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What noises irritate you?

 
steward
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I remember someone telling me that scratching on a chalkboard irritated them.  Who scratching on a chalkboard?

Other noise that bother folks might include car alarms, squeaky doors, high-pitched screeching, and/or crying children.

Crying children might bother me though I am never around them if I can help it.

There are certain sound effects or music in movies that bother me.

Dear hubby watches TV all day and I am not fond of the kind of movies he watches.  

So what kind of noises bother you?




 
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I'm very prone to sensory overwhelm, much of the time...

Children crying may or may not irritate me, depending on how long it goes on, *how & why* the child is crying, as well as their age. If they're over 2 and caterwalling because they've been told 'no', I lose patience far more quickly than if it's an injury, or if they're under two, hungry &/or tired. An adult baby-talking to the former is also FAR more irritating than the same adult baby-talking to the latter.

John's tv & video preferences - and the volume he prefers - also can be grating.

Certain music can drive me to the brink, but the vast majority, I love.

The damn racetrack (that wasn't here, when we bought this place), 5 miles down the (otherwise very quiet) road, all day on Saturday & Sunday mornings invades my peace and ticks me off ROYALLY, as does the (often badly done) live music from the new campground, a mile away, that overpowers my own, every Friday & Saturday night, all summer.

People smacking their lips, as they chew. It can (if it goes on) actually nauseate me to the point of losing my appetite, even if I felt very hungry, before.

My dogs digging, in the house. It's partly about the potential damage, but it's equally the noise.

Anything very repetitive (after 3 or 4 times, I'm truly DONE), high-pitched, or... loud growly/screamy (is this a new word?) - which takes me back to certain music, btw.

When I fear I'll reach the overwhelm, I usually either use earplugs, noise-cancelling headphones, with my own music, or find some other means to distract myself, so I don't start growling at people.
 
gardener
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We have a Riccar vacuum cleaner which sets my teeth on edge.  I'm sure it wasn't always that bad, so it's probably time for some exploratory surgery and a parts order.  My dad's old Kirby Heritage II, which is hoary with age, is whisper quiet, in comparison.  Clearly something is amiss, but I haven't gotten to it yet.  For the moment, it may be scaring the cat hair into the collection bag!
 
pollinator
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Metal forks, knives, and spoons scraping on people's teeth or on each other. It gives me the chills, like some people say nails on a chalkboard might do to them. It's not just a sound, it's a feeling that actually makes me cringe and gives me goosebumps. It has prevented me from going to the dentist because they clean your teeth with metal implements. I just got the chills 3 times writing this!
 
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Pretty much all of them.

TVs, cars, motorcycles, children playing or people talking very loud in front of my door, crying children, people upstairs.
I don't mind vacuums, and power tools if I have hearing protection, or cars if they don't change pitch much.

I have cat ears and hear everything, whether I want or not.

The last thing that really irritated me was two mechanical clocks out of sync with one of them having a strong echo from a wall, resulting in 3 distinct ticks each second. I had to stop the one causing the echo.
 
master pollinator
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Any kind of loud machinery/appliances.  Vacuums, chainsaws, lawnmowers, leafblowers, smoke detectors, car alarms.

Loud noises that don't bother me:  People sounds, you know like noisy kids playing, or noisy adults visiting and having fun.

Music is good unless its too loud, like dive bar concert loud, but that's why I've got emergency earplugs in my purse so I can enjoy music even if the amp is too loud at the concert.

 
master gardener
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I have some sensory processing "disorder" issues and so lots of noises bother me.

The noise that bother me the most and most frequently is engines. I fucking hate engines and motorsports and (certain) neighbors.
 
pollinator
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Absolute worst is the sound of the lid of a styrofoam cooler squeaking against the cooler.  I could lose my mind listening to that.
 
Carla Burke
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I notice that many of these sounds are difficult to avoid. So, what is everyone doing to mitigate the irritation? Ear plugs can be a great help. Avoiding the places can be a good way to go. But, (rather than simply grumbling & living with it) what other strategies have you developed for dealing with the noises that bother you, when you can't avoid it or use ear plugs?

Edited to add: One thing I do, is if, for example, the problem is a caterwalling child, as I described above, I'll watch for a couple minutes, and if it seems like it would be welcomed - or at least not anger the adult with the child, I might talk gently to the child. 'You seem to be having a rough time, huh? I wonder if it's going to rain, today - what do you think?' Almost anything a stranger says to a child will get their attention, and stop the noise, simply because they're not expecting it. One little boy - maybe 4yrs old - was screaming and running from his obviously frazzled mom, running around and around a display, to escape her. After watching for a minute, as she went one direction, and he was about to turn again, and go the other direction, I stepped in front of him, and gently, but firmly said, "oh no you don't. You go back to your mom, right now." He was startled into immediately quieting and going straight back to her. The poor woman breathed a sigh of relief, and got hold of him, and strapped him into the shopping cart, as she thanked me, profusely.
 
Steward of piddlers
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Carla Burke wrote:I notice that many of these sounds are difficult to avoid. So, what is everyone doing to mitigate the irritation? Ear plugs can be a great help. Avoiding the places can be a good way to go. But, (rather than simply grumbling & living with it) what strategies have you developed for dealing with the noises that bother you, when you can't avoid it or use ear plugs?



I have been really fond of the noise cancelling technology certain headphones have these days. It is amazing how some can filter normal conversation to audible levels but cut out anything loud. If the wife or I are going to be particularly loud we utilize these technologies. Now comes the quick safety note. Most noise canceling headphones are not a substitute for actual hearing protection if the noise level is high enough to cause hearing loss/damage. I'd steer you to hearing protection products if you are planning on running a chainsaw or something similar.

I'm also a fan of background music in my house when possible. I have a record player, some audio equipment, as well as sometimes just singing something random while tootling along. Sometimes having something to focus on can help not pay attention to things that are more bothersome.
 
Carla Burke
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Timothy Norton wrote:I have been really fond of the noise cancelling technology certain headphones have these days. It is amazing how some can filter normal conversation to audible levels but cut out anything loud. If the wife or I are going to be particularly loud we utilize these technologies. Now comes the quick safety note. Most noise canceling headphones are not a substitute for actual hearing protection if the noise level is high enough to cause hearing loss/damage. I'd steer you to hearing protection products if you are planning on running a chainsaw or something similar.

I'm also a fan of background music in my house when possible. I have a record player, some audio equipment, as well as sometimes just singing something random while tootling along. Sometimes having something to focus on can help not pay attention to things that are more bothersome.



I agree, on all points, and now you have me wondering if my 'ears' for shooting could help. They're designed to allow normal talking sounds, but cancel loud sounds. I know they work amazingly well for gunfire, but I'm not sure about vacuum cleaners, loud machinery, etc.
 
Kim Wills
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It also insanely bothers me when I can FEEL a noise. In the last place I lived in NJ, I could hear and feel deep noises like airplanes, helicopters, and music from cars outside. I lived near a high school, and a handful of kids prided themselves on having the loudest car engines or audio systems. When I can feel a vibration from a sound in my chest, it is disturbing to me, as if I am being invaded. That might sound extreme, but the truth is, something (someone else's sound waves) is entering my body without my permission. It feels very invasive, and I feel angry and resentful, particularly when I'm in my own home and I don't even have windows open!

This image is from a fibtit I wore to sleep for a while. The numbers to the right are my heart rate while sleeping. The bass from the car outside was SO loud that the thudding in my chest from it is what woke me up. My bedroom was at the back of the house, 2nd floor, with all windows and doors shut. The windows would vibrate. I made this graphic to post in my town group for those who think people are just "Karens" and we should just get over it and let kids be kids. No, that kid's music physically affected me, and mentally affected me by waking me up startled on random days. That is no way to live, and I am SO glad I am moving!
fitbitHeartCarMusic.jpg
[Thumbnail for fitbitHeartCarMusic.jpg]
 
pollinator
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Gunshots, generators, people chewing and swallowing, ice clinking around in a glass, the sound of pouring liquids (especially via mic/speaker on tv ads).
 
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Squeaking shoes, like when it's wet outside and all the (boys usually) in the high school constantly squeak through the halls. I can't watch basketball because of that sound.
 
Steward and Man of Many Mushrooms
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The bathroom fan in my master bath.  It rattles incessantly.  I am tall enough that while showering I can reach up and tap it enough to calm it down, but my wife, being a full 14 inches shorter than I am can't possibly do the same.  When she takes a shower, the fan starts to rattle, and then the rattle gets worse.  Since she takes longer showers than I do (thanks to the fact that my hair never gets more than 1/4 inch long), the rattling gets pretty loud.  And when she is done, the fan kinda needs to stay on to vent out the bathroom--and the rattling gets worse still.  In the mornings, inevitably, I am the one who turns off the shower fan, not her.


GRRRRRRR!!!


Eric
 
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I haven't remained bothered by any sound after recognizing its unpleasantness is fully expressed in the sensation, to which I am not compelled to add irritation. I must bother myself to manufacture irritation, and I have no cause to do so.

When I remember I may at any time lose my ability to hear anything, practicing gratitude, my list of pleasant sounds expands to everything I hear in the present.

That said, I bother myself most over the sounds of willful ignorance and denial of responsibility.
 
Kim Wills
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Eric Hanson wrote:The bathroom fan in my master bath.  It rattles incessantly.  I am tall enough that while showering I can reach up and tap it enough to calm it down, but my wife, being a full 14 inches shorter than I am can't possibly do the same.  When she takes a shower, the fan starts to rattle, and then the rattle gets worse.  Since she takes longer showers than I do (thanks to the fact that my hair never gets more than 1/4 inch long), the rattling gets pretty loud.  And when she is done, the fan kinda needs to stay on to vent out the bathroom--and the rattling gets worse still.  In the mornings, inevitably, I am the one who turns off the shower fan, not her.


GRRRRRRR!!!


Eric



omg, I want to come fix it for you so badly! My husband and I repair & renovate houses and he is currently wondering which airport is nearest to you 🤣 Ok, kidding, but he mentioned 3 possible reasons for the rattle and basically you need to label a jar "F A N" and put a slit in the top and start saving for a new one before you go insane. 1-2 of the reasons for the rattle mean it's going to stop working one day anyway, so face it and start saying your goodbyes!

Ooh! Or get a corner door fan. It's a triangular fan the size of your hand that hangs on a screw on the top corner of the doorway; you have to plug it in. We got one at a thrift store for about $5 and use it in winter to bring heat out of the kitchen into the rest of the house. It's brilliant. Use that instead of the rattley one if a proper replacement isn't in the near future. Any fan will do, really. That amount of moisture being spread out into several other rooms won't hurt anything. You just need it to not condense on the walls of the bathroom.
 
Eric Hanson
Steward and Man of Many Mushrooms
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Kim, your post made me smile!

To be clear, the actual fan itself is fine.  But the plastic cover that diffuses the light does not sit tightly.  It is only held in by little built-in clips and the cover is too small to fit the receptacle.  Maybe I could caulk it in place or just jam something in the space between the cover and the receptacle and it would stop?  I don't know.  However, I appreciate that you seem to understand just how annoying a rattling shower fan can be!

Thanks!

Eric
 
master steward
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I am one of those humans who isn't good at filtering and ignoring background noises. As with Eric, fans are a biggie.

I have regular headphones, noise cancelling headphones and my son's Peltor Safety Over the ear protectors are within easy reach of the kitchen. I *can't* use those foamy in the ear plugs as my ear canals are too small (seriously - go figure - but it's the truth).

Similar to what was mentioned above, our ancient but effective vacuum cleaner, is at the Peltor stage. Droning sorts of noises which interfere with my concentration like the dehumidifier,  get the noise cancelling treatment.

But also, I just know that the time will come, when whatever is bugging me needs to be turned off, or I need to go elsewhere. Ear protection only goes so far, first because it may mean that I also don't hear other things that I need to hear, second because they put pressure on my TMJ ( the joint where the jaw meets the skull) and third because I actually *need* to concentrate on something complicated or new and need quiet to do so.

So far as neighbors are concerned, barky dogs are a bit of a pet peeve. (sorry... couldn't resists the pun). Dogs can be taught to only bark as a warning, then shut up. Many people have no clue how noisy their dogs can be when they aren't home.
 
pollinator
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Chalkboard squeaks are number one in my list. Hated the sound even as a first grader back in the dark ages. It not only "hurt" my ears, but it sent a shivering cringe through my body.

The most dreaded sound right now is the sound of a cat puking up a hairball in my bedroom at 1 o’clock in the morning, especially if said cat is sleeping on my bed. YIKES !
 
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I’m always irritated when I hear my neighbor’s voice in the backyard playing with his kids. He’s got a very loud projecting voice and he’s often screaming with the children. I don’t care about the kids playing that’s a good sound but him, it’s so annoying because he knows he can be a bit more quieter when he speaks.

One of the big reasons why I wanna move out of the city, I don’t want neighbours.
 
gardener
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Windshield wipers and turn signal noises in cars drive me crazy.
My next I apologize for in advance:  Brass instruments and horn-type musical instruments.
   
    Screeching saxophones, marching bands, don't-even-mention-bagpipes, and forgive me, the endless horn instrumentals at the end of songs by the band Chicago.  Flutes and piccolos are okay, I can tolerate some Clarence Clemons, and I can tolerate some sax within Blues music, but in general the sound almost starts to hurt me after a few minutes.  String instruments I love.

   


 
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I don't know if this is the most irritating or funniest noise.  As it always has me laughing by the end.

Once a year, my nighbour pressure washes his moose.

It's a 1/8th size cement moose.  Nothing fancy, and as close to our property line (and bedrooms) as one can get on his side.  

This is also one of the most frustrating tasks of his year.  I know this because the amount of swearing is something that would make Quentin Tarantino stop and take note.  The volume of the swearing is considerably louder than the muffler-less pressure washer and the sheep that get scared by it.

If it was just that, I would find it extremely irritating.  

And yet.  There's more.

This morning was moose wash day.  He tries for pre-dawn as soon as it's light enough to see his moose.  As early as possible to annoy us.  Most of those in the house are hard of hearing and cannot hear it.  Me, insomnia doesn't just mean staying up way too late, it also means waking up before 4am (aka, at least two hours before moose time).  I just don't turn the lights on for the first few hours, so I think he thinks I'm sleeping.  And he's going to take joy in waking me up.  

So that's a bit of a chuckle that he goes to so much length to cause us grief and it doesn't.  

But wait, there's more.

He curses with each back splash from the pressure washer.  More and more anger at how wet he's getting from the splashing of his spray on moose.  It's a very traumatic job for him and made more so because no one is forcing him to have a moose or wash it once a year.  It's his choice.

Oh, I forgot to mention...

All this stress of getting wet from the moose spray is useless.  It's raining cats and dogs, and only stops raining about 2 hours later when he's packing up from pressure washing his moose.

So yep, I'm not a fan of the sounds of humans being loudly angry.  But also this one guy makes me laugh so hard as he's trying everything he can to make us unhappy.  From the sounds of it, he seems to have made himself less happy for the effort.  


 
Susan Mené
gardener
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You had me laughing at "Once a year, my nighbour pressure washes his moose."
Great story.
 
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Tannerite. I like fireworks and enjoy some target practice but exploding targets are just a complete waste of resources. And the stuff is pretty darn expensive.
 
pollinator
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r ranson wrote:Once a year, my nighbour pressure washes his moose.


Priceless!!! I doff my chapeau with a flourish. No way I can top that.
 
Douglas Alpenstock
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Regarding the OP, these days anything said by any politician anywhere sets my teeth on edge. Get me to my garden before I blow a gasket.
 
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