Mobile Disco

I despise people who believe it acceptable to play music out loud on public transport. If ever this blog ends, phone round local hospitals or undertakers to see if a bus driver has died from stab wounds because I will not stand for it. I see it as a deterioration of society. You allow this on a bus and what next? It worries me to think.

I always leave my cab and always ask the offender politely to plug some headphones in. I don't tell them to 'turn that racket off' as they can happily listen to music but need to plug those things in that can be found in every single box that houses every single mobile phone on the market.

I then wait until they acknowledge this and the music stops. An anonymous 'shout back', especially on a double decker, doesn't always have the necessary effect.

I had a well-loaded single decker last night (about 25 on a 40-something seater) and heard music being played out loud. I can tell the difference between a mobile disco and someone listening through headphones, but at a mind-blowingly loud volume. This was a mobile disco. I pulled over in between stops nice and smoothly as the offender may suss what I was about to do and turn it off before I had chance to see who it was.

Out of the cab I got and soon saw who it was - a woman (I think) in a red tracksuit sat in one of the fold-up seats. I asked her to plug some headphones in please, as we don't allow that. She looked up and grunted. The music stopped, but not as soon as it could have done. I stood motionless until silence prevailed and then I politely thanked her. She didn't have any headphones. Oh dear, she would have to go without music for the next 5 minutes, how would she cope?

Getting out the cab, while not recommended by my company, gives me a massive psychological advantage. Especially on a double decker. If those willing to cause trouble are made aware that they have a driver who is willing to show his face - perhaps even get his hands dirty - they will be less likely to kick off.

Getting back to the offence, I just cannot physically see how anyone can deem it acceptable to play their music out loud. Are they so incapable of their effect on others to honestly believe that no one else can hear it? Do they, perhaps, believe the music somehow ends dead six inches either side of them?

Only once in all the years I've been driving buses have I had to ask the same person twice in the same journey to turn his music off. That was, unbelievably, on a single decker, too. On the second occasion, I went and actually sat next to him on the back seat and asked if he had a problem with me. I embarrassed the pathetic runt good and proper but in a very polite manner. He didn't have the mental ability to respond or grunt. Silence prevailed then, as ever. You also get the other passengers on your side, too. They don't want to listen to a mobile disco either.

I tell you, I'm a one-man music-enforcement band. Get on my bus and play music out loud at your peril.