‘Is basic courtesy being forgotten?’: Stomper unable to block out woman playing video loudly on MRT
A woman appeared unbothered as she played a video loudly on an MRT train — but the same cannot be said for those seated near her.
Stomper Ivy took issue with the noise disturbance while she was travelling on the Downtown Line towards Expo MRT station on June 4 at around 4pm.
The Stomper shared a 24-second video showing the woman looking down at her phone, which can be heard playing a video in Mandarin.
According to Ivy, the woman did this for at least half an hour before alighting at Tampines East.
“Other commuters stared at her and moved away from her, but she was not even bothered by it,” said Ivy.
“Such behaviour creates unnecessary noise disturbances and even when I put on my earpiece, I could still hear the sounds from her mobile phone.”
Ivy, who feels that it is increasingly common to encounter people blasting music and videos on public transport, asked: “Is basic courtesy being forgotten?”
“I would like to highlight the trend of people watching videos on their mobile phones at high volume without using earphones in public areas,” she added. “With mobile usage increasing, I hope more awareness can be created around public etiquette.”
Not the first such complaint
Ivy is not alone in her woes.
Last month, Stomper Anonymous criticised a fellow commuter for blasting Lady Gaga’s Poker Face and Blackpink Rose’s Toxic Till The End on the MRT.
In April, Stomper David called out a woman for “disturbing the peace” with a loud phone conversation on the train, while Stomper D had an argument with a bus passenger who was playing music at a high volume.
In February, Stomper Janice got into a dispute with a woman who was playing videos loudly on a bus.
A poll conducted by The Straits Times found that playing videos or music at high volume was the top pet peeve among commuters, cited by 48.6 per cent of respondents.
The report noted that while many commuters often find loud conversations and noise from mobile devices disruptive, some prefer not to confront others to avoid conflict.
Last October, the government passed the Transport Sector (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill to penalise disruptive and inconsiderate behaviour on buses, including playing loud music or videos on their phones. The regulations will be introduced at a later date and take reference from the Rapid Transit Systems Act.
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