I’m an introvert, and the only time I feel annoyed is when I have a talkative taxi driver. I find it pretty easy to zone out all the white noise created by strangers milling around. It really isn’t that big of a deal.
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Example: sitting in Starbucks reading, with the shop’s music playing, and the dude next to you is blaring out a drama on his device (no earphones). It’s not pleasant. 
Guy
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Just shoot them a dirty stare! And then when you got their attention, point to your ears very dramatically. You won’t make a new friend, but they will get the hint to at least turn it down.
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If it is it’s not killing fast enough!
Really? I’m skeptical. Most of the time dirty stares don’t result in anything if they’re noticed at all. Maybe I’m not staring dirty enough.
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Eye contact is needed for the Drew method to work.
Typically though Starbucks assholes are so self-absorbed that eye contact is elusive and unlikely.
Guy
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Why do people have to have video conversations on their phone in a middle of a busy coffeeshop. Why can’t they pop in a Bluetooth earphone like the old days. Remember when people used to laugh at the sales guys with the Bluetooth headset, it turns out those were the polite folks !
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Spend a week in China then come back and you will feel Taiwan is the most serene place on the planet.
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Any solution that requires me to visit (or move to!) the PRC is not much of a solution. : D
Guy
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This is the absolute worst. I’m slowly working my way thru the many cafes of my new swanky Minsheng community neighborhood but this is still a big issue. You’re sat down with your nice latte and carrot cake chilling out and some fuckwit decides to start watching videos on his phone. Asshole!!!
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Nice!
Not nice!
Have you ever approached such f-wits and asked if they can use headphones? I’m curious to know if the rarefied people in Minsheng community can be reasoned with. : D
Guy
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Yeah it’s a pretty pro active place but not so much in the cafes. I usually just mutter and tuttut.
Is this the neighborhood in Neihu? I’ve been looking at places there.
No. Over the minchuan bridge. Top of Minsheng.
No riff raff mind. Carry your best Dostoyevsky…
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That wouldn’t help much as the sound coming out of their feeding hole will still be filling up the space.
It’ll be reduced at least
Great read indeed!
And a good lesson for life:
I ask a friend, a self-styled Confucian and amateur etiquette enthusiast, how he would deal with the noise maker.
“I wouldn’t,” he says. “Anyone who thinks its OK to loudly play their music or whatever [in public spaces], is obviously an asshole. I don’t deal with assholes, it’s a waste of my time.”
Wise words. But that’s why Taiwan is chaos.
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