French public transports: the noise and its perception

The beep that sounds to announce the closed doors, the noisy chats, the videos watched on mobile phones at full volume…all these noises are an integral part of the sound environment in public transports. But, is there more noise than before or is it our noise sensitivity that has increased?

Unlike music, we use the word “noise” to designate sounds that disturb us. Even if the noise exposure is the same for everybody, behaviours are different, according to individual sensitivity and where it takes place.

In public transports, noise may, at best, create indifference. At worst, it is a source of annoyance and discomfort, as exemplified by the experience of Mathilde, 26 years old, a regular public transport user in Paris: “Personally, I really hate the TikTok videos which change every second, with different types of music, volume and voice. Really, it bothers me”, adding that “people don’t care”.

Lili, 26 years old too, is more disturbed by “the constant hubbub than instantaneous loud noises”. For her, noises are “more irritating during long-distance journeys, such as on the train”.

Of course, the sound perception is not the same for everybody, it differs according to personal sensitivity. But, according to a poll conducted by French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) in March 2022, almost 7 in 10 French people says to be annoyed by noise and feel that their noise sensitivity has increased since the health crisis.

Beyond the fact it disturbs some individuals, the noise also becomes a real public health issue. A new challenge which generates new regulations.

“The noise impacts hearing, but it also has extra-auditory effects, on sleep quality, mental health, etc.” as indicates Justine Monnereau, communication manager at the Information and Documentation Center for Noise (in French: Centre d’information et de documentation sur le Bruit, CidB), which mission is to alert the public to noise nuisance. She says:

Recently, the notion of “sound pollution” has been recognised by the French government. It is no more a subjective notion, but a real pollution like air pollution. We are moving towards a problem that concerns everyone.

Today, the perception of noise tends to be objectified. For example, the Noise National Council (in French: Conseil National du Bruit, CNB), a political body, is currently working on labels for quiet areas, such as a public garden or a SNCF’s wagon.

According to the sociologist Anthony Pecqueux, CNRS Research Fellow at the Max Weber Centre in Lyon, the noise level has not increased, but our tolerance level has significantly dropped. Having a look at the evolution of the noise perception in the city tells us more about it.

“The medieval city was extremely noisy. Newspapers and advertisements did not exist so, people conveyed information with deployed throats in the street. Some people were paid in front of each bar to promote it”, he says.

So, what is the difference between yesterday and today? Why are we so sensitive? The researcher explains:

These days, since we have double glazing, since it is more and more efficient and since the industry has been moved out of the city, we are in an environment which is quieter. This is one of the reasons why we less tolerate noise.

“For years, transport noise emissions have been reduced”, asserts Guillaume Lemaître, project manager at the National Company of the French Railways (in French: Société nationale des chemins de fer français, SNCF), adding that “the specifications, provided to manufacturers, are more and more strict”.

“The noise in public transports can have different sources: from the transport itself, its equipment, the people”, says Guillaume Lemaître. According to him, “we see a lower acceptability and a greater sensitivity. Inside the trains, people mostly complain about other people”.

What do people do now they did not do before? They use their mobile phones. This digital revolution has radically transformed our sound environment. To use the phone without headphones for listening to music or watching a video has become increasingly common. It is one of the main sources of unwanted sound, especially in enclosed areas such as public transports.

“Even if the sound quality of phones is more and more effective, it is undeniable that it is not a HiFi system nor a high-quality audio and that it may influence our sensitivity”, notices Nicolas Misdariis, director of research at the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music (in French: Institut de recherche et coordination acoustique/musique, IRCAM).

“The audio formats changed quite significantly over time. Before, when we did not have the ability to carry the music in our pockets, we listened to it in our living room on a good sound system, with high-quality speakers”, says the researcher, adding that:

Nowadays, we listen to rubbish formats, such as MP3, often very compressed. It has deleterious effects on our sensitivity to sound and music. This is like “junk” sound.

Now, when people forget to put on their headphones, you will have the choice: to learn patience or to invest in noise-cancelling headphones.

Link to the radio format in French: here