By John Swigonski
North Tonawanda, New York
If you’re visiting this site, you are more than likely forced to endure a noise problem and are looking for solutions. I live in a rural area of my city of around 30,000, but my location doesn’t protect me from a motorcycle noise problem has become worse each and every year.
And why shouldn’t it? The police don’t do anything to enforce the noise ordinance. But there is hope. Except for hardened criminals, I believe that most of those with the very loud exhausts are regular people, even family men. The problem is that they are just extremely ignorant and/or disrespectful of other people. If I’m correct, then the public should not be intimidated to make their complaints public.
That “loud pipes saves lives” mantra is merely a rationalization. The noise is focused behind the bikers and won’t prevent oncoming drivers from turning in front of them and hitting them. People who alter their exhausts to make them noisy are lawbreakers. It’s a federal offense to do so.
What’s more, by ruining the quality of life for everyone who has to hear that despicable motorcycle roar, they have broken unwritten laws of society. You can whine and complain about it to friends and family all you want, but nothing will change unless we get law enforcement involved. The law is supposed to keep law breakers in line and punish them when they are caught.
I think that we, as citizens, should focus more on getting law enforcement and civic leaders informed about our outrage. With the Internet, it’s easier than ever to contact mayors, councilmen, state legislators, and congressmen, But since many of those people are not the most virtuous of people, it may be necessary to embarrass them, or to threaten to embarrass them publicly before they choose to do something about the problem.
If you want to help your situation, you have got to take action. I think the noise criminals know that they can pretty much get away with anything and any public complaints by you will probably be laughed off. But we have to start something if we want our quality of life to improve. Don’t just wait for someone else to do something.
Thank you for your encouraging post.
I, too have noticed increased disrespect/ disregard of the Law and even have witnessed police escort of these criminals ( those who repeatedly & habitually break the Law).
My recent go-around with a County Chairman involved a parade in Big Flats, NY: Knowing there would be a ‘biker’ slot in the parade, I asked him, ‘How is it illegal motorcycles are allowed into the parade, and allowed into traffic after the parade?’
He said, ‘ many police have Harleys’
My next place is the newspaper Op. Ed. A recent “Mythbuster” show proved motorcycles: are 10X lighter than cars, 10X louder than cars and pollute 10X more than cars.
If there Is a ood thing about loud motorcycles, it may be the owners will soon lose their hearing and get sick (of their own pollution).