The last thing anyone needs after a long day at work is a lecture on a bus

ENCOUNTERING PREACHERS IN public is part and parcel of life in a city or large town. It exemplifies the “live and let live” nature of urban spaces, which are shared by people from all cultures, beliefs and backgrounds.

We might not always agree with the message, the delivery or the approach, but at least when it happens outside in public spaces, engagement tends to be entirely optional. You can continue walking to work without taking a word in, get on with your shopping, or simply say “no, thanks” and politely decline leaflets. For the most part, this can be done without consequence.

While I personally hold no religious beliefs, I understand that freedom of religious expression is important. With that said, maybe packed aeroplanes and rush-hour buses are not the best place to persuade people to adopt any point of view.

Despite this, a growing number of online preachers are taking to the skies and rush hour buses to try and win people over, both internationally and in Ireland.

Rivals for crying babies

In North America, we’ve got aeroplane preachers. TikTok evangelist Whitney Lynn has filmed herself making “announcements” to other passengers, informing them that they may have a one-way ticket to hell if they don’t change their ways. Lynn admitted that she loves the “captive” nature of an aeroplane, where others have no choice but to listen to her.

Another religious influencer in the United States, Presley Mae Foster used a delayed flight as an opportunity to engage in what she dubbed “open air aeroplane preaching” – telling other passengers that a grounded, delayed flight represents an ideal moment for “good, deep conversations”. Wearing a tracksuit emblazoned with the words “JESUS SAVES” she then went on to inform other passengers that Jesus was sent to die on the cross for them.

Advertisement

This Substack goes into a bit of detail on the phenomenon in the US, noting that flight attendants are at a loss when it comes to dealing with these situations. It has been suggested that playing pop music in the background could deter preachers from filming themselves, as the clips will immediately be flagged for copyright breaches and removed from social platforms.

Here in Ireland, there’s a similar class of content creators who are taking advantage of their commutes. They may have crossed your Instagram or TikTok feeds, standing in the upper deck spreading their message, while the defeated driver repeats through the mic: “No standing upstairs, please.”

The most prolific young preacher brings his own camera people along, which presumably deters people from speaking up if they’re uncomfortable, as there’s an implicit threat that you’ll find a video of yourself on social media afterwards.

The messages that are spread in these videos are not rooted in offering other passengers any sort of comfort, which religious messages often can do. Rather, the messages tend to shame certain behaviours, lifestyles and provoke fear.

Little did we all know, everyone on the 39a is hurtling towards hell, rather than Blanch.

Anti-social behaviour?

In the UK, local authorities have tried to curb some forms of street preaching. In particular, this involves tackling speakers used to amplify messages, which are increasingly being considered a nuisance. Those who work in retail or in offices on shopping streets may be inclined to agree.

In Leicester, restrictions were introduced after a public consultation found that nine out of 10 people supported action to address unlicensed amplification and loudspeakers. The city’s mayor has been adamant that the goal isn’t to subdue religious expression, but rather, to deter “unnecessary and intensely irritating behaviour”. No mincing his words there.

Mayor Peter Soulsby, added: “No-one is stopping them from going out there and seeking to win converts and convince people, but what we are saying is do it in a responsible way and do not make a nuisance of yourself.”

Related Reads

It’s time that Irish people learn some walking etiquette

Kelly Earley: We're in the middle of a luxury gym epidemic

Kelly Earley: If smart glasses weren’t creepy enough, now we have to worry about spy pens

115 miles away, in Colchester, similar bans have been introduced as “Community Protection Notices” which ban loudspeakers and aggressive behaviour.

One evangelical church has been brought to court for breaching an order, which is a criminal offence. This pertained to an incident where a vulnerable man, who found the noise too loud, while he was out with his carer. When he put his hands over his ears to protect his hearing, he was allegedly told “he was going to hell”. Similarly, the local council have noted that preachers have been using amplification to hurl homophobic comments and chants at members of the public.

Back in Ireland, bus drivers seem ill-equipped to deal with this new phenomenon. Beyond reminding passengers of the rules regarding basic conduct on buses, there seems to be little they can do to improve the comfort of other passengers in these scenarios. One individual claiming to be a Dublin Bus driver on Reddit was investigating the legal rights of drivers to intervene, so it’s not just the passengers that are feeling put out.

Public transport is already tough enough during rush hour. The last thing anyone needs after a long day at work is a lecture on their basic decency and morality.

And one thing’s for sure: We can’t expect people to sit through this while fares are increasing.

Kelly Earley is a writer and podcaster from Coolock, who has a deep interest in culture, technology, community and social justice. She writes for The Journal every week.