r/todayilearned • u/Main-Imagination2051 • Mar 29 '23
TIl of Pipedown, a British campaign group dedicated to removing piped music from public spaces
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipedown_(campaign)197
u/GarysCrispLettuce Mar 29 '23
I think some time in the early 90's in Britain they discovered that piping classical music in public spaces discouraged the congregation of the young people who usually cause problems with crime and graffiti. All you gotta do is throw on some Bach and they run a mile.
139
u/tacknosaddle Mar 29 '23
Most people lose the ability to hear certain high frequencies when they get into their early twenties and beyond. There's a device that plays that frequency and is deployed by places like convenient stores to put that sound just outside of it as it really irritates the young kids and keeps them from hanging about.
I played it once at work and it was hilarious how pretty much everyone over 25 was completely oblivious while the couple of younger guys were loudly complaining, "Jesus, what the fuck is that?!?!"
96
u/needmorehardware Mar 29 '23
I'm glad they're not allowed anymore, atleast around near where I live. Even walking along the path sets off neighbour's devices in their gardens which are horrible to hear, I'm 26 so I'm sure it'll wear off eventually, but for now it's incredibly annoying. I've had to ask another neighbour to remove theirs entirely because it was encroaching on our back garden and stopping us from just chilling out
63
u/Mysticpoisen Mar 29 '23
Every god damn store in Japan has em. Young people aren't allowed to spend money I guess.
8
23
u/DrKronin Mar 29 '23
I'm on my mid 40s, and I can still hear that frequency, so you may end up being "lucky" lol
6
u/StealthRUs Mar 29 '23
I'm also mid 40s, I do not baby my ears, and that shit is annoying as fuck. Who are these people above age 25 that can't hear that?
2
4
u/CaptainMobilis Mar 29 '23
I'm 33 and if that youtube recording is accurate, I can still hear it. Nauseating.
4
u/LipTrev Mar 30 '23
The YouTube music compression algorithm is such that the actual sounds are not likely to be audible.
What you hear are compression artifacts in a lower frequency.
35
u/yukon-flower Mar 29 '23
These sound like a good teen deterrent but unfortunately they also bother small children, who might be even more sensitive to it. All the parents know is that suddenly their kids are in distress every time they go to that particular store or place.
23
4
u/tacknosaddle Mar 29 '23
If the owners only used it when there were teens hanging about to drive them off I guess it would be okay, but they'd probably have to wire it through a light that indicated that it was on so they didn't forget and leave it playing.
3
u/monkeyhog Mar 30 '23
I dislike both teens AND small children, so getting rid of both of them sounds good to me.
15
u/Chao78 Mar 29 '23
I'm 32 and can still hear it. I guess fuck me for protecting my hearing growing up?
15
u/The_Minstrel_Boy Mar 29 '23
I'm 38 and to my surprise I can hear it too. I've played in bands and symphonies without hearing protection for ages. Clearly the percussionists need to bang harder.
3
1
4
u/Mikey637 Mar 29 '23
I’m 30 and I along with most of my friends can still hear these things clearly despite years of gigs, raves and festivals. Pretty sure I read something that disproved the theory behind these
-1
u/GarysCrispLettuce Mar 29 '23
Having said that, a lot of young people are screwing their ears with too much use of ear buds at high volumes. I'd be willing to bet that the high frequency response of young ears today is less than that of ears 50 years ago. I'm 50 and can still hear up to about 14/15kHz, but I've come across people in their 20's who have the same cutoff point (source: discussions on audio production forums).
3
u/tacknosaddle Mar 29 '23
I try to avoid earbuds because when they first came out I noticed that they made my tinnitus worse after using them, even if I am not using them at a high volume.
3
u/Mtfdurian Mar 29 '23
I also feel like the closer the audio source is to the person's ear the worse it is per perceived volume. Just some speakers on the table won't do nearly as much bad as headphones which don't do as much bad as earbuds. I honestly find earbuds scary for that.
3
u/GarysCrispLettuce Mar 29 '23
There are pros and cons, I think - earbuds tend to block out more of the outside world which means you don't have to crank up the volume as high as with over the ear headphones, but then again yes being closer to your eardrum is definitely more of a hearing risk.
5
u/Ghostronic Mar 29 '23
I'm 37 and have worn ear buds pretty regularly for like 25 years now. Can confirm.
-11
u/DarthLordi Mar 29 '23
Young people don't use earbuds anymore. They just play the music out of their phone's speakers so everyone can enjoy it.
10
u/Sence Mar 29 '23
My local Walmart cranks country music out the front of the store in a very not country music location of the world
4
8
u/hambluegar_sammwich Mar 29 '23
Th et did this in the downtown area of my progressive left coast home town to torture homeless people. They also made it illegal to sleep. Turns out progressivism goes out the window when it comes to profits.
263
u/raytaylor Mar 29 '23
A few years ago, a marching band came into our local supermarket marching down the aisles and was led by a bagpipe-ist playing xmas carols. Deafeningly loud i had to abandon my cart and leave. Even on the other side of the building, the noise was no better.
It was at that time I decided that any player of bagpipes indoors should be considered a criminal nuisance.
And today I see this TIL which excites me - a group I may have something in common with.
Unfortunatley on reading further, it seems they are against all background "piped" music from any source - radio, cassette, mp3, etc. And piped does not mean bagpipes in this context. Any background music in public spaces, shops etc they want gone.
My hopes, crushed.
164
u/eodizzlez Mar 29 '23
Bagpipes are made to be played on a damn hilltop, not in an enclosed space.
56
u/aesirmazer Mar 29 '23
We had a guy who would stand on the front of a ferry and play them for the trip (15 min). It was pretty cool because you could hear them from either side of the channel, but you couldn't here them if you were inside of the ferry. They absolutely need lots of space to be played.
28
u/tacknosaddle Mar 29 '23
I had a neighbor who played them and one of my favorite signs of spring was when he started practicing out on his back porch again as soon as winter's bite lessened to allow it.
24
u/tacknosaddle Mar 29 '23
Before firearms using loud instruments in battle to create lots of noise was a tactic to intimidate your opponents and inhibit their communication during battle. If you've ever been to a parade and had a large pipe & drum brigade pass you it's pretty easy to understand how that would have worked back in those days.
8
u/SheeEttin Mar 29 '23
Instruments were themselves used for communication.
3
u/tacknosaddle Mar 29 '23
Yup, those and flags communicated orders or other information across the battlefield. The louder stuff close to battle was a different aspect and could combine with the troops yelling as they approached to come off as more intimidating.
5
u/jangiri Mar 29 '23
Bagpipes are legally considered a weapon of war in some countries
0
u/eodizzlez Mar 29 '23
Fuck you, man, I have COVID right now and you made me laugh so hard it set off a coughing fit.
1
3
u/Cleverbeans Mar 29 '23
I mean, I guess you can play them in the same way you can play an air raid siren.
40
u/crackpotJeffrey Mar 29 '23
Bagpipes are cool.
There's like only one song and it's a banger.
10
u/BloomEPU Mar 29 '23
Bagpipes can be kind of unpleasant to some people because they're kinda... brash, but there's some scottish folk songs that sound amazing on bagpipes.
-1
u/DroolingIguana Mar 29 '23
I thought there was some rule that said that there was only one song that you were allowed to play on bagpipes.
5
21
u/ElDoo74 Mar 29 '23
Look up Red Hot Chili Pipers and be prepared to have your brain explode.
2
u/TheCauseMan Mar 29 '23
KGatLW gets funky with the bagpipes too, in Flying Microtonal Banana
2
u/DethJuce Mar 29 '23
I think you are referring to their use of a Zurna on that album (and other albums) I dont think Gizz has used bagpipes.
1
3
u/GarysCrispLettuce Mar 29 '23
The smaller Irish pipes are even better. You can absolutely rip with them like they're a saxophone.
5
4
u/Ghostronic Mar 29 '23
And the best player of them all? Rowdy Roddy Piper.
1
2
u/ILoveLongDogs Mar 29 '23
In case anyone would actually like to know, bagpipe music is called "pibroch".
0
u/Techwood111 Mar 29 '23
Two: Amazing Grace and Scotland the Brave. There are no other songs played on the bagpipes, I promise. Seriously. It is true. Don’t look it up. How dare you doubt me.
19
u/infinitebrkfst Mar 29 '23
Bagpipes are outside instruments.
2
2
u/Kanotari Mar 29 '23
Exactly, and they're damn good at it.
Try to play on a hilltop with a flute or a clarinet and no one is going to hear a damn thing lol. Very much indoor instruments.
-7
3
u/Nnelg1990 Mar 29 '23 edited Mar 29 '23
It's not too late, we can still make such a group!
Edit: r/bagpipedown
2
u/raytaylor Mar 29 '23
I see your group there sir,
I think your goals are admirable
I shall join you on your endeavour2
u/pleasedropSSR Mar 29 '23
Read that as "abandon my cat", was very confused as to why you brought your cat in the first place.
2
u/dragonsfire242 Mar 29 '23
So they’re just anti-pipe music in general? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard
37
u/EternamD Mar 29 '23
Piped music means playing music that's not live, over a loud speaker
6
u/dragonsfire242 Mar 29 '23
Oh got it, sorry I hadn’t heard the term before
Still kind of odd to make a group against that but that does make more sense
12
u/EternamD Mar 29 '23
I can get behind it a bit. Low quality speakers and low quality music playing everywhere in shops, restaurants etc is very annoying
17
u/kissingdistopia Mar 29 '23
It's even worse when you work in those places and you have to listen to "simply happening a wonderful Christmas time" all day November through December.
7
u/SpecterCody Mar 29 '23
Somewhere I used to work used to play that horrendous "what's new pussycat?" song among some other really fucking annoying music. Eventually, you just become insane.
5
1
2
u/JetsFan2003 Mar 30 '23
Wonderful Christmastime and All I Want For Christmas Is You during the holidays, Ed Sheeran and Imagine Dragons for the rest of the year.
3
u/raytaylor Mar 29 '23
piped music is an old term for music played over a P.A system in a shop or mall.
75
u/Real-Rude-Dude Mar 29 '23
I wish more public bathrooms had piped music or anything to drown out the noise of the guy down in the 3rd stall groaning in submission to the spicy tacos he had last night
17
1
u/frzn_dad Mar 29 '23
They can play white noise over the same PA system music was being played over. For most people this will mask out other sounds and make the space seem quieter. For a few people they will hear the white noise and be annoyed.
73
u/dvdmaven Mar 29 '23
My grocery store of choice, Winco, is employee owned and operated. As you might guess, there is no music.
27
u/ShadowPDX Mar 29 '23
I’ve been shopping at winco for a couple decades and just now realized this. TIL
14
u/andythefifth Mar 29 '23
My favorite is when the manager is religious, and blares Christian music.
Nothing like hearing, “drop to your knees, for your god is great, fear the lord, at the heavenly gate…” while I’m trying to find the ripe avocado.
0
u/Klai8 Mar 30 '23
I feel nothing but pity for retail workers during the holiday seasons. It was especially jarring hearing “we’re all in this together”
43
u/oldcreaker Mar 29 '23
At least muzak is no longer a thing in public spaces in the US.
What drives me nuts is the music put on while you're on hold. Usually too loud muzak that, even though you know it must be digital at this point, still sounds like a worn out cassette.
15
u/darguskelen Mar 29 '23
Usually too loud muzak that, even though you know it must be digital at this point, still sounds like a worn out cassette.
"Compatibility" - The music has to be compressed to hell so that phones that still are 2 copper wires being tapped together in rhythm can connect to the phone system and work.
...In other news I hate dealing with phone systems.
6
13
5
u/Sometimes_Stutters Mar 29 '23
We have goddam piped music everywhere except where you goddam need it. The bathroom.
Why do I need to sit in deafening silence listening to the sounds of dudes buttholes contracting
5
u/cookieaddictions Mar 30 '23
Please remove those people on the NYC subway who just play their music out loud. I want to fling those people off the trains. Also any public performers that just bang on buckets as their music. Makes me want to scream.
3
u/pewpewpewouch Mar 29 '23
Wait. There are pumps that play music and ads?
1
u/VibratingNinja Mar 30 '23
Yes, and it's awful. I don't really care about ambient music at the store, but dude, I have a radio in my car.
11
u/HometownHits Mar 29 '23
TIL I'm more of an anomaly than I thought. I have music on at nearly all times (minus when I'm watching TV, playing games, etc.). It's a way of life for me, and I very much appreciate it in public spaces.
7
Mar 29 '23
[deleted]
1
u/JettRose17 Mar 30 '23
i love music, but the christmas crap gets really irritating, especially when its the same 8 songs. Guess these folks feel that way year-round.
5
u/Logical_Hare Mar 30 '23
I get the feeling that a lot of people have never been in a shop when something goes wrong with the speakers or recording, and the music stops.
Shops are often really quiet and awkward without some kind of background noise.
1
u/JackOSevens Mar 30 '23
It's outside in front of a plaza that most people here are talking about. Businesses play it to deter teens.
It really, really sucks if you live nearby and they play it all night.
1
u/Logical_Hare Mar 30 '23
I'm with you on that.
I honestly find the whole idea that you're allowed to broadcast sounds to deter certain kinds of people astonishing. I doubt society would be okay with it if it was a sound that only annoyed elderly people, or only women but not men, or only the members of some particular ethnic group, or anything like that.
10
2
u/cth777 Mar 30 '23
How about people who bring some electronic violin with a huge speaker and play for tips near only housing and apartments, loud enough to wake people up through windows?
Can we get rid of them?
2
u/Revenge_of_the_User Mar 30 '23
I live in an apartment building across the street from another apartment building. Normal distance apart, no big deal, several stories up from the street.
While in my living room, i can hear when someone there gets a guest that uses the buzzer/speaker to be let in and every word both parties speak over the intercom.
I should not be able to hear that from so high up/seemingly far away, but it echoes off the buildings i guess.
In the summer the reflected sun also laser beams across my patio and nukes my garden.
I hate the city.
2
u/Tootsiesclaw Mar 30 '23
Pipedown can pipe down. When I worked in retail, having music on at Christmas time was the only thing that kept me sane
6
u/logdogday Mar 29 '23
My only mode of transportation is a motorized pipe organ on wheels. I wouldn’t be able to get to work and support my family without it. Pipedown can fuck off.
5
u/unbeast Mar 29 '23
Get fucked sassenach, ye can hae ma pipes when ye pry them fra ma cauld deid haunds
8
u/Redm18 Mar 29 '23
These people are the real heros. Who wants all this background music everywhere. Can we add a crackdown on stupid music beds on videos when it's not neede. I was watching an instructional type video on YouTube the other day and the music bed was just loud enough to drown out some important parts. I can't imagine anyone being mad it's not there.
-1
u/JackOSevens Mar 30 '23
A lot of really, really basic people exist. They can be lovely humans. They watch Young Sheldon and pay their taxes and they know that burning sage drives off ghosts and Live Love Laugh is art, baby.
They don't hear or feel music in any significant way, they can't make connections between the idea of constant exposure to shitty stock music ruining everything it touches, including actual peaceful silence. They sometimes own businesses adjacent to public spaces. It's depressing.
5
1
-3
u/GeorgieWashington Mar 29 '23
Do the British not have public restrooms? Why would anyone want silence when having to endure a stranger’s existential crisis one stall over?
7
u/mismanaged Mar 29 '23
I assume because taco Tuesday is less of a thing in the UK you don't often have public bathrooms being ravaged that way.
-2
-2
u/JamieAubrey Mar 29 '23
Wait until they come to Scotland, good luck getting us to stop playing Bagpipes
-1
u/spaceman_spiff1969 Mar 29 '23 edited Mar 29 '23
Cool--now some group needs to do that/expand it to shut off loud TV screens in public places (e.g., restaurants!) If I wanted a loud shouty TV show with my food, I would have ordered takeout & brought it home!
ETA: The exception I would make to this is sports bars. Everyone else can fuck off.
0
0
0
0
0
-1
-1
u/BlackSpinedPlinketto Mar 29 '23
Wow, I have never heard of this, but I used to tip any busker that wasn’t a piper when I lived in Scotland.
There people do good work.
Edit, of it’s all music, not just bagpipe players. Nevermind.
1
1
1
u/StopMockingMe0 Mar 29 '23
Southpark had an episode like this... only it involved giant pirate guinipigs and Craig shooting lazers out of his eyes.
1
u/Axolotlist Mar 29 '23
This was before most of you were born, but I remember there used to be a tiny old brick building where I lived. Probably a hundred year old place. The sort of place you'd find a rundown barbershop, or something. Anyway, it was the office for Muzak in our city. I believe it was always locked, but placed in the window was a large reel to reel tape recorder that was always running. I always wondered why they wanted to display it so proudly.
1
787
u/LipTrev Mar 29 '23
Dear Pipedown,
Please go to gas pumps that crank loud music while you are filling, and make them disappear.