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Noise is all around us

thewalrus.ca

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Re: Noise is all around us

#141

Post by Metus »

ricardobayes wrote: post #132
jimmytidey wrote: post #111

In suburban London and the surrounding countryside, so much of the noise is caused by a handful of motorbikes that have been made deliberately, I think usually illegally, noisy. Stopping noisy vehicles would improve millions of people's lives and moderately upset a few thousand bikers. I have no idea why it isn't a more popular cause. One person doing laps of a built up area in their modified car is likely waking up…

Many "grown-up" countries do care about this. This problem is non-existant in Austria, or Germany for the most part. Roadside police checks consist of decibel metering, which they are trained to use. They will impound the vehicle on the spot if its over the legal limit. Even race tracks have strict sound limits, the scrutineering process has a sound measurement part.

> This problem is non-existant in Austria, or Germany for the most part.

This is highly dependent on where in Germany you are talking about. In some parts the police don't care at all.

Re: Noise is all around us

#143

Post by nlnn »

bm3719 wrote: post #6

I think of ambient silence as the most valuable sound of all. Think about what it'd cost you to get freedom from your neighbor's lawnmower, traffic, sirens, construction, dogs barking, and the rest of the mindless noise that involuntarily assaults the average person's brain all day. You might think you can move out to the country, but most of the homes you might buy still have plenty of it. Neighbors will have bigger…

This has happened to two friends of mine (in the UK).

One moved out to somewhere on the country and of suburban, only to find out that his neighbour was running a firewood selling business on the side. So saws going for at least several hours each day.

Another moved somewhere very much in the country. Then the owner of the field next door decided to rent it out to dirtbike racers. So every weekend they have to deal with tons of noise and clouds of dust for ~6-8 hours.

Re: Noise is all around us

#144

Post by victornomad »

ricardobayes wrote: post #132
jimmytidey wrote: post #111

In suburban London and the surrounding countryside, so much of the noise is caused by a handful of motorbikes that have been made deliberately, I think usually illegally, noisy. Stopping noisy vehicles would improve millions of people's lives and moderately upset a few thousand bikers. I have no idea why it isn't a more popular cause. One person doing laps of a built up area in their modified car is likely waking up…

Many "grown-up" countries do care about this. This problem is non-existant in Austria, or Germany for the most part. Roadside police checks consist of decibel metering, which they are trained to use. They will impound the vehicle on the spot if its over the legal limit. Even race tracks have strict sound limits, the scrutineering process has a sound measurement part.

Living in Berlin, I disagree with you. Noisy motorbikes and cars with techno full volume is the bread and butter in my hood.

Re: Noise is all around us

#145

Post by mathieuh »

dan-robertson wrote: post #120
jimmytidey wrote: post #111

In suburban London and the surrounding countryside, so much of the noise is caused by a handful of motorbikes that have been made deliberately, I think usually illegally, noisy. Stopping noisy vehicles would improve millions of people's lives and moderately upset a few thousand bikers. I have no idea why it isn't a more popular cause. One person doing laps of a built up area in their modified car is likely waking up…

I think there’s often a belief that louder motorcycles are safer because cars will be more likely to notice them. Though I think the small cheap engines in scoters or small bikes are loud because making them quieter would be more expensive.

I ride a pushbike a lot and I only hear those stupid motorbikes right as they go past me. Even the headwind from cycling at a moderate speed like 30 km/h is enough to completely drown the motorbikes out. Usually all they do is scare the shit out of me as they come flying past.

I imagine inside modern cars that completely seal you off from the outside you wouldn't be able to hear them at all.

Re: Noise is all around us

#146

Post by ajsnigrutin »

I have a split view on this... on one hand, yes, quiet nights are nice to sleep, but on the other hand, busy city centers are meant to be busy... Some people buy an apartment above a restaurant/bar from early 1800s here, and then complain about the noise. If you (have a choice and) live in a city center, then it's usually because you like "stuff" to be around you, walking distance, stores, bars, restaurants, party places, outside performances, people, etc. Demanding that everything stops and gets quiet the second you come home from a loud party and want to sleep is selfish.

On the other hand, we have people moving next to old farms and then complain about cow smell, cow noises, cows in general, cows having sex, cows looking at their windows, etc.

Noise insulation, three-pane glass windows, etc., sure. Demanding quiet city centers, maybe not.

Re: Noise is all around us

#147

Post by bpbp-mango »

Good article but where is the mention of the car? I don't mean cars with big engines and loud exhausts, just normal cars, doing normal things. Car noise from the tyres, wind and engines is deafening and always with us. You can barely talk to the person beside you on a moderately busy street and we just accept this. Imagine living on that street.

Re: Noise is all around us

#148

Post by vmfunction »

Metus wrote: post #141
ricardobayes wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many "grown-up" countries do care about this. This problem is non-existant in Austria, or Germany for the most part. Roadside police checks consist of decibel metering, which they are trained to use. They will impound the vehicle on the spot if its over the legal limit. Even race tracks have strict sound limits, the scrutineering process has a sound measurement part.

> This problem is non-existant in Austria, or Germany for the most part. This is highly dependent on where in Germany you are talking about. In some parts the police don't care at all.

can imagine that in Berlin, but a city with 10.000 people?

Re: Noise is all around us

#149

Post by globular-toast »

jimmytidey wrote: post #111

In suburban London and the surrounding countryside, so much of the noise is caused by a handful of motorbikes that have been made deliberately, I think usually illegally, noisy. Stopping noisy vehicles would improve millions of people's lives and moderately upset a few thousand bikers. I have no idea why it isn't a more popular cause. One person doing laps of a built up area in their modified car is likely waking up…

Not just London. I've written about this on here before. Last time I was in the Peaks all I could hear were revving engines coming from somewhere miles away. It's getting really hard to get away from these bastards now.

The worst part of cars and motorbikes is they can't hear it. Motorbikes helmets are ear defenders too. The cabins of cars protect users from the engine noise. It's just everyone else that has to put up with it.

Re: Noise is all around us

#150

Post by badpun »

earthling8118 wrote: post #69
soulofmischief wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've lived in both the city and the sticks and I can tell you that out in the sticks, you don't hear your neighbor's tractor. In general the ambient noise is far, far less and on many days idyllic. In my case the most egregious sound was the morning braying of the neighbor's donkey, which never lasted long.

Maybe you can't hear the tractor but that doesn't stop you from hearing cars on the racetrack well over 20 miles away. There are plenty of noises to be heard

It's possible to hear cars driving 20 miles away?
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