Posted on 11/12/2002 10:12:10 PM PST by chance33_98
Bye-bye boom, Mayor looks to curb car stereo noise By Matthew Artz Daily Planet Staff (11-12-02)
Berkeley may lower the boom on car stereo systems that some residents say have gotten out of hand. On Tuesday, City Council will consider a proposal from Mayor Shirley Dean to toughen the city’s laws against noise pollution. The proposal would enable police to go after those who drive with their supped-up stereos on full blast and possibly impose fines.
“I really want the city to put a stop to it,” said Dean, who added that she can sometimes hear car music from her fifth floor office downtown.
Dean said the excessive car stereo noise has gotten worse in recent years, and the city’s current noise ordinance is vague and hamstrings police from ticketing offenders.
The call for tougher laws comes amid increasing evidence that excessive car stereo noise can cause health problems, according to the mayor’s report.
Repeated exposure to boom stereos not only brings hearing loss, but can lead to insomnia, high blood pressure, irritability and learning difficulties in children, explained Mychelle Balthazar a public health specialist with the Deafness Research Foundation.
Technological advances, despite health concerns, have allowed companies to offer consumers more powerful systems at more affordable prices.
At a 2001 national car stereo competition in Kansas City Mo., the winner reached 174 decibels – about eight times louder than the sound of an airplane, said Ted Rueter, director of Noise Free America.
A 2001 report by the Justice Department says that noises louder than 80 decibels can damage hearing.
According to a salesman at Creative Car Sterel in Lafayette, a high-powered car stereo costs about $4,000 and can reach 130 decibels, about half the price of a comparable system five years ago.
High decibel levels are only part of the problem, Rueter said. Many car stereo systems now include technology that can produce sounds with such a low base frequency that the resulting thumping can cause buildings to vibrate.
“It’s acoustic terrorism,” he said, noting that the 2000 U.S. Census report listed excessive noise as the number one complaint among Americans.
In Berkeley, most complaints against boom stereos are made by residents near James Kenny Park in west Berkeley. In May, Ronald Rugato, who lives near the park collected about 200 signatures for a petition asking city officials to crack down on stereo noise.
“Young men are empowering their vehicles with $3,000 watts of subwoofer equipment, making houses shake and assaulting people with their second hand sound,” he said.
A Berkeley police study found that in January 2002 residents filed 35 complaints of boom car stereo noise.
But according to a city manager’s report, Berkeley law gives police few tools to cite the offenders.
Presently, the law requires that before police take action, a citizen must identify the culprit and that the noise be intentional and reach a specific volume level. Because the offender is usually in a car, police can have difficulty locating the noise source.
Dean said she would like the ordinance changed so police could take more initiative in the enforcement of noise laws. She suggested that first-time offenders be given a brochure explaining the risks involved with excessive noise and that multiple offenders receive fines.
Her proposal is relatively tame compared to the actions of other cities. Since passage of a 1997 law, Chicago drivers risk having their car towed and a $615 fine if their car stereo can be heard from 75 feet away. Drivers in Popalion, Neb. who violate the same restriction can face up to three months in jail.
Not all Berkeley residents find boom stereos a problem. “As long as the driver is passing by and not sitting in front of the house, let them enjoy their music,” said Tamira Chappell, who lives across from James Kenny Park.
Dean’s proposal asks staff to review ways to toughen Berkeley’s ordinance and return the issue to council within four months.
I dream of the day that someone invents a handheld device about the size of a garage door opener that would ZAP their stereos and render them silent! I would gladly pay $200 for such a device.
FOFL .. A brochure
Oh yea I can just see those teenagers reading it ..
They along with other hooligans who drive High Performance (read that as LOUD) racing cars on public streets must be recognized as the serious threat to society they are. Both rob others of there peace and quiet and foster a flagrant disregard for law and civility.
The Barbarians are at the gates. Fight back or be over run.
I love the "Liberal" catch-all: "Why should we have to pay your medical bills because you ________? (Fill in the blank. Example: "smoke cigarettes")
Ban tobacco!
And cars kill more people than tobacco does. Ban cars!
And why should society pay to treat all those skin cancers? Everyone should be forced to wear a burqa!
"Liberals" will LOVE the taliban. They just want to control it; that's all--like everything else.
Been contemplating what to do to them :) I figure I cannot be prosecuted because I would just 'take the clinton' and lie and the democrats will back me on it.
Just in the past few days I have been recruiting neighbors to join a Neighborhood Watch type group to fight back against these cowardly thugs who abuse the sick and elderly as entertainment. It is drawing a lot of interest among my neighbors and the a local Police Lieutenant has offered to help us organize. I found the courage to initiate this because of reading another thread on FR about the same problem.
So you will be watching democrats eh ;)
There are companies on the Internet that sell a device called a High Energy Electromagnetic Radiation Plasma Generator which is capable of generating High Energy Plasma Radiation which can destroy semicondutors throughout a car, including those in the car's stereo, rendering them useless and unusable.
Statistically speaking I would say that the number of Republicans who drive around terrorizing children and the elderly with Boom Boxes or loud mufflers is probably pretty low.
I am in Las Cruces.
Can you direct me to a link? All I can find are people selling plans for such devices. Thanks.
Unfortunately Mayor, your state's noise levels aren't vague. Perhaps you could check with your own state laws, namely Vehicle Code Section 27007, which gives police the right to ticket a driver if the car's stereo can be heard more than 50 feet away. Noted here
and states
No driver of a vehicle shall operate, or permit the operation of, any sound amplification system which can be heard outside the vehicle from 50 or more feet when the vehicle is being operated upon a highway, unless that system is being operated to request assistance or warn of a hazardous situation.Now considering you say you can hear these vehicles on your 5th floor office and the average height of a floor is 8-10 feet, that means they're already breaking the Vehicle Code of California. So instead of passing another law why don't you enforce what you've already got? Interestingly enough SB 1420 signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis earlier this year has set the levels for noise from 'loud' mufflers at 95 db. This covers all after market street type muffler systems such as Flowmaster and Borla making them legal.
I suggest the good mayor enforce the laws she already has instead of implementing even more bureaucratic paperwork. So by California law, if the vehicle's stereo can be heard from over 50 feet away, they should be ticketed. On that, and that only, will I agree. I'm not saying it's right or wrong that the offenders receive a ticket. But it's the law. Just as SB 1420 is the law as well
Yea and then their radio gets stuck on that station forever. It's fun to dream.
Just kidding
Hold it there. One of your noise compatriots Texas Taxes said
If you (and Quietamerican for that matter) had a better understanding of the law, you'd both realize SB1420 isn't giving in to pro-noise pressure groups - it strengthens current law by providing specifications for noise testing at California inspection stations. For too long, California has endured a situation where, as CHP 98-100 so aptly states, "Accurately determining compliance with Sections 27201-27206 VC for enforcement purposes is generally impractical." SB1420 addresses that problem.Over here
So which is it. Either Davis did Californians a disservice by setting a limit or he didn't. The fact of the matter is that you have to face these products are going to be around because there is a demand, and American workers are employed by a 24 BILLION dollar industry. They're not going away and no politician in his right mind is going to suggest passing a law statewide that would limit the freedom of many of his/her constituents. At least not outside of Berkeley. So Davis in his freedom grabbing wisdom saw at least that he could set a standard. But as liberal as Davis was even he saw he couldn't do away with it completely. Face it. Borla, Flowmaster, and Magnaflow (although I don't know why anyone would use Magnaflow) are going to be around and in business for a long, long time.
I want one
I just lay on my horn the whole time they're beside me. (Caution, make sure that you armed (like me) before doing this yourself.)
At the time I was an armed guard and I held up my gun so they could see it and replied "Same place I got my gun."
They shut up.
They shut up.
Works every time.
Credit where credit is due. This noise thing is a fast growing problem all over the US. To me it is a simple question of property rights. No one has the right to create noise that invades another's property rendering it uninhabitable or unsalable.
This should be an easy one for all decent people of good will to agree on. Regardless of politics.
You try writing that next to last sentence without ending it in a preposition.
In many ways.
I am astounded at the number of people around me who have expressed a desire to fight back against these noise thugs. In a few short days I have begun a local chapter of NFA (Noise Free America). I am getting warm responses everywhere I go or call.
This is a huge issue. And can be agreed upon by decent people of all political stripes. I think I have found my calling.
Wow, you would think after almost 40 years someone would have told them that don't you? They hear that every day and they came to a compromise with the state of CA.
This is not a good way to do business--very risky, marketing products that attract so much attention!
Well, so do Vipers, Corvettes, Mustangs and any other sports car when they drive down the road. And they're quite fast in stock. What? Put a governor on them to protect everyone?
And as you probably realize, the after-market industry has heavily invested its resources in to marketing an "agressive tone" a "deep throaty rumble." That is a high risk investment.
You think? I'm suprised they don't start manufacturing exhaust systems that sound like bumblebees. I know that'd go over real well< /sarcasm>
Furthermore, it doesn't take a fancy computer model to see that the Boom Car and Vroom Car industries are cross-marketing. The two industries are one in the same now--they sell noise. Both industries made a fatal strategic error quite some time ago.
Well I'd like to see that model Professor. Let's see, since the invention of the motorized vehicle people have been working to make their cars faster. As I and others have explained time and time again, the FIRST and best way is to INCREASE AIRFLOW. I didn't realize Vic Edelbrock in 1938 was thinking, 'Hmmmmm, you know what'd make this car go faster? A loud stereo, yeah that's it!!' For that matter, we should shoot the men who created K&N Air Filters. Letting more air into the engine to increase performance? Good grief, what were they thinking?!?
So somehow an industry that's been around for 60+ years all the sudden decided that if they couldn't get the little kiddies to be gearheads, they would get them to listen to stereos and loud. You'd think that if that were the case, somewhere, ANYWHERE you'd see some 'cross marketing' advertising. Well, I looked through my Car Craft, Hot Rod, Fast Fords, and 5.0 magazines and can you believe it? I didn't find one 'crossmarketing' ad for loud stereos. Because to a true gearhead, the sound of the engine IS music. We're not going to drown it out with rap. That's the weakest of all the other arguments I've seen you guys put up. Sheesh!!
Not to mention the well documented health issues that the industry failed to consider.
Would that be the 'well documented' arguments provided by the loons at Cornell among other liberal universities. Sure, and they believe all fast food should be banned because that can kill you!!
Sorry, I don't mean any disrespect, but the after-market industry cannot survive in its present form.
Well there again you're wrong. The only thing that would prevent the ever growing expansion of the aftermarket engine industry would be perhaps, why yes, electric cars. And this has just been announced in the past month or so, but Ford is dropping that program entirely. Wonder why? Maybe because to citizens within these United States bigger is still better, and faster is as well? I'm sorry but as long as human beings exist, there will always be a desire to go faster and farther than the last guy. And for that, the aftermarket engine market will exist and continue to do so, much to the chagrine of the good folks at Berkeley and elsewhere
As for the loud music, I don't care what you do. Personally I don't like it but considering at any given time I could only hear it for 2 minutes MAX at a stoplight or a couple of minutes when someone comes into our apartment complex, I'm not going to worry about it too much
Wonderful turn of phrase. I may steal it!
Today I spoke with two city council members, a Deputy Chief of Police, one local clergyman and about two dozen regular citizens like myself. All with whom I talked were animated in thier dislike for the noise of the Boom Boxes and improperly muffled engines. I did not approach one person who was pro cacophony. Bringing people together to combat unnecessary noise is an easy sell.
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