Why I think twice before asking someone to reduce volume on their phone on the Mumbai local

4 min readUpdated: Jun 24, 2026 07:35 PM IST

Commuters travel on a Mumbai local train, where everyday tensions and overcrowding can sometimes spark conflicts. (PTI Photo)

When a professor was stabbed to death on a train in January this year for some stray comment, a sense of anxiety hit home as a daily Mumbai local traveller. It was rekindled when I read about a 22-year-old being killed on the local train over an issue that shouldn’t have gone beyond an argument at the most.

These days when I travel on the local I fear coming across someone watching a reel without earphones on high volume. Could it lead to violence if protested?

The reactions of people when I request them to turn the volume down are varied – some get overly apologetic, some plainly turn down the request while ever so often, a person gets really offended at my request.

Two days ago when travelling in an AC train – which amplifies the noise – I asked a man sitting ahead of me to reduce the volume.

He looked at me with a degree of shock. “Main yaha mobile play kar raha hoon, waha tak aapko awaaz kaise aa raha hain” (I am watching something here, how is the sound reaching there?) he retorted irritably sitting barely a metre away.

Knowing this was no place for logic and with the professor’s stabbing incident etched somewhere in my mind, I responded in a pre-meditated, practised manner to his annoyance, “Ok listen to it, no problem” with a thumbs up sign. He then heard the reel for a while and then switched it off and went to sleep.

The overpopulated Mumbai local trains must be home to several petty fights daily. In most cases however, commuters intervene and it does not go beyond some empty threats.

Story continues below this ad

In some cases, these fights turn comical too, one person will challenge the other to get down at the next railway station to continue the fight, knowing full well that even they don’t have that kind of time to waste. Eventually, no one gets down, providing a moment of comedy for everyone watching.

But this may no longer be the norm.

In another exchange I had with a commuter who was listening to political speeches on high volume, when I requested him to reduce the volume, he was upset. Within seconds, he came and stood behind me near the footboard. I was worried he was going to do something. My nose could sense his tipsiness. For reasons unknown to me, I smiled at him and asked him why he was so offended by my request.

He smiled back and said he was thinking about the same thing. He said he was usually the one asking others to reduce the volume and wondered why he got so offended. He blamed it partly on being tipsy and apologised to me before my station came and I waved him goodbye. I wonder if I will get into these conversations anymore.

In such situations I’m often reminded of the lines Sunil Dutt says to Nawazuddin Siddiqui after he catches the latter picking his pocket outside a train in Munnabhai MBBS. Threatening to hand him over to the angry crowd, Dutt says “..koi biwi se ladkar aaya..kisi ko padosi ki tarraki se jalan hain …sarkar ke brastachar se, cricket ki haar tak…ye har baat be naraaz hain lekin sab chup hain….ye saara gussa tujpe nikalenga… (Someone fought with his wife … ..someone is jealous of their neighbour’s promotion…from government corruption… to a lost cricket match, people are frustrated by every single thing, but people keep quiet…all of this anger will come your way).”

Story continues below this ad

I’d rather endure discomfort for some time than face the ire of the frustrated common man while boxed in a corner of a crowded Mumbai local.

Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues. With a career dedicated to the crime beat for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and trustworthy insights into Maharashtra's security and justice systems.

Experience & Authority

Core Focus: Has been exclusively covering the crime beat for over a decade, building deep, specialized knowledge in the field.

Geographical Authority: Currently focuses heavily on law enforcement and policy in Maharashtra, providing authoritative coverage of the state's security apparatus.

Key Beats:

Law Enforcement: Reports on the operations of the Maharashtra Police and the Mumbai Crime Branch.

Policy & Administration: Covers the Maharashtra Home Department, focusing on policy matters related to handling law and order and the evolution of the police force.

Judiciary: Has significant past experience covering the courts, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the entire criminal justice process from investigation to verdict.

Specialized Interest (Cyber & Forensics): Demonstrates Expertise in modern investigative techniques, with a keen focus on cyber crime and forensics, reporting on how these technologies assist complex crime investigations.

Content Focus: His reports revolve around police probes, the evolution of the force, and state policy, ensuring his content is highly relevant and detailed.

Credentials & Trustworthiness

Mohamed Thaver’s long-standing specialization in the crime beat—combined with his focus on technological aspects like cyber crime and his direct coverage of major institutions like the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Home Department—underscores his Trustworthiness and status as an expert source for detailed and reliable journalism on law and order.

He tweets @thaver_mohamed ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:

Instagram Reels

Mumbai local

Mumbai local train

stabbing