Some call it ‘loudcasting’. Others, like Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball, just consider it ‘unbelievably rude’. It is, of course, the incredibly divisive act of using one’s phone out in public without the use of headphones.
On a recent episode of Jo and Zoe’s podcast, Dig It, the pair waded into the topic of whether it should be outright banned to listen to music, watch videos or take calls with the volume coming out of the speaker on the phone.
For Jo, it was a crystal clear yes. She told Zoe, “It's so rude. I cannot believe that people think it's okay to do that.” In fact, if she comes across someone committing the annoying act, she said she has been known to give them the “Paddington Bear stare”.
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Moving the conversation along, Zoe asked if she had it correct that they are trying to actually enforce a ban of people listening to things without their headphones on certain airlines. And the bad news for anyone hoping this is the case, is that it’s not an actual law yet - especially in the UK.
Some airlines, like United Airlines based in the United States, have indeed made it mandatory for people to use headphones whenever they’re listening to something, and staff are allowed to remove passengers who refuse to comply.
In London, passengers across the TfL network can get fined for not using headphones on public transport. A bylaw exists, technically banning people from playing music on services, with fines of up to £1,000.
However, Time Out reported that a Freedom of Information (FOI) request last year revealed that not a single person was ever actually fined for this in 2024.
An overwhelming number of the comments on the Dig It podcast’s Instagram page were in agreement with Jo that it’s unbelievably rude and should be banned, with some even offering their own unique ways of dealing with offenders.
Sharing a rather tactful approach, one person wrote, “I like to pretend I don’t understand tech and cheerfully tap them on the arm and say I don’t think your headphones are working because everybody can hear that”.
Another suggested, "I read somewhere that someone carries a spare pair of earphones and gives them to the offending person... Going to try to do that!"
Others prefer a different approach. “Next time it happens to me, I’m going to sit next to them and play Agadoo at full volume on mine with a big smile.”
However, there were those who took an opposing view to Jo - but they were in a clear minority.
One follower replied, “Genuinely don't understand why [people] moan about calls on speaker - you wouldn't moan about a conversation if they were sat next to you!” Another person replied, “It’s called tolerance”.
Whatever side of the debate people fall on, the root cause was another topic that inspired debate. Some blame it on the rise of "main character syndrome".
One of the replies offered, "It’s like all the worlds a stage. Look at me, listen to me, I need attention! I wonder if it has also come from parents paying less attention to their children due to their own phones and this is another result of that need for attention from others?"
Should it be officially banned, with a fine introduced? Or is that taking it too far?
