Two noisy incidents happened to me the other day. The first occurred on a commuter train. We’ve all probably noticed that in recent years the socially-acceptable amount of sound that can come from phones has increased sharply. The tinny sound of drum and bass emanating from earphones has been replaced by people watching streamed videos without headphones. Even video calls on speaker phone are seemingly tolerated. I sit on the train, shoulders hunched, grimacing like a grumpy old man and mumbling O tempore, O mores to myself.
But on this occasion, someone was playing a video on their phone at full volume. Everyone in the carriage, even those of us with headphones on, was flabbergasted. Eventually a lady got up and walked to the source of the noise. It turned out that a young mother was playing a video to her small child in a pushchair. It obviously hadn’t occurred to her that the rest of the carriage didn’t want to share the CBeebies experience.
The second incident was later that same evening. We were sitting in a concert hall listening to a classical music performance. A lady very near us had around her wrist about 30 or so silver bangles. She moved her arm constantly. It didn’t stop. And every time she did it was as if someone was jangling a bunch of keys. It was incredibly annoying. And the lady was completely oblivious. I admit that as I get older I do feel far less tolerant of what I consider to be anti-social behaviour.
Part of me thinks that sometimes my issue is less to do with noise and perhaps more to do with people. As Sartre said, hell is other people. I consider myself to be a professional extrovert and a personal introvert and I do like peace and quiet. But then I kick myself for being hypocritical. For instance, I’m perfectly happy with my own noise; it’s the noise other people make that I don’t enjoy. My leaf blower is ok but why do my neighbours use theirs when I’m trying to work.
Some might say that noise is a price that one must pay for living in a vibrant society. But I do feel that there is too much of it around. We’re bombarded with information and stuff and nonsense on a daily basis. Noise pollution is everywhere. So I find myself actively seeking out silence. I need quiet time and quiet spaces to think, relax, and reboot. I walk in the woods listening to the wind in the trees and birds singing. And I smile to myself as I’m passed by runners with earbuds who feel the need to listen to a podcast rather than the quiet sounds of nature.
Perhaps Pascal was right when he said that “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”