Volume Control

We went to the rec tent this evening and watched a movie. Let me try to describe the situation: we are on a couple of couches in a row and about 7 feet in front of them are two giant (42+ inch) flat screen TVs on the wall. We were watching a movie on one and some guys were playing Halo 3 (a playstation type computer game) and then off to our left in another corner is a third giant flat screen TV maybe 15 feet away. Behind us in another part of the tent are some other TVs. So it becomes a battle of volumes. As each group would change out for some other one would turn the volume up. We had reached equilibrium with the guys next to us. They seemed content with the sound of the game and we could mostly hear our movie – mostly. As the day passes this whole building just becomes a cacophony of sound. Loud crashes and bangs and movie theme music canceling each other into NOISE. Some guy came and asked us to turn it down. We said we can barely hear. He leaves. Later he comes back with a remote and turns it down. We turn it right back up (with the remote we had). He leaves. A few minutes later he comes and turns all the TVs down.

I usually enjoy a confrontation, but in situations like this I don’t. I like to debate, but I never want to appear rude to someone. I was uncomfortable…but in the end when they turned everything down…I could not hear the movie. So that frustrated me. As you would expect we had a movie with battles and fighting so I really didn’t need to hear the sound (plus I had seen the movie before). I think it is funny that we all battle to keep turning it up an up until only the people within a 5 foot radius of the TV can hear and then it is just mixed into noise for the rest of the tent. By the way the volume goes up to 100 on this TV (yes 99+1 clicks on the remote).