This Healthbolt post says that the subways in New York City (and, one can likely assume, those in other cities such as Boston), have "noise levels ranging between 80 and 120 decibels."
In case you, like me, have no real sense of what a decibel actually sounds like, the helpful comparison is that "normal conversation is between 60 and 70 decibels."
So the takeaway is that subways are loud.
As you probably know, regular exposure to loud noises can cause hearing problems over time, so this is of potential of concern to those who ride the train a lot. I'll hope that my earplugs help with that, 'cause there's no way I'm driving into Boston.
I need the train, loud or not.
2 comments:
Okay! On Nightline last night, they said that the "ladies" tennis matches at Wimbledon are bad for the ears also. Seems like every volley elicits a "grunt" by competitors which have been measured at around 110 db. - I kid you not :-) I think Venus and Serena Williams are the worst offenders :-) - just kidding. Now we have to avoid commuter trains and tennis matches.
Well, I'm not likely to wind up at Wimbledon anytime soon, but I'll keep it in mind. :)
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