Some 7-Eleven convenience stores across the country, including Texas and California, have begun to use roaring classical and opera music as a deterrent to homeless people camping out in front of their storefronts.
According to one Texas 7-Eleven owner, the goal is to discourage homeless people from loitering and harassing customers. Some customers support the music, while others are annoyed by it.
Despite multiple noise complaints from blasting classical music, the store’s owner, Jagat Patel, claims no one from the Austin Police Department has shown up. He is unsure whether the actual decibel level is within city ordinance, but he told FOX 7 that he intends to reduce volume.
According to Patel, the homeless population has been a major issue.
“Especially a lot of my female customers and my young customers are scared to come here, because there are people constantly hanging out in the parking lot soliciting for money,” he explained.
He claims he had to hire a professional to clean up the needles. Others who work nearby claim that homeless people have attacked them.
“I have to carry this big old knife with me just to defend myself, it’s sad that you have to do that,” a nearby worker, Joe Miranda, told Fox 7.
Patel says he began playing the music about 10 days ago and got the idea after seeing other store owners across the country do the same.
“According to studies, classical music is irritating. Opera is vexing, and I’m assuming they’re correct because it’s functional “He stated.
Patel and other nearby businesses have noticed a difference since they began playing classical and opera music.
“Now since they’ve had this music going on, we have less traffic down with the homeless out here,” Joe Miranda, a local business owner, told Fox 7.
Miranda believes it is the best solution.
“It’s helping out, it’s not annoying to us because it doesn’t bother us, but it bothers probably them because they’re doing drugs,” he explained.
Others disagree, describing the music as “obnoxious” while out shopping or filling up the gas tank.
“I believe, just talk to them, and ask them not to hang around, or not to live around, whatever, I think that’s the best solution,” said Frederick Carter, a neighbor.
He claims to have begun visiting another nearby 7-Eleven store that does not have music playing.
“This music is not very good, it’s loud, it’s obnoxious to me, I don’t like it, you can hear it a long ways off, it’s very disturbing,” he said.
Texas convenience stores aren’t the only ones playing Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven, with California 7-Elevens following suit.
In Los Angeles, California, 7-Eleven owners began playing classical music to help employees and customers alike feel safe in the midst of the city’s ongoing homelessness crisis.
Sukhi Sandhu, the owner of a California 7-Eleven, told The Modesto Bee that he started playing opera and classical music last year to drive out panhandlers and other loiterers from the convenience store.
“Once the music started, the riffraff left,” Manuel Souza told the local paper. “It’s hard to hang out and gossip and joke around.”
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