A Texas landlord decided to play classical music to spare his customers awkward encounters.
“A lot of my clients, women or younger people, are afraid to come here because there are always people standing around in the parking lot asking for money,” Jagal Patel, the owner of a 7/11 in the city of Austin, told KTBC.
He claims that needles were often found on the ground and that one person had already been attacked near the supermarket.
“I have to carry this big knife just to defend myself,” added a local worker.
And the opera?
“Studies show that classical music is annoying. The opera is nerve wracking and it seems the studies are right as the tactic is working,” continued Patel.
Authorities have reportedly already received some noise complaints, but Jagal Patel claims his solution is good for everyone. He plans to turn down the volume of his anti-loafing music to accommodate his clientele.
It seems that the owner influenced other merchants, as operas can be heard almost everywhere in the United States, such as in Texas and several cities in California struggling with homelessness crises.