Loud people in restaurants

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I was in a restaurant off Grafton St last night and a group sitting just behind us spent the entire night screeching with laughter, shouting, guffawing and basically drowning out any possibility of conversation at adjacent tables. We asked to be moved and luckily there was a spare table. The staff were apologetic and said we weren't the first people to complain.

Just wondering if you think there should be some kind of policy in restaurants for dealing with noisy groups who ruin every one else's meal? Or is that a chance you take when eating out.

Sheep Lover

Imagine people enjoying themselves, bastards.

The_Valeyard

Who were they? Sound like they were having great craic!!

Ol' Donie

Laughter.

God, I hate laughter.

darkpagandeath

Restaurant on Grafton St ? Don't you mean a hugely over priced and packed Cafe ?

KTR1C

Bonnie Strong Zinc wrote: »

I was in a restaurant off Grafton St last night and a group sitting just behind us spent the entire night screeching with laughter, shouting, guffawing and basically drowning out any possibility of conversation at adjacent tables. We asked to be moved and luckily there was a spare table. The staff were apologetic and said we weren't the first people to complain.

Just wondering if you think there should be some kind of policy in restaurants for dealing with noisy groups who ruin every one else's meal? Or is that a chance you take when eating out.

I had the same problem with a group behind us in Captain Americas a couple of weeks ago. Came in and started shouting at each other about nonsense including "heino" "rugger" and other such tripe. I promptly told them to shut it because I literally couldn't hear my missus.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

No problem with people laughing and enjoying themselves. But this was several decibels above the noise being made at any other table and was making it impossible for anyone at nearby tables to hear each other.

darkpagandeath

http://img.memecdn.com/attention-whores_o_1735137.jpg

:pac:

The Backwards Man

I enjoy eating out in a restaurant with a few characters like that about. I love the oul people watching, and as long as I'm not the poor bastard having to deal with them, I find it very entertaining.

Boring username

Call up these lads, they are extremely persuasive when dealing with social disputes in Dublin's finest eateries:



https://youtu.be/l-L3zeCNzH8?t=85

c68zapdsm5i1ru

What do you mean 'the poor bastard having to deal with them'?

Genuine question.

The Backwards Man

Bonnie Strong Zinc wrote: »

What do you mean 'the poor bastard having to deal with them'?

Genuine question.

I mean whoever is working that has to put up with him, working in a public facing job myself, I know all about it.

apieceofcake

It's a lottery who you're beside when you're in a restaurant!

I'm all for a good time - but I know exactly what the OP means however Can be annoying, but what can you really do??

Jan Laco

If the waitress said you weren't the 1st people to complain I would be questioning what exactly they were going to do about it.
That's why I love take aways so much.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I mean whoever is working that has to put up with him, working in a public facing job myself, I know all about it.

But what about the other paying customers that have to put up with it?

The Backwards Man

Bonnie Strong Zinc wrote: »

But what about the other paying customers that have to put up with it?

As a paying customer I said I would find it entertaining so the thoughts of the other paying customers wouldn't enter my head.

If I was working there then the thoughts of the other paying customers would enter my head so the group would be politely told to shut up or ship out. Personally, a few belly laughs and guffaws wouldn't bother me in the slightest though.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Fair enough.

HalloweenJack

Try living in Spain.

Mr.Goodman

Were they Italian?

Señor Fancy Pants

Almost as bad as Louth people in restaurants.

ygolometsipe

What did you have for the meal OP? Was the food nice, despite the noise.

I wonder if the food was crap so the people annoyed you or if the people annoyed you and so the food was crap.

jamesbere

One and only solution, repeat everything they're saying but louder. They'll get the hint then

StewartGriffin

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I love the oul people watching.

That's actually nice because old people are usually ignored.

donegaLroad

It wouldn't be difficult to section off a few different parts of a restaurant and break up the space so that sound wouldn't carry as easily..

either that or have the equivalent of a crying room that they have in some churches where noisey crowds could be served.

Massimo Cassagrande

Restaurant or Library?

DEFTLEFTHAND

No class.

PizzamanIRL

IT'S A RESTAURANT, NOT A LIBRARY!

You choose to rest or rant, hence the name restaurant.

Red Kev

Sounds a bit like this place here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzzE6XLbC8M

anncoates

Jan Laco wrote: »

If the waitress said you weren't the 1st people to complain I would be questioning what exactly they were going to do about it..

Nothing.

The loud table were probably spending more on drinks so they were hoping they would stay and the OP's table would leave quickly so they could get in another 'loud' table.

gandalf

It depends on the restaurant tbh.

I certainly wouldn't go to somewhere like Captain America's expecting to have a quiet conversation with someone. However if I was in Pichet or Chapter One I certainly would expect that the other diners would be discreet.

valoren

Empty Vessels make the most noise.
Have experienced this in Killarney once.
She was with a group but was guffawing and essentially shouting in a quiet restaurant.
Her colleagues looked embarrassed. People throwing them peeved off looks.

No problem with people laughing, chatting.
But some simply have no volume control. I'm talking obtrusively, ear piercingly loud.

You pay a premium to eat in a restaurant. You are also paying for some semblence of having the luxury of hearing yourself speak.

biko

I agree OP! Someone "else" should do something! It's gone too far!

Links234

Ol' Donie wrote: »

Laughter.

God, I hate laughter.

Me too. But fortunately I've gotten so bitter and resentful of the world, I can barely hear people's laughter over the sound of my own misery. OP needs to practice dragging other people into their own misery, you can get so good at it you can walk into a crowded room and a hush will fall.

Aongus Von Bismarck

A good maître d' would have approached the party and asked them to keep it down before other customers complained. An experienced front-of-house will know the ethos of the restaurant, and can pitch the tone of the place accordingly.

If it was a causal dining sort of place, then you might expect to have a more relaxed and devil-may-care atmosphere. Think dried pasta, commercially bought sauces, cheap bottles of Chianti, hugely oversized pepper grinders, slightly sleazy Italian waiter with too much gel in his hair, large bunches of menopausal women guffawing at each other and being very loud. Or the type of place where a ‘bunch of lads’ head for a ‘good feed’ – think overpriced steak, frozen onion rings, perhaps bottles of lager in a bucket of ice. It still doesn’t give any customer the right to ruin the night for others by being overly loud, obnoxious, drunk or rude. Eating out is a real treat for some people, and they don’t want to have to listen in to some red-faced dullard in bootcut jeans and a Jack Jones shirt drone on to his mates about the ‘bird’ he pulled in Coppers last weekend.

If it was a more formal or fine dining type of place, then absolutely no excuses. You shouldn’t have to ask to move. You shouldn’t have to move. Many restaurants ask that patrons don’t use their mobile in the dining room. You are at a theatre of gastronomy, not the office. The same goes for extremely loud laughter, shouting, scraping your cutlery on your plate etc.

Sadly we live in a society where being loud, common and obnoxious is almost seen as a badge of honour. Manners and social etiquette appear to be antiquated theories in many of the lower stratums of society. The more money you pay, the less likely you are to encounter them though. You wouldn’t have a bunch of braying donkeys sitting around a table in Guilbauds.

kfallon

^^^^ Where does your nightly pot noodle and microwave dinner fit in with the above?

Menas

As said above, I would not be happy with excessive noise in a fine dining establishment...but would expect it in somewhere like TGI Fridays.
There is a lot of 'in between' though....but I certainly not begrudge another party having a good time. If it is too loud for me I would either ask for a different table or leave.

Aongus Von Bismarck

kfallon wrote: »

^^^^ Where does your nightly pot noodle and microwave dinner fit in with the above?

Stop projecting your own fears and insecurities onto me. It's rather unbecoming.

Egginacup

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Stop projecting your own fears and insecurities onto me. It's rather unbecoming.

Isn't the boot-cut jeans and Jack Jones shirt a bit played out now?

Rakish Paddy

I'd normally try to identify the ringleader of the offending group and give them a good blast of the aul' electric cattle prod. Once they've seen their leader zapped once or maybe twice, the rest of the table usually fall into line. Simples.

Boring username

Links234 wrote: »

Me too. But fortunately I've gotten so bitter and resentful of the world, I can barely hear people's laughter over the sound of my own misery. OP needs to practice dragging other people into their own misery, you can get so good at it you can walk into a crowded room and a hush will fall.

You know for a moderator, that was an extremely stupid and nasty post. The OP hasn't said anything about dragging other people down to their own misery, as you so patronisingly put it.
They were simply pointing out that a group was being extremely loud, to the point that people around then were getting uncomfortable. Think lager louts in a restaurant and you might have an idea about what the OP was talking about. Some people just don't know how to behave themselves in public. You can have as much fun as you want, but when it starts to interfere with other people having a good time too, then it's time to lower the tone.
No doubt the usual arse kissers will be falling over themselves to thank your post though since you are a mod :rolleyes:

Greenmachine

Some people seem to forget they have an "Indoor voice"

galljga1

KTR1C wrote: »

I had the same problem with a group behind us in Captain Americas a couple of weeks ago. Came in and started shouting at each other about nonsense including "heino" "rugger" and other such tripe. I promptly told them to shut it because I literally couldn't hear my missus.

Who are these people? That is a marketable service.

smeal

KTR1C wrote: »

I had the same problem with a group behind us in Captain Americas a couple of weeks ago. Came in and started shouting at each other about nonsense including "heino" "rugger" and other such tripe. I promptly told them to shut it because I literally couldn't hear my missus.

Hmm.. Captain America's probably not the best place to take the lady for a romantic, quiet meal.. People have no choice but to shout over one another because of the tunes that are pumping anyways

gandalf

Actually just curious OP which restaurant were you in ?

anto9

I understand the OP .Thats why i dont eat at restaurants that are likely to be full or have the tables too close togeather .Its not just loud voices ,i dont want to hear other peoples conversations .full stop.

spurious

Greenmachine wrote: »

Some people seem to forget they have an "Indoor voice"

So true.
I was in a tiny little place last week (seating for about 20 people at most, all in a space no more than 4m by 4m) when this loud woman started blasting. She seemed oblivious to the fact that nobody at any other table was speaking/competing with her. Her companion noticed though, which was sort of amusing to watch, as he tried to speak quietly to her in an attempt to get her to stop roaring. Almost an audible sigh in the room when they left.

Links234

Boring username wrote: »

You know for a moderator, that was an extremely stupid and nasty post. The OP hasn't said anything about dragging other people down to their own misery, as you so patronisingly put it.
They were simply pointing out that a group was being extremely loud, to the point that people around then were getting uncomfortable. Think lager louts in a restaurant and you might have an idea about what the OP was talking about. Some people just don't know how to behave themselves in public. You can have as much fun as you want, but when it starts to interfere with other people having a good time too, then it's time to lower the tone.
No doubt the usual arse kissers will be falling over themselves to thank your post though since you are a mod :rolleyes:

Magnificent example of being a buzzkill, that's exactly the kind of po-faced condescension that'll really stick a spanner in the works of someone having a laugh, a truly great misery guts can have folks second guess themselves before making a joke in their prescence again, the added begrudgery is the icing on top! 10/10, would have my buzz killed again.

TL;DR, lighten up and have a sense of humour, I was playing along with a post from Ol' Donie

kfallon

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

Stop projecting your own fears and insecurities onto me. It's rather unbecoming.

Aye aye Sergeant.....

Boring username

Links234 wrote: »

Magnificent example of being a buzzkill, that's exactly the kind of po-faced condescension that'll really stick a spanner in the works of someone having a laugh, a truly great misery guts can have folks second guess themselves before making a joke in their prescence again, the added begrudgery is the icing on top! 10/10, would have my buzz killed again.

TL;DR, lighten up and have a sense of humour, I was playing along with a post from Ol' Donie

I should get you some stabilisers for your jokes, because that one fell flat.

DarkoT

Ok, I can understand loud people in a group, but I really hate when there are to people and they are loud as hell, laughing and screaming about their stupid past so everyone can hear them. GOOOD!!!!

conorhal

Links234 wrote: »

Magnificent example of being a buzzkill, that's exactly the kind of po-faced condescension that'll really stick a spanner in the works of someone having a laugh, a truly great misery guts can have folks second guess themselves before making a joke in their prescence again, the added begrudgery is the icing on top! 10/10, would have my buzz killed again.

TL;DR, lighten up and have a sense of humour, I was playing along with a post from Ol' Donie

I think you mean TLDR: