[at-l] Re. The ethics of snoring....

[baltimorejack@hotmail.com (Jack Tarlin)]

    Kahley brought up an interesting point, and the answer is no, really 
loud snorers DO NOT have the right to destroy everyone else's sleep; those 
who snore excessively absolutely should not stay, (or should certainly try 
to avoid staying) in shelters; likewise, it's perfectly all right to wake up 
people who are snoring to the point that they are disturbing other folks' 
rest.  Any snorer who has a problem with this is an inconsiderate p***k.

    Everyone who has a major snoring problem knows about this, or if they 
don't they sure in hell will know about it after their first night in a 
shelter with other folks. Therefore, if they persist in staying in shelters, 
they are simply being rude and inconsiderate to others---you don't have to 
be gentle with folks like this.  Basically, the first time somone snores in 
a shelter to the point that he's disturbing others, he should immediately be 
made aware of this the next morning, in a non-judgmental, non-angry way.  
All you need do is point out the problem and advise him to think about 
tenting in the future.  The second time this happens, be a little more 
forceful.  Let him KNOW that a problem exists, and that it it's becoming a 
problem for others, to the point that it's affecting his popularity on the 
Trail, i.e. nobody wants to be anywhere near him at night, and people are 
suggesting that he's insensitive and inconsiderate.  Hopefully, this'll do 
the trick.  The third time----well, you did everything you could.  It's time 
to tell him in no uncertain terms that NOBODY has the right to repeatedly 
disturb the sleep of others and anyone who insists on doing so is an 
inconsiderate slob who obviously cares little about the folks he's elected 
to spend six months with.  If THIS doesn't work, and the guy still refuses 
to tent, he should be shunned as the miserable bastard he is.  Happily, most 
folks like this are gone in 2 or 3 weeks.

    Having said all this, it should also be made clear that snoring in 
shelters, at least a reasonable level, doesn't bother most folks.  Most 
folks either sleep thru it, or use earplugs, or, in many cases, it doesn't 
trouble them at all. When you elect to stay in "shared" communal space, it's 
taken as a given that you're going to have to put up with the fact that 
there are other people there:  Some folks might stay up a bit later than 
you; some might wake up and leave earlier in the morning.  Some might get up 
2 or 3 times during the night.  And yes, some might snore, in fact, if there 
are more than 3 or 4 people in the shelter, it's almost a certainty that 
somebody will.  But this is the sort of thing you've decided to accept by 
sleeping in a communal box with other people, so what it comes down to is 
this:

    *  If you know you have a snoring problem, and if others have made it 
clear to you that your presence in a shelter is disturbing to them, then you 
should, in nearly every opportunity, set up your tent well away from where 
others are attempting to sleep.  To do otherwise is incredibly rude and 
dis-respectful of your fellow hikers.

    *Likewise, if you are excessively bothered or perturbed by shelter 
noise, to the point that you're more sensitive to noises generated by 
sleeping in the presence of others, then you, too, would be well advised to 
sleep elsewhere.  If you insist on staying in shelters, learn to accept a 
reasonable ammount of sound in the nighttime.

    In my case, I've been told I snore on occasion.  Likewise, I've 
discovered that I'm incredibly sensitive to the snoring of others, to the 
point that even with earplugs, I can't get to sleep, or get back to sleep in 
a shelter, if someone is snoring.  The solution is very simple:  In almost 
every case available to me, I tent.  This spares me untold grief and at the 
same time prevents my causing any problems for others.

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