Beep.
Posted by: tonym on 03 September 2008
Beep. Beep.
Everything does it these days and it’s driving me slightly mad. Why do the people who design things with electronics in them now feel it’s essential for their bit of kit to make annoying beeps every time it does something?
My car has parking sensors front and back; the front ones making a higher pitched beep than the rears so when maneuvering in a tight space the blessed thing produces a cacophony of annoying sounds .Useful to stop crunching the car admittedly but surely a kinder, more musical sound could be generated, say softly-plucked guitar strings that quicken in tempo as you approach a bollard?
The washing machine emits a very irritating series of beeps when its program is complete. There follows a short period of silence, then it repeats itself again. And again. Ad infinitum. The clothes are quite content to stay inside the blasted thing; they’re not going to spontaneously ignite if left for a few minutes!
Long, sustained beeps I find particularly irritating. My “Steps” machine does this when you switch it on. Beeeeeeeeeeep! I know it’s on. It lights up. If I was blind I couldn’t see the display to set it anyway. Similarly the breadmaking machine. It gives an acceptably quiet series of beeps when the bread’s ready, but why in the Sweet Lord’s name does it have to blast out an interminable loud beep when you switch its power off?
In a moment I’m going out to cut the grass. The blessed lawnmower will let out a deafening beep when I turn the ignition on (in addition to its big glowing amber light) Then I wait in fear and trepidation for the grassbox to become full, when its continuous wailing beep persists until you empty it!
Is it me? OK, rant over…
Everything does it these days and it’s driving me slightly mad. Why do the people who design things with electronics in them now feel it’s essential for their bit of kit to make annoying beeps every time it does something?
My car has parking sensors front and back; the front ones making a higher pitched beep than the rears so when maneuvering in a tight space the blessed thing produces a cacophony of annoying sounds .Useful to stop crunching the car admittedly but surely a kinder, more musical sound could be generated, say softly-plucked guitar strings that quicken in tempo as you approach a bollard?
The washing machine emits a very irritating series of beeps when its program is complete. There follows a short period of silence, then it repeats itself again. And again. Ad infinitum. The clothes are quite content to stay inside the blasted thing; they’re not going to spontaneously ignite if left for a few minutes!
Long, sustained beeps I find particularly irritating. My “Steps” machine does this when you switch it on. Beeeeeeeeeeep! I know it’s on. It lights up. If I was blind I couldn’t see the display to set it anyway. Similarly the breadmaking machine. It gives an acceptably quiet series of beeps when the bread’s ready, but why in the Sweet Lord’s name does it have to blast out an interminable loud beep when you switch its power off?
In a moment I’m going out to cut the grass. The blessed lawnmower will let out a deafening beep when I turn the ignition on (in addition to its big glowing amber light) Then I wait in fear and trepidation for the grassbox to become full, when its continuous wailing beep persists until you empty it!
Is it me? OK, rant over…
Tony
Should that only annoy the chauffeur/maid/gardener?
I agree the only thing I (the misses) uses that is useful making a noise is the cooker timer and the alarm clock.
Should that only annoy the chauffeur/maid/gardener?
I agree the only thing I (the misses) uses that is useful making a noise is the cooker timer and the alarm clock.
Arrgghhh! I clicked it 555! 
Reverse psychology - it never fails!