A Deafening Silence

[Kitsune]

"Why do you have earplugs in your glovebox?"

I get asked that, a lot, and I'm amazed at how few people use them when they're needed. How come concerts are so f'ing loud these days? Why is the music at a club turned up so high? Its got to be bad when you jam earplugs in and suddenly the music sounds, well, normal. The tones even sound like they should, especially at a concert. Shit, I could even understand what The Nuge was trying to sing!

But few people seem to wear them. How can bartenders, night after night, continue to endure the noise? Even when the sound isn't enjoyable, like working with a wood chipper, etc, people still won't wear 'em. And what happens to all these people on Harleys with the chopped-up exhaust?

I already have a bit of tinnitus (slight ringing in the ears heard in very quiet places, it makes for an unusually noisy silence) and I don't want anymore of it. Anyone else got it? I'm curious to hear from frequent concert-goers that don't wear plugs to find out what it has done to them.