Is It Just Me? Are FaceTime Calls, TikTok Videos, and Loud Music Getting out of Hand?
December 9, 2025 ctn_admin
Seriously though, is it just me, or has society completely abandoned the unspoken agreement that noise in public spaces should at least remain within the realm of reasonable human behaviour? Somewhere along the way, especially in airports it seems, and on public transit, we’ve shifted from shared courtesy to a full-blown audio free for all. And as someone who spends half his life in terminals across this country, I have watched the evolution in real time.
What used to be a quiet waiting area has become a live broadcast studio. I take a seat at Pearson or Vancouver International, and before I’ve even had a chance to exhale, I’m tossed into the middle of somebody’s FaceTime call. Someone’s shouting from three time zones away. Someone else is cooking in the background. A third person appears to be walking through a wind tunnel. And the caller? Completely oblivious that there are a hundred unenthusiastic Canadians now part of their family meeting. Occasionally, as a social experiment I will get up close and personal to the offender and crank The Tragically Hip, two feet away. Oh the looks I get.
Public transit isn’t faring any better. There used to be a beautiful Canadian understanding: keep your head down, and respect the shared suffering. Now, the TTC, SkyTrain , GO Transit, you name it, feel like competing sound festivals. TikTok videos play out loud. Music leaks from earbuds that might as well be tiny speakers. And then there are the full-volume phone calls, always on speaker, always personal, and always somehow featuring a dramatic argument. Worst of all are those who don’t even pretend to own headphones. They hold their phones out in front like they’re giving a TED Talk.
And that’s what I can’t understand: how have we, as a society, collectively misplaced our earbuds? You can buy headphones literally everywhere, the airport, the convenience store, online, from vending machines, and for sure from a flight attendant. Yet the moment someone wants to watch TikTok in public, suddenly: “Oh no, I forgot my earphones.” Really? Of all the things to forget? I wish you had forgotten your friggin’ phone?
At this stage, I genuinely think airlines and airports need to introduce a simple rule and, this is the hard part, actually enforce it: If your device is making noise, you must use headphones. We enforce 100 ml liquid limits like they’re national security threats. Security will confiscate your water bottle. But a full-volume TikTok remix at Gate 142? Perfectly acceptable. No problem at all.
Imagine giving airport staff the authority to intervene. “Sir, your breakup call has now become a community event. Headphones, please.” Or, “Ma’am, your child’s Fortnite battle is audible from row 36 . ” Honestly, we wouldn’t even need fines. A firm Canadian reminder would do the job. If we can enforce upright seatbacks and tray tables, surely we can enforce basic audio courtesy.
I started thinking, “Is it just me?” But after enough airport lounges, gate delays and public transit rides to last a lifetime, I know it’s definitely not. We’re all exhausted from being unwilling extras in other people’s audio drama. I’m not demanding silence; I’m asking for sanity. So the next time you feel the urge to broadcast your FaceTime call, your TikTok scroll or your playlist to an entire waiting area, remember: headphones were invented for exactly this moment. And if airlines ever decide to enforce that rule, I’ll be the first to applaud it, quietly of course. So is just me, or does this drive you bonkers as well. Leave your comments below. Next article? reclining your seat.
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