Published on 12, July, 2020
I spend a lot of time travelling on trains in the course of my work and there are two sounds that drive me nuts, to the extent that I’ll go and find myself another seat if that’s possible and, if it’s not, I’ll just grit my teeth in anguish! The first is the sound of people typing on their laptops, the rattling keystroke sounds make me want to scream! Second is the sound of people whispering to one-another. You get this in museums and galleries too. Just speak normally people, there’s no need to whisper, I can hear you anyway.
Obviously, the tick tick sound of IPhone ear buds or Air Pods is also infuriating, but I imagine that’s the case for most people!
Whistling. People loudly going 'Aaaaaaaah' after the first sip of something. Especially if the first A is really hard and sudden.
I'm not sure anyone else has one but my granny has a whistling kettle
When it starts to whistle its deafening really horrible
I'm not sure I've ever been in the proximity of one in real life, but in old fashioned dramas it seems a comforting sort of sound. It's human whistling I can't abide. Many a song has been ruined with its addition too.
Talking of stuff on the telly though, one of my most hated things is those scenes in films or tv dramas where a phone rings (usuaslly with one of those harsh 'brrrrrrrng' noises, even if it's a mobile) and they let it go like that for thirty seconds to a minute while the recipient makes their way slowly to answer it. I know it's to build a bit of suspense but it makes me feel ill. As someone who hates unscheduled calls in real life, it's a very triggering thing.