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There’s no getting away from the fact that London is a noisy place. There’s the constant traffic, chattering crowds and screeching trains – but Londoner’s pretty much accept those sounds as part and parcel of living in the city.
There is one noise, however, that seems to irritate people more than most others: the sound of other people’s phones on public transport. Whether it’s the entirety of Justin Bieber’s new album, the screams and eery songs from the latest episode of Squid Game, five second TikTok videos or their handy man on speaker phone – being subject to someone else’s phone activity can be enough to drive anyone over the edge.
A survey by TfL showed that 70 percent of 1,000 customers found loud music and phone conversations without headphones disruptive. So, as 4G and 5G coverage comes to more Underground lines, TfL is launching a campaign to stop ‘headphone dodging’ becoming even more of a problem. Here’s what you need to know about TfL’s new campaign cracking down on the practice.
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What are headphone dodgers?
Sometimes also known as ‘bare beating’, headphone dodging is simply when someone plays music, takes calls or watches videos without headphones on public transport. The loud noise can be a particular problem for with conditions which heighten noise sensitivity, such as autism.
It’s been considered anti-social behaviour for several years now. Two years ago, one TfL user told Time Out that hearing someone loudly scroll through videos ‘feels like being a prisoner to someone else’s choices’.
Can you get fined for not using headphones on London transport?
Right now, you can’t get fined for not using headphones on public transport. However, both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives have been urging the government to introduce on-the-spot fines for people playing disruptive loud music on buses trains. They’ve called for fines of up to £1,000.
How is TfL cracking down on headphone dodgers?
TfL’s headphone dodging campaign consists of posters that’ll appear on the Elizabeth line from today (August 26) and across the rest of the network through autumn. It’s part of TfL’s existing #TravelKind campaign, which encourages people on public transport to be considerate of others around them.
Seb Dance, London’s deputy mayor for transport, said: ‘The vast majority of Londoners use headphones when travelling on public transport in the capital, but the small minority who play music or videos out loud can be a real nuisance to other passengers and directly disturb their journeys.
‘TfL’s new campaign will remind and encourage Londoners to always be considerate of other passengers. However Londoners spend their journey, whether catching up on their favourite series or listening to music, we want everyone to have a pleasant journey.’
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