Summer Noise - How Much is Fair?
Mother Nature had the last word Saturday night on neighborhood noise on Block 832.
A resident had a party with a DJ that was blasting music into everyone's window, whether they liked that kind or not. Somebody must have had their finger on the telephone buttons to call the cops, because soon after 10 p.m. the DJ toned down, although the crowd kept up the music a capella. At around 10:30, big thunderclaps drowned out the noise and a torrential rain dispersed the crowd.
Obviously this party was a big event. The pool was filled, a tent was erected, grills stood at the ready and balloon arches decorated the grounds. OK, so in a recent City Council discussion of neighborhood noise everyone conceded that there will be a big blow-out event once in a while.
Today the aural mix included happy kids yelling in the pool, recorded music and live drummers and just this minute the screech of the resident macaw, whose call may serve well in the Amazon forest but over here sounds like the most annoying repetitive racket you are ever likely to hear. It's sort of like, "AAAHHHNN! AAAHHHNN!" on and on at top volume. I checked some macaw audio sites but couldn't get a match.
So now the question is what to do if this is going to be our weekly fare. Blast our favorite music back at them? Play the Gyuto Monks at top volume? Drown out the congas with Baba Olatungi? Those with air conditioning can shut all the windows and listen to the white noise of the machine, but with windows open or if sitting or working outside, excessive noise is unnerving. The macaw alone could make one consider psittacide.
It's too bad common civility and consideration for other people can't always help out with neighborhood noise. More likely the City Council will have to tighten up existing laws or get a stimulus grant for free earplugs.
Now you know why my favorite blogging hours are in the middle of the night. No trucks, only a few motorcycles. Sometimes even the soothing chirp of a katydid. And always the radio tuned to WBAI, with the volume control within reach in case an insomniac neighbor doesn't like to hear reggae, Bob Dylan or political wrangling in the wee hours.
--Bernice Paglia
A resident had a party with a DJ that was blasting music into everyone's window, whether they liked that kind or not. Somebody must have had their finger on the telephone buttons to call the cops, because soon after 10 p.m. the DJ toned down, although the crowd kept up the music a capella. At around 10:30, big thunderclaps drowned out the noise and a torrential rain dispersed the crowd.
Obviously this party was a big event. The pool was filled, a tent was erected, grills stood at the ready and balloon arches decorated the grounds. OK, so in a recent City Council discussion of neighborhood noise everyone conceded that there will be a big blow-out event once in a while.
Today the aural mix included happy kids yelling in the pool, recorded music and live drummers and just this minute the screech of the resident macaw, whose call may serve well in the Amazon forest but over here sounds like the most annoying repetitive racket you are ever likely to hear. It's sort of like, "AAAHHHNN! AAAHHHNN!" on and on at top volume. I checked some macaw audio sites but couldn't get a match.
So now the question is what to do if this is going to be our weekly fare. Blast our favorite music back at them? Play the Gyuto Monks at top volume? Drown out the congas with Baba Olatungi? Those with air conditioning can shut all the windows and listen to the white noise of the machine, but with windows open or if sitting or working outside, excessive noise is unnerving. The macaw alone could make one consider psittacide.
It's too bad common civility and consideration for other people can't always help out with neighborhood noise. More likely the City Council will have to tighten up existing laws or get a stimulus grant for free earplugs.
Now you know why my favorite blogging hours are in the middle of the night. No trucks, only a few motorcycles. Sometimes even the soothing chirp of a katydid. And always the radio tuned to WBAI, with the volume control within reach in case an insomniac neighbor doesn't like to hear reggae, Bob Dylan or political wrangling in the wee hours.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 5:26 PM
4 Comments:
its pretty sad,this stuff has
been going on for 2 days.and yes my finger is on the phone.2 call the police department.i cant sit outside,because of the noise.we put earphones on 2 listen 2 music.because we dont want 2 anoy the neigbors.how about a little consideration for other people? is that 2 much to ask?and PS.thank god it rained last night.
Call the police and send an email to document each time it happens. There are noise ordinances on the books. Odds are that they are annoying their neighbors, who may not want to call the police out of niceness but who probably can't stand the noise. Residents feel helpless about these problems. There should be a decibel maximum after 9:00 pm. If the police are called, they will have a record.
Hi Bernice,
Sad! But I guess some of it might be a cultural thing. My neighbors, whom I like quite a lot, have visitors this summer and their visitors are quite loud, their laugh could be contagious except for the fact that I hardly know what they talk and laugh about so much. But, they either seem to get together anytime pass my bedtime, or quite early, before my rising time!
Then to make things complicated, we have a bird, which for some unknown reason, likes to start serenading us with his loud singing anywhere between midnight and 2 AM. He just has to start for other birds to follow suit. In this case, cops can't help quiet the stupid insomniac birds!!!
By now I don't know what is worst, my neighbors' visitors or the insomniac birds!
But I would suggest you play your gyuto monks at the highest decibel you have just for the fun of it.
Maria
Maria, is it possible that you bird is a mocking bird? N o it os not mocking you. They are nocturnal and have a repertoire that may imitate every bird in the neighborhood.
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