On Track

A study published in August by University of Washington researcher Rick Neitzel warns that routine exposure to mass transit noise may prematurely age your eardrums. Neitzel and collaborators tallied New York City subway sounds at a piercing 80 decibels, a trace quieter than a gas lawn mower. The Big Apple’s train screeched to a vacuum-cleaner-rivaling 75. “Obviously we don’t have a subway in Seattle,” Neitzel said, “but I think the commuter rail measurements would be relatively comparable to light rail here.”

Even more ear-splitting, when the babbling of our fellow a.m. commuters grows unbearable, we tend to plug in an earbud and boost the bass, which also endangers auditory fitness over time. “There is a pretty good indicator that if people are listening to music on a transit system, they’re typically going to turn up the volume by three to six decibels,” ­Neitzel explained. “Unfortunately that means that, yes, they can hear their music, but they’re adding to what they’re already exposed to.” Our ears are wailing already. —Rachel Solomon