The TV-B-Gone keychain has been around for a few months now. The intent of this little device is to surreptitiously turn off televisions in public places like bars and restaurants. I’m all for it. If I want to watch TV, I’ll stay home. But I’m urging the designers to also invent a similar device for shutting off the damn sound systems that blare out music in those same public places. I’m tired of meeting a friend at a bar and having my voice compete with the Greatest Hits of the 80s collection coming out of speakers turned up to 11. If it’s a contest of decibels between me and the Power Station’s “Some Like It Hot,” Power Station will always win. I’ve heard rumors of pubs and restaurants where the only sound you hear upon walking through the door is the quiet buzz of human conversation. However, I suspect those places only exist as urban legends.
