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Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

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Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#71

Post by vegetablepotpie »

throw__away7391 wrote: post #21
shados wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not only do people not care, they actively push down and belittle people who do. They'll say it's just something that's notmaly and anyone trying to change it should move. Most source of noise pollution wouldnt be that hard to fix. Society just doesn't want to.

It's because almost all the noise in the modern world is caused by cars and motorcycles, and in the United States are prioritized over all other life forms.

The US preference for cars cuts DEEP, it’s at a cellular level.

To share an anecdote, I went to order a sandwich at a fast food restaurant from the counter. After ordering I waited in the restaurant, watching the kitchen staff serve several cars in the drive through. After 10 minutes I just got frustrated, went back to the counter and asked for a refund. I got it and left.

Later I talked to friends about the experience. Apparently restaurants collect metrics for drive through wait times, but not for orders at the counter. So of course managers have a preference to serve drive through customers. The restaurant I went to made no attempt to hide that preference.

I feel like you need a car in the US to be treated normally.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#72

Post by refurb »

everybodyknows wrote: post #31
paisawalla wrote: post #14

If we in CA could achieve compliance with the already standing laws against loud exhaust to anywhere near the levels we have with, say, plastic straw riddance, the resulting benefit to society would be drastically superior. I can't think of anything with a lower cost/benefit ratio than just the wholesale confiscation and ban of Harleys.

A generation or so ago vehicle noise laws actually were enforced in California, and now it seems they effectively are not. No obvious technology change behind it, rather somehow the will to enforce has eroded, and/or the burden of proof has shifted away from the perps.

Laws in general in California aren't enforced much these days, but that seems to be true across North America.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#73

Post by victor9000 »

gotaquestion wrote: post #33

Anyone who has ever lived next to someone with a barking dog knows how the spikes of adrenaline at random times of the day and night can raise stress levels significantly.

I had this problem before and a handnote to the neighbor did the trick. It turns out they were keeping their dog crate next to the window for entertainment, but in reality it was stressing the dog out, because he could see all the people walking past on the sidewalk. They relocated the crate and the problem was solved. And if direct engagement leads you nowhere then I would reach out to the landlord.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#74

Post by zip1234 »

everybodyknows wrote: post #31
paisawalla wrote: post #14

If we in CA could achieve compliance with the already standing laws against loud exhaust to anywhere near the levels we have with, say, plastic straw riddance, the resulting benefit to society would be drastically superior. I can't think of anything with a lower cost/benefit ratio than just the wholesale confiscation and ban of Harleys.

A generation or so ago vehicle noise laws actually were enforced in California, and now it seems they effectively are not. No obvious technology change behind it, rather somehow the will to enforce has eroded, and/or the burden of proof has shifted away from the perps.

Enforcement of almost all driving offenses is next to nonexistent in the US. Need more automated enforcement in my opinion.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#75

Post by bigDinosaur »

drstewart wrote: post #2

This is one of the things I struggle with the most in life. I feel like most people don't seem to care about noise pollution and zero care is put into designing living spaces or cities to minimize it. I've moved into apartments and nearly cried because I realized that there was some noise pollution that wasn't apparent when I visited it (e.g. a water boiler that ran constantly at night, road noise during the day, etc…

It's also possible to surface roads such that cars on them are significantly quieter. This is more expensive, but you'd think it'd be done in at least some places in North American style cities. To my knowledge it really is not, although I'd be curious if anyone could tell me if it's used anywhere.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#76

Post by tropdrop »

drstewart wrote: post #2

This is one of the things I struggle with the most in life. I feel like most people don't seem to care about noise pollution and zero care is put into designing living spaces or cities to minimize it. I've moved into apartments and nearly cried because I realized that there was some noise pollution that wasn't apparent when I visited it (e.g. a water boiler that ran constantly at night, road noise during the day, etc…

It was strange the article focused so much on airport noise when there is another kind of noise pollution for city residents so much more widespread – ambulances/emergency vehicles.

I've lived in San Francisco for awhile (and still come back to live there some of the time), and this is the thing that I notice increases my heart rate every time I come back. In SF, they're so loud! Even late in the evening! I didn't pay too much attention to it until my grandmother (living in a different and European country) was on the phone with me one day, and hearing the alarm from a fire truck comme ambulance, she asked – what is that highly disturbing noise?

I thought about it and realized she was right. The wail was very disturbing and did make my heart beat faster when I heard it.

I wish San Francisco lowered the noise of the ambulances later at night. The noise ricochets off the buildings so much that I wonder if we can't introduce legislation to make the vehicles automatically lower the volume of ambulance noise used when leaving the highway. I understand it needs to be that loud on a busy freeway or LA-esque (very wide) street, but in an alley in Chinatown? Can't we consider the heart palpitations of the residents subjected to it day in day out if they live near either a hospital or a fire department?

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#77

Post by grapeskin »

tayo42 wrote: post #27
shados wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not only do people not care, they actively push down and belittle people who do. They'll say it's just something that's notmaly and anyone trying to change it should move. Most source of noise pollution wouldnt be that hard to fix. Society just doesn't want to.

I had this "conversation" with my neighbor (it was more like me being yelled at) It kind of blew my mind they didnt care about noise interruptions at all hours and told me its my problem. Like maybe if you got a full night of sleep you wouldn't be so angry? I guess this study supports that. The noise in my current apartment is endless, car alarms, screaming and crying kids along with their loud toys, idling cars, the…

The absolute best thing about leaving the US several years ago is the silence.

I can go to bed every night knowing some random guy won't decide 3 AM on a Wednesday morning is the best day to crank up the bass to max and start a party. I can sleep knowing some old guy isn't going to compensate for his masculinity by revving up his modded motorcycle at 4:30 AM everyday. I can sleep knowing people aren't going to start screaming and fighting in the middle of the street at 11:30 PM and again at 7 AM, even in a nice neighborhood. I can relax and not have to hear someone blasting the action movies and advertisements from their TV from 6 AM to 10 PM every single day. I can take a bus and not be surrounded by people shouting at someone on speakerphone, and needing to repeat their every statement several times because 5 other people are doing the same thing.

And yeah. People who blast music while outside, especially in natural parks, are assholes without exception. I like that I can hike here and it's absolute silence, every single time.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#78

Post by garyfirestorm »

sammalloy wrote: post #10

> road noise during the day My understanding is that the vast majority of road noise is caused by vehicles outfitted with non-standard tires. Where I live, 90% of the road noise is caused by lifted trucks using massive off-road tires on local roads and highways. It isn’t clear if this against the law all over the country, but in various US states, the police will issue tickets. There are several employees of local bu…

By law car companies have to certify pass-by regulations that include exhaust and tire noise, since the microphone doesn’t differentiate between the two.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#79

Post by grapeskin »

dylan604 wrote: post #46
Buttons840 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

*/5 * * * * osascript -e 'set volume output volume (output volume of (get volume settings))-1' Speaking of tinnitus, and since this is Hacker News: I've entered the above in crontab (crontab -e) on my mac. It lowers the volume a small amount every 5 minutes. I have to press the volume up button once every 30 minutes to keep a roughly equal volume level. This prevents me from accidentally listening to something that i…

seems like it'd be better served to have some sort of limit on how loud the volume on a device can be set. maybe in the system preferences set MAX = 75%, but in Finder allow the volume to be set at 100% in the UI but the system keeping it limited. make this a per Output setting so when you switch back to Built-in or other external device it is not limited to anything but your buds.

The issue is while your system volume can be the same, media volume varies immensely. Listening to one album, it could be all relatively low and gentle. The next one could be noise that blasts your ears but you don't really think about it due to focusing on something else.

Sometimes I'll try adjusting my volume down to half and notice everything still sounds fine. It's a sign that I was listening to something way too loud without even realizing it.

Re: Sounding the alarm: How noise hurts the heart (2021)

#80

Post by wantlotsofcurry »

victor9000 wrote: post #73
gotaquestion wrote: post #33

Anyone who has ever lived next to someone with a barking dog knows how the spikes of adrenaline at random times of the day and night can raise stress levels significantly.

I had this problem before and a handnote to the neighbor did the trick. It turns out they were keeping their dog crate next to the window for entertainment, but in reality it was stressing the dog out, because he could see all the people walking past on the sidewalk. They relocated the crate and the problem was solved. And if direct engagement leads you nowhere then I would reach out to the landlord.

This sadly only works when your neighbors aren't outright assholes and only using their dogs as protection and to scare people from their house.
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