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.

Playing stuff without headphones is very similar to air pollution I think it should be illegal like smoking. I think the woman was channelling what most healthy adults feel like doing, but don't.

Where I live the man refusing to wear headphones would have been asked to get off the bus by the driver.

I'd guess she was having a bad day already to get that upset by it, but I would have stuck up for her.

I’m sure. I carry my AirPods everywhere and would never listen to Trump!

You didn't bother to say anything at the time so why let it bother you now it is what it is annoying yes but it didn't bother him

I'm glad she screamed at him, no headphones in public is a hanging offence IMO

I would probably not have done anything. The driver is in charge of the bus, and to be honest should have told the person without headphones/earbuds to either turn the sound down or off before the woman complained.

Public transport should have signs not allowing music etc. to be listened to without headphones.

Agree. She sounds nuts

She was saying she didn't want to have to listen to Donald Trump. She was getting angry because she was being ignored. That's normal. Sometimes people lose it when pushed too far.

Only on MN will you hear a woman who is verbally and physically violent being defended.
If a man had done the same thing he'd be crucified.
Yes he should have used headphones, no-one is denying that but she could have said can you turn the sound off instead of screaming at and jabbing him. She's lucky he wasn't aggressive back. And she made a twat of herself by moaning to all the passengers who got on the bus after I'm sure they didn't care as they weren't even there when the incident occurred.

😂 old lady op said in her 50’s I better tell my 8 year old that his mum is old and decrepit at 51 😂😂

I was on a bus in London a few months ago and at least four people in the upper deck had their phones on loud, either listening to their own music or having video calls with people. I wanted to scream. İt never used to be like this, even with smart phones, most people used headphones. Maybe the lady had just had enough and reached her limit.

He wanted to save face on this occasion, but next time he probably will use his earphones.

Maybe it’s just me because I always have my noise cancelling AirPods on, but I just don’t see that playing something out loud is on the same level as assaulting someone and screaming in their face!

So listening to Donald Trump on your phone loud enough for the whole bus to hear is fine, but ranting about Donald Trump to the person doing that indicates mental health issues?

This is what I find so baffling. Yes he should’ve used them but he didn’t, it doesn’t justify violence!

You might put up with it, but lots of us refuse to. I have multiple times asked people to put their headphones in or turn it down so I don't have to have it in my ear. İt's so intrusive and no it isn't just a part of public transport, it's a part of anti social behaviour. You wouldn't tell someone who had teens throwing eggs at their window or having their car broken into, to just put up with it, because it's just part of life.

I dont think anyone is saying violence is ok. None of that changes how antisocial the man's behaviour was though, and he seems to be getting a free pass from you OP.

You stepping in would likely have escalated things further. She over reacted, but the trouble with choosing to inflict one's noise on other people when you have a very easy solution to avoid it is that someone might not like what you're pumping out for all to hear.

However odd the woman's rationale and behaviour - the man was doing something wrong. He was breaking the social contract.

(i know it's not rousseau's social contract but it's the best shorthand I can think of rn)

The most baffling thing is that the driver didn't tell him to put headphones in or get off the bus.

Why is it ok for him to fill the air with his Trump show, but not for her, in reaction, to fill the air with her voice?

I dont agree in the least, the guy was an entitled little shit

I don't want to block out all the normal background noise around me, whether that's through wearing headphones or because some self-centred entitled git is watching their iPad next to me on full volume like the bus is their sitting room.

Poor behaviour on public transport really discourages me from using it. I feel quite guilty sometimes taking the car for a trip I could do by bus or train but antisocial pricks make it unpleasant. For every one shouty woman there are fifty twats playing media through speakers though. Her behaviour in no way makes his ok.

50ish is "an older woman" now is it?

To me in my mid 20s, yes?!