New 'bare beating' trend angering public transport users prompts calls for £1,000 fines

Another day, another annoying trend us old heads have to suffer at the hands of today's youth.

Well, this particular trend has probably been around for generations, but now we finally have a name for it - 'bare beating'.

It follows in the footsteps of 'barebacking' and 'rawdogging', two innocent trends (get your minds out of the gutter), which challenge people to enjoy public transport trips and plane journeys without the need of a book or phone.

Social media and the fact that every lad on the internet needs to share every thought in their heads with a podcast means that we're constantly subject to silly trends which more often than not, are pretty stupid ideas, such as the one that challenges you to get to the airport 15 minutes before your gate closes.

Well, as niche as 'bare beating' might sound, it's something we've probably all had to suffer during our lives, especially if you regularly spend time on a bus, a tram or the tube.

Ever been listening to your own music, or having a conversation, or reading a book in peace when suddenly the latest Central Cee shocker or TikTok sounds are blasted in your ear? Well, you are a victim of 'bare beating'.

And now it seems like the public, and weirdly the Liberal Democrats, have had enough. Not particularly liberal of them, but it's something I can get behind.

Forgotten your headphones on the tube? Tough. (Getty Stock)

Conversations about those people that think blasting their own music out loud in public came to the forefront last month when the Liberal Democrats declared they are seeking to change the law to explicitly ban this type of behaviour on English public transport. God bless them.

They even suggested that they wanted to impose an eye-watering £1,000 fine on the so-called 'headphone dodgers', which will surely make their decision to avoid spending less than £50 on a decent pair seem all the sillier.

The party’s home affairs spokesman Lisa Smart said: “Far too many people dread their daily commute because of the blight of antisocial behaviour — and headphone dodgers playing loud music on buses and trains are some of the worst offenders.

If you play your music out loud, this is basically what you're doing to other people (Getty Stock)

“Whether you're heading to work, taking your kids to school, or simply trying to enjoy a moment of peace, everyone deserves to feel safe and respected on public transport. Time and time again, I hear from people who say they feel too intimidated to speak up when someone is blasting music or other content from a phone or speaker.

“It's time to take a stand for the quiet majority who just want to get from A to B in peace.”