I can’t be the only one who’s had to endure countless bus trips listening to some kid’s terrible taste in music played out through their terrible mobile phone speakers. Do I ever say anything? No, because even in my 30s, I’m terrified of being bullied by schoolchildren, and so I sit there gritting my teeth to tinny D’n’B.
The Liberal Democrats (who else?) want to clamp down on “headphone dodgers” who play loud music and videos on public transport. They’re calling for fines of up to £1,000 for anyone caught, what’s sometimes known as ‘sodcasting’. So finally, after decades of suffering, I may finally get some peace and quiet on the bus.
Lisa Smart MP said: “Whether you’re heading to work, taking your kids to school, or simply trying to enjoy a moment of peace, everyone deserves to feel safe and respected on public transport. Time and time again, I hear from people who say they feel too intimidated to speak up when someone is blasting music or other content from a phone or speaker.”
In a poll commissioned by the Lib Dems, they found that almost two in five (38%) say they have experienced people playing music out loud either ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’. Meanwhile, the majority of Brits (54%) say they would not feel comfortable asking someone to turn down their music on public transport. This number rises for women (63%), which is significantly higher than for men (46%).
Sodcasting has been a social scourge since the mass production of mobile phones. In 2006 (!), the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, called for the “absolute prohibition on playing music from a mobile system”. And, yes, it’s annoying, but, on the other hand, playing music and videos out loud is a relatively harmless act, isn’t it?
As many have pointed out too, including the Department for Transport, there are already many anti-social behaviour rules on public transportwhich carry fines of up to £1,000. This includes laws that can remove people from buses if they play sounds that annoy fellow passengers. But this new law would explicitly ban playing music and videos out loud from a phone on all trains and buses in England.
The Liberal Democrats are seeking to amend the Bus Services Bill currently going through Parliament. This would amend existing railway byelaws, joining other prohibited behaviours, like dropping litter or using threatening language. While local authorities would also be able to do the same for buses. This would be followed by a national publicity campaignincluding posters on platforms and at bus stops.
