End the noise pollution

This was sent to and copied to the Sustainable Development Team.

August 8, 2005

Dear Sir,

I?ve noticed a few letters this past year about noise pollution; most recently the topic was mentioned in a letter by tourists from Florida (August 2) who voiced concern about noise from car stereos and shared that Florida has a law prohibiting playing car stereos at a volume that can be heard further than 25 feet. In the last few months I?ve approached parked vehicles with stereos blasting with children inside to inform their occupants that this is not only disturbing to people nearby, be it your next door neighbour or the customer in the grocery store parking lot, but it can cause hearing impairments in adults and children who listen to very loud music and/or listen to loud music for prolonged periods.

It?s my hope that anyone reading this letter will pass on the message to (1) think about the health of children and keeping their hearing intact (not to mention their ability to concentrate for sustained periods); and, (2) encourage people to be courteous and realise that they need to keep their music/voices at low volume because their neighbour doesn?t want to hear their loud music or talking.

I encourage the Ministries of Health and Environment to get together to seriously consider placing reminders on TV and radio like they?ve done for consumer issues, the ?Stop, don?t chop? law, etc. Noise complaints are dealt with under Section 7 of the Summary Offences Act, though from my observations, it does not seem to be enforced effectively and enforcement of this existing legislation, in my opinion, needs to be stepped up. The Act needs further revision to reduce the distance that noise should not be heard from 100 feet to at least 50 feet or better yet 25 feet, like Florida. Also, the law needs amending such that one person should be able to voice a complaint about noise rather than the noise having to ?cause annoyance to two or more people?. If, however, we can all respect each other and value quiet, then less taxpayer?s money can be used to deal with noise complaints.

There?s a lot of credible literature that can be found on the Internet about impaired hearing from continuous noise. Bermuda?s Delicate Balance, published in 1981 (Editors: S. Hayward, Gomez, V. and Sterrer, W.) has it all in print. There?s much research that has been carried out about the adverse effects of noise (and light) on wildlife too. Lets get the message out and if people don?t listen perhaps they will teach themselves and their children sign language to prepare for hearing eventual hearing loss. I sincerely hope that in this increasingly overcrowded Island that we can turn down the volume.

Don?t blame Airport staff

August 9, 2005

Dear Sir,

Once again today there is yet another letter to the Editor complaining of surly Customs personnel offending arriving passengers at the Airport, with the writer concluding, ?the staff of the Minister of Transport is doing its best to drive them (arriving passengers) away?. It is inaccurate and disheartening when the travelling public wrongly blames the Department of Airport Operations staff for issues with Customs. In fact, Customs at the Airport is not under the Ministry of Tourism & Transport or Department of Airport Operations at all, but rather is under the entirely separate Ministry of Finance. Therefore, in the interest of accuracy it would be appreciated if, in printing letters of complaint about Bermuda Customs in the future, the Editor would footnote this as a fact when the writer incorrectly identifies the wrong Ministry.