Re: Subwoofers and archaic noise ordinances

On Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at 8:29:27=E2=80=AFPM UTC-5, Chris Clement wro=
te:
> On Monday, October 31, 2022 at 3:13:46 PM UTC-4, Sean Rainey wrote:=20
> > On Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 10:43:19 PM UTC-4, Jim wrote:=20
> > > Does anyone know if low frequencies which are more "felt" than heard =
are=20
> > > adequately covered in city noise ordinances? Many codes seem to have =
been=20
> > > written before the advent of modern subwoofers and don't detail their=
=20
> > > widespread abuse in today's world.=20
> > > It used to be that loud music meant (relatively) uniform volume among=
=20
> > > bass, mid-range and high frequencies. To get significant low bass you=
 had=20
> > > to bring up more of the entire spectrum along with it, even with an=
=20
> > > equalizer. In most homes and cars there weren't dedicated, discrete=
=20
> > > woofers that could output extreme bass levels with the rest of the mu=
sic=20
> > > reasonably quiet. Many subwoofers can create output that older all-in=
-one=20
> > > speaker enclosures weren't even capable of. Many young people seek mu=
sic=20
> > > specifically for its bass content as a primal ritual like banging hea=
vy=20
> > > drums.=20
> > > Because of its long wavelengths and ability to travel through walls t=
hat=20
> > > attenuate mid-range and high frequencies, low bass (typically 40 to 1=
00=20
> > > Hz) has become a pervasive annoyance across the nation. It has the ef=
fect=20
> > > of a wall being pounded on with no physical contact. Imagine someone=
=20
> > > bouncing a basketball off your wall for hours on end. The malice=20
> > > perpetrated with a subwoofer should be treated as equally belligerent=
,=20
> > > even without physical wall contact.=20
> > > This presents an especially big nuisance in dwellings with shared wal=
ls=20
> > > that have a minimal air-gap for sound insulation. Scofflaws in apartm=
ents=20
> > > can listen to "low level" music with the bass curve far out of=20
> > > proportion, and claim that it doesn't exceed allowed dB levels, even=
=20
> > > though they know full well it's disturbing their neighbors.=20
> > > Subwoofers would ideally be banned altogether in apartments and condo=
s.=20
> > > Too many people lack the self-control to use them respectfully. Some =
are=20
> > > addicted to bass like a drug, or blast it in their cars to show off a=
nd=20
> > > mark territory. Few humans alive today have not been exposed to "boom=
-=20
> > > cars," even in isolated rural areas. But legal details don't seem to =
have=20
> > > caught up with loudspeaker technology.=20
> > > Below are excerpts from a California city noise code as a generic=20
> > > example. The lowest frequency mentioned is 500 Hz, which is mid-bass,=
=20
> > > well above the output of a typical subwoofer. This is probably becaus=
e=20
> > > it's much harder to measure low bass where dB meters are less sensiti=
ve.=20
> > > -----=20
> > > Radios, tape players on publicly owned property:=20
> > > (a) As used in this section, the phrase "a person of normal hearing=
=20
> > > sensitivity" means a person who has a hearing threshold level of betw=
een=20
> > > zero decibels and 25 decibels HL averaged over the frequencies 500, 1=
,000=20
> > > and 2,000 hertz.=20
> > > (b) Notwithstanding any other section of this Code and in addition=20
> > > thereto, it is unlawful for any person to permit or cause any noise,=
=20
> > > sound, music or program to be emitted from any radio, tape player, ta=
pe=20
> > > recorder, record player or television outdoors on or in any publicly=
=20
> > > owned property, park or place when such noise, sound, music or progra=
m is=20
> > > audible to a person of normal hearing sensitivity 100 feet from the=
=20
> > > radio, tape player, tape recorder, record player or television.=20
> > > Interior noise standards:=20
> > > (a) In any apartment, condominium, townhouse, duplex or multiple-dwel=
ling=20
> > > unit, it is unlawful for any person to create any noise from inside h=
is=20
> > > or her unit that causes the noise level, when measured in a neighbori=
ng=20
> > > unit during the periods 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., to exceed the follow=
ing:=20
> > > (1) Forty-five dBA for a cumulative period of more than five minutes =
in=20
> > > any hour.=20
> > > (2) Fifty dBA for a cumulative period of more than one minute in any=
=20
> > > hour.=20
> > > (3) Fifty-five dBA for any period of time.=20
> > > -----=20
> > > Subwoofer crimes require sophisticated equipment to document without=
=20
> > > first-hand observations, and police generally lack time to witness no=
ise=20
> > > events. My Radio Shack dB meter won't pick up much below mid-range un=
less=20
> > > it's right in front of a speaker. I have dealt with "home invasion" b=
ass=20
> > > almost daily after a neighboring apartment was bought by a slumlord. =
It's=20
> > > loud enough to cause constant stress but not enough to measure easily=
.=20
> > > The tenants are too evil to care and the owner won't take action, nor=
=20
> > > will the property management company. Calling the police would make m=
y=20
> > > life hell around these criminals.=20
> > > In the absence of an official witness for repeat incidents (impractic=
al),=20
> > > how do you technically get someone evicted who only sends low bass=20
> > > through your walls?=20
> > > Jim=20
> > Still having this problem in New Haven CT in 2022. The city NEEDS to do=
 something about constant subwoofer abuse in neighborhoods.
> Chris Clement=20
> 9:24 PM (3 minutes ago)=20
> to alt.activism.noise.pollution=20
>=20
> I had some success with code enforcement based on the idea that "if it is=
n't too loud, it is too close" and the calculated setback would put them of=
f their lot. This is part of your right to "peaceful enjoyment" of your lan=
d.

Congress needs to enact laws concerning bass abuse.  Powerful subwoofers sh=
ould not even be legal to buy unless they are are for concert halls or area=
ns. Someone should not have powerful subwoofers that send bass sounds miles=
 from where they live in residential areas. Apartment residents should not =
own subwoofers at all.  For some reason bass sounds bother me to no end.  P=
resently, I work at Amazon and they play very loud bass music.  I'm going t=
o have to quit.  I've been very fortunate not to have close neighbors that =
play loud bass for long periods of time.  There are some Mexicans that live=
 pretty far from me but their bass reaches my place.  I walked the neighbor=
hoods searching for it and have discovered it's several different Mexicans =
playing their truck subwoofers.  They don't speak english.  I wrote a note =
saying "bass music travels far distances, bass sounds like a fog horn, plea=
se turn the bass dIown."  I told a neighbor of theirs that I came to get th=
eir address for when I call in a noise complaint to the police.  She asked =
me to please call the police because they bother her with loud music every =
night.  I did not though because they turned down the bass to where I can't=
 hear it.  It's been 3 days since I heard it.  I absolutely could not toler=
ate a neighbor that played consistant loud bass.  If I could not move, I sw=
ear I would have to kill myself.