MUGFOUNDRY

You’ve somehow managed to get a seat on your Circle line train and settle in for the gruelling Tube journey into the office.

But then the person next to you starts listening to music on their phone. And you can hear it. Every. Single. Beat.

Opposite you, someone else answers their phone. On speaker, broadcasting both sides of their very loud and obnoxious conversation to the entire carriage.

These bare beaters seem to be the most despised commuters of all, appearing on Tubes, trains and buses – and there’s no shortage of people who take issue with them.

Don’t raise those eyebrows – it’s a perfectly innocent term coined by Metro, to describe the act of letting the beats of your music or phone conversation ricochet throughout the carriage, rather than using earphones.

As one commuter on Reddit put it: ‘I’m convinced they’re all Soundcloud rappers praying to god every day that someone comes up and says, “Hey, this track is fire!!! Who is this modern-day Beethoven of the rap game?”.

They added: ‘If you play music out loud on public transit, you’re a dick. Why would you think this is acceptable?

‘If everyone did what you’re doing, there would be a cacophony of noise that no one could enjoy. If you’re doing something for your own benefit, but can only do it because no one else is doing it, isn’t that being self-centred?’

Another commuter added: ‘Talking is okay, but blaring music is needlessly disruptive and rude. Far too many of my commutes are disturbed by these rabble. It’s always TERRIBLE music too.’

Others have suggested that people not using their headphones should get fined – an idea backed by the Liberal Democrats.

Last month, the party called for fines of up to £1,000 for ‘headphone dodgers’ who play loud music and videos on public transport.

Railway bylaws actually already ban passengers from using ‘any instrument, article or equipment for the production or reproduction of sound […] except with written permission from an operator.’

The Lib Dems proposal would tweak the bylaws to explicitly mention music and video games, after a poll commissioned by the party found two in five (38%) of Brits have experienced people playing music out loud often or sometimes.

Clearly, Brits need to take etiquette lessons from the Japanese, where even taking a phone call on public transport is considered rude.

In Japan, it’s customary to keep your phone on silent and get off the train at the next stop to call someone back. Playing music out loud is also a big no-no, with Debrett’s advising holidaymakers to switch their phones to ‘manners mode’ to save from offending anyone. If only Londoners could be that considerate!

The worst bit of all this is that nobody knows quite what to do about it.

Many people on social media felt they couldn’t approach the bare beater in question because they didn’t want the confrontation.

The Lib Dem’s poll backs this up, with the majority of Brits (54%) saying they would not feel comfortable asking someone to turn down their music on public transport.

So, what can you do about it?

If you feel able to, you should politely ask them to turn it off – sometimes people don’t realise they’ve got their sound on, like those people who accidentally turn their phone’s torch on.

But if you don’t have the confidence, and I know it’s annoying, but changing seats might be your only option.

There’s always the option of asking the guard or driver to have a word with them.

Or, finally, you’re just going to have to suck it up, buttercup. Put your own headphones on full blast and try to zone out of the sonic hellscape you’ve been dragged into.

Oh, and definitely don’t play your own music to compete with them…

Double Bagging on the tube

Bare beating isn’t the only terrible behaviour commuters have to put up with.

Metro readers had a lot to tell us about double bagging.

The term describes the act of taking up two seats on public transport; one for their bag; one for themselves.

One reader, Ali J, summed it up nicely: ‘Do these people not realise that seats on public transport are for people?

‘If the carriage is empty, fair enough, but it’s incredibly selfish and rude to insist their belongings stay on a seat when a person needs it. Like, jaw droppingly arrogant and in much need of being put in their place.’

But the real question is, which behaviour do you hate the most?

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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.