Daniel Pink reads a suggestion to create music-free dining sections in restaurants, like old smoking and non-smoking zones. He argues for quieter spaces as an escape from constant noise, though he acknowledges some people want background music.
Hey, this is Daniel Pink. I write the Why Not column for The Washington Post, where we propose bold, unconventional ideas for remaking our country, our organizations, and our personal lives. We've gotten thousands of ideas from readers all over America. Here's one from a reader in Silver Spring, Maryland, not too far from where I sit right now. This person says, why not designate music and non-music dining areas in restaurants like they used to do for smoking and non-smoking areas? All right, I might be into this. I think there's room to carve out space in our incredibly loud world for quiet, and this might be a way to march in that direction. There are some people for whom music while dining is soothing and appealing. For other people, it's less soothing and less appealing. I happen to fall into that second category, so I actually might choose the no-music spot of a restaurant. But what do you think? Tell us quietly, musically, any way, right below.
