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Knocking radio off in work vehicle

ooter

I drive a work vehicle and on a few occasions now my work colleague has knocked the radio off without asking, sometimes while I'm driving and other times when I have left the vehicle for a short period with the engine running, I will return to find the radio has been turned off.

I would consider this inappropriate behaviour at the very least and possibly an act of aggression, was just wondering what other people's opinion on this is before possibly taking further action.

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blanchwill

An act of aggression?? Seriously??

If you get back into the vehicle and the radio is off, turn it back on. Why are they turning it off? Are you having a conversation and they find the music distracting?

Peregrinus

I don't think that turning off the radio when you're not in the vehicle and he is can possibly be construed as an act of aggression.

Turning off the radio without asking you, when you're both in the car, is a bit off. On the other hand, do you turn it on without asking him?

I'm intrigued by the suggestion of "taking further action". What possible further action could you take? The only action that seems reasonable here is to talk to the guy. If you want the radio on and he wants it off, the two of you should work out some agreed approach like, you know, grown ups. Don't, for the love of God, go to the management and complain about this issue without having first discussed in with your colleague; you will mark yourself out as someone who struggles to negotiate normal workplace social interactions.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058406361/knocking-radio-off-in-work-vehicle

Hmmm… and I would think it is antisocial behaviour to put on a radio and ignore the only the person in your vehicle, especially if you did not ask them if they did not mind you doing so….

As for aggression…. that is just crazy.

Flinty997

It's more act of aggression to have a radio on where others don't want it on.

I think it's pretty obnoxious to have a radio on if theres no one actually beside it.

I don't like a radio on myself mostly utter drivel on it. Even worse have it on and trying to talk over it.

extra-ordinary_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058406361/knocking-radio-off-in-work-vehicle

What station do you listen to?

mykrodot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361418#Comment_123361418

a bit of speculation here, the OP didn't say he ignores his colleague, for all we know it is background radio and the 2 lads are chatting over it. It's possible to have the radio on and still chat to other passengers in a vehicle.

But as everyone says here I would just ask him why he wants it off, is it a station he doesn't like? Is it mainstream radio and he hates the obsession with tariffs and wars? Is is silly jokey annoying stuff (RTE 2?)…… or maybe it is a sensory thing, he can't hear or talk if there is music on………….lots of reasons most of them very simple. It's not aggression. It's also not the OP's van so the other guy has to have an input too into what's going on.

youtheman

Jaysus, if this isn't a 'first world problem' then nothing is !. God be with the days that you could overcome the simplest obstacle by either reasoning with somebody (or threatening to put their lights out) without looking for support/validation from the online community. Must be my 'auld age, time to lie down and take my tablets!.

Hobby farmer

The only option is to call him out for a fight. In the face of such blatant acts of aggression the last thing you should do is talk to him like a normal person. What next? Adjusting the aircon???

Mrs OBumble

A person who needs exposure to specific instrumental music to accommodate their disabilities, ALSO needs a pair of Bluetooth earbuds and a paired personal music device.

Problem solved.

And the rest of us don't have to listen to your crap music.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361594#Comment_123361594

Not while driving.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361601#Comment_123361601

Why not?

Raichų

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361576#Comment_123361576

100%- there’s only one way to sort this a good old fashioned knock about it.

For the radio, for honor, for Valhalla.

Peregrinus

Research shows that, as compared to driving while listening to a dashboard-mounted device, driving while listening to headphones or earbuds is associated with

slower reaction times
poorer estimation of vehicle speed
more steering errors

Tl;dr: you shouldn't use headphones or earbuds while driving. And, in the present context, employers certainly shouldn't encourage the use of headphones or earbuds by employees who are driving for work purposes.

ooter

Thanks for the replies guys.

The reason I asked is I was called in for an "informal chat" with management yesterday over my behaviour and the only example I was given was playing loud music in the van. At no point in the discussion was it suggested that it's not ok to have the radio on. My colleague has never complained to me before. I just took what was said on board and noted it, I didn't mention the fact that he has knocked the radio off loads of times.

I've let it slide up to now but now I'm thinking of going further about it, but that's something I've never done before, I don't throw people under the bus.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361616#Comment_123361616

For someone who is always commenting on driving behaviour I think that is self explanatory. How the hell do you expect a driver to hear and respond to outside traffic and warning sounds with earbuds in? OP, just ask the work mate why they want the radio off. Maybe they won't mind if you put it back on when you get back or at very least you will know why they turned it off.

tabby aspreme

OP do you drive with your hoodie hood up

rolling boh

Is the radio on loud generally when I am in the truck with someone else I have it on a bit lower than if I was on my own .

the_amazing_raisin

Whatever company the OP is working for apparently has a communication problem

OP can't manage to ask his colleagues if it's okay to play the radio while driving and maybe turn the volume down or change the song

His colleague apparently can't ask to turn the radio off either, must be worried about causing an act of aggression

I'd hate to see what happens if someone farts in the van, probably end up as a roadside fistfight

Anti social behaviour sounds about right 😂

Iseedeadpixels

Only on boards would someone think turning off the radio is an act of aggression!

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361674#Comment_123361674

Someone who needs specific music to regulate their emotions should probably not be driving as part of their job.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361692#Comment_123361692

How the hell do you expect a driver to hear and respond to outside traffic and warning sounds with the increasing levels of sound proofing, hugely powerful car audio systems and the growing practice of piping fake engine noises through the audio systems?

https://carbuzz.com/news/all-these-cars-have-fake-engine-sounds/

Earbuds are the least of your worries.

I used to use the Hornit 120db electronic horn on my bike, until I found myself stopped by the driver's window, maybe 10cm from the driver's ear, with the driver not noticing the 120db horn sounding off right beside them.

Earbuds are the least of your worries.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361674#Comment_123361674

Is this research from the 1990 simulator study with 12 drivers? Not exactly exhaustive research and not exactly relevant for the current generation of cars.

ooter

The radio isn't loud and the only channels I listen to the majority of the time are lyric FM and rte radio 1. The radio automatically comes on when I start the van.

Dr Turk Turkelton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361688#Comment_123361688

You still haven't haven't said what type of music you are playing?

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361775#Comment_123361775

You can try justify your comment all you want, it doesn't make it acceptable to be driving any vehicle with earbuds in.

[Deleted User]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361808#Comment_123361808

Acceptable to who? There's no legal issue, there's no requirement by insurers, there's no recommendation from the RSA or HSA.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361674#Comment_123361674

Research shows that having the radio on at all is distraction. Turn it off. Drive better.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361688#Comment_123361688

Your colleague turned the radio off numerous times, and in a "chat" with HR about his complaint that you play loud music, you never mentioned that?

That was wise, ooter. What it shows is that you knew your colleague was bothered by the radio, but kept playing it anyway. You're focussed on his rudeness in turning off the radio, but you haven't thought about your own conduct in repeatedly turning it on, and in not attempting to have a conversation with him about what he might want. He never complained to you, but despite knowing of his unhappiness you also never raised the issue with him. If I'm the HR guy, and I know all this, as far as I can see there's a pair of you in it.

But, because the HR person has no idea that about the turning off and the turning back on again, that's not the view he has at the moment. Hopefully, your response when told he had complained about the loud music was "Oh dear, he never said anything to me about that. Now that I know how he feels, I'll keep it turned down or turned off." If that's what you did say, that's the best outcome for you, so far as your standing with your employer goes — you're now the reasonable one, and the other guy is the neurotic. Keep it that way. On no account must your employer find out the truth!

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361773#Comment_123361773

You do know that that report about the WRC claim by the driver who needed mood-regulating music (which seems now to have disappeared from the thread) was fictional, don't you?

Bogey Lowenstein

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123361777#Comment_123361777

Maybe it is talk radio and not music. Depressing rubbish like Joe Duffy and Matt Cooper, any sane person would want to turn that off.

[Deleted User]

The complaint was loud music. So maybe a compromise would be lowering the volume?

It's also possible your colleague suffers with noise sensitivity. You clearly didn't get the hint (or didn't care) when they kept turning the radio off. If you were working in an office environment, very few places would allow a radio on.

Otherwise, maybe your employer needs to partner you both with different crew members.