Etiquette while commuting on public trasport

bobbyss

Nothing annoys me more than:

Coach driver blasting out music on his/her radio on a long commute.

People talking loudly on their phone. Am I wrong to suggest that certain nationalities do tend to have a very loud speaking voice which makes it worse.

People not using the mute on their calls so that we all get to hear both sides of the drama.

People, young studenty types usually, but not always, who speak with American intonations. Replete with rising question tag ends interspersed with a million likes as in 'I saw him, like, yesterday? And like I'm like tired of him?

People who smell. Jeessus! Where's the bucket?

People who drink alcohol on trains.

Sultan of Bling

Bags on seats, grrrrrrrrrr

Stonekeeper2024

Allow me a rant because this ^ is just a symptom of a wider social problem that were having right now.

The Gen Z are the worst, but it seems to be happening with older people too (30s) who I guess are millennials? o I I'm not quite there yet but not young enough to be a Zoomer so I dunno what I am. With the younger ones, they are blasting music full volume on their phones on DART and Intercity trains, totally oblivious to other people, sometimes with others but even if they are alone (have they never heard of earphones). Music does not even sound good blasting with edgy scratchy 'on speaker' mode anyway it sounds much better in earphones so WTF?

Then there is this having a convo full bore on speaker so everyone can hear you, it would annoy me greatly if someone had me on full speaker on the other end.

It's one of a number of recent trends I've seen that disturb me. I noticed the number of people actually READING (on a tablet or a paper book) has plummeted on public transport. In particular with kids and teenagers, I used to read books all the time on trains and busses, and I still do, but now I can see everyone from 12-35 scrolling endlessly through tik tock just waiting for that temporary dopamine hit from discovering something mildly interesting. According to a friend of mine whos' teaching secondary school the attention span of the kids has started to nosedive. If they are confronted with anything longer than a paragraph or two they can't handle it. Instead of reading about a topic they'll look for youtube or tick tock videos explaining it (and you can imagine how much of that is reliable information)

Putting this together with other trends I've noticed (in fitness, attitudes towards mental health etc) I think Generation Z is going to split in two as they get older into two groups:

1. Who works out and eats right, reads books, tries to self improve, values time and uses it well instead of wasting large amounts of it on frivolous bs, sees their mental health/emotions as something they can control not something that controls and dominates THEM, recognises the difference between normal ups and downs and mental health problems, never touches their phone during meals or other times they need to focus, recognises that every right they have comes with a duty towards others in society that it's not all about them them them. Is capable of delayed gratification so thinks strategically about their life, what do I want in the long term and what will it take to get me there etc

2. Never work out (see a fit body as 'unobtainable' or worse 'toxic') so piles on weight as they get older, never reads books or anything longer than a page, pathologizes every normal life stressor as if it's a mental health crises, wastes (collectively ) years of their life in front of screens chasing game scores or the latest dopamine hit from funny tik tock vids, thinks self improvement is stupid, is obsessed with their rights and what is owed them with no social conscience (unless it allows them to feel self—righteous and superior to others) or consideration for others in the world. Is vaping like crazy believing the horse crap that it's safe (as opposed to safer, possibly, than cigs IF you are trying to get off cigs) and will be totally SHOCKED in 20 years when it comes out that it's full of sh1t that damages their body that the companies kept secret. Is not capable of long term thinking just wants whatever makes them feel good now now now.

Group 1, which probably makes up (roughly) 1/3, is going to have far less competition than the generation that preceded them as their competition in work, socially etc is way weaker and so they're going to do great and probably have a longer happier life, they'll also make way more money. Group 2 will end up in a major MAJOR mental and physical health crises when they get to their 30s, 40's and 50s. Group 2 often gets painted as ''the youth'' but that's not fair they are not all like this, but it's a big enough chunk that it's going to come back to haunt us down the road. I've found having watched over the last few years the kid being involved in team sports in secondary school (usually) seals them into group 1, staring at a computer all day and gaming (usually) locks them into group 2, I wish parents would be aware of this a lot more.

blackbox

I can put up with the noise but I hate the smelly farts.

Addmagnet

Feet on seats, even from older people I'd hope would know better.

EchoIndia

The loud talking and phones on speaker seems to be something that is tolerated in Ireland; I have travelled on public transport in several European countries and they are a model of good behaviour compared to what goes on here. Drivers on Dublin Bus remain in their protected cab and, I imagine, don't want to take on the risks of managing the behaviour of their passengers. I can't say I blame them. There seems to be no stated policy or information campaign that I am aware of in relation to the antisocial behaviours described. It would at least be a start if the transport operators updated their policies to make clear what is and is not acceptable as a condition of travel.

Kaybaykwah

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122352294#Comment_122352294

Yes, who can put up with the smell, except the noisy flatulence?

jd

People using the speaker on their phones, and having loud conversations on them. Eating, particularly hot food. Feet on seats. Not taking off back packs (unless very small) before getting on Luas or bus. Blocking people trying to exit the Luas or bus when boarding..

apache

Like others have said people talking loudly on the phone. There was loads of them on the bus yesterday shouting loudly into their phones. They weren't Irish either. Irked me to no end.

whisky_galore

In no particular order:

"Sharing" tinny shíte music.

Feet on seats.

Aircoach usually, freezing temperatures.

BO off people.

Sitting in reserved seats and not budging.

Yakking on phones.

"Gas" people, usually lads, usually drunk.

Goldengirl

All the above .

Why I walk or cycle where possible .

Has its drawbacks too but won't go there now .

monument

Huge generalisations based on what continent posters think people come from aren't going to be tolerated.

— moderator

bk

While they won’t block out all noise and annoyance, noise cancelling headphones are a most on public transport. They greatly reduce the volume of the noise and make it more bareable. Just chill and listen to your own music / podcast and ignore all the rest and you will be much happier.

I have and can recommend both the Apple Air Pods Pro 2 and Sony XM4, mostly use the AirPods on public transport, the XM4’s at home, though they are even better. If they are too expensive, then Anker Soundcore make sub €100 noise cancelling air buds and headphones depending on your preference.

An investment well worth making IMO.

bobbyss

I would be well used to long inter city coach trips leaving at 4 or 5 am. There are a number of irritants.

Lights!

In fairness the drivers almost always have the lights off and withing 10 minutes, once on the motorway, all is dark and all is quiet. Dandy.

This is not always the case however. Someone in the seat ahead has a reading light on and no peaked cap is going to help in that regard. Then the said person falls asleep with the light still on. Worse still is someone a few seats ahead who falls asleep with their light on.

Often only two passengers, in close proximity to me, on the whole bus have an unending conversation for two or more hours.

Headphones don't block out enough for me I'm afraid.

Music. Once the driver had the radio on quite loudly on a 4AM trip and as I was sitting near the front I asked him if he wouldn't mind lowering the volume a bit or preferably turning it off No! 'I need it to keep awake' was the answer. The joys.

endacl

I like my car. Comfy seat. No other people.

bobbyss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122355452#Comment_122355452

I agree nothing like it. However. I do like to get a nice sleep in the early hours and let the driver do the worrying.

veryangryman

I'm reading all these problems and just thinking... man I love driving

Jayuu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122353213#Comment_122353213

Couldn't live without my noise cancelling headphones on the bus.

My other gripe are the people who take one and a half seats on the bus and continue to do so even when you sit down beside them. Most times I just push in and make it clear I'm going to sit properly but it can be a judgement call as to whether it's better to do this or just awkwardly perch on the half seat they've graciously allowed you.

Sultan of Bling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122359163#Comment_122359163

I always do the same.

It generally involves both of us sitting really uncomfortably for a few minutes before the light bulb comes on.

z80CPU

Bad etiquette on the trains:

Opening of crisps and cans.

The SAME hooded hoody walking up and down the intercity coach every 10 minutes or so.

_Kaiser_

All of this is why I avoid public transport whenever possible. Yet it's supposedly something that more people should willingly use?

Like everything else in this country there's little to no enforcement of rules or even basic behaviours. Maybe a dedicated transport police would help?

In the meantime though I'll stick with my big comfy car - as hot/cold as I like it, my choice of music/radio or none, phone conversations I want to have (not have to endure), and no others unless I'm happy to have them there. Oh and the ability to reroute mid-journey if traffic dictates rather than plodding along between (too many) stops and all the disruption and jostling etc each time.

Paul2019

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122367094#Comment_122367094

Kaiser makes valid points about why people might be reluctant to embrace public transport.

As a firm believer in public transport all my life I find that as I get older I am increasingly intolerant of ignorant behaviour by fellow passengers and or staff. On a recent inter-city rail journey I was shocked at how bad things have got.

Addressing and curbing anti-social behaviour might be an easy win for agencies that want to increase usage of PT.

z80CPU

^^^^ Your last paragraph Paulie - wouldn't cost the earth for them!

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122367166#Comment_122367166

I do think age and to a lesser extent, means, is definitely a factor.

When you're younger you care not for such hassles because you don't really have any alternative anyway and a bus trip is as much a social outing with your mates where you have the chats, listen to the tunez and so on.

However the older commuters have had a long day or night, just want to get to wherever in peace and get on with the rest of their day. They're not interested in the social element of public transport and in fact often see others as inconveniences and annoying distraction to this plan. It's made all the worse if they DO have a car as well (instant comparisons become inevitable) or worse, if they're doing it for a job that they have shown in the last few years can be done just as well and easily from home.

Public transport is not and never will be an attractive or desirable option - certainly not in this country. It's a means to an end. An inconvenience (slow, unnecessary detours and stops, more unreliable, idiots to deal with) that people put up with. As I said, this idea that people should be happy and willing to give up their cars to deal with all the issues described in this thread is frankly ridiculous, and forcing them to will only make them resentful and cause even more problems.

No thanks. I will stick with my car I think.

zell12

Was on mostly full Citylink bus recently and at journey start, driver told people to mute their technological devices - and it worked

bobbyss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122367414#Comment_122367414

Yes sometimes this works. There are a few reasons why this is not always successful. One reason is because some people are not listening.

whisky_galore

A transport police is badly needed.

They operate on many transport systems all over the world but somehow we are special and don't need them, so the Gardai tell us.

Weirdly, the guards have been OK with an Airport Police presence for many years.

whisky_galore

• All kicking off in Limerick. Again.

https://www.limerickpost.ie/2024/07/17/limerick-city-bus-hijacked-by-armed-children-and-driven-to-ambush-in-off-route-location/

StevenToast

People of this thread should travel on the bullet train in Japan...

The greatest experience of public transport I have ever had....

Respect, politeness and beautiful silence seems to be compulsory ...

Scum dont seem to exist in that country.....at least not as overtly as they appear here.....

Esel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122393704#Comment_122393704

Because the police in Japan take no shît, and prison is very severe there.

Basically, the opposite of here.

chrisd2019

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122393704#Comment_122393704

Agree full, travelled on it in 2002 during the World Cup, very peaceful and congestion free apart from the day of Ireland first match in Niigata, where the Irish visitors all pilled onto the early trains, as reserve seating was a mystery to Irish Rail at that time.

whisky_galore

Japan has scumbags but operate in the shadows, not kicking the shít out of a bus shelter.

Zebra3

Absolute narcissist scum on public transport with their phones.

Yesterday evening bad the pleasure of sitting across from a group of four adults one who for some reason felt the need to put his phone call on loud speaker.

The group all looked around retirement age and in blazers and suits. The type that would gladly look down their noses at others.

There needs to be a big campaign to nip this behaviour in the bud and introduction of quiet carriages on trains and trams.

Jayuu

While on holiday in Australia last years I used the train from the Blue Mountains into Sydney a few times. It has a mix of normal and quiet carriages. What I noticed was firstly respectful people were of the quiet carriages and how quick people were to speak out if somebody didn't respect it. On one occasion a person took a mobile phone call and after less than a minute another passenger told her quite pointedly that this was a quiet carriage and the she should continue her call somewhere else.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122404120#Comment_122404120

S58 (2)

A passenger shall not use a personal stereo, mobile phone or similar device so as to be a source of annoyance to other passengers on a vehicle.

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2019/si/273/made/en/print

Or S59 of

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/si/251/made/en/print

The problem is that absolutely no effort is made to even inform of, never mind enforce the rules. A simple sign saying devices can only be used with headphones would suffice in most cases.

doughef

Same can be said for all public spaces .. can’t understand how anyone can have their phone on loud speaker.

I genuinely think that in most case they just don’t realise ?

Also .. constant sniffing and sneezing !!

Oh.. On a train recently and the guy across from me ..’very dramatic inhale and then exhale straight across into my face’ ..
happened a few times until I asked him to stop .

Himself and his BF were all eye rolling at each other

Beta Ray Bill

You can buy phone jamming products on Ebay/AliExpress etc. They're not very strong, will only Jam up to about 10 metres. But its enough if a person close to you is having a loud conversation or is watching rubbish on social media with the speaker on or has their music blaring.

Real bug bearers of mine on the trains:

People not moving down the aisles.

Bags on seats.

Not letting people off the train first before allowing people to board.

People bringing bicycles and scooters on trains.

Kids going to school on the other side of the city using public transport (catchment areas exist for a reason).

People sitting down with their legs out stretched in the standing area.

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122415963#Comment_122415963

You can buy phone jamming products on Ebay/AliExpress etc. They're not
very strong, will only Jam up to about 10 metres. But its enough if a
person close to you is having a loud conversation or is watching rubbish
on social media with the speaker on or has their music blaring.

WARNING, these are illegal to use in Ireland, with possible jail time. Very much tracked and prosecuted by Comreg.

Note that you would also be interfering with the buses systems, like real time info and the signalling systems of trains!

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122404921#Comment_122404921

Signs don't work in Ireland where "rules are for other people, not me".

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416114#Comment_122416114

The presence of a sign might embolden others to tell them to use their headphones.

I did see an interaction once where a woman with a child asked a late teenage/early 20's girl if she'd wear her headphones (on the seat beside her) rather than blaring out her "tunes" on loudspeaker and the response was "It is a public bus. I can play it if I want".

Most people are probably not aware that it is actually against the rules. I'd be confident enough that that lady would have either pointed to a sign if available, or went up to the driver if it was clear that it was actually against the rules.

You tend not to see much smoking on buses. As it is clear that it isn't allowed and most wouldn't tolerate it.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416048#Comment_122416048

Do they block newer networks like 4G or 5G? I know they were around years ago but at the time they only jammed 2G signals.

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416238#Comment_122416238

Yes, I was going to mention that modern phones use a wide array of different frequencies across 3g, 4g, 5g (and multiple different frequencies in each of those).

Plus the person could be connected to the buses wifi, that uses completely different frequencies again.

It isn't impossible to block all, but you would have to transmit noise on dozens of frequencies across a very wide band. But you are talking serious equipment then, definitely more complicated and expensive then the cheap devices of the past and more importantly highly illegal.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416286#Comment_122416286

Ah yeah, I wouldn't buy one. I just had the feeling that they wouldn't work anyway even if someone shelled out on one!

bk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416228#Comment_122416228

I do definitely agree with that. Also reinforced by drivers getting on the speaker to tell them to stop smoking and announcements over the intercom.

Perhaps a radio and TV campaign, supported with on bus signs, announcements over the automated intercom and perhaps if the driver feels like it a direct announcement.

All the above could help change social attitudes.

bobbyss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122415963#Comment_122415963

Forgive my total tech ignorance.

So if someone is is in the seat ahead I can block their phone and effectively block their conversation?

How is that done? Would it not block other mobiles also? I'd love to do that!

Beta Ray Bill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416048#Comment_122416048

Indeed they are, I think the Savoy had one installed about 20 years ago.

I also believe it was challenged very recently in court by a person claiming the Cell Phone Radio waves were causing her distress and discomfort. (This person went as far to paint the inside of their home with EMF Shielding Paint) And that she had to right not to be subjected to those waves…

There was a person on newstalk a few month ago that openly claimed they used a battery powered one.

I know you can broadcast up to a certain range without Comreg coming at you, but jamming a licensed range is forbidden.

I also know they are checking, we had a faulty TV in work that was jamming Cell Signals.

Beta Ray Bill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416310#Comment_122416310

They work by jamming the phone signal, basically filling the band with white noise so that the phone and indeed all other phones cannot effectively communicate with the Cell Tower nearby.

Small hand held devices can only jam a few metres and the power required to jam is substantially higher than the power required to make a phone call for example.

The further away you move from the Jamming device the weaker its effects become (exponentially).

john boye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416304#Comment_122416304

There has been a poster campaign in recent months against it but it's more like "don't be a jerk, turn down your phone" rather than outlining how it's not allowed.

bobbyss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416420#Comment_122416420

I see thanks. Tempting as that is what about blocking other people's phones though? Someone with earplugs minding their own business? What about MY phone? Could you effectively enter a bus and block out all those sitting within 20 feet of you? Is that what it would do or do you simply target a specific phone?

Beta Ray Bill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122416449#Comment_122416449

It will jam everything in range, which is why they are illegal

And as @bk mentioned, Bus and Rails systems are now dependent on cell uplink.

ShagNastii

If I see somebody with a bag on the seat I go out of my way to ask to sit beside them.

It is generally a lack of manners across all facets of society. I'm 30 odd and anyone our generation would get a clip around the ears if we did anything ignorant. The latest generation have never been pulled into line when acting the b*llocks.

They were covering this on Newstalk one lunchtime lately and somebody stupidly said "a lot of it stems from the headphone jacks being no longer on the phone. Many many of these teens can't afford Bluetooth headphones". People like this are a massive part of the problem.

It truly is one of the many reasons so many people genuinely don't use public transport. We (the Irish) don't have the etiqette for it and many people see the comfortable, warm, silent, scumbag-free car as a real attractive option.