|
The elderly volunteer 'bus marshals' slowly rush towards the source of the
tinny music being played. They knock the mobile
phone to the floor. Then drag the sullen youth,
who had been inflicting his music tastes upon
others, off the vehicle. They then dispense justice
on the side of the road. Let's not call them vigilantes
- the word has such unpleasant connotations.
Breaking
the legs of people who play tinny music on public
transport could be seen as a trifle extreme. But
the playing of music on mobile phones, without headphones,
on buses does provoke strong reactions.
A quick browse around the web provides; "headphone-shy
thugs" "it's an invasion of privacy,"
and that the "playing recorded music out
loud in public without consideration for others
is thoughtless, rude and disrespectful".
Public transport carries signs saying 'play no
music'. Yet still it's common. It's annoying and
often intimidating.
Two main reasons
Let's consider why they are playing the music.
There are two main reasons;
1) To denote territory - the people playing music
are on the bus but not of the bus.
2) As a mating/courtship device.
The music is a display - like a peacock's feathers.
It indicates identity. The pop music displays
difference and belonging to a certain group -
and transmits subtle cultural cues.
So - if the public transport companies really
want to stop people playing tinny music on their
buses they need to negate it as a territory /
courtship device. They need to embrace it. Strip
it of its outlaw status - render it useless as
an indicator of difference/belonging.
Here's how:
Fit the back of bus seats with lcd screens, and
microphones connected to music identification
software. The software recognises the tinny music
and displays the lyrics on the lcd screens.
Then, everyone on the bus (especially those over
60 years of age) sings the lyrics (however tunelessly)
and bingo! The tinny music now belongs, partly,
to everyone on the bus.
If the grandmothers know it, the tune is no longer
owned by the youths - and cannot be used as a
sign of belonging/difference.
Mobile phone music then loses a large part of
its 'bus' meaning - and will stop being played
on public transport.
Ok, ok, it's a silly and impractical idea -
but people who inconsiderately play tinny music
in public are very irritating.
Stop it.
|
