Are there noises that people make that irritate you to no end? Or are you one of the few that could be surrounded by a group of slurping, sucking, clacking, sighing, or munching people and not be bothered in the least by it?
I can take all of these sounds in small doses, but if it’s particularly irritating or goes on and on, well that person is taking their life in their own hands. I haven’t injured anyone yet but I sure came close today!
As I said I can take some of this over a short period of time. My husband is a fidgeted. I’m getting used to the odd things he does and the odd sounds that he makes or creates. For example:
- We have leather couches. My husband loves cold things. leather couches are cold. My hubby will lie on the couch watching T.V. and rub his arm back and forth over the couch. Sometimes he does this with his legs. Occasionally arms and legs at the same time. It sort of looks like he’s having a strange kind of seizure. I’ll tolerate it for a while but eventually the shussshing noise of his skin rubbing the leather, or the creaking noises of the couch get to me and I’ll ask him to stop. When he wears the leather off these babies we are not getting leather again. Uh uhuh.
- He likes to tap his nails on the steering wheel in time to the music when he drives. Click click click;
- If he’s watching T.V. or reading while eating he sometimes gets distracted and eats with his mouth open gloriously enhancing the sounds of mastication.
- He sometimes hums when he chews.
- He occasionally slurps his drink.
- He moves his fingers as if he’s playing guitar if there is music on T.V., and or he wiggles his feet around to music while watching a program. Distracting if he really gets going.
- Oh, and when he clears his throat he’s started to do it much more vocally. This one scares me because his dad also clears his throat vocally. So loudly in fact that a whole room will vibrate, and he does this frequently, perhaps every 5 to 10 minutes. If hubby starts getting louder when he clears his throat it will drive me nuts!
Now this post is NOT about my husband, even though I’ve listed a few of his either bad or odd habits. I tolerate these habits fairly well for the most part. In fact, I find some of them amusing if they are momentary. We all have some irritating habits or sounds that we make. I’m sure we do. I’m not really sure what my irritating sounds are, but I’m human, and I must have some. You see, my husband is one of those rare people that can tolerate just about anything, so I can’t count on him to let me know that something I do is irritating. I could have a habit of making the most irritating sounds and he wouldn’t tell me. Aren’t I lucky?
No this post is about a lady I encountered Monday afternoon while I waited for 25 minutes in a line to drop off some important papers. My hubby and I were standing in line minding our own business when I heard some rustling behind me. I didn’t think much of it until I started hearing “Crunch, Crunch, CRUNCH” then a pause, then “Crunch, CRUNCH, Crunch … ”
Ok so someone behind me was eating some very crunchy chips. Maybe they were Doritos … they are fairly crunchy. I didn’t think the sounds would go on too long- after all a bag is only so big, but they went on for at least 10 minutes.
Ahhh the sound stopped. Now if only this line would move I could finish up here and then get some other things done and head home.
Behind me I hear “smUUUVvvvvvvvvv” “Stttutchhhhhhhhhh” Is she doing what I think she’s doing? Is she SUCKING HER TEETH? Yep she’s sucking her teeth. I’m starting to get irritated now. My jaw is hurting, I’m in public with my messed up face thanks to my accident, and someone has been making loud crunching noises behind me and must have been eating something that stuck in her teeth.
I glanced at my husband and moved my eyes back in the direction of the lady. My husband just nodded. He knew I was getting irritated. The sucking teeth noise went on and on for the duration of my remaining time in the line. I endured crunching noises for 10 minutes followed by extreme tooth sucking for 15 minutes.
I think my hubby was amused, me I was starting to vibrate with irritation. My limbs were shaking. I wanted to turn around and give the lady the evil eye but I’m usually very polite in public and I don’t like to show my irritation with people. Also I was afraid that if I did turn around my hands would have reached for her throat and that might have ended badly and ruined my day. I hate it when my day is ruined.
Why would she eat something that stuck in her teeth while in public, while in a line that she couldn’t leave in order to go brush her teeth or floss or pick at them in private like a normal person would? Why? Did she not realize how loud the sound of her tooth sucking was? Yes I know that that things get stuck in peoples teeth and sometimes they find themselves trying to suck the evil piece of debris from their teeth, but most people only do that for a minute at the most, NOT 15 minutes!
Her life was spared today, but if she does that in public again she might run into someone who is even more easily irritated than I, or perhaps someone with less control that I had today and she might make news headlines.
I can see it now:
“Woman Strangled in crowded grocery line up this Evening … The accused was heard to say as he was lead off by police “she wouldn’t stop, she just kept sucking her teeth, louder and louder. I had to make the sound stop. but … I can still hear it in my head! Oh make it stop, make it stop, please”. The accused is expected to plea temporary insanity.”
TC says
My wife’s like that. Everyone has to watch TV in total silence or leave the room.
Usually I leave the room and surf the net.
Attila the Mom says
Oh Gawd, that teeth-sucking thing drives me insane as well!
I hope that admitting this won’t give me bad karma and turn me into one of those denture suckers in my golden years. LOL
Great post!
Chris says
OMG…..totally with you on that. I CAN NOT STAND HEARING CHEWING. It grates on my nerves to no end.
When your sinuses are clogged, do you even get agitated by hearing your own chewing?
Chris
My Blog
Azhar says
I don’t seem to get irritated easily.Patient ๐
Lyndon says
LOL at “Woman Strangled in crowded grocery line up this Evening” actually the news would have reported as a rash of violence at the grocery.
Wanted to beat an old woman to death, when she keep bumping me to move forward with her shopping cart (the line was packed and not moving). I’m not sure how I keep from hurting her.
Maybe we need to start a grocery support group ๐
Ed Bacchus says
Oh yes, there are certain things that drive me crazy also. The sucking of the teeth is one, but also the constant sniffing of the nose without blowing it. I know someone that has some kind of sinus problem and he won’t go to the Doctor to do anything about it. I go nuts…….Great post.
Mindless Dribbler says
I’m with you. Ice crunching, even for a millisecond drives me absolutely batty.
Surfed in by way of Blogmad….enjoyed the reading. Great site.
Teressa says
The smacking while someone is chewing gets to me. I am with Ed on the sniffling and Mindless Dribbler on the ice crunching as well.
Hope your chin and jaw are feeling better. What you described is an injury to the TMJ. It hurts like all get out. I have deterioration in the joint and have pain in it off and on. I can really relate with you on the pain. When I had my initial injury to mine I couldn’t open my mouth very far and chewing was unreal pain. Will say a pray for you. God bless.
WriteWingNut says
Coughers. I can’t stand coughers. That’s my pet peeve. And they are EVERYWHERE. Stay the f home if you’re sick, dammit!
Church seems to be filled with coughers. And even if there’s only one or two, you can be guaranteed that I’ll sit next to one of them. Every freakin’ time.
“Allelujiah, allelujiah, la, la, la” *cough* Right down the back of my neck.
I also give my family “the look.” The “WTF is that person doing in church sick” look. UGH!
ariadneK says
Great blog. ๐
Tracy says
The only noise that annoys me is breathing. Some people just shouldn’t be allowed!
Here through BOTB – good luck!!
marie b. says
Chewing. Oh God, the chewing.
Also, I can’t stand it when people are talking, run out of gas and then take a sloppy, wet breath. It’s hard to describe, but it’s like death to me.
Sherrilynne says
We have a long-standing “No Whistling” policy in our house. The only exception to the rule is my father-in-law because he is a non-stop whistler and it seems disrespectful to ask him not to. But then again, he’s only visited us twice in 12 years.
Linda says
I am so with you on all of these noises…..The worst is gum chewers who have to pop their gum non stop. Do they really think any of us want to hear them pop and crack their gum. I actually quit a job because a woman I worked with popped and snapped her gum for 8 hours during the whole shift. It drove me insane.
Andy says
Irritting sounds, is the stroy of my life, it drives me nuts, perhaps you are selective soft sound sensitive or ssss, you might find some other people like you on a hyperacusis or o.c.d site. People eating with their mouth open and banging forks or spoons on their plate is excruciating.
enoughalready says
I so so agree with Bachus….my dad has a cold the whole year round and makes these harking noises (the sound that most people make when they do not have a tissue and they need to quickly prevent runny snot from escaping into their mouth)…he does not seem to realize nor understand that the average person thinks he drinks snot all day long because he does this all day (at least once per minute) When asked, he just says it is a habit (one that I truly abhor)….. I also hate the gum popping, especially on planes. Oh, and the noise of people’s cell phone conversations….I walk into work in the morning and the same ladies are on their phones….had to vent
Gene says
I have a Co Worker who talks all day long. When she is not talking to someone, she will talk to herself. She makes weird noises when she is not actually talking. Seems she has to have some kind of sound coming out of her mouth. She swatches movies at work, and she is one of those people who talks to the screen. She will yell out loud for the actor (s) to look behind them and such. When she is on the phone, which of course is a lot, every one knows what the topic is. I requested my desk be moved as far away from her as possible. I`m Viet Nam vet receiving service connected comp for PTSD. This woman almost drove me crazy. Is there a name for such a condition?
Tricia says
Aw Gene I feel bad for you being subject to that day in and day out – even if you didn’t have PTSD I think it would be maddening – at least for me it would.
She may not even realize that she’s constantly making noise or making as much noise as she does, but I do think that someone that consciously or sub-consciously makes noise as you’ve described all the time must have some kind of condition. I have no idea what it might be called – but I’m sure she’s not the only one out there with it.
I hope that you’re able to have your desk moved! In the meantime try getting some ear plugs, it might help a little bit.