At the risk of sounding like a ragging granny, I am pleading with restaurants and stores to "turn down the music."

What gives? Why do establishments have to blast music at their patrons so they have to yell to be heard.

In recent months I have walked out of restaurants and stores where the music was too loud. The noise makes me feel dizzy.

It is generally believed by marketers that loud music can boost in-store traffic flow, sales volumes, product choices, and consumer time spent in the store. The study must have been done on young people years ago because loud music is causing people over the age of 45 to run to the parking lot.

The study must have been done some time ago because today's young consumers have their own personal music devices or have their ears glued to their cell phones. They are tuning out the mall music. Too bad their parents and grandparents can't.

“The next great environmental issue should be noise pollution,” says top Zoomer Moses Znaimer. He has launched a new initiative called the Anti-Noise Pollution League (ANPL) which encourages restaurants to keep the noise to a minimum. More power to him.