Dear Editor,
It is very disgusting having to travel with loud music in minibuses. About two months ago I was travelling with my family on the West Coast of Demerara. On entering a bus there was no music playing but eventually it seemed as though we were travelling in a jet with a disco. The volume of the garbage music was very loud; I asked for it to be turned down, and reluctantly it was lowered. However, shortly thereafter I had to ask for it to be turned off, because of the vulgar lyrics. I noticed that there were several children from various schools in Georgetown in the bus. It is a shame that there were other adult passengers there who were tight lipped and unwilling to speak out against this lawlessness.
Then in the late afternoon of September 2, 2010, I was travelling home in a bus where there was a woman in the back seat playing music on speakers on her cell phone. Another passenger boarded the bus, also playing music on speakers on his cell phone. You can only image the torture from this sound clash. It seems like noise nuisance has taken on a new dimension – cell phones. I wondered if they were trying to entertain the rest of the tired passengers, but it was more of an irritation.
I recommend that if persons wish to listen to music on the bus or in a waiting room to kick boredom, they should try not to disturb others, and use an earpiece for their cell phone, ipod or mp3 player, etc.
I also call on decent citizens to stand up with one voice and caution minibus operators who are playing music to do so moderately, and to be very selective as to the kind of music being played in public transportation.
Yours faithfully,
Prem Mohan
