Indoor Voices (Rather pointless, I'll admit)

[Nzinga_Seated]

@carterba

I work with a number of Koreans, Chinese, and Indians. All of them use “indoor voice” when speaking English, but for some reason switching to their native language means they no longer feel the need to keep quiet. Not that they’re shouting, but they suddenly start talking at a volume more appropriate for a restaurant or coffee shop than an office.

And I can’t insert myself into the conversation because I don’t speak their language…

Hmm. See. This is interesting. Recently, there was a thread on these boards that asked why black people are so loud. I volunteered that maybe it just seems that way because black voices grate on some people. Those people are more sensitive to black people’s voices, maybe. It irritates them more, and therefore seems louder.

Now is it more likely that the foreign language is louder, or that it just grates on you when they won’t speak English?

[Cervaise]

@Pazu

I was sorely tempted to call that number and explain to her that he’d shared her phone number with everyone on the 38 line, but I didn’t own a cell phone at the time.

You could have written it on the back of the seat in front of you. “Dime bags, $8.00 each if you buy five! Call XXX-XXXX.”

[Troy_McClure_SF]

@Pazu

I was sorely tempted to call that number and explain to her that he’d shared her phone number with everyone on the 38 line, but I didn’t own a cell phone at the time.

Did loudmouth ever say his own number? It woulda been fun to call it and say, “Hey, shut up, you loudmouth bastard!”

(As an aside, I’ve ridden the 38 thousands of times… always fun.)

[Pazu]

@Cervaise

You could have written it on the back of the seat in front of you. “Dime bags, $8.00 each if you buy five! Call XXX-XXXX.”

Heh. Believe me, the list of fiendish possibilities that crossed my mind was extensive, but I didn’t think it would be fair to punish her for his idiocy.

Besides, I figure if she was also being loud on her end in a public place, someone else could do that.

[Pazu]

@Troy McClure SF

Did loudmouth ever say his own number? It woulda been fun to call it and say, “Hey, shut up, you loudmouth bastard!”

Now that would have been an opportunity. Alas, no.

(As an aside, I’ve ridden the 38 thousands of times… always fun.)

Oh yeah…when I first moved to SF, it was my primary mode of transit. Before I got my car, I used to take Muni every day from the outer Richmond district down to San Francisco General. 38 to downtown, then transfer to the 9 on Market Street. That was an adventure.

Even after I got the car, I generally used Muni if I wasn’t in any big hurry.

[RTFirefly]

@Pazu

Best example I’ve encountered of this particular brand of stupidity was a guy on a fairly crowded Muni (San Francisco city bus) talking to a friend on his cell phone. She* was apparently giving him her phone number.

He repeated it back, loudly. Multiple times.

Then he said, “Okay, I got it.” At which point I said, “And so do the rest of us.”

I got it, I got it
I got your number on the wall
I got it, I got it
For a good time, for a good time call…

[Autolycus]

I am not a loud talker, but I am a crescendo talker. That is, I start off normal and then get louder and louder and louder the more I keep talking. I’m aware of this though so I haven’t had any problems of note, usually just the occassional bad joke said too loud.

Good pitting!

[carterba]

@Nzinga

Hmm. See. This is interesting. Recently, there was a thread on these boards that asked why black people are so loud. I volunteered that maybe it just seems that way because black voices grate on some people. Those people are more sensitive to black people’s voices, maybe. It irritates them more, and therefore seems louder.

Now is it more likely that the foreign language is louder, or that it just grates on you when they won’t speak English?

Well, I haven’t measured the volume. I certainly understand what you’re saying, though, and I’ve wondered the same thing myself. But it really is noticeable when I’m trying to carry on a conversation with someone else at the same time. Plus, when the Koreans get together for tea in the afternoon, everyone else clears out of the room, which they generally don’t do when it’s quiet.

[Nutty_Bunny]

A couple of years ago, my husband and I were in a little restaurant, which held about 6 tables in a small space. It was supposed to be a quiet place, not a noisy family restaurant. But this guy in his late 50s or early 60s (old enough to know better) was speaking so loudly that his was the only voice we could hear. In fact, we had trouble listening to each other.

There were probably 3 other tables filled and when Mr. Noisy McYellington left with his party, all of us in the restaurant looked at each other and started laughing.

@Anaamika

Oh god, my SO’s SIL is just like this. She has this obnoxious horse laugh and this really loud voice.

Considering that you’re from Upstate NY, could this person be Rachel Ray? That’s exactly how I describe her laugh.

[Lightray]

@DoctorJ

I’ve always been a little hesitant about teaching kids the concept of the “indoor voice”, because there are plenty of situations where one does not have a roof over one’s head that are nonetheless inappropriate for howler monkey-like screaming.

Number One Nephew tried that on me when he was ~3: “But we’re outside, Uncle Lightray!”

I told him it was the voice he had to use if he didn’t want to go inside.

Fortunately, I knew it was just that developmental “let’s push the adult’s buttons” thing going on, and he knew that I knew what he was doing. So no more howler monkey at the outdoor buffet.

[descamisado]

Will someone please tell the secretary sitting next to me that the phone she’s wielding actually enhances your voice as it transmits it. It’s not a fashion accessory to held next to one’s ear as one attempts to actually shout one’s message all the way across town.

Sheesh!

But please don’t call her on the phone to tell her.

[Chimera]

About a year ago I was sitting in a Chinese restaurant when a guy at another table started speaking very loudly into his phone. Another gentleman walked over to him and asked him to take it outside, because the lot of us didn’t need to listen to it. The first man complied, then when he returned, approached the second man and apologized!
Standing on Harney Peak (SD). Too many people up there for my comfort. I walked over to another area. Horde of people notice me out there and decide that’s a good idea. Fuck! Idiot boy walks over, sits down 8’ from me, whips out his cell phone and starts screaming (literally) into it.

Hey! Guess where I am!

I walked away. A more perfect response would have been to walk up behind him, grab the phone and say “Due to severe user error, this phone will be non-functional in 5 seconds”. Then toss the thing off the side of the mountain. Alas, I didn’t have the balls to do that at the time.
Former gaming friend of mine had no indoor voice. Liked to go out for lunch. Embarassing to be sitting in a restaurant with a guy who SPOKE VERY LOUDLY AT ALL TIMES. Moreso to be not just talking D&D, but the aspects of the game that he liked to talk about. Other gaming friend and I tried to talk to him about it, but it was like talking to a wall. He just didn’t get it. So we stopped going out to lunch with him. After close to a year of that avoidance, with repeated shushings and discussions about voice levels and nearby persons (honestly, the kids at the table do not need to listen to you talk about killing things!), he finally, at very long last, got the clue.