You’ve certainly had the experience. Sitting quietly, reading or browsing the web, when suddenly a sound comes out of nowhere. You’re puzzled for a second, before realising someone is playing a movie or listening to music on their phone. Loudly!
Good manners have apparently gone the way of the dinosaurs. Apparently it is increasingly acceptable to make as much noise as you want, and be damned if it bothers anyone around you. After all, they can move away, right?
Sounding Off About Sound
At first glance, you might think I’m having a shot at the cohort of humans that have been tarred with the millennial tag. They certainly are known for whipping out a phone at the airport and showing off videos to their friends at full volume.
However, it is not limited to those people. Middle aged business people (and it’s usually the men) seem to think that wandering around an airline lounge speaking at full volume is perfectly reasonable. Apart from the confidentiality issues, it’s also really annoying for those it is being inflicted upon.
Just as bad are those parents to hand their toddler an iPad and let them go ahead and watch whatever they want with it. I get it, you want a break from your kid and a device is the baby sitter who doesn’t complain. Even so, the squealing of Peppa Pig nearby is not my idea of a good time.
Earphones and Headphones
Earphones and headphones have been around since before I was born. Why people think it’s okay not to use them in crowded places is baffling.
Overall Thoughts
More people should speak out when they are being assaulted by sound. Reasonable people will turn it down, turn it off, or put on some headphones. Business people doing the wander should be advised to leave the room for their conversations.
All round it’s just something that should not happen. Common courtesy is lacking in some people, which is a real shame here in the 21st century.
Have you experienced people being oblivious to the noise they are making in airports, airline lounges or on flights? What happened and did you do anything about it? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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I agree with you completely. Back in the 80’s the principle offenders were boom boxes and car stereos. Car stereos can still be an issue but with all sound gripes there is always an exception or two. Well maybe just one:
There’s a guy in my area of town with a black convertible and a pretty good sound system. Probably around 50-60 years of age. Every so often I’ll be in the neighborhood and he’ll drive by with the sound up. He’s never blasting rap or metal or classic rock or country etc. It’s always old novelty songs like “Witch Doctor”, the theme song from the “Batman” tv show, old commercial jingles and old Spike Jones stuff from the 40’s.
His quirky taste usually brings a little smile to my face. When he drove by the other day he was cranking “Puppy Love” by Donny Osmond. Well THAT made me feel 6 years old again, in the best possible way.
But the rest of you don’t have that level of “taste” so turn that mess DOWN! 😉
I’ve never really been bothered by car stereos, probably because they are moving targets, so any kind of noise very quickly passes. I tend to also be one to play music very loudly when I am driving, but since I haven’t had a car in years, that no longer happens. Still, when I hire one, I’ll happily play tunes as loudly as possible!
You are right though, the issue has been around to one extent or another for a long time. Though nowadays it’s more prevalent due to everyone having a “speaker” with them. Thanks for the comment!
“Excuse me, you need to go away with that”. I’ve done it a hundred times, nobody has ever given me any pushback. Some times a nice glare works too. People so ignorant as to make noise in a public place deserve VERY LITTLE sympathy, acceptance or tolerance. They’re just stupid and self-centered. GO AWAY. THANK YOU.
Great to hear that tactic works like a charm. That’s a really good way to put it as well, because it’s not telling them they can’t do it, but it’s directing them what to do. I like it! Thanks for the comment!
It’s awful and everywhere. People seem to have no sense of decency. I was in the executive lounge at the Hilton Berlin and there were a couple of mid 20s young men in there watching a movie on a phone at FULL volume. They seemed to be oblivious that they were in a public (and actually an exclusive) place. It’s everywhere in public. I was happy when Sprint was able to kill of those horrid Nextel phones where people would scream into them full volume. But we have gone back to that nowadays. It is really disturbing how little decency people have these days.
That’s the height of rudeness really, isn’t it? Maybe they need to start making dual or triple headphones for people who want to crowd around a phone and watch a movie. I mean really, why would you anyway, the screen is far too small. Crazy times we live in! Thanks for the comment!
Happened on both a BART platform and then a BART train last week. Someone dumped their unneeded chair in our common area, and now the HOA will get to foot the bill to have it removed (if they would have called the garbage company, they could have arranged to have it picked up for free if they would have just waited a week or two for an appointment). Or the almost constant reports of car break ins and vandalism in our area. The quality of people is just deteriorating, from the top to the bottom
It’s just selfish behaviour pure and simple. It’s amazing how there hasn’t been some public service campaign to educate people on what is and isn’t acceptable. We can only hope! Thanks for the comment!
I would LOVE someone to weigh in on why they do this and what their counter argument is. So freaking rude…its everywhere, Starbucks grocery stores on planes, etc
Hahaha you and me both!! Let’s hope someone does!
Doesn’t seem to be limited to flights and lounges either. For me it’s always at the local cafe/coffee shop where there’s people who will play things on their phone at full blast. Personal rule, if your voice/device’s volume is higher than the ambient music, then it’s too loud.
I dunno if it’s because of the small size of phone speakers, but they tend to emit in a frequency range that hurts my ears compared to a good set of PC or component speakers.
I always carry a set of cheap earphones in my tablet bag just in case I need to listen to something on it or on my phone. If I know I’m going to be listening to something ahead of time (ie: public transportation, lounge, waiting for my car at the shop, etc), then my Bose noise cancellers come with me.
I also come across it more at coffee shops and what not, that is true. Your personal rule is right, if it’s louder than the ambient sound, it’s too loud. I always have my earphones with me, because I tend to walk everywhere with them in. Even if I didn’t, like you, it is easy to carry them around just in case. My real headphones stay at home, because their design means great sound, but I look really funny in them 😛 Thanks for the comment!
I agree that this has been an increasing and annoying trend. In restaurants, in the lounge, etc.
For quite a while now the notion that “don’t worry what others think as long as it makes you happy” has become the norm and has morphed into “as long as I am not physically hurting you I should be able to do what I like and if you don’t like it, it’s your problem”.
This seems to be accelerated by the fact that folks who are meant to manage a particular space are reluctant to discourage the behavior. I was recently at the SQ lounge at SIN where several people were having a video chat with the speaker at full tilt. How I wished that one of the lounge staff would have politely asked them to mute their speakerphone or moved somewhere more appropriate.
You are right in what it has morphed into. I’m sorry, but if your noise is causing me annoyance, you’re hurting me in one way or another. I would have been raging at those people in the SQ lounge on their video chat. Seriously?! That is pretty poor behaviour all round. I really don’t get the gall of some people. It wouldn’t even cross my mind to do something like that. Even a phone call results in me speaking really quietly and trying to end the call fast in case of disturbing others. It takes all types, I suppose! Thanks for the comment!
Totally agree. The disrespect and lack of consideration for others is mindboggling. I used to tell people to turn it off, just to watch them get indignant and agressive. Then I got close to them and played some annoying punk rock on speaker. Now I either move or just give up. The low class growth in this country has won.
It really is mind boggling! Why people would get indignant or aggressive is beyond me. You’re clearly being a nuisance in public, so stop it. I do wonder how these people think it’s quite alright to do that. I like your punk rock response though! Would have loved to have seen that. Thanks for the comment!