iPods are making noise in New York

Finally. New Yorkers have proven that I am not a grumpy Singaporean who complains renlentlessly against loud music on public transportation.

Yahoo! News reported that a passenger silently fumed (most of us do) as the man seated beside him on the plane blasted techno music on his iPod at full volume. When I wrote about noise level in the subway ('Testing mobie ring tones in the train. What's wrong with People?' & 'Chipmunks singing in the train'), they were incident relating to communters playing music aloud from their mobile phones. For a music from somebody's headphones to be audible to the surrounding people, it must be on its highest volume. There was a lady who requested an iPod-user on the NY's subway to lower the volume, only to her dismay that she was ignored. I can understand the iPod-user's insensitivity to the fellow communters, but how can one be insensitive to their own eardrums? The only logical answer is that their headphones are working fine but not their ears. And that probably explains why they are oblivious to the loud music that their neighbors are hearing.

iPod-users have their 5-minutes of fame on the NY's subway too. Some are either practising hard for the American Idols and singing along their playlist, while others are talking excessively loud with their ear buds on like in a political rally. Such scenes are not uncommon in Singapore's train. Once, I saw a karaoke crooner on the train who sang with such fervor that with a little bit of imagination, I could be picturing her as Beyonce from the movie, Dreamgirls. I find such clownlike performance amusing and thus entertaining. However, loud speakers who thought that they are at Hyde Park are simply irritating.

I can't reprimand communters who risk hearing impairment to share music with me but I am crossed at those who blatantly share their music on the train without the use of headphones. For Pete's sake, I don't like your 'sexy back'; I like 'It's oh so quiet' by Bjork. So keep your favorite to yourself because it is likey that they are not ours.

Some may think that I am too unforgiving in embracing music on the go. But is music the only noise level in the train? Just to name a few - teenagers' giggles, office gossips and aunties and uncles yelling in dialects over their Jurassic mobile phones. When the train is already a rojak* of commotion, we don't have to add in chilli.

*Rojak - a Malay word to mean mix. It is also a fruit and vegetable salad dish commonly found in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Testing mobile ring tones in the train. What's wrong with people?

It has been quite some time since I blogged about noise in the train. 4 months ago, I complained about chipmunks singing in the train - a mobile ring tone of a techno-dance song sung in a chipmunkese voice. The irritable part was the owner of the mobile phone answered the call only when the song reached its chorus. Wadefart (Pardon me for inventing this word. The original is too crude for a professional blogger to pen).

This morning, I encountered another idiot of the same breed in the train. I was on my way to the gym and was enjoying my book 'The Complete Notes from Singapore' when one ring tone was heard after another consecutively. I knew what it was all about because when I had a new mobile phone, I would test all the choices of ring tones available. That was exactly what happened. I was not the only one who turned to to my right to identify the source. Everyone wants a peaceful ride to work and for Pete's sake, stop creating noises. He looked probably in his late 30s and not at all irritating. But his act was. He was testing all the ring tones in his mobile phone throughout the ride. I was sure he was the one because he was looking down at his mobile phone.

The authority should not overlook noise level in the train. Although commuters who talk endlessly on their mobile phones during the train ride are irritating too, it is still reasonable because mobile phones are meant for talking. However, blasting music from a mobile phone and testing all its ring tones are inconsiderate. Commuters who play games on the train with the sound on are equally detestable.

Whether it is a mobile phone or a game console, I believe a plug for a earphone is available. So ydefart not use it? If Singapore follows New York and implements noise control in the city, that would mean dog owners have to teach their pets to obey the rule too. That would probably generate more noise.

Chipmunks Singing in the Train

I was trying to digest my book 'The Undercover Economist' on the train when a bunch of noisy teenagers entered the cabin. The guys were loud; the gals were ok except when they laughed. The details of their group conversation became a public hearing. At one point, they were guessing who was the most hairy guy among them. They were inconsiderate but at their age, it is understandable to make some noise.

A few stops later, they alighted together. I thought the cabin has returned to its normal noise level. Out of the blue, a dance tune in chipmunk remixes was heard from my right where I seated. I thought it was just a ring tone which would stop eventually but it played in full duration. I turned and saw a lanky teenager leaning against the panel opposite my seat. I wasn't sure if the music orginated from him but he was holding a gadget in his hand. I leaned forward to see if there was any likelihood that it might come from the other side of the cabin. However, the passengers were either talking or had their earphones on. Naturally, this guy became my prime suspect. One dance tune followed another and they were all the irritating chipmunk versions. He probably couldn't care less if others enjoyed his kind of music. I would have plugged in my iPod if I had it in my bag. I was hoping that he would get off the train before I did but fat hope. I stared at him a few times. In the course of doing so, a teenage couple who sat next to me caught my attention. Both were in their school uniforms. The guy was obviously trying very hard to impress the gal. He sat and talked like a tough man, but his small, skinny frame didn't quite conjure up a macho image. The gal was soft-spoken and sat demurely throughout their conversation. I considered this a mismatch. But I was wrong. The gal suddenly changed seat to the opposite side and the word that she shouted across at that guy was 'Chxx Bye' (a vuglarity that is derogatory to woman). Her sitting style became a mirror image of the guy and I was embarrassed to see her white panty. In just a few minutes, she transformed from my fair lady to Madame mafia. I took back my word; they were a perfect match.

By random observation, it is quite accurate to conclude that teenagers are the attention seekers in the trains. Look around: Who sit in group on the floor and turn the cabin into a stock market? Teenagers. Whose phones ring with a woman screaming in horror or a MP3 of a heavy metal song? Teenagers. Who play music on speaker mode from their mobile phones? Teenagers. In this blog, I shall just air my frustration with loud music in the train.

At 34, I am still not too old to embrace the marvel of advance technology. But I'm sure that most communters on the train would rather apperciate a peaceful journey. The article 'Hello, you deaf ah?' on 8Days magazine no. 848 also shared my irritation with these inconsiderate teenagers. I was pissed off several times when they would wait for the chorus of their favorite song to end before answering their phones. Such negligence to answer their phones swiftly was intentional. How could they possibly not hear their damn phones ringing when the ring tones were set to the loudest? And what took them so long to answer the call when their phones were either in the pocket or in their hands? The same goes for teenagers who blast their music phones. Why must they play their music on speaker mode when the choice of earphones was there? If they were giving their ears a break, they should also give other passengers a break too!

My encounters so far were mainly teenage guys. From their nonchalance towards the gazes invited, they probably think that the music they are listening to make them look cool, and to play them loudly is a sure way of sending out a strong message. When I was a teenager, I felt groovy as I walked down the street with my walkman blasting the music of Rick Astley and Paula Abdul to my ears. The kind of music I listened to was a representative of the image I wanted to protray - fashionable and pop. I was a plain, boring guy during school days. My self-esteem was pretty low. Music lifted my spirit and in a way compensated for my lack of physical and intellectual attraction. In other word, I was an empty vessel that made a lot of noise (but only to my ears). Looking back, I don't think I was cool then. I was engaging in self-illusion at the expense of my eardrum. As I look at the teenagers now, I can see where they are coming from. However, they may not be aware that technically the playing of music in public from their phones requires a public performance licence for the sound recordings. The music stored in their phones may also be unauthorised digital copies. Perhaps when the music industry start to impose a licence directly or indirectly on end users for all purchases of music phones, teenagers will feel the pinch to pay a price for the noise pollution they caused in the train.

While there are announcement in the cabin to keep the train clean for the comfort of all passengers, it is also important to keep noise level in the train to the minimum. Whether it is the London tube, New York subway or the Bangkok BTS, I had my peaceful rides. These countries may not have train quality like ours, they certainly outbeat us by their considerate passengers. I urge the authorities to look into this issue. Here are my sugguestions:

>>>Include considerate use of music phones as part of our existing courteousy campaign.

>>>Include classroom discussion on all aspects of courteousy in the train as part of moral education. This need not be incorporated as part of the school curriculum.

>>>Put up sign like 'no music from portable hi-fi, mp3 players and mobile phones' in the cabin.

My advice to teenagers - use your music phone responsibly and that itself makes you cool.