The Train Ride II
 
This morning I experienced another of the things that can ruin an otherwise comfortable and pleasant commute.

I was sitting in my usual interior seat, reading the New York Sun and minding my own business when two MO women sat down near me.  One sat on the outside seat of my bench and the other sat on the outside seat of the bench directly across the aisle.  One of the women was very 'modern' and was dressed not exactly in accordance with Shulchan Aruch.  As soon as she sat down she launched into a loud soliliquy about an amazing amount of narishkeit (the gist of which was that she would rather that her son, a senior at an MO high school, go to that bastion of Yiddishkeit, Binghampton, than spend a year in yeshiva in Israel and, Chas v'shalom, get frum).  Try as I did, it was very difficult to concentrate on what I was reading.  I tried to sleep but her voice was WAY TOO LOUD.
 
Can someone explain why it is necessary to speak in such a loud voice when the person to whom you are speaking is literally 18 inches away?  And why it wouldn't bother you that the entire train is hearing your silliness?  Unfortunately, there is no defence to this type of behavior other than earplugs, a CD player or an Ipod.