The Queen's Earplugs

Sometimes backgound noise is good for my tinnitus but other times it hinders my ability to hear things I need to hear!

Not long ago whilst trying to enjoy a drink and chat in a pub our friend went to ask the barman if the music could be turned down. 'Trouble with old people like you is you don't like music' was his reply...we left soon after. It is true that music is played deliberately loudly to prevent conversation and to make people just drink and buy more. It is no wonder younger people cannot meet /new friends /people/partners socially and have to use online dating !!

No. It should have read A HANDBAG???!!!!

Give it some welly.

Sorry, for those of you who are pedants, bless you, that should have read " A HANDBAG?". Off for a cup of caffeine the brain's going soggy.

Here is the missing ^

Yes.

But I swear I don't buy any more stuff because of it. So I do^ defeat them.

And humming along can be something to do whilst waiting for others to decide what to buy.

RELAXING? RELAXING? (asked as in the style of "HANDBAGS?")

I like any Christmas music in shops. (at Christmas!) In fact, I like any music in shops. Relaxing.

Which is what it's supposed to be.

Bags
I don't mind a bit of background music occasionally - I just don't want it to obliterate any attempt at having a conversation or to prevent my brain from deciding whether to buy a lollo rosso lettuce or a little gem. I am well known in my family for singing and whistling along to music in public - not always appreciated by aforementioned family - 'Muuuum, don't be sooooo embarrassing'

The noise in the stadium during the opening ceremonies was notoriously loud. She probably didn't have anything against the music. Just protecting her hearing.

If I started singing in the supermarket, I'd empty the place.

You'll be dancing in the isles next!

I could never do that!

The last time I visited Asda the music was great! A lot of the customers, including myself ,were singing along softly to the classic ballads.

Bags

gally, I just noted a chappie whonlooked like a manager sort of chappie, and said within his hearing (I have a clear teacher voice when I want!): "I can't think straight with this racket going on. They do it deliberately you know. Let's just go now."

He moved quite quickly to some "back premises" and guess what, the volume was turned down.

Yes those awful French songs with "English" lyrics are dreadful. At my keep fit class we always have one that goes "we all kick the bucket in the end, the end". The others in the class can't believe it when I tell them what they are happily dancing to. I agree, annodomini, that the music playing throughout the town is a singularly ghastly idea as well.
I like the idea of "anglo-saxon" lyrics though Greatnan; maybe that is why there are always so many four letter words....

There is an organisation called "Pipe Down", at http://www.pipedown.info/
for those of us who detest un-wanted music ...

It can't be a new problem - GK Chesterton said "Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist." And there is a revealing photograph taken in Piccadilly, London, in 1923 - on the left hand side, a banner advertising the restaurant beneath proclaims: "Perfect food and NO music"!

Rousillon! sorry!

In a pleasant spa town in the Rosillon area, our lunch was spoiled by Europop pumped out in the town centre by a local radio station.

I have some hearing loss and I also find it infuriating when programmes have totally unnecessary background music drowning the dialogue.
I get the impression that many young people cannot live without constant noise - apparently it helps them to concentrate! They cannot jog without their headphones, or whatever they use, and it is very dangerous as they cannot hear traffic.
I had to laugh in one French supermarket. They play a lot of 'Anglo Saxon' (ie. American and British) pop songs and it is obvious that many do not understand what they are singing. One old dear (i.e. about my age) was singing happily to some really filthy English lyrics and I am quite sure she would be mortified if she knew.

Two weddings I have attended in recent years have been spoiled for me by excessively loud disco music. Those of us who wanted to chat rather than show off on the dance floor had to resort to shouting and I, for one, practically lost my voice. At half the volume the music would have been audible enough for dancing.

It's strange how policies seem to vary from region to region. Our local Tesco, Asda and Marks and Spencer stores don't play any music at all - thank goodness! A lot of the other shops do, though, and it's true that it'll soon time for them to dust off their awful seasonal medleys...

When shopping in Asda last year the muzak was so loud and overpowering that I couldn't concentrate on my shopping, so I went to customer services and asked them to turn it down. They agreed that it was loud but said it was controlled from elsewhere and they couldn't do anything about it - oh yeh, and pigs may fly! I went to Tesco instead

The social club near us has a group playing once a month and, if they sounded good, we would go over for a bit of a bop. But not any more. It's so loud now we can't go in. It makes me feel physically ill.

Yes to all of the above. I leave premises that bombard me with annoying music.