On Tuesday, a new set of rules governing behavior inside Shanghai's subway came into effect, forbidding listening to electronic devices without earphones inside subway coaches.
This was long called for. Subway cars are public spaces where nobody should annoy others. However, in reality there are many who play their music or movies without the aid of earphones, disturbing co-passengers. As if the music and movies are not loud enough, the disturbing elements also scream with joy or laughter in reaction, indifferent to how it affects others inside the coaches. In the absence of clear rules forbidding such behavior inside the coaches, there was nobody the disturbed passengers could turn to for assistance. Even if they had complained, the authorities inside the subway would have said they were not empowered to help them.
However, noise inside a subway cannot be a personal matter. A person has no right to impose his movie or music on others in the shared space. Every passenger has the right to be undisturbed by any movie or music that other passengers are enjoying. Thanks to the new rules, those taking a subway can now complain to staff members about smartphone noises. That the news about new subway rules were read by nearly 300 million times on the micro blog is the biggest evidence of how people are happy and are looking forward to the absence of noise in that public space.
The new rules also forbid people from eating or drinking inside subway coaches, which, too, is a welcome change, as sometimes the food is smelly and lets off an unpleasant smell that can cause discomfort to fellow passengers. The new rules will help create a better environment for everyone inside the subway coaches. The only drawback with the new rules is that it does not specify punitive measures. For example, there is no listed punishment such as fines or warnings, for those disobeying the rules. Maybe the subway staff members will have to be artful and persuasive while implementing the new rules. 记者：张周项Click here for audio and translation of the story
