Is Elkhart noisier than all other Indiana cities, or are they just obsessed about the issue?
Drivers in the northern Indiana city of Elkhart may want to think twice about pumping up the volume on their car stereos.
The city is aggressively enforcing its noise ordinance, which carries a fine of up to $2,500 for repeated violations. More than 1,100 citations have been issued so far this year.
More than 1,100 noise citations in a city that size in less than a year? The city has even created a full-time position to do nothing but enforce the noise ordinance. The story also notes that money from noise ordinance tickets has paid for "police cars and enforcement efforts." Ah. The old noise-trap gambit.
Comments
Leo:
Seems like a good gambit to me.
I personally LOVE to see a city take the initiative to relieve it's citizenry of this form of "acoustic terrorism"...there's a time AND place for this kind of audio bane...and it's NOT on our streets, keeping us up to all hours, or shaking the pictures from our walls.
There have been many studies done, and people polled about what the #1 cause of sleep deprivatiion in cities is...and overwhelmingly, it was NOISE.
Loud noise also inhibits learning skills in children...that's ALSO been proven.
(try telling that to those in MY neighborhood...the ones flunking or dropping out at a record pace)
Loud noise causes [physicval and psychological damage if not to the offending individual, than to those who have to put up with this racket.
Anyone remember the Noriega gig...and those loudspeakers on our military vehicles?
Take the stereos away, and slap those fines, baby!
But, I've said this all before so many times...and I've yet to be heard...Must be the LOUD NOISE from those car stereos drowning those like me out...lol!
(...irony)
I'd wager that Elkhart is a helluva lot quieter..and the people are liking it.
Decatur, IN has a strict noise policy as well.
Wish Fort Wayne could do likewise.
We can but hope.
I was just visiting Elkhart a few weeks ago and I think I know why it's so noisy. My wife, littlemarsha, and I were there buying her a new car. I figure the place is full of noisy Fort Wayners buying cars since Elkhart car dealers will actually discount their products. I hope local dealers figure out what's going on and reassess their policy based, apparently, on the view that we have to buy from them. Folks, Elkhart is less than two hours away, and yes, they will negotiate via email. Save yourselves a thousand or so. The whole littlefamily is tickled with its new wheels.