Noisy people

I often go with friends for coffee or lunch and we simply cannot find a venue where we can hear ourselves speak. Noise is a major problem today, just cannot get away from loud voices and screaming uncontrolled children. On top of that, prices in cafes and restaurants have gone through the roof. Over £4 for a slice of what, is sometimes less than fresh, cake or stale scone. I no longer buy these items, just have a coffee and a small.packet of biscuits, inspecting them to make sure they are not broken, which often they are!

They are hell when you’re stuck in hospital with them!

My DGD is autistic and hates loud noises. In a restaurant recently two couples on the next table were very vocal and I could see her becoming stressed. Luckily they left and it went quiet. Why do some people have to shout when they talk. Also recently in a supermarket doing my weekly shop we had to listen to a child screaming for the whole time we were there. In my day the child would have been taken out of the store until it either calmed down or been taken home. The mother walked round as if she couldn’t hear anything. Total inconsideration for fellow shoppers.

I love the sound of children, and my neighbors next door and behind have them out playing. It is the one 2 doors down who sits out and talks loudly on her phone while the child has an ear-splitting scream both when she is happy and when she is not getting her own way.
Teens do not actually speak to each other, they sist beside each other and text.
But it does seem the adults no longer have volume control. Is it because they have lost the ability to notice those around them? I get fed up with people walking in to me, stopping and changing direction without warning or checking too.

I think it is also partly that public spaces have hard wipe-clean floors and no sound-deadening fabrics.

I rarely go out anymore too as it's so noisy. Unfortunately we have had a DIY enthusiast move in next door so even home isn't a haven anymore. I put in my earphones and listen to a book.

OMG yes!

I know this woman, in her 60s, a part-time bakery worker who is absolutely lovely, but she's got one of those huge, overly noisy voices that's like a load of bagpipes on their death throes in a sack and being dragged over rough cobblestones, you can hear her from miles away, her voice makes her sound like she's being tortured!

When I was driving Double Decker buses, and I could hear the teens on the top deck at the back having ''shouting'' conversations - literally sat next to each other but shouting at each other instead of actually talking normally, and this was with the noise from my cab, the entire bus, various passengers and outside noises like traffic, etc.!

Thankfully, our local Fine Dine Indian Restaurant is brilliant with that. If anyone/group gets overly noisy, one of the staff politely requests they tone it down, and if not, they're asked to leave! The same happens when kids are screaming; the staff will politely but firmly speak to the parents.

In shops and other places where they yak on their phones extremely loudly, even passwords and bank details!

Our local library is good, it's only a small one, and the staff won't tolerate noisy voices. Even in the kids' section, they try to keep the noise down.

Sadly, we've become a society of ''listen to me, everyone, I'm extremely important!''

Les1950

We have new neighbours with a lot of children. Over the holidays they screamed constantly. If ever they were in real trouble no- one would take any notice. Also very noisy in cafes. There is a group of us who go for coffee, and I am sorry to say one of our group is very loud, but no-one knows how to tell her without upsetting her.

I was always loud as a child but learned eventually to tone it down a bit. Still louder than most people. Then I married a guy with slight hearing loss that got worse over the years we were married. So I got louder. He did eventually get hearing aids (stubborn) but by that time my voice had returned to its louder level. I know I get loud when I'm enthusiastic over a subject or excited. My friends quite kindly ask me to tone it down. Most of them understand I don't do it on purpose. Sometimes its not so kindly done but a bit sarcastic but I also understand.

Sorry to say but it always seems as if it's women in company with men that make the most noise!!! It gets on my nerves!!!

We have created a world where both mums and dads work. We are living in a world where the rich can avoid tax and and these people have to work long hours and support the NHS and the councils and really children have very little parental time. These parents are making up the tax which Farage, Tice and his kind avoid. Tax paid by companies is very much reduced as most of our companies are foreign owned. Our culture is changing because we have huge differences in wealth, and the working parents are bearing the brunt of it.

Lovely soft furnishings in the restaurant where Americans assaulted our ears!

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

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

Emilymaria
any thoughts don’t hold your breath waiting.

Brilliant Madeleine 45 !

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?

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.

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.

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?

It’s because of low ceilings!!

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

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.