iPod Menace

Using the train a few of times over the past couple of weeks has reminded me of why I don't like them.

Trip 1.

300 miles.
Arrived at station in good time to catch said train very early morning.
Forgot wallet with tickets and money !!
Drove home (within speed limit of course).
Pick up wallet.
Back to station........might just do this.
YES ! Train still there.
Run down platform. Laptop, very heavy bag with three days of clothes and paperwork in it.
Get to train. Doors close.
Stand in front of doors madly pressing button to open door......but NO !!
Three rail workers stand next to the train watching me but won't let me on.
Have to watch train pull away.
Not pleased.

Have to wait 1 hour for next train which is very busy making me late for biz appointment at the other end so not too pleased really even though it was mostly my own fault.

Get a seat BUT then it starts.

Girl gets on and sits row behind and on the opposite side of the train.
Plugs in the dreaded iPod and plays hardcore dance "music". So loud you could clearly hear the words - not just the very annoying tss, tss, tss, you usually hear from these things - the actual words - or phrase repeated over and over again in this case - some crap about "give me sunshine". After a while of this torture, I would have gladly have given her some sunshine if I could reach 93 million miles - although she might have found it difficult to sit down after

Trip 2

London back home.
Got on train in good time.
Reserved seat as is usual these days for everyone.
Guy sits down opposite me and gets out laptop and iPod.
I wince. Oh no. Not again.
However, he plugs in and switches on but I can't hear it. Bliss.
Passenger nr 2 sits on same row but on opposite side of the train.
Gets out newspaper (well, a tabloid comic) and iPod.
I sink again.
Plugs in and the tse, tse, tse starts.
Two hours of tse, tse, tse to endure.

I think about a polite "excuse me" but look at "reading" material and decide against it.

AWFUL !!

I've got to the point where I was pre smoking ban (hurray) when you would be in a pub or restaurant and someone would ask "Anyone sitting here ? Mind if I join you ?"
Of course, the answer would be "help yourself" if no one was there.
Then I would hope and hope and hope that the settling in actions from new person didn't include the dreaded getting the fags out.

Now I look to avoid the iPod.
It's basically impossible.

Why can some people listen at a reasonable volume and some have to impose their chosen noise on all around ?

DI**HEADS !!