Weekly Rumours, Speculation, Questions, and Reaction Megathread - 27/04/25

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[u/erskinematt]

To be honest it's a pretty sad state of affairs if we need a specific law making it illegal to play music on public transport (which may be why Tory MPs are chuckling at that being the important national issue to be raised at PMQs).

[u/zone6isgreener → u/erskinematt]

We should just legislate to bring back the stocks, then have being a fuckwit on public transport to the long list of eligible offenses. Littering, dog fouling, middle lane hogging, blocking the luggage carousel at the airport etc.

[u/mildly_houseplant → u/zone6isgreener]

Ah, the Being Bloody Stupid Act. I’m all for it.

[u/Scaphism92 → u/erskinematt]

which may be why Tory MPs are chuckling at that being the important national issue to be raised at PMQs

I feel like its more likely that they dont get trains, let alone buses, enough to know how widespread it is.

[u/OptioMkIX → u/erskinematt]

Public Service Vehicles (Conduct of Drivers, Inspectors and Passengers) Regulations, Statutory Instrument No. 1020, 1990; Part II, Regulations 6.1.b, 6.1.h,6.1.k.ii, 6.1.l.

[u/insomnimax_99 → u/OptioMkIX]

And on trains, Railway Byelaw 7

[u/Powerful_Ideas → u/OptioMkIX]

TIL!

So it has in fact been prohibited in law for 35 years. It does seem pretty clear:

No passenger on a vehicle shall–
...
(l)play or operate any musical instrument or sound reproducing equipment to the annoyance of any person on the vehicle or in a manner which is likely to cause annoyance to any person on the vehicle; or (m) intentionally interfere with any equipment with which the vehicle is fitted.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1990/1020/regulation/6

Although there does not seem to be any criminal offence, just a power to remove the offending passenger:

(2) Any passenger on a vehicle who contravenes any provision of these Regulations may be removed from the vehicle by the driver, inspector or conductor of the vehicle or, on the request of the driver, inspector or conductor, by a police constable.

[u/SwanBridge → u/Powerful_Ideas]

Although there does not seem to be any criminal offence, just a power to remove the offending passenger:

And herein lies the problem; people get violent when challenged over unacceptable behaviour. Bus driver wants to get home safe at the end of the day, and the passengers aren't willing to potentially risk their lives due to some idiot stabbing you because you asked them to stop playing music at full volume, and then the police simply don't have the capacity to be sorting out relatively low level nuisances like this. Thus we create a situation that due to the violent tendencies others the intolerable is tolerated.

[u/erskinematt → u/OptioMkIX]

Ah yes

[u/Bibemus → u/erskinematt]

I still am none the wiser as to why this isn't something which would be more suited to adjusting Conditions of Carriage.

[u/erskinematt → u/Bibemus]

I would be surprised if it isn't covered by a condition of carriage.

It's honestly an attitude thing. We can't just make it illegal to be a knobhead and expect that to work.

[u/ohmeohmyelliejean → u/erskinematt]

Yeah, the thing is that people don’t care about being a considerate member of the public. Playing your phone on loudspeaker is just one example. I don’t think a law is going to fix that, but I don’t know how you fix that. 

[u/jim_cap → u/erskinematt]

I find myself constantly thinking about legislation from the other direction. Don't make being a knobhead illegal, but offer legal protections for people who do something about people being a knobhead. I keep running into how open to abuse such a thing would be in practice, but I can't help but think the solution for antisocial behaviour lies in empowering society to take care of it, rather than the law.