Muzak
Name(s):
Piped music in public places
Nature
Piped music is an insidious form of noise pollution. Claims are made that most people like it and for its beneficial effects, such as stress reduction. However, surveys indicate that most people do not like it and scientific experiments have shown that piped music raises blood pressure and depresses. Muzak and other unwanted background noise creates aural confusion for partially deaf people. Likewise blind people are disadvantaged because they rely on differentiating small and subtle sounds (small footfalls, echos etc).
Incidence
Gatwick Airport in the UK decided not to install background music following a very large survey of customers.
Claim
1. Music is such a personal taste and pleasure that we should not be forced to listen to it.
2. The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left.
Strategy(ies)
Type
(E) Emanations of other problems