Metro

Travelling on the excellent (and frequent) Valencia metro this morning, I noticed that music was played in the background. Or, to be more precise, I noticed it after a while. I started my travel in the middle of the city centre in the rush hour, so most of the soundscape was composed of three elements: the noise of the metro cars while moving the noise of the massive ventilation system inside the metro cars (I am not really sure why they made so much noise, but at least the air was fresh) the noise of people speaking Since most people left at the stations in the city centre, I was travelling more or less alone the last part out to the airport. And it was then that I noticed that music was being played. It was not unpleasant, but it was surprising. I am used to background music in shopping malls, etc., but not on public transportation. While playing soft background music may be a successful method of making people feel more comfortable, I found this particular example to be disturbing in, at least, two ways: culturally and sonically. ...