Be happy if you have only background music. My ex and I once got tickets well in advance for a ritzy wine tasting. When we got there they had music playing so loud that we could not stand next to each other across the room from a boom box and hear one another talk. Twice we asked them to turn it down, which they did - barely enough to notice the volume change. The third time we asked for our money back and left.

Other places we've been we have asked to have the music turned down and someone in authority has been willing to do so. Research may show that people spend more if music is playing, but a customer saying they'll walk out if the music isn't changed has a lot of weight to those in charge.

What bothers me even more than background music tho is the sudden proliferation of television sets blaring in all places - fast food joints, hospital waiting rooms, division of motor vehicles, mall rest areas, department stores. How do people keep from having sensory overload?