The sounds of silence...Comment by David Batzofin

The Sounds of Silence…Simon and Garfunkel sang about it in 1964,but try finding silence in 2008.
Noise surrounds us on a daily basis and we have become so accustomed to it that we don’t even notice it until it gets us annoyed.

Recently I was sitting in a coffee shop enjoying my cappuccino and reading the paper when BANG on came the music at levels that almost made me jump out of my seat. Why did it have to be turned on? No one had complained that there was a lack of music or that it was too quiet. But the staff had decided that they needed some to entertain themselves.
Aside from the actual music, there is the level at which it is played. At a large family restaurant recently it was almost empty on our arrival. The music was playing at a manageable level but as more people arrived, the staff cranked the levels so that the music got louder and louder. My plea to turn the volume down was met with blank stares and looks of disdain. More often than not they pretend that they don’t know where the cd player is or how to turn the volume down. Sometimes I will be lucky enough to find a staff member who can actually reduce the aural pollution …only to have some cretin turn it back up moments later. I have friends who have walked out of restaurants for this very reason.
But is not only while we eat that panpipes or ghastly elevator piano music assails us.
Shopping malls, elevators, supermarkets and even public toilets have Tannoy systems playing music that will keep your teeth on edge. And should you actually be enjoying the music, you can be certain that a “Special on aisle 7” announcement will disrupt your reverie.
What about the music in fast food outlets? I understand that the staff has to listen to something, but should the music not be designed to attract customers? The thumpa-thumpa of a bass beat at near distortion levels is enough to make me head for the nearest exit.
Strangely enough airport terminals do not seem to play music, but the announcements are an aural version of a doctor’s handwriting, totally incomprehensible. Train stations and airports spend billions on upgrades but the sound system seems to come from some second hand stall at a flea market.
How many times have you had the electronic version of “Yellow Rose of Texas” played while waiting for a call to be answered? Only once have I ever asked to be put back on hold as the company was using some great jazz music. But this is the exception rather than the rule.
With everyone seemingly concerned with Global warming and what pollution is going to do to our planet, I think it is time to clear the air and actually be able to have a conversation in a public place.
We have the right to reclaim our silence!