An autistic person walks into a restaurant, and you won’t believe what happened next!
If you don’t know it yet, I am autistic. It means a lot of things, but one of them is that loud music is a struggle for me. I can’t concentrate on doing anything well, even the simplest task. Yes, even tying my shoes. I feel anxious and afraid. It is not easy, especially when almost all restaurants I’ve been to are always playing loud music. Sometimes they are located in malls, that also have loud background music. Also, almost any shop or business does that. There are several rare places that don’t, but the majority of shops, restaurants and malls are not really accessible for me (without spending the next hours in bed and canceling my plans for this day).
But, you didn’t came here to read about my struggles but for some good old inspiration porn! You will not be disappointed, because I am going to provide you some!
1. Hummus
Yesterday I had lunch in the best hummus place I know. Their hummus is great. I came in, put my beg on a chair and went to take my order. I also asked to lower the volume of the too loud music. “It scares me” I explained.
You won’t believe what happened next!
They actually lowered to volume, without asking anything else.
The hummus, as usual, was amazing. If you happen to visit Ramat-Gan or Givata’im, make sure to visit Yossef’s hummus place.
2. Sushi
About 10 months ago I went to a vegan sushi place in Tel Aviv with a (currently former ☹) friend. I asked to lower the volume and explained a bit.
Even I didn’t believed what happened next!
The music was turned off!
Their sushi is very nice. They are called the Green Roll, and I recommend them.
3. Chinese food
Five months ago my very close and dear friend was in an accident. T’ and I rode north, the the hospital ze was hospitalized in. Ze was in coma. We were heart broken and because different circumstances we could only come visit again in the evening (ze woke up then). T’ and I were heartbroken and very sad. I decided to try to uplift our spirits, because I knew we will need it. So we went to a restaurant called Yan-Yan in Haifa.
I didn’t think what we discovered there was even possible.
They had no music playing at all! (Plus, the food was really great).
The friend is much better nowadays, BTW.
And so…
These are the almost only places I have been to in the last years that were accommodating to me in any way (not including the place that had only one place to sit outside so we just took the plug out of the speaker while no one watched. We put it back in the end). 95% of the places are not play very loud music or just the radio. These places are not the norm, they are exceptions. In most places if I ask I am met with a firm “No”, sometimes because of some “rules”. Sometimes just because, even if I explained. And if it was only restaurants, I wouldn’t mind that much. I go to them rarely and actually try to avoid them. But this is the situation in every shop. Clothing shops, legumes and spices shops, stands in the local market. Pet food stores. Buses. Most supermarkets. Every place that have things I need, and I need to pay money to have the stuff they sell also takes its price in anxiety, exhaustion and dysfunction. And there is nothing I can do about it because I am just one customer.
