Article: Loudmouths risk being kicked off Perth trains, buses

[ozbob]

From Perth Now click here!

Loudmouths risk being kicked off Perth trains, buses

Loudmouths risk being kicked off Perth trains, buses
Article from: PerthNow

Glenn Cordingley

January 31, 2009 06:00pm

LOUDMOUTH mobile phone users on trains and buses will be targeted in a new campaign to tackle the growing annoyance.
Blaring portable music players will also attract attention from transit officers, who will ask passengers to quieten down.

The Public Transport Authority will roll out a series of posters aimed at tackling what is fast becoming public enemy No.1 on public transport.

Nuisance passengers who refuse to lower the decibels risk being kicked off public transport.

"We expect this will be self-regulating and will not lead to serious confrontation because transit officers are trained in mediation and conflict resolution,'' Public Transport Authority spokesman David Hynes said.

"They are entitled to ask people to leave the train if they continue with any offences, but we hope this issue will not come to that.

"Once the posters go up, there will be fair amount of peer pressure applied because there will be something there in black and white for everyone to see.

"This is all about showing manners and respect for other people.''

Transport Minister Simon O'Brien said he fully supported the campaign.

"I encourage people to show courtesy when using our public transport system,'' he said.

This week, The Sunday Times conducted a commuter survey, which clearly identified loud mobile phone chat and noisy portable music players as the top two annoyances.

Ear-piercing polyphonic ringtones were No.3 in the straw poll of 50 people at Perth train station and bus stops along Wellington St.

An overwhelming 90 per cent said loud mobile phone conversations were the most annoying part of their journeys.

Some commuters wanted them prohibited on trains, while others suggested phone and music-free ``quiet carriages''.

A number spoke passionately about their hatred of being forced to listen to private phone conversations and thumping bass music from earphones.

Perth woman Veronica Harwood described it as a potential cause of passenger rage.

"You hear the most personal, inane, stupid things right in your ear, and this is every day, every trip,'' she said.

"It is contributing to hideous aggravation of just normal people who don't want to hear the constant blare of personal information everywhere you go, buses and trains especially.''

Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi joined the debate, saying people should send silent SMS messages or emails rather than chat on mobile phones while commuting and at restaurants.

"Talking on mobiles in restaurants and on public transport is not appropriate, but texts and emails on public transport is a good use of one's time,'' she said.

WA author and customer services specialist Jurek Leon has written a book on telephone etiquette.
Mr Leon said manners were everything when talking on mobile phones.

He acknowledged that was not extending to public transport.

"I would like to see talking on mobile phones banned at peak times on trains and buses when it is hard for other passengers to escape out of earshot of the press and yap brigade,'' Mr Leon, of Willetton, said.

He also suggested that an Australian Communications and Media Authority decision this month to allow mobile phone use on planes should be reversed.

"I am not normally in favour of more regulation, but I would like to see the use of mobiles on aeroplanes banned, not promoted,'' Mr Leon said.

The head of Edith Cowan University's school of psychology, Craig Speelman, said talking loudly on mobiles was not necessarily a form of attention seeking.

"I reckon these people are just generally loud on the phone and become oblivious to who is around them,'' he said.

[Otto]

It would be nice if Translink took some action on this nusance behaviour.

A number spoke passionately about their hatred of being forced to listen to private phone conversations and thumping bass music from earphones.

I find the above to be quite annoying as well.  Sometimes to the point where it distracts my mind from concentrating on my driving. This does have the potential to cause a serious situation I feel..

Particulary annoying are passengers who have the loudspeaker turned on during a conversation. I feel like I should yell out to the person on the other end that their conversation is being heard by a busload of people. I really don't want to know about the details of what they did last night...




ps.. TTO's checked tickets on my bus for the first time this year.. Route 200 BUZ