Bars are too loud; restaurants are too quiet

In a typical fit of histrionics, a Slate article is declaring that the noise gap between bars and cafes is "ruining American democracy." I don't know about that, but it is definitely annoying.

I can barely even stand to be in a bar or a club anymore. The crazy noise levels are so over the top that I cringe just thinking about it. I don't enjoy trying to have a conversation by yelling directly into the ear of the person standing beside me. I get hoarse and crabby.

Worse than that, the New York Times did a survey in 2012 and found that "bars in that city regularly reached decibel levels so dangerously high that they violated federal workplace safety standards." It's one thing for the club-goers who have to make their own decisions, and can duck out whenever they get overwhelmed. But what about the bar employees? They have to stand there being subjected to dangerously high noise levels for hours at a time. That's terrible.

On the flip side, cafes and restaurants are dead silent. Maybe if you're lucky there is some polite background music, but it's never enough to provide the level of conversational isolation you want. It's hard to enjoy a dinner out with a friend or partner when you feel like everyone at the surrounding tables is eavesdropping on your every word.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could go to a bar and have a conversation with a friend? Wouldn't it be nice if you could eat dinner without being unable to tune out all the inane conversations happening around you in the silence?

I don't know if this noise gap is ruining our democracy or not, but it's definitely hampering our ability to have a good time.

Image courtesy Flickr/roeyahram