When was the last time you heard something that made you audibly groan? Americans took to social media to share the most depressing sounds in the good ole USA.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
1: Come on Down
“The only answer is The Price Is Right’s fail horn,” joked an American about the all-time most depressing American sound. They called back to all the generations of kids who religiously watched the popular game show whenever they stayed home sick. “This sound is ingrained into our DNA.”
2: Sound Off
A New Hampshire local says they’re unsure if there’s an equivalent to “amber alerts” for missing children in other countries, but it’s an unwelcome sound. “I generally look at my immediate surroundings and forget about it promptly within about 30 seconds,” one apathetic American responded.
3: Trash Talk
“The sound of the garbage truck outside your window when you haven’t put your cans out” is a depressing American sound, one Yankee says. An Arizona resident totally agrees. “Pure fear with that one…Pure fear.”
4: Wary of Warnings
A midwesterner said they know the voice that issues alerts on terrestrial radio all too well, and it’s plain eerie. “It’s a monotone voice that sounds like it’s on the phone: ‘The National Weather Service out of Paducah, Kentucky has issued a tornado warning for…’ Yeah, that’s a weird feeling.”
5: Just a Test
Another Tornado Alley resident said, “If you grew up in the Midwest, you recognize the sound of the tornado siren within about 0.2 seconds, and it strikes fear into your heart.” Unless it’s one of the monthly test alert days, they add.
6: Train Troubles
An American commuter spoke on how annoying it is to hear subway destination announcements “that are almost impossible to understand because the speakers have been ruined for at least eight years, and the original recording sucked too.” Imagine how out-of-towners must feel.
7: Sunday Scaries
One American remembers the sinking feeling they would get being a kid in the late 80s hearing the end credits of America’s Funniest Home Videos.” That meant Sunday night was effectively over, and it was time to get ready for bed and school the next morning.”
8: Ear-Splitting Alerts
An American said a sound that’s not depressing but undoubtedly alarming is the “screeching” sound of the Emergency Alert System that interrupts local TV/radio. It’ll definitely give you a jolt.
9: Pack Mentality
An American farmer says they get a chill down their spine anytime they hear coyotes whooping it up in their yard. “I find myself making sure I do a mental inventory of the doors, pets, and chickens,” they said. “I don’t mind them yipping, but I can’t handle their ‘clown murder at the circus’ noise.”
10: Gym Class Flashbacks
One person left a familiar script that’ll take some Americans back to public school gym class. “The FitnessGram™ Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues…” You could hear that comment in your head if you know it.
11: As Sad as It Gets
An American mentioned the most depressing sound they could think of is hearing a code blue in a hospital. “It’s basically announcing that someone in the building is actively dying. Everybody hears it, and you hear it a lot if you work there, dozens of times a day.”
12: Rise and Shine
It may not be an exclusively American thing, but one sleepyhead said, ”Since I woke up about 10 minutes ago, I’m going with my alarm clock.”
13: Heat Wave
“The sound of the AC [air conditioner] going silent in the middle of August,” said one Texas resident about the most depressing American sound. A Louisianan added, “Especially if it’s due to a hurricane because you already know the power (& AC) isn’t coming back on for a week at best.”
14: Melting My Heart
One person said the most depressing sound in the US is “When you press your cup up to the ice machine, and you can hear the machine running, but no ice comes out.” Alternatively, another American said a sputtering soda dispenser is just as upsetting.
15: Frozen in Fear
An American driver brought up the shared panic of hearing a fire truck at a stoplight when you don’t know where it’s coming from and have nowhere to go. “Then the light turns green, and you’re like, ‘Oh crap, what’s my next move?” A helpful responder said, “The best move is to do nothing, but it feels stressful anyway.”
Source: Reddit.
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