IN CROWDED ELEVATORS, like the one at the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan station, we try to remember to turn the volume down on our iPod. Sure, earphones generally dampen the noise, but not all of it. And in the quiet close quarters of the elevator car, we'd rather not subject our neighbors to the louder sections of songs from Super Furry Animals, Gustav Mahler, Menomena and Slavic Soul Party, all of which we've been listening to in recent weeks.

On Metrorail, it's normally not a problem because train sounds — the whoosh of rushing air, the opening and closing of doors — mask any noise that might escape the earphones. However, some commuters loathe even the tiniest amount of iPod noise — enough, in some cases, for them to write us letters to the editor.

From a letter from Shannon Campbell of Falls Church published in Tuesday's print edition:

Think about those around you during your Metro commute and turn down the volume on your iPod! Every morning, I feel like I have a jukebox full of options to listen to on Metro. Be aware that your tunes are way too loud when I can understand the lyrics while sitting more than two rows away or even standing five people away. When I use my iPod on Metro, I keep it so low it is almost inaudible. Think about double-checking with those around you to make sure they can't hear your music. If they wanted to listen, they'd bring their own.

That letter sparked this response from Sherri Cole of Upper Marlboro, published in today's print edition:

While I will admit that loud iPods are annoying to other riders ("Turn Down iPods on Metro," Dec. 18), so are loud cellphone conversations, obnoxious kids and riders with bad hygiene. Metro isn't a carpool or your personal automobile; you don't get to choose who you ride with. It's called public transportation, and that does not mean that you will always be comfortable. That said, I'll play my iPod as loud as I want just to block out those other annoyances, and if you don't like it, you don't have to sit near me.

So how about it?

For today's Poll Center question, we ask: What's more annoying on Metro: Cellphones or iPods? Go vote (and comment) here and see how your fellow commuters weighed in station by station, line by line.

Photo by Julia Ewan/The Washington Post

Posted by Michael Grass at 8:01 AM on December 19, 2007
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