Ask Amy: I am tired of people blasting their music in public – cleveland.com

Dear Amy: I live in Colorado and have young children at home, as well as a job where I am constantly bombarded by sound.

I frequent outdoor spaces seeking peace, solitude, and the quiet sounds of nature – for my mental health.

I am dismayed at the proliferation of Bluetooth speakers, large and small. They seem to be everywhere! Hiking trails, lakes, on boats and paddleboards, at the pool, while camping, even strapped to people while they are biking and skiing! Few seem concerned about the noise pollution they are inflicting on others around them.

Why do people seem not to notice or care that those around them may not wish to listen to their choice of music?

What happens if we get multiple, conflicting speakers at the same time?

I wish I could ask people to use headphones when they are alone, or at least turn down the sound so it is mostly heard by a group in a small vicinity, not everyone around them.

In the case of running or biking, they should only wear one ear bud and have the volume on low for their safety and those around them.

Is there a respectful way to ask people to either turn their music down or off so that those of us wishing for quiet can also share the space?

What do you think?

– Not Musically Inclined

Dear Not Inclined: My time on this earth has been long enough that I’ve seen two iterations of this problem – first in the ‘70s/’80s, with the rise of the mighty “boombox,” and now with the prevalence of personal Bluetooth speakers.

Back in the boombox days, cities started enacting and enforcing noise ordinances (especially on public transportation). That, and the rise of the Walkman, seemed to finally bring on the sounds of silence.

Little did any of us realize that we would look back on the last three decades as halcyon days of relative quiet.

Like you, I don’t understand the impulse to share one’s music with strangers (perhaps readers will weigh in to explain), and yet they do – contributing more noise to an already noisy world.

Yes, there is a polite way to ask someone to turn down their music (“Would you mind turning down your music?”). And yet – the important question for you to answer for yourself is whether it is safe to do so.

It seems that people who blast music while in public are finding ways to dominate the space, and it is not always wise to confront this sort of dominance.

Your town and local park system might find it appropriate to enact (or enforce) rules regarding noise pollution. You would be doing your neighbors a favor by taking up this cause to these governing bodies.

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(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)

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