The sound of silence   See article  Readers' comments     People
hearing without listening I would refer you to the following
definition of noise in the Devil’s Dictionary: “A stench in the
ear. The chief product and authenticating sign of civilization.”
I am unfortunately reminded of this as a commuter of many
decades on the London Underground. I have used a noise
measurement device to measure the tube (not rail) platform &
carriage announcements and can confirm that they regularly
exceed recommended pollution levels. The problem is not the
unavoidable transit noises but the announcements, which are
bellowed out at a volume responsible for my continuous tinnitus.
Could TFL Underground be persuaded be persuaded to lessen the
savage volume of their announcements? This would allow TFL to
continue in its evolution, which is another “chief product and
authenticating sign of civilization.”   If the author is
referring to the US "Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010"
this act states that "The sound shall be a