Noisy people

As a general point I listened on the radio to how bad for our health noise pollution is. Yes there is such a thing but on the whole most people don’t recognise it, with the busy (frantic?) lives they lead and we have created a society that doesn’t value peace and quiet unfortunately.

This is so common now - and I've noticed that if one person, or group at a table start talking loudly, everyone else had to in order to be heard over them. We were walking to our table in an Italian restaurant where a group of about ten ladies were having a meal. The floor is flagstones, and the din was bouncing off the floor and walls to an extent that OH asked if they had a table in the garden. Luckily they did - but we could still hear the high level of conversation even outside.

We went to the cinema yesterday to see the new Downton Abbey. Not a lot of people were in there. Two seats were empty beside us and we thought oh great we won’t be squished. No such luck. These two women came in, one was clutching a glass of wine or similar, and she proceeded to yap loudly to her friend. All thought the ads, all through the trailers for new films and the , fortunately, shut up when Downton came on.

It’s true about libraries but this is because they are trying to stay open so diversifying with toddler time and what have you. Trying to appeal to a wider demographic but they don’t visit to get books, just create noise. I don’t know what the answer is. I get some books and go quite quickly.

I was in my favourite local café this week, only small (which probably doesn't help) ordered breakfast, then the two women who were sat at the side of me started yakking yak yak yak, especially one of them, then the said one got out her mobile and started showing the other the music festival she had been to, complete with the music, then three others started talking loud at another table, then there was the music that was playing in the café. which is always good, 60s style.

I was glad to get out the place.I was almost going to leave my breakfast and go. Not sure If I will visit again.

Modern restaurants, bars and pubs without curtains/blinds, carpets or with high ceilings and hard wooden floors mean that noise isn't absorbed.

That, combined with a lack of self-awareness and the shouting culture is often the cause of the hullaballoo! (I love that word!)

Les1950, she is possibly hard of hearing and because of that doesn't realise her voice is so loud.
Do you think she can she hear what the others are saying?

I love my hearing aids and love taking them out if things get too noisy.

One of these days you may see me with a black eye!! But here are my selection of things that I use to respond to to much noise. For a start, I do look at the floor in any new cafe I plan to enter. The hard floors with no sort of covering, means that the sounds do resound more. Then I do look to see if there are speakers close to a particular table area and choose somewhere well away from it if possible. Once I am sat down, if the music is loud, I will order coffee or food and follow that by asking " and will you turn the music down please" If they say they are not allowed to, I get up and say very well just cancel my order and leave. If it is the kind of place with a couple of rooms, I will ask if they are able to turn the sound down in one room, although of course often the sound is the same in both rooms. You might enjoy the particular one I remember.

I was travelling to London to sing in a concert. and had booked a seat in the QUIET carriage. I had a walkman in those days and had it on quietly specifically going through my line . The carriage was not very busy and most people were doing their own thing, when this man proceeded to plonk himself down with his computer, use it leaving all the sounds on quite loud with beeps etc etc , and then started to speak loudly on his phone to someone, and mostly of no importance about whereabouts we were on the journey and what they would be doing etc. I put up with it for a time as we can all be caught out by a phone call, but when the voice got louder and no attempt was made to be quiet. I got up , went across and said could you keep your voice down please . This is the quiet carriage and everyone is trying to do their own work. He just shrugged and carried on. I then sat in a seat nearer to him and as he continued to talk at the top of his voice I began to sing in italian from an opera. He stared at me and was silent for a moment. I immediately stopped singing. He began again and so did I . He glared at me and said what do you think you are doing? I replied "working the same as you" He tried once more and then flounced off to another carriage. I returned to my seat quietly and no more was said, until a rather nice elderly lady came past on her was to get off and thanked me !! I hasten to say I have never had to repeat the performance.

I quite agree about the changes in behaviour in libraries. We like to go into ours to read the paper. We have to go early on the day the knit and natter group of women take it over!!

Regarding restaurants, the lack of music is one reason we like eating in Wetherspoon - that and the lower prices of course.

Only last week at our weekly meet up in a regular hotel with my brother for coffee. Large dining room, heavy curtains and floor carpeted all sound absorbing materials. Three tables occupied and room quiet. Then 3 groups of 4 or 5 women at tables came in. Within minutes my brother commented that the noise was awful, and he was right. I felt if it had been same numbers of men there would be more of a grumble heard instead of the screeching that was going on. When paying at the bar I asked the waitress if she found the noise a nuisance. She then took out ear protectors and told us management recognise that certain groups even during the day create high noise levels so they provide protection. My husband having lost his hearing was convinced that loud noise in cars, headphones for lengthy periods will result in young folk easily losing their hearing. The loss will be gradual abd they will turn everything up not realising they are going deaf. Boilermakers ears! That's why so many shout when speaking nowadays.

We were out for a treat lunch at a beautiful local hotel. There was a table of Americans across from us. Well what a racket they made. They were completely unaware of the dirty looks they were getting from people at other tables. It was so loud that DH and I couldn't speak to each other as we simply couldn't hear over the noise from the Americans. Eventually, a man who seemed to be a local guide went away and came back with the manager. He cheerfully suggested that he gives them a guided tour of the place and they trouped out. I should say there were only six of them. The peace settled across the dining room.
What is it about Americans? So entitled.

AN41- My friend is deaf, but has aids. She has always been like that apparently. We do get 'looks' sometimes though.

It’s because of low ceilings!!

Hello I have never posted before but would like to ask if some of the issue in public spaces such as cafes and restaurants is that the level of background music and staff noise is so high that people just get used to speaking at a high volume there?

Tricia0702

Hello I have never posted before but would like to ask if some of the issue in public spaces such as cafes and restaurants is that the level of background music and staff noise is so high that people just get used to speaking at a high volume there?

I think you have a point. If the music is loud people have to raise their voices to be heard. Makes it all rather uncomfortable.

Last year my DH and I booked a short break at a top class hotel. On the Saturday night the restaurant was absolutely heaving and they had packed in extra tables. The noise level was horrendous. To make matters worse, on the next table to us was a couple who appeared to be on a first date via Tindle or similar. We gathered this from their conversation (or should I say her monologue)! She had the loudest voice I’ve ever heard as if she was talking through a megaphone, easily heard above the general cacophony in the room. All through the meal she gave him, and all around her, a running commentary of her life story, never once stopping to ask him anything about himself. Bless him, he sat there like a rabbit in the headlights. Eventually they finished their meal and he got a word in to suggest that they ask for the bill. After they’d gone my DH said ‘I hope she makes that worth it for him later’!Why do some people have no consideration for others? Needless to say we ate elsewhere the following night.

A couple of nights ago, I was in a very small restaurant (16 covers) with husband and three friends including one from Sweden. The men at the next table were so loud that we simply couldn’t hold a conversation. Eventually, I did the unthinkable and asked if they could please lower their voices - very politely to the point of obsequiousness. They unleashed a torrent of racist, threatening and obscene abuse on all of us. So I rang the police who, of course, didn’t come. We were all afraid to leave after the rowdy diners had gone. Fortunately, they weren’t. One of my friends and I are following it up with the police who asked if I would go to court. I said no, but I would like the police to speak to them. They should be easy to trace from credit cards and cctv. Thoughts?

Brilliant Madeleine 45 !

Emilymaria
any thoughts don’t hold your breath waiting.

Last time I was in hospital I was begging to go home after three nights of about three hours each - simply because of noise.
I was much improved and told the consultant that I thought the healthiest thing I could do would be to go home and get some sleep.
She discharged me.

I totally agree with the comments made about loud people! People these days have no consideration to others, they think it’s perfectly acceptable to talk as loud as they can.
Also people on buses talking on their phones. It drives me mad!
The music played in cafes is dreadful, most of the songs they play are woman shouting (you can hardly call it singing)!
Surely they can play music quieter so people can have a conversation without shouting.

We are of the age where we were taught respect for others. Doesn't happen now, about anything. Does anyone remember the saying, children should be seen but not heard?

If we are in a restaurant with family or friends and the musical is too loud, I ask for it to be turned down.
I usually point out that we are out for a meal, and we are trying to hold a conversation without shouting but it’s impossible with the volume of the music.

It usually does work but in an Italian restaurant recently, the volume was turned up again after about 15 minutes.

It got to the point where I couldn’t wait to leave.

I know l am getting old but l do agree that noise levels have increased markedly over the past twenty years or so.

You would be very pushed where l live to find a nice relaxed place to go for a quiet coffee with a friend. Pubs and cafes full of rowdy out of control children and fheir gobby parents..

I bought a pair of 30 db 3M Noise Cncelling Headphones from Screwfix which can be helpful. You can also buy the next level models

You know the ones that workmen with pnuematic drills wear, when they ate dogging up the main roads.

How about starting a cmpaign foe a quieter world?

👎🎧📯📢💨📱💣

Peace Man
Xxx

It's often the design of the place, no soft furnishings to absorb sound