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> - Younger people are less sensitive to noise, go out more, and generally don't understand how distressful it can be

When I was younger I lived in a large shared house, constant activity and people coming and going, music always playing, I loved it then.

Now I live in a very soundproof apartment, literally never hear anyone else (our neighbours right next door had a party until 4am with loud music, etc. We didn't hear a thing). I love this now.

As I get older I've gotten more and more sensitive to other people's noise. I find people playing bluetooth devices to be acutely, intensely, irritating. I can't just ignore it, it annoys and distracts me too much.

I've become that grumpy guy who asks people to turn their music down or wear headphones (almost always a negative experience for everyone involved). I talk to management at restaurants and pubs and ask them to turn the music down (mixed results on that one). I have taken a table at restaurants and then walked away because the music is too loud.

It is weird, because this is my reaction to the situation, so I'm responsible for it. A city is not a quiet space, and we can't really expect it to be. But at the same time, the lack of consideration for others is shocking. Walking around playing music on speaker is basically saying to everyone "f*ck you, I'm more important than all of you".

>It is weird, because this is my reaction to the situation, so I'm responsible for it. A city is not a quiet space, and we can't really expect it to be. But at the same time, the lack of consideration for others is shocking. Walking around playing music on speaker is basically saying to everyone "f*ck you, I'm more important than all of you".

It's the subway/train/restaurant usage of phones to spool Tiktok/IG shorts with the sound on, and other noise, that I find maddeningly annoying.

But everything (in the US at least) is very loud, including restaurants. I don't understand why. It's far less likely to happen in W European capitals. As if Americans are extremely loud and love to be engulfed in constant noise. At least, the US and I'd say much of the Caribbean is like this as well.

Is it because we're old that we're bothered? Have things gotten worse? Did we or It change?

good question. I assume it's me, because it's my reaction. But I could be wrong

> Now I live in a very soundproof apartment, literally never hear anyone else (our neighbours right next door had a party until 4am with loud music, etc. We didn't hear a thing). I love this now.

Unless your soundproofing is thicker than the bass sound wavelength (10m+) it's not physically possible.

I know people who live in standalone houses and complain about people across the street having parties because bass vibrations come over

It's all very psychological. Good for you though

kids screaming at each other is my psychological breaking point. My sister's fully-detached, really-nice house has neighbours with post-toddler kids that enjoy screaming at each other. It doesn't bother her. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard for me

> A city is not a quiet space, and we can't really expect it to be.

Why? It’s one thing when it is completely silent – that would be absurd –but when it is full of noise pollution? Rude, loud people, constant shitty music blaring out of every spot.

Construction noise, traffic noise, conversations, people being people, etc. It's not a quiet space and we can't really expect it to be.

But I agree, that doesn't give everyone carte blanche to be a cunt.

> The problem is that bass music travels through everything.

It’s not just bass tones—low-frequency vibrations travel through everything. I live in a five-story pre-WWII building, and sometimes, when a neighbor runs their washing machine early on a Saturday morning, I don’t even hear the spin cycle. I just feel it, lying in bed trying to squeeze in a little more sleep. It’s an odd sensation, not painful, but definitely not pleasant.

Can’t they put those damper things?

There are a few topics that illicit this kind of response. I've lived in apartments/condos ever since I moved out of my parents' home, and living through Covid in an apartment was the nail in the coffin. My wife and I decided we would not live in a shared building again - at minimum, we'd only look for places that have a private entrance.

Based on the behavior of real estate in our area (high density suburbs of NYC), I don't think we're the only ones? Condo prices have either fallen or remained static while SFH have skyrocketed.

I also can't stand noise and in my case the solution was to find a two storey apartment at the top floors. They're fairly common in my city.

Another thing that happened by itself was my neighbour with whom I shared several walls moving out. His landlord put the apartment up for sale, but a year later there are still no takers.

I'm seriously considering buying it if only to keep it empty and my place peaceful.

Or buy it and be able to decide who the tenant is, instead of random strangers.

> - Younger people are less sensitive to noise, go out more, and generally don't understand how distressful it can be

Nonsense. This has 100% to do with manners and how your parents taught you. When I grew up making a noise in an apartment was a grave offense, because you make a nuisance for your parents and neighbors.

> - Some people are light sleepers as well as get cognitively overloaded, needing relatively quiet environments to relax. People like me are in a tiny minority.

Double nonsense. I don’t have statistics, but given how bad modern mental health is, I don’t buy that only a tiny minority has problems with sleep.

> - Cities are the future, they're the greener option, and you're supposed to prefer the dense apartment life instead of the car one, on ethical grounds.

You should’ve started with this. I would’ve just skipped the whole message. Complete, utter nonsense.

Unless you believe in the “eat-ze-bug” future, the greener option is to:

- reproduce less

- raise living standards

- drastically increase productivity so we don’t need so many people

- AI + Space exploration

If I'd read 'AI' first instead of last, I'd have stopped reading there.