Writer needs help with sound laws

When you are talking about the annoying people who drive by in their "boom cars", this is just an average everyday system, and is not really capable of physically hurting anyone.  What I think you are talking about is competition systems.  This is no different than people souping up their old hot rods.  They do it because it is a hobby, and it is also interesting to them, and some people take it on as a challenge.  People build comp audio for the same reasons.  It is more than just the "boom factor".  A lot of custon installers go for how good a system looks just as much as it sounds.  I have no pity for those who get violations at residential areas at odd hours of the night.  I warn every customer about it when they leave.  I have had my "boom car" for five years now, and i haven't had any violations, or warnings.  Knowing when to turn the bass down separates pros and and the people that do not care about anyone.

Some of these systems that are capable of producing levels that can hurt you are not designed for that fact, they have been designed to push the limits of engineering and physics, to showcase a certain shops capabilities, to entertain crowds. It is one way that a manufacturer can improve their equipment in all aspect of design and engineering, not just to make things loud, but maybe make things sound better or not cost as much money. The vast majority of these systems are not designed for listening to. There is a drastic difference between an audio system designed to be listened to (sq) and an audio system designed to play excessivly loud (spl). I would wager that you are a person who enjoys their music and doesn't need to drive around and listen to things so loud that the whole neighbourhood can hear you, but nonetheless, if your favorite music happens to be playing, you might turn it up a little louder, this is not much different from a person who really enjoys music and plays it at a different level (where he / she annoys the neighbourhood). This is the person whom needs to be educated about listening to music at such an unsafe volume level, they will never recover their hearing, this I know all too well. As an owner of two stores I  do my best to educate a client on the potential of permanent hearing damage (supported by a statement on the receipt) , some of our customers hear what we say, others play their system how they like. In both of our countries that is a right that we have, it is called the freedom of choice. One person's right to silence is no greater or less than another persons right to make noise. There is a time and a place to enjoy your music and this is what should be addressed, but a blanket law that covers say an entire city is wide open for attack for a multutude of legal issues. My question to you, does the culture that dislikes audio at this level understand it or is their basis for attack based on the person who drives by their house?

Sound laws suck.  I got a ticket for playing two 6.5 off of the factory radio.  The popo said that he could hear it so he gave me a ticket.  Idiot should have been able to hear it since he was walking by my car.  You can hear a conversation in a car if you are walking by it with the windows down. 

I don't care for the sound laws at all.  I can ride a Harley around all day and they get off on it like it was a drug saying "boy it sounds good".  Turn your music up and that's noise. 

The police do not have a quota for tickets, they do not get paid any more if they write more, all writing more tickets does is create mountains of paperwork that actually keeps the officer off of the streets, ever said where's a cop when you need one? He's probably doing your paperwork. Now someone replied that they listen to their music loud only on the highway and are just waiting to have an ambulance or that come up behind them one day and not be noticed, no offense dude but if you drive with this position, then you should not be driving, you are a hazard to the other drivers. Now after I explain why you'll probably have a different opinion, so why? Because unless you can drive using "the force" our #1 reason for being able to drive is being able to see. Being able to hear a siren does not make you a better or safer driver, you should always be checking your mirrors every 15  - 30 seconds. How do you know that some semi that has lost it's brakes and has no air horn (I have seen this personally) isn't heading straight for your rear bumper? Ever wondered how a deaf person can drive? What about people who wear hearing protection while they drive ,ever driven a really loud diesel? Just a different side of the coin for your reply and I hope that you'll see the point here, I am not calling you a hazard as was implied above, just opening other peoples eyes to how they really drive.

Now the police have a job to do, they are there to enforce the laws. If they law states that there can be no loud noise and they catch you, you are guilty. The officer may not agree with the law and I know that you definitely don't but he has a job to do and he will do it. Yes there is a drastic difference for the officer between a domestic violence call and a ticket for excessive noise, but nonetheless if you break the law and he sees you break the law, you will be given a ticket, maybe not right now, maybe in 2 weeks because he was on the way to a domestic disturbance call, and maybe he'll also send the guy a ticket that failed to pull to the right and stop when he approached your vehicle from behind. (you didn't hear him - and don't dispute this, you will lose). The officer's job is no different than the job that we must do every day, how long do you think you would have a job if you did not do what your employer wants to do, no difference for the officer.

There is a time and a place to play a audio system loud, it is most certainly not in an area that will annoy people on a daily basis, be it at work or at home or in your neighbourhood where everyone can see you, follow you home and steal your stereo. This happens way more often than you think. I as a business owner of two car audio stores happen to agree that there should be some kind of laws against noise pollution, be it a loud Harley, construction site work or a big car audio system, but to enact a blanket law is exactly the wrong way to go, one size does not fit all.

forbidden, it's not just what's behind you that you need to pay attention to, but all around you. If you can't hear what's going on around you, you're less likely to be aware of any impending hazard or incident ahead of time (and I'm not saying completely unaware). I would much rather have "heard" the sirens or the semi coming and gotten off the road or out of the way than having to swerve or cut someone off at the last second to get out of the way. You are more likely to be paying attention to the road and the other drivers around you when the music is turned down, not the other way around. That's kinda like someone who told me on another forum that smoking pot makes him a safer and more alert driver. haha that's so funny every time I think about that one. Anyway, you should be paying attention to the road at all times, both by seeing what is going on around you and what you hear going on around you. One or the other just won't cut it.

There should be sound ordinances for loud music, machinery, etc. But it should be handled on a case-by-case issue, not just a blanket law covering everything.

Thanks for the lively discussion. I spoke to a woman this morning that said she was ready to get a gun and kill people because of their low-frequency booming driving her to distraction.

Then I talked to a guy who owns a car audio store who says almost everyone who comes in says they don't want to be like those people who boom down the street, but then when they hear a system with subwoofers, always want one, because they love the sound quality - he can't sell them without!

This topic is interesting!

Sue

Anything is a distraction. 

What they need to do is have automative driving.  all automatic, then you can whatever the heck you want to and then the cops can go and catch the murders and rapist.

Its me again, just wanted to pass on an article in my local paper today. They are wanting to redo the noise ordinance in my town to make it harsher. They want to double the fine, which is $250 now, plus they want an additional penalty of up to a year in jail!! Crazy or what. But later on the article a local attorney points out that its hard to enforce due to the lack of standards and usually the court only gives a $25 fine. Then he goes on to say how they only enforce it in certain areas instead of all areas. Then the part i thought was right on the money is how he called this "the anti hip-hop ordinance", its not to stop the noise, it is enforced almost exclusively against the young people who are driving around playing hip hop.

Anyways, thought you all might like that.