New mobile audio restrictions in St. Louis, MO

[Matt L]

For your amusement:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/275F57729BE6E21F86257104001AFB1F?OpenDocument

Keep it turned down when in the city!

[Jarod]

no speakers larger than 10" eh... interesting... in a completely idiotic way.
i've got a friend that has 2 (yes, 2) 15" subs (and not walmart stuff either, were talking like kicker or something) and a 2500 watt amp driving it, in this like little acura or something, the stereo is worth more than the whole car!!

[Strife]

I hate to see the government get involved in this, but it does get ridiculous when I get my fillings rattled by a radio in the NEXT CAR whose windows are closed, along with mine!

Exactly how having every piece of sheet metal in a car rattle harmonically with the music improves the quality is beyond me. I wonder how many younger people are going to be deaf by the time they are 40. Powerful amplifiers were very expensive at one time, now, a set of $5.00 MOSFETS and a big heat sink can deliver hundreds of watts. I can't beleive the stuff they sell; aux alternators, multi-farad capacitor banks, double 00 wiring-where the heck do these kids get the money?

[Hit Man X]

Nothing wrong with a single 12", I have a setup with that... others have 75-150 watts RMS pumping to the speakers. Good clean, quality sound.

2500 watts seems a bit extreme...

[Matt L]

Unless your speakers are extremely inefficient, clearly 2500 watts is much more than you can use.

However, I really don't mind if someone puts one of these in their car.

The only thing that bothers me about it is that these fools use this equipment to bother others. That's the intent. A side-effect is to impair their own driving ability by shutting out all outside sound.

I say, legislate the actions, not the equipment. I'm sure that not all owners of this kind of equipment are these kinds of fools.

[Strife]

Originally Posted by Matt L

I say, legislate the actions, not the equipment. I'm sure that not all owners of this kind of equipment are these kinds of fools.

I'd agree with this - now the problem is how do you objectively measure it so it can be ticketed?

I'm generally in favor of individual rights (even the rights to do idiotic things), but I should also mention that this IS a safety hazard that affects others - how can you hear an ambulance siren or police siren with filling loosening sound going on in a car, for example?

[Matt L]

The equipment itself is not a safety hazard. The same goes for an engine capable of pushing the car past any known speed limits.

I must note that even though I brought it up, the failure to hear sirens and such is a red herring. There is no restriction against deaf people driving.

[Jarod]

yea, 2500watt is extreme, hes blown up several speakers. its just too loud. i've got IN TOTAL 5.00 into my car stereo!! a "new" (stock) chevy speaker from a lumina to match the one i got for free, fits in the rear deck. has a builtin tweeter. no more rattling from my speakers!!

[Matt L]

Noise bill could snare some new cars. As if that's a surprise.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/CAB1D773C7DF69868625710A001E44FE?OpenDocument

[Ashman]

I think a simple ticket for noise pollution is better. it will generate more revenue if you ask me.

Simply do it in stages. 1st offense = $$
Second offense = $$$
third offense = $$$$

And on a 4th offense - Seize vehicle and auction it.

I don't think making such strict laws are going to help anything...

Enforcing noise pollution with steep fines and a 3 strikes type rule with escalating fines for each offense to me would be a better alternative.

Or better yet why not change the construction laws there to state that people have to have double layered glass panes and soundproofing int heir walls? It sounds just as ridiculous.

Why not fine the people who don;t have good enough sound suppression in their homes.

If this fully passes, when is it going to stop?

[Matt L]

Apparantly the mayor of the city agrees with you.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/17088BB09EF019918625710B001C07B9?OpenDocument

Hopefully, they will pass something that is only noise-oriented instead. I don't mind that sort of law. I've been pulled over for a loud muffler, and that car was much quieter than some of these sound systems that I've heard.

I suspect that the excessive vehicle noise ordinances already cover this, but don't get applied.

[ytr1903]

I think it is only fair to inform the readers of the mental midgets that are running the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen. For instance, a couple of years ago, there was an alderwoman, who decided to start a filibuster over some issue. Well, I found a great article on the incident. Here it is--enjoy. I hope no one is angry with me for digressing, but I still get a little chuckle when I think of this incident.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Greg Freeman: What happened at Board of Aldermen was not comic relief
By Greg Freeman
July19, 2001

Imagine my surprise to wake up Wednesday, turn on the national news and Find my own city featured.

This, unfortunately, wasn't a story that put the Gateway City in the best light. No, there on the screen was Alderman Irene Smith, apparently relieving herself in the aldermanic chambers. She stood over a trash can while supporters gathered sheets and quilts around her.

Smith is displeased with a redistricting bill that would place her home and that of Alderman Sharon Tyus in the same ward. All of this might have been funny had it not been so pathetic. Unhappy with that measure, which had the support of a majority of the aldermen, Smith decided to filibuster to prevent the bill's passage.

The filibuster continued for hours in the hot, unair-conditioned aldermanic chambers. At some point, nature called. Smith announced that she was going to take a bathroom break, but was informed by acting Aldermanic President James Shrewsbury that if she left, she would have to give up the floor.

Another alderman sought to overturn Shrewsbury's ruling, which would have allowed Smith to go to the restroom. But the aldermen voted against that proposition, 13-11.

So Smith made her point in a way that would attract nationwide attention.

Ironically, it took place on the same day that the city officials were trying to send the message that St. Louis -- which had been behind other cities that experienced comebacks in the '90s -- is finally on the right track. The $54 million Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites downtown officially opened Tuesday, a notable event because the building had been converted from an Edison Brothers warehouse.

And while that attracted attention locally, it was the aldermanic act that put St. Louis on the map this week. Yes, St. Louis -- the city that also drew national attention for the "nose blowing in public" bill and one that proposed caning graffiti writers.

To top our city's day off, one of the aldermen, Kenneth Jones, told reporters Tuesday that he was on Viagra and didn't plan to stick around for an all-day aldermanic meeting because he had other things to do. % You've got to wonder what kind of aldermen we have who refuse to take a five-minute break to let a woman use the restroom. And you've got to wonder what kind of aldermen we have when one of them feels so strongly about an issue that she chooses to abandon her dignity for such a demonstration on the floor of the Board of Aldermen.

Many words come to mind, but "shameful" seems to be a good one, for all parties concerned.

What kind of message does this send to impressionable young people, especially -- God forbid -- those who might be considering public service?

Beyond that, what happens the next time a cop gets after some beer-drinker who decides to relieve himself in public? Can the suspect use "the Board of Aldermen defense"?

One interesting aspect of all of this is that it's the result of ward redistricting -- an every-10-year phenomenon at City Hall. The redistricting plan being considered would move Tyus' north St. Louis ward to an area in south St. Louis. % Twenty years ago, another alderman found his ward -- then in the Central West End -- moved to south St. Louis. That alderman, David Pentland, suggested that the number of aldermen should be reduced, and he was punished for it.

Based on the actions of the aldermen on Tuesday, maybe Pentland's idea wasn't a bad one after all.