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Comment by danepowell | Hacker News Reader

I'm surprised the article didn't recommend the simplest solution for individuals, which is to use ear plugs. Nowadays you can get versions that are tiny and flesh-colored, i.e. nearly invisible. I felt a little dorky wearing them at first, but they make a world of difference, and I've seen other people start to wear them as well.

Obviously this doesn't exactly address the root of the problem, which is that restaurants shouldn't require the kind of PPE that you'd have at a concert venue.

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A much simpler solution is to leave a restaurant if it's too loud. Alas this article that talks about "how to fight back" omits these simple obvious solutions.

Yes! A few years ago I quit going to a restaurant I liked because it was so noisy. I'd leave with a headache and felt like I couldn't carry on a conversation.

Vote with your feet and wallet.

If people don't give precise feedback why they are leaving, nothing will change.

Start by asking the staff to turn down the music. Then ask the manager. When it is still too loud, tell the manager why on the way out. And then leave negative reviews about the noise on Trip Advisor and Yelp...

I carry high fidelity ear plugs that cut noise levels by about 15 decibels. These can be good for some restaurants, churches, and stores where noise levels are high but you still wish to hear people around you. Flesh-colored foam ear plugs can block 30+ decibels and are great for places with extreme volumes.

Have some high fidelity ear plugs myself. The hi-fi goes a long way!

I wear them in the car, in the bus, on the train, at a loud restaurant (can still hear friends), at concerts, in the datacenter.

I never expected them to be so comfortable. It feels completely natural now to pop them in if I'm feeling like the enviornmental sounds are higher than desirable.

Mine are 20db

Are there any with good carrying cases along the lines of apple airpods? I can fit those in my pocket and forget about them. Would love to do the same with some hife earplugs. (Have never tried any but they sound great)

mine (etymotic) came with a small squeeze to open coin-pouch thing, maybe 5cm by 8cm. it disappears pretty well into a jeans pocket.

expect to pay 100-200 for custom molded ones. if you want inexpensive ones that are still pretty decent and low profile, I recommend Hearos. barely visible when they're in.

Mine come in a small aluminum tube. It's awesome, and it's got a spare in a second compartment.

https://www.earpeace.com/

Alpine Partyplugs come with a small keychain case that I carry wherever I go. So if we are going out with work and it's loud I can just plug them in discretely. Most of the time they don't even notice. The name is cheesy but the plugs are good. I have tinnitus in one ear (from loud headphones and stupid overconfidence) and refuse to get it in the other one.

Thank you, these look great! Ordered some.

I guess that works if you don't intend to hold a conversation. Maybe an even better however unrealistic solution is for people that want their dinner accompanied by loud music to bring headphones.

Agree with this recommendation! The ones I have came with a case that attaches to my keychain, so I always have them available nearby and don't have to worry about forgetting them. They're also useful when walking past construction noise.

What type do you have? Sounds convenient.

I quite often wear the orange Max ear plugs my Dad acquired bushels of over the years as a logger and diesel mechanic, at work when people are talking excessively loud next door, or the general buzz of conversation gets overwhelming. I'm not sure if there's anything special about them, but they seem to do a really great job of cutting out the frequencies that make up background noise, while still allowing you to hear people that are talking directly to you.

I use 3M pro earplugs in large quantity every year. I have a clean pair for every day.

Would you care sharing more details about your favorite brand? (ex: exact model)

I think that they are these[1]. At least that is the same design; the flared-out base fills the ear and stays in better than most others I've seen. I'm not totally sure on the model; the plant my Dad worked at had huge boxes of the things everywhere, so you'd pick up a couple new pair every day. They survive going through the washing machine, so my mother accumulated coffee cans full of them that were left in pockets over the years.

[1] https://www.honeywellsafety.com/Products/Hearing/Hearing_Pro...

Hearos extreme, the blue ones. I tested many, these were the best for me.

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