SINGAPORE: A Singaporean on social media wanted to know whether his fellow countrymen had tried to ask people to stop playing videos/music/games loudly from their mobile phones during their MRT trips. And if yes, he also wanted to know what response they got.
One Redditor said he tried to ask a man playing loud videos to turn down the volume or use earbuds. However, the man got aggressive: “he stared at me and got super close to my face and kept asking me huh why what r u staring at huh like all that nonsense. luckily I was getting off at the next station but I felt so scared??”
Another Redditor shared, “I did to an uncle. He ‘tsked’ me and got off next stop without adjusting volume or anything. Not sure if that was to avoid me or it was really his stop.”
Other Redditors reported having the opposite experience and found that politely requesting from the “aunties” and “uncles” was effective.
“I called one of them “auntie can you lower your volume, thanks” and they promptly turn off their video. — It was a middle-aged uncle. (This was on a bus with few passengers) I heard someone tell someone else to lower their volume earlier this afternoon on the train too. Something along the lines of “could you please lower your volume? Thank you” The other person also turned off their volume. It works,” another shared.
And yet, one Redditor shared that when she tried asking someone to lower the volume, she got called “Karen.”
How to deal with people who play loud media content on MRT/Bus
When someone plays loud media content on their mobile phone, the best course of action is to ask them politely if they can turn it down.
If the person gets upset or offended and refuses to comply with your request, you can then report the incident to the bus captain or SMRT staff.
If you repeatedly experience the issue on MRT, complete the feedback form on their website or call them at 1800 336 8900 (operating hours: 7:30am – 8:00pm daily).
Similar incidents in Singapore
In February 2023, police were called after a dispute erupted because a man played loud music on his phone.
According to reports, the dispute resulted in the cancellation of the bus service, forcing over twenty passengers to disembark and find other forms of transportation.
In another incident, a 5-minute video was widely shared on social media of a man yelling obscenities on the top deck of a double-deck bus. According to multiple sources, the man was angry after someone asked him to turn off the music on his cell phone.
Read related: Singapore’s worst annoyance on public transport is people blasting videos on their phones