Letter to the Editor
Noise town
Published Saturday, June 21, 2008
Digg
del.icio.us
Facebook
Mixx
Reddit
Stumble It!June 19, 2008
To the editor:
Does Fairbanks have a noise ordinance?
If we do, is it reasonable and effective? The police station reported a vague restriction between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
I suggest that the statute is in grave need of revision. Certainly, the statute was written before the current capability for annoyance had been refined.
At 6-6:30 a.m. every day, the Shannon Park thumper goes down D street annoying as many people as it can. Certainly, the pulse of his mindless sound shakes the walls of my basement. He returns around 5:30 p.m., annoying his way home.
His unlimited number of comrades come down Trainor Gate Road from early in the morning to late at night, inflicting their arrogance, ignorance and lack of courtesy on their fellow travelers and those unfortunate enough to lie within 400-500 feet of Trainor Gate. I read in the paper that there is a plan afoot to reduce the speed in the Hamilton Acres / Shannon Park area. I have a suggestion that may remove that greater annoyance, the incessant and deliberate infliction of noise on the neighborhoods.
In short: • Revise the statute to put the limit of noise from a vehicle to that can be heard from another vehicle with its windows rolled up. (This is similar to the Anchorage statutes.) • Arm the parking ambassadors with decibel meters and cameras, and station them on Trainor Gate Road to hand out noise violations. Additionally this would free them from hanging out at the post office and courthouse parking lots ambushing otherwise innocent citizens and allow those of us that have been driven out of the downtown area to return.
I think that my suggestion would really work. One or two fines per perpetrator would bring Fairbanks’ revenue crisis to a screeching halt and probably eliminate the deficit to the medical and retirement plans as well.
Community Discussion
Newsminer.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full user's agreement.
Oscar are you really saying that your irritation with the noise in our neighborhood is more of an issue ("greater annoyance") than the cars and trucks that fly by our front yards where our kids play?
If you know what time he goes by, get his plate number and report it to the police.
Better yet, report it to the post or brigade commander. Get the license plate number and vehicle description and call post public affairs. They'll handle it from there, especially if there's multiple complaints regarding the same person.
motorcycles are far noisier.
Could be worse. We could be hearing drive by shootings. I live in Two Rivers and we have industrious neighbors. The guy across the street repairs heavy equipment, whenever I hear the engine reving at midnight I just roll over and think hey he's working.
So you are one of those innocent people that park illegally downtown. Now your complaining. Why is the noise your experiencing more important than the rude and lazy people that refuse to obey the laws downtown?
I've found the easiest way to avoid parking illegally downtown is to avoid going downtown.
The noise problem will go away by winter. The rice rockets churning out ridiculous amounts of bass dont get around that well, and I'm sure they know theres no one out walking around for them to 'impress' with their noise. I live on Gillam and i hear them constantly, especially the ones that sit in some driveway close by with their stereo full blast. Really, as long as there is an industry for car stereo systems, there will always be noise.
Can hear it now, the noise wars. Our Conway Twitty vs Rap.
Loud pipes save lives-you hear me on my motorcycle when i am on the side of you.
Or four blocks away. Or the guy with the craptacular chevy with straight pipes in my neighborhood. He even bragged that he had the original pipes for IM testing. The reality is its all a basic lack of respect for your fellow citizens. I try only to play my country and heavy metal loud out of populated areas. That and people look at you funny when you switch from Taylor Swift to Disturbed. Can we legislate common sense and decency?
Noise isn't simply an annoyance. For some, it is a health risk issue. The loud bass beat of discordant music can actually affect the heartbeat, causing it to becoeme irregular. This can be potentially fatal for some people.
Add to this the evidence that excessively loud noise can cause loss of hearing.
I believe our constitution guarantees us the right to "quiet and peaceful enjoyment of one's property."
I agree with the writer. Theordinance should be updated and enforced.
Man, people in this town are NEVER happy. You want the homeless, that have nothing, to get sober and get a job so they can have stuff. You want the employed, who have stuff, to only get stuff that doesn't annoy you. I am certain that nothing you have causes the slightest bit of annoyance to anyone anywhere near you. Loud cars, loud music, loud parties, sonic booms, jet planes, driving too slow, driving too fast, people with stuff, people without stuff, ugly house colors, walking on the bike trails and biking on the roadways. I'll bet you people never run out stupid things to complain about. If those are your only concerns bet most of the world would love to have your problems.
And it ain't cabin fever season yet. If you think people are unhappy now wait until December and January. Live out in the woods so I don't have to worry about neighbor noise. But those darn wood pickers on the stove pipe drive me crazy at times.
alaskaflower while what you say is true, and people have also had collapsed lungs from loud bass, someone has to be really close to the source for that to happen.
Someone driving down the road with loud music isn't going to cause someone inside of house to get an irregular heartbeat, they have to be close enough that the music causes significant vibrations inside their body, usually in contact with the car, or within a few feet.
You know what sounds real good sometimes? Bullets hitting tires.
Too bad you live in town. The cops get all funny there when a gun goes off.
If the police can give this man or monkey a ticket and get paid I am sure you can get them down there to increase their retirement fund
I beg to differ with you, Aidey, but when my neighbor's son drives by my house with his loud bass blaring, my heartbeat immediately becomes irregular. I feel vibrations, and I mean that literally. Enough so that I have actually given some thought to getting my rifle and aiming for the tires, but then I realized the car wouldn't be able to leave the neighborhood then, so.....
Hey I will lend you a good rifle you can use to shoot long distance after the sound is out of reach. You can do just like those kids are doing. Think about yourself only.
A .22 with a scope should work. Make sure you are far from your home. Take out a couple of tires and that might get their attention.
Solid bullets from out of no where can ruin a 10,000 airboat engine and reduce noise as well.
Pat
I have a good rifle. And I didn't use it.
I'm selfish because I wanted to put an end to something that could cause me to have a heart attack?
Wait. Why aren't we accusing the letter writer of being un-American while explaining that this "noise nuisance" is, in truth, the
SOUND OF FREEDOM!!!!
If we support our troops, shouldn't we also support their boomin' systems?
When did you all go soft?
We do support our good troops. By the way, who said it was one of our troops doing this? Are you accusing our good troops Bedasse? I (heard) and seen many teenagers that was not our troops doing the same thing.
Nice letter Mr. Charles!
I've lived in the neighborhood since 1999 and you're right, the noise level has been rapidly increasing over the past two or three years, and it's not just that certain train engineer that likes to toot out "shave and a haircut at 4:00 a.m. Add to that the increasing number of drivers who don't understand what 20mph means. (We've even caught and reported the borough bus for cruising at twice that speed!)
I hate to say it, but our nice quiet neighborhood is losing its quiet.
-RK
Good readings.
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.