Can you hear me now?
If you’ve been riding the subway for years, probably not. The trains are too damn loud.
Not a shock. The system is built on an ancient infrastructure running fairly modern trains. So surprisingly, when a train goes by, it can hurt your ears big time.
Just to drive the point home, Columbia University did a little study to make sure.
They officially discovered that the subways have the highest noise level at 80.4 decibels. Some platforms were over 100. Just for reference, a chainsaw runs at about 100 decibels.
I know I’ve made fun of the people on the platforms that wear earplugs. Don’t get me wrong, I still think it is really weird. But maybe they have the right idea. A decade from now, maybe those people will be the only ones in town that can actually hear.
- 35 Rider Opinions
- Tags: columbia university, hearing damage, noise, subway
What? What’s that you’re saying? I can’t hear you!
ReplyWhat’s are you saying i can not hear you!
Replyukbettingcentral.com
Pardon?! No you are absolutely right, I have known some drummers and guitarists who played in bands and now suffer from tintinous etc, it isn’t much fun.
Replyyup it looks wierd when u wear that stuff LOlzz everyone can make fun …
Replybut it looks good When ear plug save your ears from teasing sound…
Sorry, I can’t hear you. Can you repeat?
Replyeeehhh you’ll have to speak up , my hearin aint wot it was
ReplyThe sounds of the subway are part of their charm.
Maybe the decimal level temporarily leaves me deaf and that is the reason I can never understand those wonderful announcements…
ReplyI much prefer to wear earbuds and listen to my music in any crazy, noisy situation. I’ve never been on a subway myself, but believe that if it IS so desperately loud as your reports say, you’re better off protecting your eardrums from intense damage by wearing some protective (or musical) earbuds yourself.
ReplyIn side or out side the train car, I prefer to listen to my ipod… keeps your ears from the loud train noise and stupid talks of riders…
ReplyHmm… I don’t really have much experience of the loud and noisy stuff as there is another part even killing me. That’s the crowded people !!!!! You know especially during the peak hours where people rushing homes after the working hours time, you may not be able to get out of the subway when you reach your destination! Crazy…
ReplyYou are so funny, but it is also very true. It doesn’t seem to be getting any better either.
ReplyThey are loud…its ture…but if you’ve ever travelled to South America, and in particular Buenos Aires, you’ll appreciate just how quiet the NY subway system is! In BA its like a truck roaring…im not exaggerating…check it out when you get down there…even better, take a video and put it on YouTube…
ReplyI play guitar, and I have a looooud amp. We measured its decibels (yes, I know, dork city) and it was between 80 and 90. Pretty freakin loud. Maybe I should wear earplugs, or would that be weird?
ReplyHi, yeah I have had these all too familiar experiences! You do your best to avoid loud sound, and everything happens to make you not ignore it. I had the baby crying on a bus thing…it was really affecting me, so I moved seats. I am sure the mother looked at me oddly, but don’t care, you have to protect yourself. Then I was walking through a corridor at work, and they did a weekly “Fire alarm drill” and the sounder was right at my ear as I walked past….ouch! I had to get a train for a meeting the other week, and wow….oldest train with screechiest brakes in the world seemed to arrive….more pain. And I lost count of how many “quiet bars” I’d been to, purely because they are quiet, that appeared to grow in volume every half-hour….and this was in the week….Now considering a move to the country!
ReplyI can never hear anything on a tube, its just so noisy.
ReplyI’m hard of hearing anyway so it doesn’t help.
ReplyYou have my sympathies, that cannot be fun at all mortgage.
ReplyImagine what decibels are for the people listening to their IPHONE in the subway of 100 decibels. It is probably a lot more but I had no idea that the subway was that loud. Thanks for the info, I will bring my earplugs next time.
ReplyAfter years of being around diesel engines on boats, and not using any type of hearing protection I now have aids in both ears. NOT FUN.
ReplyYeah, wearing ear plugs is funny until somebody loses an ear!
Replywierd science; since a chainsaw runs at about 100 decibels. if you brought one on the subway and cranked it up, would the reverse decibel theory make it a quiet?
ReplyYou can get those earplugs that are almost invisible to others now, they’re small and kind of flesh coloured. They might be worth investing in i’m thinking, I already have ringing in one ear, although that’s probably from drinking in loud bars rather than the subway
ReplyI agree with Kelly. Perhaps wear a ear plug could be a solution for it. But pick those industry ear plug, do not buy those cheap ear plug.
ReplyWear ear plug or don’t wear ear plug? Should we? The best solution is stay at home an don’t go out. Great rite?
Reply@surabhiagr:
LOL that’s a good one
Worst still, there are lots of people with ipod pumping even louder music into their eyes, obviously to combat the surrounding noise. That could make it even worst.
ReplyFantastic for it.
ReplyI find wearing ear plugs weird too, but I use subway trains only x number of times in a year. I totally understand the plight of people who have to go through it all the time.
ReplyI hear that! I have also thought that the noise level is seriously too high. Maybe it won’t matter in a few years — because we all will be deaf.
Maybe the walls could be better designed to inhibit the sound waves…
ReplyNoise isolating headphones can definitely make a big difference and your ear drums will love you for it!
ReplyHow about wearing earphones and listening to music? Got to look cooler than ear plugs
Replyyeh these are cool!
ReplyFair point, very well made too!
Replygreat point, I dont always agree with your stances but loved this
ReplyIts not a bad idea to wear ear plugs if you are a frequent traveller and its not a bad idea of making fun of them either. They do look funny..
ReplyI always wear ear plugs when I’m on the train – the only problem is that sometimes I forget to take them off!
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