Force The Music: Parked Cars Playing Loud Music Near Houses
What is it that compels people to sit outside other people's houses in their convertible playing music with a thumping beat?
On Saturday, I was trying to take a nap -- in the back of my house, in my bedroom, with all the doors and windows shut, and while wearing noise-cancelling headphones.
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP, went the beat. In my pillow.
And it kept going.
I hoped and hoped the person might drive away, but after 10 minutes of him sitting there -- in the redzone, in his Porsche, treating everyone on my block to his music -- I got up out of bed, found shoes, and finally went out.
I asked better than I sometimes do (more productively than showing my rage at people's inconsideration, that is) -- calmly (and somewhat wearily) just stated the facts: That I was in my back bedroom, trying to take a nap with noise-cancelling headphones on and I could still hear the beat from his car.
At least this guy apologized, turned off his radio and then left -- unlike others who have told me I should "move to Nebraska!" if I don't like it.
Yeah, sure, I could give up living in a place I'm happy (save for when it's rude asshole-infested), leave my friends, and go to great trouble and expense to move to someplace with cornfields all around...
...But wouldn't it just be easier for the person broadcasting music from their car to be considerate? Consider that we might not be interested in their choice of soundtrack thumping into our lives?
Actually, nobody has a right to pipe their music into your home and your life. In fact, it's actually illegal in LA for your music to be audible outside your car (when it's on a roadway) 50 feet away.
As I point out in I See Rude People, rude people are stealing from us. Those rude people who shove their music into your home are stealing stealing your attention, your sleep, your peace of mind, and your peaceful enjoyment of your home, and are maybe even having some small negative effect on your health, as noise pollution has been shown to do.
Ha! Yea, he drove away then came over to my place (all the way to Jersey)!
At least in So Cal you don't have to deal with assholes and the snow. Saturday, while removing snow from my car and parking space, the one neighbor was removing snow from his car and putting in front of mine where I had just cleared. (We have perpendicular parking, I back into my space - making it easier to pull straight out) It took all my self-control to not put my snowshovel up his ass.
Charles at February 11, 2013 4:31 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/02/11/force_the_music.html#comment-3599829">comment from CharlesThe note I left for another Porsche-driving, music-inserting asshole earlier in the week:
Amy Alkon
at February 11, 2013 5:50 AM
Charles, I live in Connecticut, on the shore, near Milford. We got 3 feet of snow, and still the plows haven't made it to our street. It's Monday morning. I need to get to work. It's crazy here, but at least the asshole across the street isn't parked in front of my house blasting his car radio! His sister's boyfriend does the same damn thing, and I've gone outside more than once and glared at him. I don't even have to say a word, I just stand in front of his car and give him the evil eye. At least he has the decency to turn it off when I do that. But I don't get why he doesn't get that he needs to at least TURN IT DOWN when he parks in front of my house!
Flynne at February 11, 2013 6:11 AM
Have you noticed that the asshats who play their music at ear damaging levels are never playing Chopin or Mozart? Their taste in music reflects the amount of cumulative brain damage they have suffered over the years.
Bar Sinister at February 11, 2013 6:32 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/02/11/force_the_music.html#comment-3599884">comment from Bar SinisterHave you noticed that the asshats who play their music at ear damaging levels are never playing Chopin or Mozart?
I sure have!
Amy Alkon
at February 11, 2013 6:50 AM
I had to go to the hospital for a week with my kid (shortly after she was born, nothing serious, alls well now), and someone did this at midnight in the frickin CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL PARKING LOT. And they broke beer bottles and urinated. Nice.
NicoleK at February 11, 2013 7:18 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/02/11/force_the_music.html#comment-3599963">comment from NicoleKAWFUL!
Amy Alkon
at February 11, 2013 8:11 AM
Giant car stereos - just one more example of the short-dicked trying to over-compensate.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at February 11, 2013 9:45 AM
Have you noticed that the asshats who play their music at ear damaging levels are never playing Chopin or Mozart?
I keep a CD in my car with some more intense classical peices to blast out my window at traffic lights towards those blasting out their own crap.
lujlp at February 11, 2013 10:43 AM
Reason #126,047 why I don't live in the city.
But given the demographic and typical music choice of the usual suspects for this kind of behavior, when I do drive into the city and pull up next to one of these "youths", I like to get a little payback by giving them a dose of SLAYER at 90db.
If I'm feeling in a little bit less juvenile mood, I prefer to give them Grieg or Wagner.
Azenogoth at February 11, 2013 11:11 AM
...But wouldn't it just be easier for the person broadcasting music from their car to be considerate?
When you're self-centered, I suspect it's not easy to be considerate of others.
I have a lot of bass-thumping drivers in my neighborhood but, fortunately, none of them live close by so I only hear their thumping when they drive past.
JD at February 11, 2013 6:21 PM
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