Restaurant
noise is of two types, the incidental and the intended. Incidental noise is that
which arises from the mere juxtaposition of many people in a restricted area,
the sounds of eating, of eating utensils, and of furniture. There are
restaurants in Thailand with bare concrete walls and floors, metal topped
tables, tables in close proximity, and alcaholised customers. The result is a
noise box. The effects of such noise can be hugely reduced by design. Here is
how it can be done:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/09/dining/restaurants-noise-acoustics.html?_r=0
The
story is repeated in the Bangkok Post of 21st September, but the url is not
available.
The
second kind of noise is intended by the owners of the restaurant, piped music,
in the belief that an atmosphere of jollity and relaxation requires noise. A
television at high volume may also be provided to give visual relief to those
who depend on such a stimulus. One restaurant which I have fled from includes a
live vocalist although I cannot imagine why performers are willing to compete
with the piped music and the TV, Perhaps, they follow the example of the orator
Demosthenes, who spoke in competition to the sound of waves to develop his voice
volume.
There
are two solutions to this second kind of noise, stay away from it. Or carry out
a counter offensive by printing neat cards like the following which promotes no
added noise restaurants:
