[mc6809e]

As soon as I saw the headline on drudge I knew this had to be another part of the 1984 5-year-plan from Oceania.

Count me in, then.

I'm tired of people forcing their noise on me. My house is private property, right? Noise pollution onto my property is a form of trespassing.

And what about common areas? I own those too, together with other members of the community. We agree, through the political process, to certain rules governing such areas. Those rules include restrictions on noise pollution. If such rules are not being enforced, then my property is being in effect stolen. The offender, by ignoring such rules takes the common property for himself.

Noise monitoring is no different than placing a camera in a place where people are dumping their trash illegally. Except here people are dumping sound instead of trash.

Property needs to be defended. Noise monitors are one way.

[Stevieboy]

I'm tired of people forcing their noise on me.

Have you considered dealing with the situation yourself, as opposed to relying on the nanny state? Surprisingly, a simple chat with the neighbor often works.

[WoofDog123]

Also if you have nothing to hide you have no problem with conversations inside your home being monitored for content, which is possibly one un-emphasized aspect of this program.

[lepton]

...but against and hard flooring.

If there is a monitor picking up the effects of hard flooring, on a lamp-post out on the street, that's a pretty darn sensitive mike.

So you are o.k. with getting a noise sitation for "walking loud", or "having a wooden floor"?

[ellery]

Logicall, your argument menas that any noise that makes it to your property is trespassing. Do you have the right to prohibit others from talking in normal voices on their own property because the sound carries to yours?

My neighbor uses a gas mower to mow his lawn some afternoons, and it drives my dog crazy. By your logic, I have a right to make him use a manual push-mower...after all, his gas mower trespasses on my property. My property rights, you know...

[Kay Syrah]

I am glad I am not your neighbour. Clearly if you choose to live in proximity to your fellow creatures, you must face the fact that you will know they are there by the noises their lives make. Unfortunately your solution cannot be implemented without a careful codification of acceptable decibel levels,(and monitors for these) the frequency and timing of "noise events" and of course documentation of each accidental breach of your property by the movement of your neighbours. Then you can punish them. That's the really neat part, isn't it?

Why don't you just get some acreage, and then deal with the birds and other creatures that make noise. Or get ear protection.