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Mysterious Noise haunts Couple
"Bob and Leona Ehrfurth say the noise that's been plaguing them for two years sounds something like a rumbling motor, with a subtle vibration that won't quit. Then it stops - especially when they try to show city officials or acoustic experts what they're hearing.
When they leave, the don't hear the noise, he said, so they know it's not some health problem the two share.
City officials hired a company for $1,000 worth of testing in the house this spring, but the tester came up with no noise and no significant vibration.
"Yeah, I've experienced it," Nicholson said. "It's like an engine thing, a low-frequency vibration. I think it would be an annoyance."
He had hoped the testing equipment could be used inside one of the factories in the area, but Municipal Judge Jerry Hanson wouldn't sign the inspection warrant because there was no reasonable suspicion of a violation."
Weird. "Bob and Leona Ehrfurth say the noise that's been plaguing them for two years sounds something like a rumbling motor, with a subtle vi... more -
Green Bay ordinance to combat loud mufflers moves forward
If you hear a loud muffler in Green Bay, you'll soon be able to turn the driver in to police.
A loud muffler ordinance needs one more reading before the city council before it can be published and take effect.
The ordinance allows Green Bay residents to fill out a form on the loud vehicle and send it to police, who will investigate and determine if the vehicle owner should be cited.
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=8685614 If you hear a loud muffler in Green Bay, you'll soon be able to turn the driver in to police. ... more -
Loud bar music makes customers drink more
Customers of bars that play loud music drink more quickly and in fewer gulps, French researchers said on Friday.
Their study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, found that turning up the music spurred drinkers to down a glass of beer about three minutes more quickly.
To gauge the effect of sound levels on drinking, the team spent three Saturday nights visiting two bars, where they observed 40 men aged between 18 and 25 drinking beer.
With help from the bars' owners, the team turned the music up and down and then recorded how much and how fast people drank. The men did not know they were being observed.
Louder music spurred more consumption, with the average number of drinks ordered by patrons rising to 3.4 drinks from 2.6 drinks, Gueguen found. The time taken to drink a beer fell to an average 11.45 minutes from 14.51 minutes.
They said it was not clear why louder music appeared to increase alcohol consumption but said it might make conversation more difficult, forcing people to drink more and talk less.
Customers of bars that play loud music drink more quickly and in fewer gulps, French researchers said on Friday. ... more -
Comments on Comments - Hybrids Noise and Range
This is the second part about Hybrid, noise, range and driving.
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Comments on Comments - Should Hybrids Make Noise 1
Current Comments on Comments about Making Hybrids Noisy. In addition in the end you will have my Thanks to those that are participating in this discussion. Current Comments on Comments about Making Hybrids Noisy. In addition in the end you will have my Thanks to those that are participatin... more
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Police: Driver Tried To Hit Officers On Bicycles
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man was arrested early Thursday after police said he tried to run over two officers on bicycles.
Two officers were patrolling near East 18th Avenue and High Street, near the Ohio State campus, at 2 a.m. when they approached a driver who was playing loud music, 10TV's Tino Ramos reported.
The driver fled and the officers attempted to follow him on their bicycles. When they cornered him, the driver turned his vehicle toward the officers.
SLIDESHOW: Images From Scene;
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2008/07/...
"He actually at one point tried to run over one of the bicycle officers," said Columbus police Sgt. Steve Livingston. "In the process of attempting to run down one of the officers, he bounced off the wall while trying to get away."
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A man was arrested early Thursday after police said he tried to run over two officers on bicycles. ... more -
Making Hybrids Noisy
The federal government is considering legislation to set noise levels for hybrid cars. If passed, automakers will be mandated to add external speakers on all hybrid vehicles.
Maryland
Making Hybrids Noisy
A proposed law, HR 5734, mandates noise making generators on quiet vehicles.
The National Federation for the Blind has been lobbying congress for noise making generators on hybrid-electric cars, claiming that the noise will allow their members to better hear them. If passed, automakers will be mandated to add external speakers on all hybrid vehicles.
You can read more about the issue from this article published by AP / ABC News. NoiseOFF was cited in the article:
"To further expose millions of people to excessive noise pollution by making vehicles artificially loud is neither logical nor practical nor in the public interest," said Richard Tur, founder of NoiseOFF, a group that raises awareness of noise pollution.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held a public meeting to bring together government policymakers, industry representatives and public interest groups on the issue of noise making generators on quiet cars including hybrids, all-electric vehicles and quiet internal combustion engine vehicles.
Representatives from the National Federation for the Blind testified for mandating noise. They also provided grant money to a start-up company to design and build external speakers on hybrid automobiles.
Millions of people who live near busy roadways, thoroughfares, intersections and parking lots are adversely affected by vehicle noise at all hours of the day and night.
Hybrids reduce ambient street and highway noise. The reason why people purchase hybrids, among other reasons, is because they are quiet vehicles.
There are other viable solutions, including wireless audible receivers that can alert blind pedestrians to oncoming vehicle traffic.
Written comments may be submitted to NHTSA and must be received no later than August 1, 2008.
NHTSA Headquarters
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
West Building
Washington, DC 20590
The Federal Register Docket is: NHTSA-2008-0108. The federal government is considering legislation to set noise levels for hybrid cars. If passed, automakers will be mandated to add e... more -
SFMTA Donate Free Noise Pollution!
Ding! Ding! Get your FREE bike bell this Wednesday
Get a free bike bell when you pedal your bike by the fabulous SFBC Streetside Outreach Team at Fox Plaza (Market near 9th) this Wednesday from 5-7pm. (Thanks to the SFMTA for donating 800 bells!)
SFMTA= San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Ding! Ding! Get your FREE bike bell this Wednesday ... more -
Backyard Fireworks Not Always a Blast
n a few days, windows will rattle, dogs will howl and neighbors will get so mad at each other they'll never talk again.
All because of backyard fireworks.
A year ago, a Cleveland firefighter killed three people in a rage over a July Fourth neighborhood fireworks show. And while people find Terrance Hough Jr.'s shooting spree unconscionable, some say they empathize with what he went through from the nonstop noise and lack of sleep.
Posted by John Caniglia
To reach this reporter:
jcaniglia@plaind.com, 216-999-4097 n a few days, windows will rattle, dogs will howl and neighbors will get so mad at each other they'll never talk again. ... more -
Loud Pipes Demystified
Loud Motorcycles - The Myth of Loud Pipes
A simple and effective regulatory measure for states and municipalities to control motorcycle noise by utilizing the EPA's dormant "label match-up" program.
Written by Jeff McCulley. Forward by Jeff Rustowicz.
http://www.noiseoff.org/pipes/ Loud Motorcycles - The Myth of Loud Pipes ... more -
Loud Motorcycle Exhausts Targeted
Citations vowed for modified bikes
The sheriff in Kenosha County has a message for motorcycle riders who violate state law by modifying their exhaust systems to make them louder: Pipe down or pay up.
“This has been around in the books for a long time, but it’s one of those laws we’ve kind of turned a deaf ear to,” said Sheriff David Beth. “Now I want to open that deaf ear.”
The sheriff said he only hopes to “give a little peace” to those living on major streets who have to hear some of the area’s 8,600 registered motorcycles rev their engines.
“Owning a bike does not trump anyone else’s ability to be outside,” he said.
Starting last weekend, Beth pledged to have deputies more strongly enforce the state law that reads, “No person shall modify the exhaust system of any such motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted.” Riders must pay $186 per citation.
Beth added that he doesn’t buy the “loud pipes save lives” argument that noise improves safety by alerting others that a motorcycle is coming.
“Most of the noise is actually behind the motorcycle,” he said.
Milwaukee Harley Owners Group director Rick Borowski, who owns just one of Milwaukee County’s 26,764 registered motorcycles, said he would sooner fight a citation than replace the factory-made, slightly louder Screaming Eagles pipes he installed on his bike. But he said completely removing mufflers for the loudest bike possible “is uncalled for.”
A Harley without any modifications has a rating of about 80 decibels, slightly louder than a vacuum cleaner.
“I think it’s time for this small group of bike owners to follow the rules like the 99% of the ones who do,” Beth said.
Kenosha sheriff’s department public information officer Gil Benn said offenders are “fairly obvious,” and the department has already received multiple calls and e-mails expressing support for the initiative.
Beth said he will have no problem keeping that initiative up during Harley’s 105th anniversary festivities, when riders from around the country likely will be traveling through his county.
...
By ALEX LUNDY
alundy@journalsentinel.com
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=768178
Citations vowed for modified bikes ... more -
Good Info for Law Enforcement
For many communities excessive sound from motorcycles and other vehicles is a problem. This website is intended to give resources for vehicle noise control. The growing popularity of motorcycles, both on road and off road and recreational vehicles such as ATV's and watercraft have necessitated attention on minimizing the unwanted sound from these vehicles.
DPS Inc. is very involved in helping to minimize unwanted sound or nuisance noise from vehicles. We are internationally recognized for our efforts to minimize the disturbance from unwanted vehicle sound, and our activities to study, educate and assist in regulation enforcement programs.
We are well qualified to perform vehicle sound measurement for vehicle manufacturers, muffler manufacturers and to perform field sound measurements in communities and at recreational facilities such as racetracks or off highway riding areas. We frequently work in close association with our clients acoustical team in developing methods for noise control.
DPS Inc. has a recognized training curriculum for vehicle sound measurement for civilians to assist in sporting event vehicle sound reduction for sporting regulation enforcement.
DPS Inc. has a recognized training program for land managers and the law enforcement community. This training program often qualifies for POST training credit. For many communities excessive sound from motorcycles and other vehicles is a problem. This website is intended to give resources for ... more -
Myrtle Beach Sparks Biker Showdown
Associated Press
For decades, Myrtle Beach has embraced its reputation as an affordable destination for playing in the surf and soaking in rays.
But the city has decided one group of vacationers is no longer welcome - the hundreds of thousands of bikers from across the country who descend on South Carolina's most popular tourist destination for two motorcycle rallies each May.
The city council raised property taxes in early June and will use at least some of the revenue in an effort to drive the rallies out. But the effort will succeed only if surrounding Horry County goes along with the idea. Rally supporters who felt blindsided by the city are now planning a showdown when the county council takes up the issue.
"For me, it's a matter of sheer survival. Those weeks are 40 percent of my business," said Ben Brown, owner of motorcycle shop B & M Custom Cycles in the heart of Myrtle Beach.
For Myrtle Beach, getting rid of the Harley-Davidson spring rally and the Atlantic Beach Bikefest around Memorial Day is a quality of life issue. "They bring three weeks of noise, congestion, reckless driving, crime, nudity, lewdness, rudeness, litter, wrecks, fatalities - they are overwhelming our capacity to deal with them," city spokesman Mark Kruea said.
Crime increases during the rallies - especially driving under the influence, drug charges and noise violations. Myrtle Beach officers worked nearly 10,000 hours of overtime during about two weeks the motorcycle rallies were in town. Associated Press ... more -
CA Police to Use Decimeter to Monitor Vehicle Noise
FILLMORE, Calif. — Soon to be armed with a new device that can measure the intensity of engine and stereo noise, Fillmore police will be cracking down on loud vehicles in the community.
"I think that it's going to be a big step forward," said former Councilman Ken Smedley, a Fillmore resident for 15 years. "This boombox phenomenon has really exploded. I can't spend a nice evening in my backyard without one of these vehicles going by every 14 minutes."
According to Deputy Anthony L. Biter, motor officer for the city, Fillmore will be one of the first in the county to purchase a decimeter, an electronic device calibrated to gauge the level of noise from on- and off-road vehicles.
"It's going to be an important tool," Biter said.
He expects that the decimeter will aid law enforcement in much the same way radar works to prove a person is speeding.
"The officer will stop a vehicle he believes is over the sound level, then you have the vehicle rev up to a running speed," Biter said. "Then the sound is captured and the decimeter shows the decibel reading of the exhaust, and they can be cited for having loud and obnoxious exhaust."
By Dawn Witlin
The Ventura County Star
http://www.policeone.com/pc_print.asp?vid=1708486
FILLMORE, Calif. — Soon to be armed with a new device that can measure the intensity of engine and stereo noise, Fillmore police will ... more -
An inconvenient truth about motorcycle smog
Motorcycles and emissions: The surprising facts
This story is about emissions. More specifically, it's about the surprising level of emissions spewing from on-road motorcycles and scooters. In California, such bikes make up 3.6% of registered vehicles and 1% of vehicle miles traveled, yet they account for 10% of passenger vehicles' smog-forming emissions in the state. In fact, the average motorbike is about 10 times more polluting per mile than a passenger car, light truck or SUV, according to a California Air Resources Board comparison of emissions-compliant vehicles.
By Susan Carpenter, THROTTLE JOCKEY
LA Times!
Motorcycles and emissions: The surprising facts ... more -
Homemade airplane!
Holy crap! A Chinese farmer made his own airplane - and takes his videocamera on a flight!
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Pledge to vote for High Speed Rail in California!
Vote YES on the California High Speed Rail Bond Measure in the November general election!
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Stop the noise!
When noise pollution is not making us sick and anxious, it is literally killing us. How do we turn it off?
June 25, 2008 | Henry Bean can't stand the sound of burglar alarms. He hates back-up beepers on trucks and bristles when garbage rigs grind up their fetid loads in the middle of the night, the noise reverberating off Manhattan's buildings. But Bean harbors special resentment for the oblivious car owners whose vehicles blare false alarms. "It bothers me that their cars can shout in my ear, not stop shouting, and I can't do anything about it," he says. "My pride can't handle it. I can't exist if I don't fight back in some way, however pathetically or ineffectually."
By Katharine Mieszkowski;
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/06/25/noise_poll... When noise pollution is not making us sick and anxious, it is literally killing us. How do we turn it off? ... more -
Idaho Laws Would Not Ride Well in The City
http://www.examiner.com/blogs-103-Fault_Lines
Accidents do happen — like the time I was having breakfast with a San Francisco police commander and forgot to turn my phone off of vibrate. When it went off, I jumped and we were both so startled I thought my nervous friend in blue might shoot me.
And accidents especially seem to happen to bicyclists in the Bay Area, because every time there is a collision, a story follows fanning the public outrage.
Oh, and did I mention that in almost every story, it was the car driver who is said to be at fault? In this part of the world, pedal power equates with political power.
So I have to admit, I was a bit taken aback to hear that bicycle advocates were actually the ones generating an idea that would allow them to legally blow past stop signs and perhaps use a little more caution at red lights, which were to be seen by them as stop signs.
Please, read the whole Story by By Ken Garcia, San Francisco Examiner http://www.examiner.com/blogs-103-Fault_Lines ... more -
Traffic Drives SoMa Noise Level Racket
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - A new noise map points the way to the loudest neighborhood in The City — the South of Market area, which is rapidly growing with new high-rises packed with residents.
SoMa has a noise level of 70 decibels, which is the average measurement during a 24-hour period. The noise levels at night factored more heavily than during the day.
The SoMa noise levels can be compared with that of a vacuum running within a few feet of a person, according the Department of Public Health. The department recently completed an acoustic study of The City, which measured noise levels experienced by each building — its residents and workers.
Filed under, SAN FRANCISCO , David Smith , noise pollution SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - A new noise map points the way to the loudest neighborhood in The City — the South of Market area, which i... more
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Acoustic Pollution
