Bare beating, the act of playing music or TikTok videos out loud on public transport, has become so widespread, and so irritating to fellow passengers, that it’s now the target of proposed legislation in the UK.
Last month, the Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) have proposed amending public transport laws to tackle what they call ‘headphone dodgers’, or those commuters who play audio aloud without using headphones. They are pushing for fines of up to £1,000 to address what they describe as a growing form of antisocial behaviour.
According to a poll commissioned by the party, more than half of British respondents said they would be too intimidated to ask someone to lower their volume. Over a third reported having experienced the disruption of loud, unsolicited music or videos on public transport.
This happens every time I get a train into London.
— Connor Tomlinson (@Con_Tomlinson) February 23, 2025
Someone either on speakerphone, or playing music or TikToks aloud.
And nobody dare ask him to put headphones in, because you don't know how someone with "PSYCHO" will react — or if he'll even speak English.… pic.twitter.com/HAo66ptqxa
The backlash is widespread online. One user on X wrote, ‘[I don’t know] who started this trend of playing YouTube, TikToks, reels, etc on public transport, but it needs to stop. You can get earphones on Amazon for less than £20 please’.
One astonished expressed her astonishment at ‘people [who] think it’s acceptable to get on a public train, pull out a literal speaker, and start blasting music’, as some bare beaters don’t just dodge headphones, they come equipped with reinforcements: Bluetooth speakers.
Even TikTok users have been criticising the trend. One such video asks, ‘Why do people listen to music on speakers in public? Like what is wrong with you, we do not all want to hear your music’.
Do you travel by train or bus?
— Joshua Reynolds MP (@JoshReynoldsSL6) April 24, 2025
The @LibDems want to stop the Headphone Dodgers & save your commute! pic.twitter.com/lLK8wZF7GX
In response, Lib Dems have launched a campaign to raise public awareness and encourage stricter enforcement of antisocial behaviour rules on public transport.
Lisa Smart, Lib Dems spokesman explained: ‘Far too many people dread their daily commute because of the blight of antisocial behaviour – and headphone dodgers are some of the worst offenders […] everyone deserves to feel safe and respected on public transport. Time and time again, I hear from people who say they feel too intimidated to speak up’. She advocated, ‘It’s time to take a stand for the quiet majority who just want to get from A to B in peace.’
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport has noted that there already are ’strict rules in place to prevent antisocial behaviour on public transport, including possible fines of up to £1,000′.
From ‘rawdogging’ and ‘barebacking’ to ‘bare beating’
Borrowed from sex talk, these terms now cheekily describe tech-free travel as a form of raw exposure. Last year, a trend known as ‘rawdogging’ or flying without any digital distractions such as music, movies, or even reading, gained traction online. In a similar vein, ‘barebacking’ came to describe riding public transport without headphones or devices, choosing to fully absorb the ambient sounds of one’s surroundings.
But while those trends reflect voluntary exposure to discomfort, ‘bare beating’ flips the equation: it’s not self-inflicted, but forced upon others.
@kareemrahma Just rawdogged my longest flight yet. #bareback #rawdog #airplanes #flights #travel ♬ Motivational – Vioo Sound
Some see the latest trend as emblematic of a wider erosion of public courtesy and a symptom of growing individualism in communal spaces.
In a related development, a recent London court ruling addressed the issue of repetitive busking in Leicester Square. A judge described the noise as a form of ‘psychological torture’, noting that some staff, the court heard, had resorted to working in cupboards to escape the constant racket. ‘While the volume is the principal mischief,’ he said, ‘it is clear that the nuisance is exacerbated by the repetition and poor quality of some of the performances.’ He further compared the looping songs to ‘a well-publicised feature of unlawful but effective psychological torture techniques’.
And when even Britain’s stiff upper lip starts twitching, you know the public transport soundscape has gone too far.
