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To celebrate this year’s Make a Noise in Libraries Week, the national charity, National Library for the Blind (NLB) have revealed the top ten most annoying noises as voted for by Britain’s librarians. In Make a Noise in Libraries Week, NLB encourages its members and visually impaired people across the UK to make a noise about the services they want from their local public library.
1 mobile phone tunes
2 people playing their music too loudly
3 people discussing personal issues in public
4 second hand music from next door
5 small children screaming
6 car/house alarms
7 revving engines
8 dogs barking
9 sniffing
10 giggling
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Cell phones must die
I have to agree with the number one item, cell phones and ring tones. I get so sick of working around the desk and then suddenly jarred by Toccata and Fuge in D Minor, or Britney Spears, or Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, or worse yet those damned stupid ring tones that come standard with every phone. The ones that do the slow rise and fall in pitch or the robotic noises or the dreaded Nokia ring tone are three of the worst noises I’ve ever heard. I’d rather listen to cattle having sex than endure a Nokia ring tone.
It’s gotten even worse now that phones can use MP3s as a ring tone, so not only do you get to hear the melody for Toxic every time a phone goes off, but the lyrics too.
How many libraries out there have a ban on cell phone use? After all, it’s not just the ring tones which annoy people, it’s the actual use of the cell phone itself. We’ve all had at least one kusoyaro in our building screaming into his phone. “YEAH! UH HUH! NO! NO! I CAN’T TALK RIGHT NOW! I’M AT THE LIBRARY!” People like that should have been drowned at birth. We’ve talked about banning them here, but I don’t see it going through any time soon. The worst are the patrons that walk up to the desk, start to check out their books, their phones ring, they start a conversation, no library card has been produced, I ask them for one as politely as you can of an asshat on the phone, only to get the one index finger “wait a sec” sign. After all, my time’s not half as important as his. Besides, can’t I see? He must be a busy man. He’s on the phone isn’t he?
No, really how do you feel.
I do have a mobile phone, 3 people have the number. I have not had it ring in over two weeks, but I do have a normal ring. It sounds like a… well telephone ring. They named it UK Ringtone, although I think it is better labelled Irish ringtone.
The problem with the music that people play on their mobile phone ringers is that they want to hear it, I have no idea why it is usually bad music ‘perfromed’ badly by the telephone. But without a distinctive ring how can one be the center of attention?
Of the list I agree with all of them although I don’t mind dogs barking or giggling nearly as much as the others.
Re:Cell phones must die
Whaaaat, you don’t like cell phone ring tones? How bout those walkie talkie phones?
I really have to thank my fellow bus passengers. It’s so great, I not only get to hear the harmonious “BLOOEPPP!” of your walkie talkie, I also get the rare privilege of listening to your fascinating conversation as well as the muffled, yet equally scintillating responses of your friend at the other end.
Control your screaming children!
For me, the most annoying thing in the library is small children screaming and running around, uncontrolled and undisciplined by their parents. Especially when they are dumped at the library as if we are a child care centre! Parents, control your children!
Going to the dogs
Barking dogs is aggrevating. Cleaning up after their careless owners is worse. I’ve just made a sign and posted it outside the cottage, “Pick up your poop, please.” Now, back to cleaning the carpet.
Re:Cell phones must die
Bans on cell phone use don’t work. My library has numerous (at least a dozen) signs informing patrons of our no cell phone policy and asking them to take calls in the lobby, but we still hardly go a few minutes without a loud phone conversation.
Sniffing???
What is that sniffing (#9) one about?? Are they talking about people smelling loudly? Or people who have colds and are making loud snuffling/snorting/sneezing sounds. I could understand that one maybe.