The T, Boston's subway system, beats out most similarly-sized cities for coverage. If I can avoid using it during rush hour, it's often fairly pleasurable to use my commute to catch up on some reading or open up that always-present stack of neglected mail; I like making use of all my waking hours. I've even been known to chow down on a big bowl of shrimp scampi on the train from time to time, if I don't care about the shirt I'm wearing.
Segments of the track are particularly loud however, and coupled with some of the overly amplified announcements of the conductor, I end my trip feeling as if I've just left a concert. What is the average decibel level of the commute? Does it vary much from line to line, or within certain sections of a line? Most importantly, does riding the T potentially cause long-term hearing loss? Should we all take to wearing earplugs? Considering the rising number of schoolchildren taking the T, is this potentially an urgent issue?
I plan to start taking decibel readings and compiling data to explore this topic further. Please let me know your thoughts, or if you are interested in collaborating on this project. Reach me via linkedin.com/in/jcopson
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