How do you deal with loud talkers?

[lowangle al]

I like "quiet" when I'm outdoors and try not to speak any louder than I have to for the people I'm talking to, to hear me. Sometimes I can hear peoples whole conversations that aren't part of my group. There's not much I can do about that, but when someone in my group is a loud talker and I can't take it anymore I have a hard time coming up with a tactful way to let them know about it. I usually tell them that when I'm outdoors I like to keep a "low profile" and prefer to know about the presence of other people or animals before they are aware of mine. Although it seems like a legitimate excuse, and it is part of it, I still feel like i'm insulting them. Does anyone else have a problem with this?

 

[Alan Gage]

That's reason #1275 why I prefer to do things by myself.

Reason #1276 is people who don't talk loud enough while facing away from me (bow paddlers).

In all seriousness I just bite my tongue and deal with it. I'll probably get quieter and be less talkative, hoping they get the hint to follow suit, but I realize that if I'm out with someone else then I didn't sign up for a strictly "being one with nature" type of outing and that if there are good things about being in this place with this person then I'm going to have to deal with the bad as well. If the bad outweighs the good then I know to be more choosey about who I spend my 'alone' time with.

I try to remember that my idea of fun and enjoyment might not be someone else's. If I force my rules and preferences on them then they're likely to be in the same unenjoyable position I was just in. I'm pretty good at bottling things up and taking one for the team so I usually do.

Alan

 

[lowangle al]

Your reason #1276 irks me too. I'm not asking for silence at all, just to speak softly. The incessant talker is an even harder problem to address without insulting someone. I guess I find it easier to correct a "loudmouth" than a "blabber mouth"

 

[PaddlingPitt]

Loud, constant talking, playing music, or organizing campfire games woulld all be canoe trip killers for me and Kathleen. That’s why we usually go by ourselves. When we have tripped with other people, we have had pre-trip meetings to discuss expectations and styles. We have also known the people fairly well before tripping with them.

There was that time, though, that we tripped on the Arctic Red River with one other couple. The woman hummed constantly and nonsensically while paddling. I found it very irritating, and just kept distance between our canoes.

 

[Rubbaboo]

Do kids count? I find a smack on the back of the head works great! I joke, their noise is good as long as it’s not fighting, and I’m just happy they’re happy and having fun. Unfortunately we don’t see a whole lot of wildlife on our family trips as a result.

 

[lowangle al]

Yeah, I think kids get a pass, as long as they're not too bratty. Barking dogs though, that's another story.

 

[MyKneesHurt]

I say, "hey man. Want some taffy?"

 

[lowangle al]

That's just a temporary fix, it'll get worse when the sugar kicks in.

 

[jdeerfoot]

Remove my hearing devices - deafness has a few upsides.

 

[goonstroke]

The worst thing is bow paddlers who stop paddling in order to talk loudly. The yapping is bad enough, the loss of proportionate thrust is an added insult.

 

[Idiot Savant]

I like "quiet" when I'm outdoors and try not to speak any louder than I have to for the people I'm talking to, to hear me. Sometimes I can hear peoples whole conversations that aren't part of my group. There's not much I can do about that, but when someone in my group is a loud talker and I can't take it anymore I have a hard time coming up with a tactful way to let them know about it. I usually tell them that when I'm outdoors I like to keep a "low profile" and prefer to know about the presence of other people or animals before they are aware of mine. Although it seems like a legitimate excuse, and it is part of it, I still feel like i'm insulting them. Does anyone else have a problem with this?

When I'm excited, animated, really into the conversation, I guess my volume goes up.
On a trip in May, there were only three of us, and we were sitting around, having snacks and talking. The other guy in the group suddenly yelled at me, and yelled isn't an exaggeration, "Hey, you don't have to yell, we are right here." I was really dumfounded and offended.
I think a less offensive approach would be to just say, in a normal tone of voice, hey, your volume is creeping up a bit. You could add a little humor by saying you think the guys in the next state like what you said.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I don't recall loud talkers ever being a specific problem, but I suppose the theoretical tactics I'd consider would be: get divorced; don't paddle with drinkers; turn up the volume on my Piragis outdoor loudspeaker.

 

[JCH_Ski]

I don't recall loud talkers ever being a specific problem, but I suppose the theoretical tactics I'd consider would be: get divorced; don't paddle with drinkers; turn up the volume on my Piragis outdoor loudspeaker.

 

[Nick Pending]

I don't recall loud talkers ever being a specific problem, but I suppose the theoretical tactics I'd consider would be: get divorced; don't paddle with drinkers; turn up the volume on my Piragis outdoor loudspeaker.

And have a spare speaker (from Piragis) ready for when the one broadcasting is smashed to pieces with a canoe paddle? < Another Huge Grin >

 

[lowangle al]

I don't recall loud talkers ever being a specific problem, but I suppose the theoretical tactics I'd consider would be: get divorced; don't paddle with drinkers; turn up the volume on my Piragis outdoor loudspeaker.

Glenn, if you've never been around any loud talkers there's a good chance that you are one. Can your wife confirm or deny?

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Glenn, if you've never been around any loud talkers there's a good chance that you are one. Can your wife confirm or deny?

I may have been loud sometimes at night on canoe trips when I was a drinker 34+ years ago. In person, and unlike my ease and verbosity in writing, I'm usually a fairly introverted and quiet person.

 

[Chip]

My most frequent tandem partner is a talker and loud. Like me, he is older and going deaf, which maybe is why he is so loud. If I ask him to tone it down, he does, for a few minutes, but inevitably, the volume creeps back up. Add to that, he is an incessant talker. I've tried giving him the silent treatment, hoping that my nonresponse would end the conversation. All that does is buy a brief pause before he continues the monolog. There was a story told to me by a friend who was on the Green River at the same time, but in a different group, than Mr. Talks-alot. The friend was asking a third party if they'd seen him. The response included something like, is there one guy that never stops talking? Yep, that'd be him.

I enjoy tandem paddling, but tandem partners are hard to find, so I just put up with it. However, his injuries may put a stop to it. I was out with him in August and asked him to do a draw stroke. His shoulder or arm or something is injured and he says he can't do it. Afterwards, I was asking myself if need to quit boating with the guy. There are times when you really need a stroke from your partner, and a partner that can't do it becomes a liability. And here my response drifts to the aging out thread, off the present topic.

 

[lowangle al]

I may have been loud sometimes at night on canoe trips when I was a drinker 34+ years ago. In person, and unlike my ease and verbosity in writing, I'm usually a fairly introverted and quiet person.

I was just kidding you Glenn, but even if you were a loud talker I'd bet you'd have something interesting to say.

 

[coldfeet]

Funny topic, I just told my third graders yesterday that I speak loudly because of hearing loss from that Zeppelin concert in 75!
Thus I can't hear so well making me speak loudly, my wife said I speak loudly. What's sad is that I can't hear others talking when they are in the bow or hiking ahead. I do get the message quickly when they are paddling fast or running away, danger coming! I'll be in the market soon for hearing aids which I heard can be quit expensive.

 

[jdeerfoot]

Definitely shop around for hearing aids, they generally have a big markup. You may want to consider seeing an audiologist for a hearing exam. Some hearing aid vendors are only trained to fit aids and may recommend aids for almost anyone. And you should always get a trial period with any aids you try so they can be returned if you aren’t satisfied with them. If you have a Costco nearby their pricing is quite competitive.