Airplane Etiquette Crisis: The Rise of 'Speaker Scum' Sparks Heated Debate

Air travel has always had its quirks, but a new trend is riling up passengers like never before: travelers who blast music or videos on their devices without headphones, earning the unflattering nickname 'Speaker Scum.'

It all started with a post on the "r/unitedairlines" Reddit forum, where a user asked, "Do we have a term for our fellow passengers that do not use headphones? This is getting out of hand." The fiery discussion that followed introduced 'Speaker Scum' as the term of choice, sparking a wave of reactions from fed-up flyers.

One user lamented, "I'm all for the upcoming free Wi-Fi but dreading everyone with free Wi-Fi streaming, on calls, blasting music." Another added, "Unfortunately, the people using their speakers are unable to hear the announcement over the sound of their speakers." Ouch.

United Airlines has apparently taken note of the trend, adding reminders to their announcements asking passengers to silence their devices or use headphones. Still, it seems like some folks just don’t get the memo. One passenger shared their strategy for dealing with such offenders: "I keep several of the free airline headsets in my bag. Offering them to someone doing this usually gets the point across." Practical yet passive-aggressive—a winning combo.

Author Brandon Blewett, known for his book "How to Avoid Strangers on Airplanes," weighed in on the issue, noting that most offenders are caught up in scrolling through TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or playing mobile games with sound effects blaring. Blewett commended airlines that have started implementing quiet cabin policies, urging passengers to mute devices or use headphones—even for kids.

While some blame the obliviousness of these audio-out-loud offenders on sheer inconsideration, others chalk it up to innocent technical mishaps. "Sometimes there's an innocent Bluetooth hiccup, and you can tell by the way people scramble in sheer panic to turn down the volume," Blewett admitted, even including himself in that group.

As this debate continues to rage, one thing is clear: the battle for airborne peace and quiet is far from over. If you're heading to the skies soon, don’t forget your headphones—or you might just find yourself in the crosshairs of the 'Speaker Scum' debate.