hose on anybody listening to stuff out loud in public, but unfortunately that's rarely a viable option.

I think it’s not a particularly brilliant thing to do, but I also don’t think it’s worth being upset about

Or just used to getting her own way.

check your privilege? 😕

not everyone can afford air cancelling AirPods
some people might be unfamiliar with the route and need to listen to the stop announcements
some people just don't like having things in their ears
some people might want to chat, quietly, to a friend on the bus

FWIW i believe the rise in this noise pollution lies squarely with the phone manufacturers who have stopped including a headphone jack so people can plug in their ancient but serviceable wired earphones.

You’ve escalated this to her physically assaulting him.

I’m 💯 doubting this happened as you say it did. Either you’re the loud phone man or you were with the loud phone man.

jabbing at him, or actually jabbing him, OP?

Well, YABU.

Firstly, someone in her 50s is hardly old. I'm in my mid-60s and I could probably beat you in a race or a lifting competition, or a spelling & grammar bee.

Secondly, the man was rude. Maybe because you're young, you haven't been taught proper manners yet, so you don't realise how rude the man was being.

YABU on both counts.

I'd have loved to see the guy playing media out of his phone kicked off the bus personally.

If you use public transport you get these idiots from time to time.

If you want more comfort and freedom, get a car.

Firstly, someone in her 50s is hardly old. I'm in my mid-60s and I could probably beat you in a race or a lifting competition, or a spelling & grammar bee.

congratulations? I didn’t pass any judgment on her age, I just said she was older. Because she is, to me!

@DontReinMeIn "Bad manners aren’t a reason to assault someone. If it annoys you, take headphones with you."

What part of this aren't you understanding OP? The woman was clearly mentally ill, and people with severe mental health issues don't play by the rules. How have you only just found this out? I live in a big city and I see similar and much worse on an almost daily basis. Have you led a particularly sheltered life or something?

The man was in the wrong and it a selfish tw@t

You are part of the problem.

If the man hadn't been listening to his programme without headphones, the woman would not have had to ask him to turn it off.

If this is the way the young think about behaviour in public, then god help us.

This is wrong, it is not part of public transport, the man shouldn’t have been listening to his phone without headphones. This is anti social behaviour so he was doing something wrong. The woman’s reaction was OTT but I think I would have asked him to turn it off/down. I also don’t know what the women’s age has to do with anything?
There is too much of this going on, I went to a restaurant recently and had to ask to be moved, as the sitting was benches, and the child on the next table (very close proximity, next to each other) was watching children’s programs on a tablet loudly without headphones.

an older woman (probably 50-ish?)

This is what you wrote, OP. YABU.

The bloke is more of a prick than her, in my book. It one of the many things I hate about this country - the selfishness and complete lack of decorum many people show in public. In Japan no one listens to stuff on public transport without earphones and it’s so much nicer.

Now that you know it upsets so many people will you call it out next time? Or show consideration to people that do?

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

The guy could have put on earphones like everyone else or turned it down. The fact he refused when ask shows he was passive aggressive looking for an argument or fight.

Yes, I said she was older. Because she is!!! What part of that is making a judgment?

In your post of 10.41, you said you’re in your mid-20s.

Why do you keep changing your story?

Do you have an issue with women taking up space?

She clearly does. She thinks women should shut up and put up. This man was a selfish, stupid prick and he deserves to be told.
@DontReinMeIn

i think its how you approach the man jabbing + prodding is aggressive manner and if the majority of the bus shouted going to turn it down please then you might of got a + result !!! but the fact that the woman told everyone who got on the bus she had issues!!!

YABVU to describe a 50 year old as an “older woman”.

As for the rest of it they sound as bad as each other.

did she actually touch him?

Again, i don't think anyone is defending her, but if she was so overwrought that she was having a tantrum (see, it is possible to talk about a raging woman without being misogynistic) the best way to de-escalate would have been to turn off the sound. Twat-man didn't because ... well, twat.

so clearly he had no desire to de-escalate. Anyone who did want the tantrum to stop (either because too much noise, or to help the clearly agidated woman) would have asked him to do everyone a solid and turn off the sound.

Why would you get involved between two inconsiderate passengers.
I would say something to someone who was bullying another person, this wasn't the case, he was clearly not frightened he'd have turned off his phone.
I can't stand rude people listening loudly to their phone on public transport.