Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Noise pollution hurts the heart

theatlantic.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

271–280 of 286 posts

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#271

Post by kiliantics »

croddin wrote: post #199
kiliantics wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I just wish we had stronger social norms against unnecessarily using a car I feel the same way but with the sentence stopping here

Electric cars are starting to get cheaper than ICE cars and that should contribute to making cities quieter in general.

yeah but it won't change how hostile cities are to the people on foot or on bikes, or how much land is destroyed to make way for urban sprawl and other road infrastructure, only a reduction in car use will change that

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#272

Post by Karawebnetwork »

jeanofthedead wrote: post #191
Karawebnetwork wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if ear plugs help at all. My partner snores so I wear them at night. Even then, sometimes I get woken up by the low frequencies of large trucks idling (snow removal operations, mostly). The vibrations are not even felt in my ears but through my entire body.

When earplugs fail (as in the case of neighbor's bass, partner's snoring, or rambunctious nocturnal pets), I highly recommend the Bose SleepBuds II. Best purchase of the year for me, and my sleep tracking apps have proven to me that these things work. Might be worth looking into.

This is amazing. I am surprised I never noticed this product before. I even tried to sleep with my Bose headset (this was unsuccessful as it's hard to sleep with those on.)

Have you tried it? Do you consider it would block the loud snoring of a large man?

The website says it's not active noise canceling but noise masking. My ear plugs are masking 38dB and the snoring makes it through. So I am worried that I would end up hearing heavy snoring with a musical background.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#273

Post by kamih »

neves wrote: post #217
vladvasiliu wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was interesting for me, too. At the end of 2017 I moved into a new apartment, with a great view on a very busy road. I immediately felt much more "off". Maybe stressed in a way, but since I'm not usually the stressed kind, I had a hard time identifying the feeling. At around the same time, the AC in the office developed a constant hum. This drove me nuts. When I went to my parents' house in the suburbs, I could…

Ear plugs are and one of the greatest inventions of humanity :-) No joking: I use to work, sleep, public transport, and every time I want some piece of mind.

Noise pollution is a form of torture. I don't understand why our society doesn't fight it more. I've tried earplugs but they are very uncomfortable to sleep with, and usually give me dizziness the next day.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#274

Post by CountDrewku »

ricardobayes wrote: post #169
pims wrote: post #71

I've been suffering from tinnitus and hyperacusis for over three years. It led me to read a bit about hearing in general, and more and more studies show that most of the hearing loss we experience as we grow old is nothing natural but the result of the years of abuse we inflict upon our ears in our everyday lives ( https://www.jneurosci.org/content/40/33/6357 ). Even though my situation is specific, this article does…

Some European countries like Austria have been doing this for many years. Roadside noise level measurements with harsh penalties. If you exceed the limits, they take the licence plate off.

I lived in Austria for half a year and never saw this being enforced. In fact, I was awoken daily by 2-cycle dirt bikes echoing through the streets. Austrians never seemed the type to follow laws all that well and I doubt they're enforced as much as you think they are. There's a general disdain for anything authoritarian there (for good reason).

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#275

Post by zapita »

anigbrowl wrote: post #247
zapita wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK but individual motorcycle riders are not in a position to train and raise awareness in a way that makes them safe. So from the rider’s perspective, there is no good alternative.

When I used to ride all my problems with other motorists came from people approaching me from behind or to the side, not from me coming up behind people (perhaps because I was not in the habit of lane splitting at every opportunity). I suggest a horn serves the same function without annoying everyone nearby and eventually deafening the rider.

Being heard can help with cars approaching from the side, for example a car moving into your lane while failing to see you.

It’s not a silver bullet but it’s one more layer of safety and I don’t understand why that statement is so controversial? I’m not even advocating for these after-market mods (I don’t use one) just pointing out that there is in fact a tradeoff.

Now, some riders just like being loud for the sake of it, and that is a whole different story.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#276

Post by neolog »

khafra wrote: post #263
Jtsummers wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's like saying, "I'll stop punching you if you pay me $50, but until then I'm really enjoying punching you." Assholes are assholes and should not be paid to not be assholes, they should just stop it or pay others whenever they cross the line (via fines or other means).

> That's like saying, "I'll stop punching you if you pay me $50, but until then I'm really enjoying punching you." It's not at all like that, because punching people is currently illegal, and making noise up to a certain threshold is legal. I like peace and quiet more than I like making noise, so I wouldn't mind a lower legal threshold; but the advantage of paying people instead of fighting to change laws is that the…

If I can change the laws first, then the other side will have to pay me. How to decide what's the best "starting point" for a Coase bargain?

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#277

Post by CountDrewku »

baron816 wrote: post #3

There are few things that make me angrier than when a Harley-Davidson style motorcycle (or a pack of them) drive past me while I’m walking down the street. I can’t believe cities haven’t prohibited them, especially at night. Those things are specifically designed to create noise pollution. They’re so fucking obnoxious, even just thinking about it while I’m writing this is working me up.

They just sound like someone ripping ass to me. Never understood the obsessions with their awful noise. It's not a good exhaust tone at all.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#278

Post by zemvpferreira »

bitcurious wrote: post #244
zemvpferreira wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry you went through that awful situation but... was there anything stopping you from wearing earplugs? I religiously wear the best earplugs and face mask I can find to sleep. Even in controlled environments, they make a hell of a difference.

What are the best earplugs in your opinion?

I haven't found anything better than classic foam earplugs - 3M, Mack's, any good brand will be a safe choice. The biggest difference comes from using proper technique to insert them.

Mask-wise I really like the Tempur-pedic sleep mask. I dislike their mattresses intensely but the mask is really good, especially for airplane sleeping.

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#279

Post by zemvpferreira »

aleclarsoniv wrote: post #254
zemvpferreira wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry you went through that awful situation but... was there anything stopping you from wearing earplugs? I religiously wear the best earplugs and face mask I can find to sleep. Even in controlled environments, they make a hell of a difference.

How would you hear your fire alarm?

I don't think I've ever had one :)

Re: Noise pollution hurts the heart

#280

Post by learnstats2 »

r00fus wrote: post #221
airstrike wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have this wild pet idea that we should be have a meter connected to a car's horn and at the end of the year you have to pay a bill for the amount you used. Something like $0.10 / second. You'll still honk when you need to but think twice before using it to annoy other drivers.

The unintended consequences of this are clearly bad, but is there a less invasive approach? Are horns actually a required security item? If so, how can we prevent overuse?

When I'm cycling, my voice is more useful than a bell (in an urgent situation) - more instantly responsive for me to use, easier for others to locate and interpret, etc.
Post reply on HN