Can You Tell Somebody To Turn Their Headphones Down?

I had an altercation on the always incompetent NJ Transit this morning that absolutely stunned me. I got on my second train for the day, started looking for a seat (usually a lost cause at 9am) and found one next to an old guy on a twofer. As soon as I sit down he gives me a look. The kind of look you get from an old guy who catches you in his backyard retrieving a wiffleball. I’ve seen it many times. I just decided, fuck it, I’m going to ignore him. Instantly, I get a tap on my shoulder, and he signals to remove my headphones. I do, and he says, “Can you turn that down?”

Excuse me? You want me to turn down my fire jams that are blasting into my ears? I don’t have a speaker, I’m not making anyone listen against their will, I have my own headphones. There’s a tween doing hard drugs behind us and a middle aged man fingering his girlfriend in front of us, and the muffled sounds of pop punk is what you have an issue with?

So, of course, I just said “No” and put my headphones back in. The old fuck went back to eating Biscoff Cookies and doing his crosswords, and if that makes me an asshole, so be it. Unless we’re in the quiet car, if you can hear my music, it’s a you problem. If you’re taking public transit, you should prepare for noise and bring your own headphones. That’s my take. What’s yours?