DUBAI // News of the Metro's launch was music to most people's ears. But many of those who use it every day are finding the experience far from harmonious.
Many commuters say they have had enough of the repetitive, electronic music track piped-in while they make their way to and from work.
"I never heard background music before on public transport and this one is very futuristic. It is very annoying and repetitive so I am glad I have my iPod," said Ashley Paragas, 29, from the Philippines, whose headphones never leave his ears during his daily 25-minute commute from Union Station in Deira to Mall of the Emirates, where he works as a sales manager.
He is one of the growing number of passengers who, in an attempt to block out the music, are arming themselves with personal music players before boarding the driverless train every day.
Mohammad Ali, 36, a Lebanese businessman, said he splashed out on an iPhone specifically to make his journey on the Metro more bearable.
"I said I would use the Metro for meetings in Deira and Bur Dubai and leave the car at Mall of the Emirates but the first day I got on the Metro, I knew I needed some music. That tune is so bad, it just keeps going on and on and on."
Some commuters are so appalled by the Roads and Transport Authority's choice of soundtrack they have considered abandoning the Metro altogether.
"The music is so bad, I sometimes believe I should be taking the bus," said Rajesh Amit, 27, a restaurant supervisor from India. "The seats are better on the bus and it doesn't have that music."
David Regan, 38, an engineering consultant from the United States, said: "It's unreal. I know it [the Metro] is brand new and the music does sound very new age, but I couldn't imagine that being on a New York subway for very long because people would be complaining from day one. They could put live bands in the stations or art shows or be more interactive with the passengers instead of blaring this trash out at us."
The RTA would not comment on its choice music, nor would it identify the track.
Apart from being irritating, constant exposure to monotonous soundtracks can lead to antisocial behaviour, some clinical psychologists say.
"What has been known through research is that music that is psychedelic, music that is techno, music that has little melody or harmony, may have an adverse reaction on the human system," said Dr Raymond Hamden of the Human Relations Institute, Dubai. Dr Hamden studied the effects of music on the human psyche for his doctoral dissertation. Research on human beings and animals, he said, had found that when they are exposed to such music for a long time their behaviour had become "very irritated, agitated, sometimes to the point of being aggressive and violent".
"Music that is melodic with a harmony, that corresponds with traditional music therapy like classical music or ballads, are much more soothing to the human ear and the human response," said Dr Hamden.
He declined to comment specifically on the RTA's choice of music, but Dr Hamden said his choice for the morning metro commute would be "fast-paced pop", minus the lyrics, which he said could distract passengers and cause them to miss their stops.
As for the return journey in the evening, his suggestion was "80s-style pop, not so fast paced but at an unwinding pace that would not distract".
He added: "Music should be for background purposes not concert purposes, never so loud that it is distracting."
"When a person is coming home from work they are still unwinding from their day, so they are not going to play opera or classical music. They want something that is a nice-paced pop that matches their stress level."
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
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A general guide to how active you are:
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