DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my biggest pet peeves is when somebody plays their music out loud instead of using headphones. When you are on the bus or subway, this is outrageous. I feel like a hostage having to listen to people blasting their music, making a tinny loud sound that nobody wants to hear, even if I happen to like the song. I believe it is rude to assume everyone around you wants to listen to your music or video selection. Is it rude to play your music out loud, or is this just my belief? I have always found it incredibly annoying. -- Bad DJ, New York City
DEAR BAD DJ: Preach! Seriously, it is invasive for someone to play music in public contained spaces without using earphones. I will take this one step further, too: Depending upon your earphones, even when you are wearing them, if they are not soundproof, people around you can still hear whatever you are playing -- and you may very well not realize it.
To all of you who are reading who listen to music in public, pay close attention to figure out if others can hear you. Obviously, you should wear headphones or ear buds, but beyond that, do a sound check to determine if your sound system is doing its job.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)