# This shit has got to stop **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 2, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408 "2008-12-02T21:57:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/61 "2008-12-03T16:13:44Z")
> [@Abraca\_Deborah](#): > > I have seen grown men with hearing loss reduced to tears out of frustration when they cannot hear what their grandchildren say. I have seen it tear families apart as the one with the hearing loss eventually becomes an observer of his own life, while it plays in front of him like a silent film. > > Research shows that the magic age to get people to consider changing their attitudes and behaviours towards loud noise/music is grade four. Any later than that, and it is too late as teens and young adults just don’t care. > > As an audiologist who has fitted many hearing aids in the past 18 years, I have only two words: > > Job security. When I was in high school, and I’d play my bedroom stereo on something like 4, my dad would come into my room, and just mouth words as though he couldn’t be heard over the blaring music. Other times, he’d come in and say, “Do you know how many hair cells on your basilar membrane you’re killing?” I loved my dad, and now that I’m much, much older now, I appreciate what he was saying, and fortunately, learned my lesson, and do just about everything I can to protect my hearing. I play the TV and radio at just above threshold level – certainly loud enough to hear it, but not so loud as to disturb anyone else, and definitely not loud enough to damage my hearing. **Snowboarder Bo** , pot, kettle…you called people in this thread real pricks, but turn around and say you don’t care if you annoy other people, and you don’t want to hear other people’s music as much as they probably don’t want to hear yours. WTF? ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/62 "2008-12-03T16:18:22Z")
My father in law (he was so good, I don’t want to call him ex) would BLAST Christmas music from his back porch on Christmas day. He didn’t understand how this was the same as a kid blasting hip-hop. “But it’s Christmas…” ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/63 "2008-12-03T16:45:53Z")
I don’t run into this with cars very much, but people on the subway with their iPods up so loud that I can hear the lyrics to their music from 3 seats over fall in the same category as far as I’m concerned. Sure they aren’t keeping me awake at night with their noise but they are disturbing my ride to work which is still pretty bad. I’m glad I don’t have to contend with the noise at night when I am trying to sleep though. I feel bad for all the people who have to deal with that kind of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/64 "2008-12-03T17:13:09Z")
The answer, as it is to many things . . . John Philip Sousa. ---
**Author:** ![rivulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rivulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rivulus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/65 "2008-12-03T17:16:40Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I’m thinking of asking some cops to cruise by and issue noise citations. Yes, I’ve tried talking to the neighbors. No, it’s not a permanent solution. In one case, I don’t get anywhere because I don’t speak Spanish well enough. In the other cases, the noise MIGHT get turned down for a few minutes, but soon it’s cranked back up. I live in an “up and coming” neighborhood. Here’s what we do: we call the police. Every single time. And ask your neighbors to call too. This may vary by jurisdiction, but in this city the police work the numbers. They track the number of complaints. So many calls on a property… eventually they can escalate the penalties. We’ve had people evicted from the four-family across the street for noise and other violations. This is because a group of us in different houses on the block developed a phone tree, and we all called the police on every loud booming car, every honking horn, every screaming harpy. According to the local captain in our neighborhood, give the police the numbers to work with and they can also justify moving more resources into your neighborhood. Squeaky wheel, and all that. On the flip side: I did crank my stereo one memorable time. I was about to head into two days of meetings for this library job I used to have. I was dreading being trapped for hours on end with a bunch of fussy, grey, perfectionistic, middle-aged ladies for hours on end. Librarian ladies. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Must. Have. Noise! So in an attempt to innoculate myself, I sat in the parking lot beforehand and cranked “Holla Back Girl” for a few minutes. Who knew the Subaru had that much bass? It was awesome. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/66 "2008-12-03T17:30:49Z")
I was driving down the expressway and started to feel a vibration running through my car. I thought whats going wrong,tire ,tranny or what. Then I noticed it was a regular beat. The car next to had his radio on so loudly that my car vibrated. I took solace knowing he would be deaf soon enough. Then of course he would have a reason to play it loud. Why not ear phones? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/67 "2008-12-03T17:30:58Z")
For those of you who have said it’s no big deal at a red light: I live at the intersection of a six-lane road (3 in each direction) with a stoplight. I hear those 20-30 seconds of loud music _constantly_. The worst is the thumping base, but I also get rock, country, norteño— you name it, at all hours of the day. Any single one would be fine, no big deal, but the never-ending assholery makes me nuts. It does no good to call the police; the offender would be miles away, and in Los Angeles there are guaranteed to be higher-priority things than noise at a busy intersection. As soon as I stop being poor, I’ll move. Until then, I have no alternative but wearing earplugs in my own home day and night. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/68 "2008-12-03T17:44:08Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > That’s not my motivation. I just like loud music. I don’t care if people are looking at me or not. I just like to listen to my music at maximum volume. It sounds better that way. I really enjoy roasting obnoxious fucktards with a flamethrower. Maybe we’ll run into each other on the road someday. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/69 "2008-12-03T18:04:12Z")
> [@rivulus](#): > > I live in an “up and coming” neighborhood. Here’s what we do: we call the police. Every single time. And ask your neighbors to call too. This may vary by jurisdiction, but in this city the police work the numbers. They track the number of complaints. So many calls on a property… eventually they can escalate the penalties. We’ve had people evicted from the four-family across the street for noise and other violations. This is because a group of us in different houses on the block developed a phone tree, and we all called the police on every loud booming car, every honking horn, every screaming harpy. According to the local captain in our neighborhood, give the police the numbers to work with and they can also justify moving more resources into your neighborhood. Squeaky wheel, and all that. > > On the flip side: I did crank my stereo one memorable time. I was about to head into two days of meetings for this library job I used to have. I was dreading being trapped for hours on end with a bunch of fussy, grey, perfectionistic, middle-aged ladies for hours on end. Librarian ladies. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Must. Have. Noise! So in an attempt to innoculate myself, I sat in the parking lot beforehand and cranked “Holla Back Girl” for a few minutes. Who knew the Subaru had that much bass? It was awesome. I’m lucky. We’ve found a house close to Ft. Bragg that is in a nice neighborhood. Really quiet. Even the kids that play in the yard next door keep their noises at a level that isn’t annoying. But then most everyone here is retired military or still in. I’d imagine any jackass driving through here blasting music would find his sweet audio system crammed up his ass before he reached the end of the street. **Dr. Drake** , that sucks. I never considered how the noise afected people in buildings when people do that at lights. I’ve never seen anyone get pulled over for it except once and that was on military post. When that happens you get fined but it will show up on the report every commander on the base gets. So when you get back to work they’re gonna wanna talk to you. They can actually restrict you from driving on post for it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/70 "2008-12-03T18:19:08Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > I never considered how the noise afected people in buildings when people do that at lights. I don’t think you’re alone in that! I was exaggerating a tiny bit — I do wear earplugs to read, to write, and to sleep, but otherwise I just deal. It is frustrating when the radios outside three floors below drown out MY radio or T.V. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/71 "2008-12-03T20:23:00Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I always thought they should just confiscate the stereo system, at least for repeat offenders. They’re expensive enough to hurt whoever the perpetrator is, and has the added bonus that they’re stripped of their ability to make noise, at least for a while. That ain’t bad. Almost back to elementary school “hand it over” rules, which is what a lot of these people need. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/72 "2008-12-03T20:35:24Z")
> [@grey\_ideas](#): > > Just out of curiosity **Bo** , if you like your music that loud but don’t want to annoy people…what’s wrong with head/earphones? I use them when I am at the track, rather than park my truck alongside and just leve the stereo cranked. But it’s illegal in NV to drive with headphones or earbuds in. Most states have this law, I think. And at home, I couldn’t move about and do stuff with headphones in. Besides, I’m in my own home. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/73 "2008-12-03T20:38:31Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > And I don’t care if you enjoy loud music. When you wake me up from a sound sleep (and I use a CPAP AND I have the radio going) or if I get a headache from your music, I just want you to KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. Get yourself some earplugs. Or go completely, permanently deaf, for all I care. Just keep that shit down to a reasonable level. There’s an old saying that “Your right to swing your fist ends at my nose.” Think of it like this…your right to play music ends at everyone else’s ears. I happen to like heavy metal, but I don’t have the right to inflict it on everyone else around me. > > This is a particular sore spot for me because of our neighbors. The ones across the street like to play their music LOUD at all hours of the day and night. They like to park vehicles, turn the volume to 11, and then go inside and do whatever. The ones next door like to pull in at 2 AM, with radio blasting. Doesn’t bother me so much, as I’m generally in the back of the house with MY headphones on and can’t hear them, but my husband has to get up at 5. > > I’m thinking of asking some cops to cruise by and issue noise citations. Yes, I’ve tried talking to the neighbors. No, it’s not a permanent solution. In one case, I don’t get anywhere because I don’t speak Spanish well enough. In the other cases, the noise MIGHT get turned down for a few minutes, but soon it’s cranked back up. You should definitely call the police. If they are violating noise ordinances, they will be forced to reduce volume or they will be ticketed/arrested for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, failure to obey, etc. But let the police handle it, and don’t give your name to the police. Explain that you are a neighbor and don’t wish to be retaliated against. I’m sure the police will understand and will be happy to send a squad car. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/74 "2008-12-03T20:41:44Z")
> [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](#): > > When I was in high school, and I’d play my bedroom stereo on something like 4, my dad would come into my room, and just mouth words as though he couldn’t be heard over the blaring music. Other times, he’d come in and say, “Do you know how many hair cells on your basilar membrane you’re killing?” > > I loved my dad, and now that I’m much, much older now, I appreciate what he was saying, and fortunately, learned my lesson, and do just about everything I can to protect my hearing. I play the TV and radio at just above threshold level – certainly loud enough to hear it, but not so loud as to disturb anyone else, and definitely not loud enough to damage my hearing. > > **Snowboarder Bo** , pot, kettle…you called people in this thread real pricks, but turn around and say you don’t care if you annoy other people, and you don’t want to hear other people’s music as much as they probably don’t want to hear yours. WTF? The people I was referring to were the people threatening others, and specifically me, with bodily harm or property damage. People like this: > [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I really enjoy roasting obnoxious fucktards with a flamethrower. Maybe we’ll run into each other on the road someday. The thing with types of music was at work. Work is not “my time”, it belongs to the client who has hired me (us). It’s not a party, it’s work. Different situations call for different behaviour. ---
**Author:** ![Dante](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dante/32/9673_2.png) [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/75 "2008-12-03T21:01:03Z")
Whatever happened to the concept of trying not to impose yourself on others? I assume that most people don’t want to see, smell, touch, taste or hear me. So I don’t wear my Abe Lincoln hat to the theatre, I don’t rub up against them on the subway, I don’t throw on shitloads of cologne, I don’t (insert something about taste here), and I don’t blare my music where others can hear it. My needs or wants don’t supercede those of others. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/76 "2008-12-03T21:14:09Z")
> [@Dante](#): > > Whatever happened to the concept of trying not to impose yourself on others? I assume that most people don’t want to see, smell, touch, taste or hear me. So I don’t wear my Abe Lincoln hat to the theatre, I don’t rub up against them on the subway, I don’t throw on shitloads of cologne, I don’t (insert something about taste here), and I don’t blare my music where others can hear it. > > My needs or wants don’t supercede those of others. Yes, because you have consideration for others. A good trait to have. Though I’m more impressed that you have an Abe Lincoln hat. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/77 "2008-12-03T21:21:41Z")
I always thought the guys who blasted their music had the largest penises? Isn’t that how it works? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/78 "2008-12-03T23:37:52Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > This habit some folks have of blasting their car stereos so loud that it can be heard blocks away. _ **Seriously, this shit has got to stop.** _ I know I mentioned in another thread how recently my wife and I were passed by a car that was blaring music so loud it was literally shaking. The car itself wasn’t even a recent model. It wasn’t in bad shape, but I’d bet that the stereo system was worth more than the vehicle. > > [. . . etc, etc] Welcome to 1985 through 2000. Seriously, I haven’t heard this in years. Didn’t know it was still “cool”. -Cisco, who sold his first car for less than he sold the stereo out of it for - and sold the stereo because _it wouldn’t fit in the new car_. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/79 "2008-12-04T01:17:15Z")
[QUOTE=Chessic Sense] I wish I could make this post punch you in the face. Where’s that smiley? If I see you in public, I’m slashing your tires. My general rule is if you can’t hear me breaking your tail lights with a hammer, then it’s what you deserve. [/QUOTE] > [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I really enjoy roasting obnoxious fucktards with a flamethrower. Maybe we’ll run into each other on the road someday. Easy there, guys. While it’s obvious that **Snowboarder Bo** is worse than Hitler, let’s keep the real-world revenge fantasies to a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408/80 "2008-12-04T01:56:00Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I use them when I am at the track, rather than park my truck alongside and just leve the stereo cranked. But it’s illegal in NV to drive with headphones or earbuds in. Most states have this law, I think. It’s also illegal to drive about with your music cranked up to bleeding ear levels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-shit-has-got-to-stop/475408.md?page=5)