After our article ‘The 10 annoying habits of hearing people’ broke all records on this site, a number of people wrote in asking us when we would be doing a deaf version.
At first, I dismissed these suggestions – deaf people aren’t in any way annoying, are they?
But then some of our readers (most of them deaf) sent in their suggestions for what our irritating habits might be, and I started to realise that maybe hearing people don’t have a monopoly on being annoying – deaf people have their moments as well.
So, without further ado, here are the 10 annoying habits of deaf people. It’s only fair.
Apologies once more for the sketches, which are even more lo-fi than last time.
1. Noisy eating
Deaf people love a good nosh up (see number 4 for more on this theme) so maybe the reason we eat noisily is simply because of our sheer enthusiasm for the culinary delights placed before us on our plate.
This enthusiasm may also explain why, along with our munching and chomping sounds, we do a spine-shivering sideline in scraping our plates with our cutlery as we carve our way through our food.
Should we be forgiven our noisy ways, considering we have to maintain eye contact while we are eating in order to continue our conversation, and because, being deaf, we also can’t hear how noisy we are being?
I’m not sure, frankly.
2. Using ‘deaf time’ to our advantage
Have you ever heard of the expression ‘deaf time’? No? Then let us explain. For deaf people, the usual laws of space and time are a little inverted, especially when it comes to leaving a deaf gathering.
Maybe it’s because historically, being spread out, deaf people didn’t see each other every day, so when they did meet, at the Deaf centre, say, they had to squeeze a week’s worth of conversation into one night.
There’s also the fact that deaf people can never simply say “goodbye.” There is always just one more thing we need to say – that then kicks off a whole other conversation.
And signed conversations cannot be interrupted, closed down, or shortened – perhaps because they depend on the two people being visually engaged with each other. They absolutely must run their course.
Which is why the only way of guaranteeing that you can leave a deaf party by 10pm is to start saying your goodbyes at around 8pm – approximately half an hour after you arrived in the first place.
3. Being too direct
Last month, we accused hearing people of skirting around the truth, of being too subtle for their own good. But you could equally accuse deaf people of being a little too direct on occasion.
I should fess up here – because I’ve been guilty of it too.
To the couple who sat next to me and my mate when we were on holiday in Cornwall in 2001, I would like to apologise.
Why? For asking you – only a few minutes after we had started talking to you – whether you “had ever considered getting married?”
A question that sent your night (and ours) into a hellish world of awkward tension, for which there was really no need.
Sorry.
4. Eating too much at buffets
There are very few deaf men of a certain age who don’t sport a bit of a belly. I am only 31, but I’ve managed to develop a middle-aged spread well in advance.
The reason? Our habit of consuming too much communal food. Such as at buffets.
If you see somebody at a wedding reception with their plate piled high with a tower of pizza, sandwiches, sausage rolls, quiche and pork pies – already on their second helping before everybody else has had their first – the chances are that the person you are looking at is deaf.
Are we scarred by the memory of buffets we missed when we didn’t hear that they’d started? (I know I am). Is it that – being visual people – we simply love the look of all that sumptuous food on our plates?
Or is the truth a little harder to, er, swallow?
Are we so bored and left out at some of these gatherings, that the only way of entertaining ourselves is to resort to gluttony?
5. Doing disgusting things with our ear moulds
I confess. When my yellowing ear moulds get clogged up, I disconnect the tube and without a second thought, I blow that brown, thick wax high into the air.
I’ve been doing it for so long that it’s only just occurred to me (literally, as I write this) that it could land just about anywhere. Yuck.
Deaf people are conditioned by a lifetime’s experience to forget just how disgusting these habits are. And if you think I’m bad, well, one boy I knew growing up had a unique method of cleaning his ear moulds – by mouth.
6. Talking about other deaf people as if everybody knows who they are
“You know… Dorothy Jones! She was in the third year at Mary Hare, won the sprint on sports day! Had two sisters and a black cat.”
There’s no doubt that the deaf world is small, but it is still remarkable just how often we act as though other deaf people we know are minor celebrities, known to just about everybody.
This is why I know the life history of a number of deaf people who I have never met. And why some of my friends know all about people they’ve never met, that I talk about like they’re the cast of the Harry Potter films.
And what’s with the way that we refer to deaf people by both their first name and their surname, even when their name has been mentioned (in full) earlier in the conversation?
We need to take a long hard look at ourselves.
7. Closing our eyes when we don’t want to listen to a hearing person’s point of view
Pity the poor hearing person, often a parent or sibling, who, mid-argument, is prevented from replying to our point with a point of their own.
How? We simply close our eyes.
I confess that I have done it on occasion (although it’s complicated somewhat by having to turn my hearing aids off before shutting my eyes), and every deaf person I know has done it.
Most of us stopped doing it when we realised that not only were we being annoying, we also looked incredibly silly.
Most, but not all. You know who you are…
8. Knocking drinks over in the pub
No matter how busy the pub, or how crowded the bar, us Deafies insist on signing at full pelt, and full span, regardless of the number of drinks that get knocked flying as unsuspecting hearing people walk past us holding their drinks.
It’s almost as though it’s their responsibility to avoid our signing hands, rather than the other way round.
Is this right or wrong?
*ponders*
9. Making audible bodily noises in public
Needless to say, this one was suggested by several of our hearing readers – who can hear whether this is the case or not. Thanks for that guys. We really, y’know, appreciate it.
I personally , ahem, don’t make any bodily noises at all, that I, er, know of at least, so I couldn’t possibly comment on whether this is the case or not.
But if we do? Well, we accept it’s annoying, but since we can’t hear said noises ourselves, you might be waiting a while for an apology…
10. Signing and driving
Studies have shown that deaf people have better peripheral vision which means that as we drive, we can spot potential hazards out of the corner of our eyes quicker than hearing folk can.
Which is probably a lifesaver, when you take into account our death-defying habit of signing (and lipreading) as we drive.
I still remember a hearing pal happily taking a lift with a Deaf friend of mine, only to get out of the car with a ghostly, pale look on his face when we all arrived at our destination. He hadn’t experienced signing and driving before, and thought his days on this planet were moments from coming to an end.
Statistically, deaf people are incredibly safe drivers, so maybe our amazing peripheral vision makes up for it all?
Or maybe we should let our petrified hearing passengers decide whether they feel safe or not.
Enjoy this? Now read The 10 annoying habits of hearing people!
Do you have any annoying deaf habits to add to this list? Add them in the comments below!
DISCLAIMER: The author recognises that many of the annoying habits listed are actually his own faults, and may not be shared by all deaf people. Just quite a lot of them.
Charlie Swinbourne is the editor of Limping Chicken, as well as being a journalist and an award-winning scriptwriter. He writes for the Guardian and BBC Online, and as a scriptwriter, pennedMy Song, Coming Out and Four Deaf Yorkshiremen.
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John David Walker
July 10, 2013
Interestingly list on how deaf people describe their own annoying habits. I think hearing people would come together with a different list. I think receiving calls from Typetalk will be one of them.
Editor
July 10, 2013
I think you’re right John! Ed
Annoying hearing person
April 10, 2014
Typetalk? These can be found in museums only? Are you sure you live in the 21st century? 🙂
nicole
April 26, 2015
There are two female hearing room mates who accepted a deaf male as the third in the house. He was great at first now very macho, also backstabbing. Has a board for us to write on, and labels people, and acts superior. He can talk, and read lips, yet he will turn away when he doesn’t want to talk to you. He will then say in a loud voice. I cant hear you! Duh! we knew that when you moved in!! We put all tv’s on closed caption, and have bent over for him..seems he is trying to put a wedge between the two room mates there before him. Rudeness is rudeness. Period. Back stabbing is backstabbing. Period. Pretending he doesn’t see you when you know he can is just rude. He takes a lot for granted. We all have issues to deal with in life. He acts superior. We thought we were equals!!
We gladly opened our arms to him. He is highly educated, so there is no excuse. He will ignore you as if you aren’t there. He is pitting the two long standing room mates, by writing nasty remarks on his board, the erasing when the person he is bad mouthing comes in the room. How do you get even with a jerk like this?? I can take is noisy eating, leaving water on, loud sneezing, even the noises (God forbid) he makes in the shower!!) no one even addressed this! What can I do?? Help!!!!
roving3
October 10, 2015
I’m experiencing a problem that seems to involve chewing too hard. It seems to be causing my teeth to fracture and break. I’d say that’s both annoying and harmful.
Rob
July 10, 2013
Having lived perfectly in Hearing world as a non BSL user for years with it’s normality of human relationships, one thing that I noticed about the Deaf world is that once a mistake or misunderstanding takes root in a deaf mind. it is notoriously difficult to correct and restore before the whole world knows about it! Even now I am still having to correct facts years later!
Frances Anne Hill
July 10, 2013
That’s so fantastic and so true! When I talked to my children in public place, at low voice (I think). My children 18 yrs old and 15 yrs old tell me to shush! I don’t know how to make my voice much lower, when I did that I thought its far too low :-/
Deepa
July 10, 2013
I would dispute that some of the habits would be considered as annoying within the deaf community…deaf people were told the annoying habits by hearing people therefore were conditioned to think that they are the annoying habits. If hearing people hadn’t told us that these habits are annoying, then we would consider these habits as natural and cultural.
i.e.
scraping on the plates;- Who complains? hearing people.
deaf time:- even Indian/European people have their own Indian/european time by taking their time to get there but it is ok as it is cultural thing, but when it comes to making an observation for deaf people by hearing people, it is a deaf thing!
Audible noises:- we can’t help it and only hearing people make comments about it.
Signing and driving:- who was the scared one? hearing person… not deaf so how can it be annoying to a deaf person?
If we all lived on the same land instead of being spread all over the world, i.e. Martha’s Vineyard and did the same thing as above, then it would be acceptable it would be considered as a deaf race and cultural behaviours.
Ash
July 11, 2013
I’m sure you’re right! But aren’t the “annoying habits of hearing people” declared “annoying” by deaf people? This goes both ways. We all have to be good sports about this…
Kiven
March 8, 2015
it call is SURDOPHOBIA
Sazzy
July 10, 2013
Charlie texting or checking mobiles at inappropriate times is one- my deaf clients do it ALL the time, like the checkout lady at Sainsburys I stop what I am doing until clients have finished- so rude (I do it at home too- much to Richards annoyance!! Whoops!)
deaflinguist
July 10, 2013
Scraping the plate *feels* horrible.
I’m actually surprised this is an issue because most of us are pretty sensitive to vibrations and I wouldn’t have thought that a sensation akin to chalk on blackboard contributed to enjoying food. It’s that sensation of having my teeth on edge while I’m eating, rather than cultural conditioning by hearies around me, that stops me doing it.
Em
May 13, 2014
This is soo true. With my acute hearing I have banned my family from doing this. In fact I have walked out of the dining room before!
Claudia
July 10, 2013
@Deepa – so, because only hearing people think something is rude, it’s OK to do it? Some hearing people are taught what’s rude to Deaf and try to minimize the rudeness even tho it’s not rude in hearing culture.
Sarah
July 10, 2013
Often Deaf people (myself included BIG time -I’m Deaf) make a lot of noises while chatting. Banging hands and elbows on countertops, smacking lip etc.
Also accidentally slapping or poking an innocent bystander with our hands or knocking over always coincidently full beverage glasses. Once I “chopped” a wine glass and it shattered when I signed “That” quite forcefully. :).
donaldo of the wasatch
July 10, 2013
Being offended EASILY first and also that hearing people are offended by our excessive gesturing and facial expressions as though what 1/10 of 1 percent of the planet does is normal and rest are not. And directly correlated in a statistical sense/relationship – deaf ANGER.
Claudia
July 10, 2013
Bottom line is, I think, mutual respect and education. People generally are uncomfortable around people not like them. I’ve been exposed to many different cultures and the more exposure, the less uncomfortable and the fewer anger/disrespect issues there are.
The Sign Language Company
July 10, 2013
Great article! Laughing out loud. I don’t think deaf people have a monopoly on food-piled-high buffets. Have you visited the South? We’ll be sharing this one too.
duane
July 10, 2013
texting and driving? I hate to say this but we have an amazing yet unfair advantage when it comes to that. But before my state (GA, USA) made it illegal to text and drive. I admit I was pretty good at it only because I know how to type without looking and that was due to my past experience on a TDD and typewriter.
#8 happened and dang it happened to the worst – this chick was madddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd but her date was laughing and despite the fact i offer to paid for dry cleaning they were cool but i was like dang I got turned up at the wrong time!
#7 guilty as charged!
evelynhunter
July 10, 2013
Great article! Laughing out loud…….and I don’t think deaf people have a monopoly on food-piled-high buffets. Have you visited the South?? Will be sharing this too.
Rebecca Lopez
July 10, 2013
my friends think I am the most deaf annoying habit and I kept saying u’re HEARING, so that way we both are even
Katherine Coutanche
July 10, 2013
It can be quite alarming to be in a vehicle driven by a signing, lipreading Deaf person whilst they are talking to their passenger. However, when your minibus driver is signing to the driver of the minibus travelling parallel to you on the motorway – that’s a whole new level of scary.
leftblink
July 10, 2013
interesting list, but i think your list points out things about deaf people that annoy hearing people. what about deaf tendencies that annoy other deaf people? …and for the record, it’s called “deaf standard time” not deaf time.
Curlygirly
July 10, 2013
As a hearing person I would say that the most annoying habit of deaf people is always being asked:
1. Are you deaf or hearing?
2. What level of sign language do you have?
Whilst I understand the need to ask the first question to some degree, the second question can be quite irritating if you are just chilling out in the pub. If you have turned up to interpret for a deaf person, then fair enough they are entitled to ask what your qualifications are but if we are chatting and communicating well in the pub why does it matter what sign language level I have? If I meet a foreigner and we are chatting away in English then I never think to ask them what qualifications they hold in English. Perhaps some deaf peeps can respond and let me know their insight for asking about BSL levels.
As to the habits list, a number of these take a bit of getting used to as a hearing person (I can definitely relate to the being scared by the signing whilst driving when I first experienced it!). After a while though, you get used to these things as just a beautiful part of deaf culture. Like always signing away and being the last to leave…
smudge
September 11, 2013
I suspect a lot of the time it’s to work out if they can be bothered to chat to you if your signing is not what they’d consist sufficient to have a conversation. I agree that unless you are terping for them though then they’ve got no need to ask & actually you’ll both get a sense quite quickly as to whether you can understand one another or are sufficiently interested to continue in conversation!
Diana
July 10, 2013
I guess I get really annoyed with hearing people is this: I go shopping or circulate within the hearing world and when I mention something using my voice (well trained since childhood) , ‘they’ start yapping away, and I say ‘hold it, slow down I’m deaf’ then ‘they’ speak louder and continuing with their yapping, ‘hold it I say, I am not hearing impaired, I am truly deaf’ ‘they’ then get puzzled and continue, oh dear !!
Chad Guillory
July 11, 2013
My mom, her boyfriend, and my grandma all have a bad habit of saying the name of things in reverse. I cant think of any examples at the moment, I usually just ignore it.
Joanne
July 11, 2013
Yes my deaf pupils at school do this. Like “chips and fish” or “ketchup tomato”
nadia
July 11, 2013
It probably means they using American Sign Language versus Conceptualy Accurate Signed English (which is in english word order). Many ppl don’t realize there are different types of sign language.
Jennifer
July 11, 2013
I agree with you on some of theses, I am hard of hearing and some of my friends and families always yells at me to knock it off, I always either drums my fingers on the tables, or have a pen, pencil in my hand tapping on the table or any types of noises that I don’t really hear or pay attention to it. Even my leg goes up and down which shakes the bench or car. I can sometimes annoys them and don’t even realize it! 🙂
Kylie
July 11, 2013
What a great article. Well done! Being a hearing person with deaf parents, this was a real laugh to me. Although the critical one for me missing is ‘placing ( or rather-throwing) cutlery back into the drawer. A personal favourite of my Mum!
mrs_scholes
July 11, 2013
A colleague once did a presentation on Hearing Awareness for our staff team (mixture of deafies and hearing). It was very enlightening. She grew up in a hearing family, has always been hearing, learned spoken English as her first language…. etc.
She included annoying habits of deaf people and also wrong things you hear about hearing people! That was a lot of fun.
Lauri Sue Robertson
July 11, 2013
I know a Deaf man who insisted on using the public washroom while the cleaning-staff (all women) were in there. They were grossed-out by the sound of him using the toilet, but he refused to believe that he was making any noise!
brigittegrisanti
July 11, 2013
I don’t have any to add but 7 and 9 are my favorite. Thanks for the humor without offense. It was great and informing. I would never have known.
Diane Hill
July 12, 2013
since this is from the UK I am not sure it is the same as in America, but I am hearing and have a daughter who is deaf among other problems. My biggest pet peeve is that we have had more problems with deaf teachers and other deaf adults who are very intolerant of my daughters other problems. I am told it is because deaf people do not want hearing people to judge all deaf by her, meaning, they don’t want people to think ALL deaf have the same problems. A little closed minded in my opinion, and came as a BIG surprise to me.
RKP
July 12, 2013
How true and how funny.
One other thing… I wonder if its common to all the deaf…. humming without knowing? I would hum when Im busy focusing on something and not even know it. I just learned that one of my friend tends to hum without knowing too. So I wonder if its common to most Deaf?
Kirsteen
July 12, 2013
Lack of grammar should be on the list. Not all deaf people are lucky to get a good education and support. A lot of the grammar is learnt from listening to everyday speech and extra help with English when in school would have overcome this. Nothing wrong with using sign language/ lipreading etc. Just does not look right written down and you need a certain standard of english for work these days such as working in an office using e-mails, making up letters, doing proof-reading, typing up doucuments, etc – a lot of things you can do even if you cannot use a phone. You can also achieve a lot in college/university with a good standard of English as a back up.
Kelly
July 12, 2013
Well hearing people blamed deaf Sick of “drama!” And deaf make sounds laugh loud or sound funny talk voice we can’t. Help it! Why we become deaf is soo hard life sad! We want hear music ,talking understand them we love dance and sing it! But happened we get sick born get deaf or fell hit head loser hear be deaf many. Things happened looser hearing we feel jealous is what ? Hear want hear!!
Nutty Nora
July 15, 2013
I have been driving for donkeys years on my own without help, but still my bf straightens his legs n arms out, grabs the door handle & edge of his seat, holds his breath & pulls a scared face and tells me to watch out, points & waves his finger to things & puts a polite hand up to other drivers in other cars when I turn corners at junctions as if I am incapable – he doesn’t like it when i am talkin/signing., hes deaf but grew up/lives in a hearing world – I know what I am doing!!
donaldo of the wasatch
July 15, 2013
Your antics are thrilling! Sean Connerly move your Aston Marton out of the way! Your driving theatrics should be the templates for a new ride at Disneyland/World. It could replace the Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride that has been around about 50 years in Fantasyland at the California Disneyland. That ride is also British in origin BTW. May I suggest an anti anxiety medication for your BF or a strong sleeping medication?
Ellen Hansen
July 18, 2013
You forgot leaving the water faucet on!! : )
Denise
July 22, 2013
Hey, I have been in the car too many times as my friend signs and has had to swerve to stay in his lane. Sorry I drive now.
Londontown
July 25, 2013
Shuffling the heels of shoes when walking; at meals signing, but also using mouth patterns so the food is very visible in it’s varying states of chewed-ness, leaving taps on, doing the dishes and clattering the plates & cups so loud, I think they will break, pressing a doorbell 10 times, instead of the required 1 or 2. Oh, and not checking their phone for hours to see if they have any text messages from me when I’m desperate to get in contact with them!
Edwin Swinbourne
July 30, 2013
annoy me as well
Diana
July 31, 2013
My hearing daughter commenced living with me several months ago after an absence of us living together for 10 years and she gets upset with my ‘noises’ of washing up, running tap and walking around, I tell her at least these are living noises!! Sometimes she makes really loud noises doing the same and I wonder, she can hear my noises and she can’t hear hers?????
Ali
November 23, 2013
Leaving the water running after they wash their hands. Both my husband and son do it all the time. I know they can’t hear it so they forget and walk away but when I need a hot shower but the hot water is gone from running all night, it does get annoying.
Diana
November 24, 2013
Yes, I have this annoying habit of leaving the water tap running and also leaving something to heat and boil and forgetting until the smell reaches me!!
Cizzy
November 24, 2013
Sounds… Yep.. I.have been told that I have a habit of making.this deep prolonged sigh/moaning sound. My friend who happened to be an.interpreter said I make this clicking sound whenever I “simcom”.
tgvyhbujnikm
February 10, 2014
I would say the most annoying thing about deaf people is their ability to sleep through anything!
As I lay tossing and turning as the noisy neighbour smashes around or plays loud music, my deaf friend lies their peacefully asleep. It makes everything so much worse!
Jealous 😉
Diana
February 11, 2014
Ha, Ha…. good one. But I remember a fellow friend used to leave his hearing aids on whilst sleeping before he learnt to sign, now he knows Auslan, he takes his aids off : )
Anonymous
April 10, 2014
I’m not liking a few of them. Scratching our plates? Maybe that’s annoying to hearing people but not to us deafies. I think you could do with a replacement, wouldn’t want to succumb or to cater to standards that was implemented by hearing people.
Mandy
August 27, 2016
He made another list first about hearing habits that annoy deaf people 🙂
Bob
April 11, 2014
LOL I am reminded of a friend who thought her farts made no noise because they had no smell. 🙂
Liadan
April 12, 2014
I get a lot of Relay Calls and I’ve never had a Deaf person say “Good-bye” when finished with the call. They are just suddenly not there. I’ll ask the relay operator, “Are they still on the line?” Nope.
donaldo of the wasatch
April 12, 2014
My contention is that the Deaf are their own worst victimizers. No one does to us what we do to ourselves. But that is what isolation and self segregation does. Then we wonder why we have so little influence on humandom! Look at the mirror and ask your self.
lisiwisi
April 12, 2014
Correction on #7: We close our eyes to deaf people too, not just hearing. And hearing kids do it to their deaf parents. Also, we look away and hold our hand up like “not listening” as adults. Closing eyes would be juvenile, kids do that but I don’t think adults do??
nope
April 14, 2014
I have a hard time with deaf people. I came to your site to try to learn how to cope. It started when I was young and had to teach a group of deaf children how to swim. I was never more frusterated in my life. I would have to catch the child and make them look at me to communicate. they wouldn’t would run away, turn away etc. now as an adult I still have lots of problems. if I get a deaf patient I find that they don’t like me even though I try. I don’t know if I rolled my eyes once by accident in a conversation. I was told by an interpretor that the patient didn’t like me. I don’t know why and don’t know what I can change. This is why I’m trying to learn more, I feel deaf people can sense my unease and fear. I did have a deaf roommate once and hated how loud she was, she would bang cupboards so loudly. Also she’s take out her hearing aids as soon as she got home so it was as though she didn’t want to try to communicate with the rest of the household. I gueaa I’d like to say all the things you list here as annoying aren’t even the half of it. I just don’t get deaf people. they seem arrogant. I am trying to understand though.
Joy
April 14, 2014
Hi! I got involved with the Deaf community because I made friends with many Deaf people. I then learned sign language which opened up my world to meeting many wonderful deaf people. I feel you would greatly benefit from going on a short course called “Deaf Awareness”. It teaches about deaf people, how they feel about things & how to interact. You could also learn basic sign language, but not all deaf people communicate via sign. Also, I want to encourage you, that Deaf people are just like any other person: some are thoughtful, kind & lovely, some are rude, grumpy & selfish. if you had met a hearing person who was a right b**tard, that wouldn’t taint your views of people in general. About your room mate who took off her hearing aids- if you go on a Deaf Awareness course, you might understand that at the end of the day she is exhausted trying to hear people speak & maybe even has a headache from the sound from the hearing aids. Of course, she might have simply been anti-social, but educating yourself about deaf people could help you gain insight into what we perceive as quirky behaviour.
skarrlette
May 4, 2014
I’m hearing and I have to say just because your deaf doesn’t mean your suppose be vulgar. Blowing your dirty insanitary not to mention disgusting ear wax into the ear really????? That’s ignorant sorry, I would be done trying to understand you at that point convo over.
Em
May 13, 2014
I agree on these lists that you have made. I am not deaf (I do however have acute hearing so can hear dog whistles and stuff) but I do these things. My brother has a choclear implant and also does these. My mum sign drives as well but is hearing. Does anyone know anyone else who is hearing and does these cos all my friends think I am weird!
Olivia
September 26, 2014
You’re not weird, I have several friend who signs and is hearing. They sign a little cos i understand them without signing, but they been with me since year7(I’m year10now) I had my first cochlear implant operation done just 2weeks before first day of school started. It was hard to understand people as I lost my other hearing aid so yeah, I struggled to understand my friends(teachers were fine cos I had signing teacher helping me out to understand teachers) my friends even went ot the point where we were writing on post it notes.. Horrible. So yeah, they picked up a lot of signing language by watching the signing teacher and me. But now I got 2 cochlear implants(August 22 2011, February 4 2013) and I’m mainstreaming, I understand everything and everyone.
I think the part where Charlie wrote in that 10 annoying habit of hearing people(I think that’s right) about life bio, is so me. That is what I’m doing and I don’t know why I just wrote all that, I just felt the need to write all of this. I’m weird, but that’s what everyone likes these day so:p
Mary Moore
May 19, 2014
Enjoyed your article, another one is shuffling feet when we walking. From Florida soon to be a Texan.
Kate
May 22, 2014
Why is it that it’s acceptable for deaf people to be annoyed by hearing people, but not acceptable for hearing people to be annoyed by deaf people? I work in a bar, and deaf people come in all the time and they are THE RUDEST!! And most aggressive / angry people I’ve ever met. For no reason! They get mad that I am taking to long to take their orders… Yet are NEVER PREPARED when they come in, and angry when I can’t understand them! It’s like the movie The People Under The Stairs for me, hands reaching at me from all directions over the bar when I literally have multiple things in my hands. They treat me as if I’m not human! Pounding on the bar or clapping their hands as if I don’t know that they are there to get a drink or can’t see them. It’s rude. No regard for how understanding and patient I am trying to be, with 40 other deaf customers reaching at me, waiting for them to figure out that they actually need to pay for their drinks!! They never have their credit cards or cash ready, and never want to start a tab (which slows every bartender down having to close and reopen a card 20 times for each item). What takes 30 seconds for a hearing customer to place their order ( tell me drink, give me card, start tab, give drink), takes 5 minutes for a deaf person because they REFUSE TO PAY ATTENTION when all I am trying to do is get them to pay for their drink! ( they yell me their drink (which is ironic considering they get angry at hearing people for talking too loud) in an inaudible noise, I have to guess what they are saying, I make their drink and then stand waiting, trying to get their attention again! Thanks for wasting the time of every other customer, and making my tips go down. Oh, which reminds me… Shitty tippers! The worst. Worse then black people. WTF? You waste my time and then tip shitty after all the effort I’ve given to JUST ONE CUSTOMER. And the random yelling is annoying! It comes out of nowhere and is crazy loud! If you were hearing, it would bother you as well. You ostrisize yourselves! So stop acting like we are the assholes all the time! We can’t help that we can hear, same as you can’t help it that you don’t.
John David Walker
May 22, 2014
Why don’t you approach a group of deaf people and ask them to find a way to encourage deaf patrons to arrange a tab. You might also want to ask them what kind of a service they would like that would warrant a good tip – you might find your idea of a service worthy of a tip is different from theirs. As someone who works in a bar, isn’t it in your best interest to ‘know your customers’ as they are obviously going to your bar for some reason.
Trooly
December 9, 2014
Racist *and* disablist. Nice.
Maybe your customers are rude to you because you’re a ***** human being?
Liadan
December 9, 2014
How are the Deaf rude to you? Maybe its a misunderstanding of cultures?
Ali
June 29, 2014
Leaving the water running after washing hands!
Beavis
July 4, 2014
I am a hearing person that finds ASL extremely interesting and I have know a few deaf people in my life. I think most of this list applies to all people, not just deaf people. The biggest annoyances from deaf people likely stem from being educated or living long term in a specialized deaf environment. The social cues are totally different in deaf and hearing worlds.
For instance, I understand that deaf people get each others attention by waving their hands at them. I mean, how else can you do it? Well, in the hearing world this is taken to mean the person waving violently at you is mad at you and wants to reprimand you in some way. If you are deaf and want a hearing persons attention, come up to us, shake our hand, or just politely and calmly wave hello. We will figure out that you’re deaf pretty quickly.
If you are deaf but can talk, don’t start talking to hearing people unless you are prepared to be talked back to. If you cannot hear at all or cannot read lips accurately, hearing people will have absolutely no problem communicating with you via pen and paper. It might be slow and might be a pain in the ass, but it allows for precise communication, and the hearing person will be more comfortable interacting with you if demonstrate knowledge of the English language. Not that you wouldn’t know English for whatever reason, but this allows the hearing person to be comfortable in communicating with you, and this benefits everyone.
The most major problem, one that I think really drives a wedge between the deaf and the hearing, is abrupt, loud vocalizations. We understand that if you were born deaf you would have no reference point of what speech sounds like. That’s not a difficult concept…. but nonetheless it is extremely jarring and distracting when a loud moan, squeal, or other noises suddenly come from out of nowhere. Understand that these sounds do not resemble the English language in any way, and hearing people who don’t expect these sounds will be taken aback and annoyed. When you are not a speaking person, and the only sounds that you make are “primal” sounding to the rest of the hearing world, some ignorant people will immediately assume that you are “retarded” or developmentally disabled. Be aware that laughter is the same…. if you don’t speak but all of a sudden erupt in bombastic laughter, expect heads to turn.
Also be aware that these vocalized noises bring attention to the fact that you are having a conversation with someone. In a large gathering of mostly deaf people, the only sounds heard by hearing people will be vocalizations, laughter, hands slapping during signing, and pounding on tables. Therefore it’s extremely easily to spot when someone is not paying attention to a presentation or whatever program is going on. And when your communication depends on visual contact, when you are having side conversations and making noise, it’s intensely obvious that you are not paying attention and being rude to the people giving the presentation.
Kimberly Stille
July 21, 2014
hahaha keep talking shit. at least we are the quiet people.
Toby
September 15, 2014
People like Kate should not be allowed to work in a bar. What a bad attitude. Bet she’s nasty to hearing people too.
Holly
October 26, 2014
I have one! Lol! I forget that even hearing people can’t hear absolutely everything so when I ask my hearing partner what was said on the telly, he’ll say ‘I don’t know, I didn’t hear’ – I’m very quick to pull a confused look on my face and say to him ‘I thought you’re hearing? Meaning you hear everything..!!??’ Poor fella!!
Diana
December 9, 2014
Deaf or Hearing, many people are ANNOYING!! But really we are part of the human race : )
a Troy
March 7, 2015
Congregating at doorways and entry points so that someone cannot enter or exit without interrupting a conversation by waking between two signers!
nutty nora
March 26, 2015
Clumsiness haha .. Coming across as nervous but that’s our Deaf-dentity .. Just as accidentally knocking our glasses off our faces when we sign we accidentally touch hearies in embarassing places, then can’t think how to explain our off-balances and just walk away causing further embarassment to ourselves and hiding our sniggering along with it ….
Ben
March 26, 2015
Pretend to hear when you haven’t understood what’s going on
Elly
April 6, 2015
Well you don’t know our world also deaf time is important for us cuz we have small world why not we do it? And hearing people hang out with people that almost same deaf people hang out deaf people… Please show us respect. Lol I argee lot but not deaf time
Jacqueline
August 27, 2016
The author of this piece is deaf 🙂 He made another list with the roles reversed
Roundie
April 29, 2015
The 10 annoying habits of deaf people-Letting their children scream, cry, holler, bang things that are loud at 11: pm and early in the morning while living in a apt complex. They were explained to that we all have to hear this and could they maybe close their windows and they started waiving there hands in rage and got louder from that day on! In a nutshell, no consideration, they hate being told anything and are very defensive, rude and the husband even flips me off, a 61 year old woman!
Londontown
April 29, 2015
Roundie, those people are just plain rude!!! I have lots of friends who are Deaf & have kids. Their kids are extremely noisy (hurts my ears!) but the parents are very aware about closing doors quietly & appreciate practical suggestions on how to minimise the impact of their kids’ noise if others complain.
Helen Derby
May 12, 2015
1. Wanting subtitles on the TV and friends finding them a nuisance. Especially when they cover up the name of who’s reporting or the results. But if they turn them off, then I’m not getting any information, so I will talk over the programme, not really realising they’re listening to it because it seems so quiet. 2. I also like to take my glasses off and chill for a few minutes from lip reading when we’re having dinner with friends. 3. Not being able to get my attention in a shop without having to wave like a mad man or traipse over and get me to look at something because making a psst sound doesn’t work.
Diana
May 14, 2015
My hearing daughter annoyed me when she first moved in, she turned the sound down on the TV whilst I was watching (which actually wasn’t that loud) , finally one day I blew up and said, you wouldn’t do that to another hearing person so don’t do that to me! I often had heard her listening to TV shows with sounds on so loud I could hear it without my hearing aid… I have to wait until that show ends, then I turn down the sound (she’s out of the room anyway)… so was her actions patronising or being a bully ???
miranda
May 13, 2015
Where I have ssd if I don’t want to listen to someone I will lean on my good ear with my hand and close it up, while looking like I’m listening. Lol
Jacqueline
August 27, 2016
My professor does this bahaha!!
Lily
May 15, 2015
Charlie, what about “deaf money”? For example, Deaf customers often expect Deaf professionals to give them a discount just because they’re Deaf. I don’t know if that happens in the UK, but we’ve experienced it too often in various countries.
Lynne Galliford
May 15, 2015
Whoops how true as we don’t realise or do we aware of it.
Rick
October 31, 2015
I am impaired in one ear and deaf in the other, my wife constantly complains that I don’t pay attention, my kids sometimes take advantage of my non ability to hear, me and my wife sometimes argue because of my hearing as I get defensive however I will say that my annoying habits are
Annoying complaints about me
-I don’t pay attention
-I knod yes even when I don’t understand something.
-I get depressed and don’t attend family outings because I can’t hear people, fear of shame.
Those are a few.
Thanks
Geraldine
November 2, 2015
My big frustration with my husband who has hearing loss is that he pretend he hears me and he will not say, “I didn’t hear you”.
He also does say I need to face him when he talks but when I talk to him he doesn’t pay attention and even walks away in the middle of my sentence.
His grandkids pat his arm to try to get his attention and he ignores them.
And the most annoying of all: He will not check his phone for texts. I have asked him again and again to check his phone once every hour but he doesn’t do it.
I wish there were classes we could both go to to improve all this.
RaVen
December 22, 2015
As a Deafie myself, I get so tired and impatient with a lot of my Deaf friends start a conversation and try to remember the date of such event happened or a specific name and then they take 5 minutes trying to job their memory, “So, when I went on a vacation in Sept 04, 2015…no wait, was it Sept 03rd? That was my son’s birthday, right. No, wait it was Sept 04… no no, that was the week after.” I get so exasperated, I try to be as polite as I can and mutter-sign, “Doesn’t matter, anyway, the point is what?!”
LOL….
RaVen Sequoia
RaVen
December 22, 2015
Typo – “job” is supposed to be JOG…
Aaron
February 29, 2016
I’m deaf myself and I laugh and agree with them.
Staying in hotel, motel etc. deaf ppl like to have caption/subtitles on tv in the room. I feel half of them don’t do it Bec they all have universal remote that can’t turn on captioning/ subtitle.
Anyone agree?
One late afternoon. While driving. Me and my friend were talking and signing. Swerving etc while driving. Cop pulled me over. U been drinking. I said no. Why driving all over the place. I said I’m deaf and talking to my mate. Cop said no more talking. Watch the rd. I told him to get f*cked. I can do what I like to do. Same urself talk to ur cop mate. Me talk to my mate. Fair.
Grammar and we talk harsh but not mean it.
Hope u understood. Cheers.
Makalani
March 1, 2016
Slamming the doors and cabinets without realizing it. Smacking their lips, breathing hard and making vocal noises when signing.
Mark
April 12, 2016
Im stunned at what im seeing im totally deaf in one and part in other as for me I hardly ever socialize with anybody because I know that I can hear a conversation but never fully get the proper words so I just shut up im single never had a girlfriend.That hurts like hell believe me.Friends and family sort of help in making me this way because of teasing me and sometimes brand me as Dumb useless in a way that I don’t think they relize that it hurt my feelings and breaks my heart.Even people I don’t even know do it.Usually if I ask them what was that sorry they sort of get angry at the fact I didn’t hear it the first time.So I just don’t socialize and be very Quiet pretty much anywhere that I might be.Its hard as hell being deaf but I have to live with it I wish for a normal hearing life and a girlfriend that would have exactly the same type of deafness as me.Im 50 years old and never have even met a partly deaf girl where the heck are they.
Jenn
April 19, 2016
“Closing our eyes when we don’t want to listen to a hearing person’s point of view” hahahah omg. I do this when I’m fighting with my sister. Or roll my eyes and look at something else in the room.
X Lord B
May 23, 2016
He missed out deaf neighbours continually banging doors and things unknowingly. And at night when they visit the toilet doors banging waking others up. Just because they cant hear the door banging doesnt give them a right to slam the door whenever they feel like it.
Editor
May 23, 2016
I’m guessing you have deaf neighbours?
zoe
July 23, 2016
The eating out loud comment made me feel uncomfortable. Came here for comfort from bullyin about how I eat now I realise how bad it must be and I feel worse…
Jacqueline
August 27, 2016
Aww….if you’re eating out loud most hearies will get used to it. I think it just surprises new colleagues. I’m hearing and I’m loud when I eat too, but nobody bullies me about it. No strangers at least. Friends will be like “oy! Stop that!” but it’s more of a funny thing than something that causes rage.
But hearing folks especially shouldn’t bully you, because unlike me, you can’t hear yourself. I can and need to work on my own loud habits. The author is HOH himself so he probably understands.
He also made a list about annoying habits of hearing people–there’s a link before the first pic. That might give you a chuckle.