This common conversation...

[Rageaholic]

"What time is it?"
"It's 5:30"
"What?"
"It's 5:30"
"What?"
"IT'S 5:30!!!"
"You don't have to yell."

If you heard me the first time, I wouldn't have to yell now would I?

[Vagabond]

As a member of the selectively hearing impaired community, sometimes I don't always hear people the first time, or I mis-hear what they say.
I've mistaken domino's pizza for donkey nose pizza before.
And being around people who like to talk all the time, I've learned to tune out alot of the world, sometimes I forget, or have to try harder, to tune back in.
But then, maybe that's just me...

[jackfaire]

As a member of the selectively hearing impaired community, sometimes I don't always hear people the first time, or I mis-hear what they say.
I've mistaken domino's pizza for donkey nose pizza before.
And being around people who like to talk all the time, I've learned to tune out alot of the world, sometimes I forget, or have to try harder, to tune back in.
But then, maybe that's just me...

I am sorry what? Did you say something?

[Vagabond]

Huh, what? Where's the remote?

[HYHYBT]

You may not be guilty of this, but seen from the other side, it often looks like this:

"What time is it"
"(mumble too low to be heard)"
"What?"
"(mumble not at all louder than before)"
"What?"
"(shouted loudly and angrily) IT'S 5:30!!"

If someone is having trouble hearing you, please try speaking somewhat louder rather than skipping straight to the shouting, and then getting all offended at being asked not to yell. Drive-Thru customers are especially bad about this.

[Peppergirl]

My dad tries to blame his lack of hearing/listening on having been on the fire department for 25 years...and this was BEFORE they required ear protection.

But oddly enough, when me and my mother are whispering about something in the kitchen, he can hear us just fine.

Interesting, that.

[Vagabond]

Different frequencies.
It's not like, a lightbulb, where it's either on or off.
It's more like vision - some can see real good up close, and not so good far away, or others it's vice versa, or others still can see just fine far and near, and others have problems all the way around.

[blas87]

I had an ex bf who was notorious for mumbling......and he would always kick and scream at ME for asking him to speak up and stop mumbling.

You don't want to repeat yourself, then make yourself clearly heard the first time.

[KellyHabersham]

Thing is though, sometimes people DON'T realize they are mumbling.....I know I've gotten accused of that frequently, and it gets frustrating because I hear myself speaking at a "normal" speed/pitch. (thus being no way for me to catch myself when this happens) But this is just speaking from my personal viewpoint.l

[DrFaroohk]

I have problems understanding people to begin with, not necessarily a hearing problem but more how I process it. I hate conversations that go like this:

"Gurlgle rawl dee boooooo lalalal!"

"I'm sorry what?"

"Bargle nawgl zaus bidder le!"

"No, what did you say the first time?"

"Bubble bubble noddle doo! Widdershins mandarinoo?"

The gist is that even though I didn't hear the first thing they said, rather than repeat themselves they just continue the story!!!

Living where I do, everyone's got a thick accent anyway. And sometimes they don't bother to clarify at all.

Example: Y'all remember "tone loc"? He had a song called "Funky Cold Medina", but until I was in my 20's I thought it was called "funky compadina" because everyone around here has severe speech impediments.

And yet people would never clarify! You'd say "what the fuck is a compadina?" And they'd say "No no, not compadina, its COMPADINA." "Compadina?" "NO NO, COMPADINA!"


I also have an odd pitched voice...I know damn well that I speak loudly and clearly, but people are typically trying their hardest to ignore me anyway and my lack of charisma makes ME have to repeat everything I say. Sometimes I even get pissed and yell and they still can't hear me.

"Hey man that was a nice dinner you cooked."

"What?"

"I said, hey man that was a nice dinner you cooked."

"Oh, thanks."

"So you going to the bar later?"

"What?"

"I SAID, ARE YOU GOING TO THE BAR LATER."

"Oh, no I'm not."

"That's cool, where you going?"

"What?"

"THAT'S COOL, WHERE YOU GOING?"

"What?"

"I SAID THAT'S COOL, WHERE ARE GOING?"

"Huh?"

"OH NEVERMIND."

"No, what did you say?"

"I said nevermind."

"No tell me what you said."

"I SAID NEVER THE FUCK MIND!"

"Huh?"

"GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I STAB YOU!"

And lastly, this one annoys me the most:

Mumbler says: "Garble garble garble"

I say: "Huh?"

Mumbler takes on a haughty sarcastic condescending tone and says in a mock retard voice "HUH"?

[Greenday]

My mom does this all the time. She'll ask me something multiple times and I'll repeat it clearly, slower, and louder until I have to yell. Then she yells at me for yelling at her.

[protege]

My dad tries to blame his lack of hearing/listening on having been on the fire department for 25 years...and this was BEFORE they required ear protection.

My dad's like that too. Granted, he *is* deaf on his right side. He lost his hearing due to an accident--he was playing soccer, and while he and another guy were going for the ball, they tripped, and his head hit the ground...destroying his hearing. He literally can't hear me on that side, even if I'm standing right next to him. Yet, he can hear me and my brother talking in the next room

Drives my mother freaking nuts, mainly because he tends to tune her out. And yes, she *does* get pissed. Especially if we're at dinner, and he whines because he's not "included" in the conversation. Well, what do you expect if you sit at the opposite end of the damn table? I have some hearing issues too, so that's why I always sit in the middle of the group--that way, I can hear everything.

But, I can't stand people who mumble. Seriously, if what you have to say is that important...speak the hell up.

[Fryk]

People always think I'm putting on that I can't hear, but it's true. I have trouble distinguishing sounds when there's a lot of background noise. But when things are quiet, I can hear a pin drop. When you add to that the fact that I couldn't understand a lot of "Yat" speak (Yat is what you call people who live near New Orleans) and people where I used to live thought I was right deaf.
I'm NOT deaf, you just can't pronounce the word "mayonnaise"!

(Hint, it's not "mai-nezzzzzz")

[jackfaire]

I used to live thought I was right deaf.

That's a funny coincidence people used to think I was left deaf.

[crashhelmet]

I have tinnitus. My ears constantly ring. My right ear more than the left. My hearing problem stems from how loud they're ringing. If they're ringing loudly, I need people to speak up. If they're at lower levels, I can hear fine. The problem is that they can change at any moment.

CH