Having another table's conversation overtake your own table is pretty much as bad as it gets for me. The steakhouses here put tables within elbows reach of each other.

As an audio engineer and someone that is incredibly sensitive to light and sound, I wear my custom earplugs at restaurants. The noise is so bad sometimes, I cannot even hear the people at my table let alone concentrate on the conversation.

I can't even remember the last night I went out to eat, because Chicago restaurants' ambient noise is incredibly stressful.

Now there's a blast from the past!

In sum, a lot of folks on here are opposed to this. So what, we just stay male-dominated forever and are totally cool with that?

seriously