To my headphone-wearing, loud music-playing, bus-riding peer,
I understand you.
No one wants to be on the bus at 9:30 in the morning on their way to Psychology or that lecture hall where you have to listen to your overly energetic professor talk about the Doppler effect (because someone told you that astronomy would be an easy A&H).
No one wants to be smashing into someone they don’t know (this isn’t a frat party) while trying to fit that last poor soul onto the bus. Let’s be honest, we’ve all been the person who wanted everyone to sacrifice a bit of their personal space so they didn’t have to wait 10 minutes for the next bus.
Like I said, I understand you. I understand that you are trying to make your experience more enjoyable while suffering through bus ride after bus ride.
There’s only one thing that I hope you realize: your music is too loud. Even though you have headphones on, I can very clearly hear the rap, country, and old 80’s songs playing together; it’s not a good mix.
You may think that your headphones are your way to not disturb others, but it is the complete opposite. It disturbs the environment that others are trying to find peace in. My experience is affected by your oblivion. Not only is it rude and unnecessary, it’s actually really bad for your hearing.
According to the American Osteopathic Association, one in five teens have some sort of hearing loss. This rate is 30 percent higher than it was two decades ago. They also concluded that at 120 decibels (the maximum sound produced in the average MP3 player), hearing loss could occur after only one hour and 15 minutes. The U.S. National Library of Medicine further elaborates on the issue by stating, “the volume is too loud if a person standing near you can hear the music through your headphones.”
As you can see, it’s not only rude to play your music so loudly, but you’re actually damaging your hearing. To avoid having to wear a hearing aid by the time you’re 30, I suggest turning your music down and also recognizing the affect it has on yourself and the people around you.
Mornings are rough for all of us, and I understand wanting to listen to your music. I understand you. My morning peace just comes from silence and not the muffled noise coming from someone else’s headphones.
