The "Noise Rage" defense

Noise pollution is proven to have devastating results on one's health and well being.
In Vancouver that potential could eventually have disasterous results. No one seems to enforce whatever anti-noise bylaws we have. Noise is simply not taken seriously. Vancouver seems to be proud of the fact that people of all ages are moving back into the Vancouver core. However it is almost impossible to have any peace and quiet because of the noise levels.
Construction equipment have no muffling devices on their engines. Bull dozers, pile drivers, hard rock drills, jackhammers, graders and excavators all make maximum noise. Dump trucks blast their horns at anyone in their way to the site. The coffee trucks arrive with a blare. Delivery drivers leave their deisel engines running while delivering or dropping into coffee shops. Buses grind a grating clatter in passing. Brakes squeal. It is accepted that shouting is okay. Recently a local patio bar had a DJ with a loud mic, encouraging the partying patrons to "Let's make some noise out there!"
Another guy was moonlighting from his day job and would turn up at 8:30 PM and start a jackhammer to bust up concrete!
One cannot listen to music during the day if you live in a downtown apartment. Movie companies must now consider carefully if they can shoot in the core because the noise levels don't allow them to pick up clean dialogue. Offices must sweat with their windows closed. Overly sensitive car alarms are always shrill and annoying. And they are often set off by those Harleys with their drilled baffles. We hear every gear change and echo of the pipes for miles. And if you've got a Starbucks near your area you'll never sleep in again. The garbage trucks collect at 6 am, banging and clanging, every day including weekends and compress in a cacophony of irritating sound.
The business oriented city controllers accept this constant barrage of noise during the day and retreat to their suburbs in the evenings. 'Business' has precedence.

The World Health Organization suggests that noise can affect human health and well-being in a number of ways, including annoyance reaction, sleep disturbance, interference with communication, performance effects, effects on social behaviour and hearing loss. Noise can cause annoyance and frustration as a result of interference, interruption and distraction. Activity disturbance is regarded as an important indicator of the community impact of noise.
Vancouver is encouraging families to move into the downtown core, yet children are affected by noise too with increased blood pressure levels and attention deficits!
Continued exposure to noise is also associated with a range of possible physical effects including: damaging your hearing, colds, changes in blood pressure, other cardiovascular changes, increased general medical practice attendance, problems with the digestive system and general fatigue. Research into the effects of noise on human health indicates a variety of health effects. People experiencing high noise levels differ from those with less noise exposure in terms of increased number of headaches, greater susceptibility to minor accidents, increased reliance on sedatives and sleeping pills, and increased mental hospital admission rates.
Ah .... there's the thing.
Road rage is now understood by commuters everywhere. And even has its own label now from psychologists, (because that's what they DO) Intermittent Explosive Disorder.
William Kunstler introduced the 'black rage' defense into law courts.
Soon we'll have people losing it totally and committing serious crimes of harm. Actress Demi Moore, responding to an ongoing car alarm outside her house in the dead of night, went out and SHOT the car!
The 'noise rage' defense will be here soon, and I for one, will understand it.
Case dismissed, Miss Moore.

What can YOU do? Complain complain complain ..... you've had enough and won't take it anymore!
sam.sullivan@vancouver.ca
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/councillors/sullivan/

http://www.quiet.org/faq.htm

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0835810.html

http://www.designshare.com/Research/LMaxwell/NoiseChildren.htm