7-Eleven Stores in Texas, California, New York Use Classical Music to Shoo Homeless People

Some 7-Eleven convenience stores around the country, including in Texas and California have started using roaring classical and opera music as a tactic to deter homeless people from camping out in front of their storefronts.

One Texas 7-Eleven owner says the goal is to deter homeless individuals from being there and harassing customers. Some customers say they’re all for the music, while others are annoyed by it.

The store owner, Jagat Patel, says no one from the Austin Police Department has shown up, despite officials receiving multiple noise complaints from blasting classical tunes. {snip}

Patel says the homeless population has been a big problem.

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Since Patel and other businesses nearby began playing classical and opera music, they’ve noticed a difference.

“Now since they’ve had this music going on, we have less traffic down with the homeless out here,” Joe Miranda, a local business owner, told Fox 7.

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“It’s helping out, it’s not annoying to us because it doesn’t bother us, but it bothers probably them because they’re doing drugs,” he said.

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In Los Angeles, California, 7-Eleven owners began to play classical music to help employees and customers alike feel safe amid a continued spike in homelessness in the area.

The owner of a California 7-Eleven, Sukhi Sandhu, told The Modesto Bee that he began playing opera and classical music last year in an effort to drive out panhandlers and other loiterers from the convenience store.

“Once the music started, the riffraff left,” Manuel Souza told the local paper. {snip}