Confiscating Autos for Noise Violations

Published on January 31st, 2006

Posted by KB in General

This is hardly the first city to consider this, but it’s in the news now and I’d like to know what you think.

Your reaction to this story will depend a lot on where you live. Personally, “tough new legislation” to me often means that the politicians don’t have the balls to enforce the laws that are already on the books. Basically, constituents flood their representatives’ offices with complaints. The politicians have two choices: See to it that existing ordinances are being enforced, or promise “tough new legislation.” Which sounds like the path of least resistance to you?

St. Louis police will be able to seize cars blasting loud music under a bill passed today by the Board of Aldermen.

The bill mirrors laws in other cities, prohibiting the use and even installation of some enhanced speakers.

Alderman Craig Schmid’s proposal easily had enough votes to pass, but not after aldermen turned up the volume on their own concerns. Impounding a car for playing loud music is to severe, opponents said, and ripe for abuse.

“God damn it –- it’s America,” Alderman Stephen Conway said. “We’ve got a constitution.”

Schmid said he wanted to send a “strong message” to drivers who cruise through residential areas, jarring neighbors and rattling windows.

I always thought that noise ordinances were like the laws about keeping your horse so many feet from the saloon: still on the books, but that’s about it.

16 users responded in " Confiscating Autos for Noise Violations "

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# 1 moss said, on January 31st, 2006 at 10:21 am

I offer up my favorite ordnance — already proposed for graffiti “artists — which requires that you use nothing larger than .22 calibre to keep things sporting.

# 2 RonD said, on January 31st, 2006 at 11:23 am

“It’s like killing an ant with a howitzer,” Alderman Charles Q. Troupe said.

He got it backwards. The howitzer is the super loud bass and the ants are the peace and quiet loving residents. I say good for Alderman Schmid and I hope St. Louis will enforce it.

# 3 site admin said, on January 31st, 2006 at 11:26 am

It’s called a dead letter law.

# 4 Spammer hater said, on January 31st, 2006 at 3:16 pm

What about banning loud Harleys and kids with rice rockets and fart pipe exhaust systems!!

I mean what is it with 50 yr old mid life crisis bike riders riding those loud slow bikes!! Make the law enforcement pull them over and get a muffler on those things.

Then rice rocket boy racers driving honda civics with an exit pipe that would do a Mack 18 wheeler proud. They need a good slapping too.

Angry of Tahoe..

# 5 doug said, on January 31st, 2006 at 4:02 pm

“louder volume than is necessary for convenient, normal hearing,” sounds like a pretty ambiguous standard to me …

# 6 Pat said, on January 31st, 2006 at 4:10 pm

By the time they are all forty they will be clogging up the health system with hearing problems. With the bass so loud and at such a low frequency, they will lose any fillings too.

A lot of them remind me of the movie called BattleStar Galactica from about 27 yrs ago. Even though the view was from space, whenever they showed a picture of this huge massive vessel, there was a low, almost inaudible rumbling. The TV show could not reproduce the same sound from those little speakers.

# 7 Richard said, on January 31st, 2006 at 6:04 pm

Loud music? That’s no problem! Let’s talk about Harley-Davidson motorcycles driving through residential neighborhoods.

# 8 BL said, on January 31st, 2006 at 6:16 pm

I also can’t stand the idiots on loud motorcycles.

# 9 Gwendle said, on January 31st, 2006 at 7:36 pm

I can defend part of the loud motorcycles, being a biker myself. The main reason is so other motorists can hear where you are. It isn’t the easiest to see someone on a bike going down the freeway, so that is the best indicator that we are there. Thus the phrase “Loud pipes save lives”. Normally you see that on jackasses with the straight pipes on their pickups, but motorcycles are the reason for the saying. And yes, I do think some of the bikes are just too loud, but with folks turning up their stereos too loud, talking on their cell phones, and overall roadrage/jumping lanes/tailgating, we bikers take anything we can to stay alive.

# 10 Babaganoosh said, on January 31st, 2006 at 10:36 pm

I too am a motorcyclist, but I don’t place any stock in the all too common saying, “loud pipes save lives.” Though I guess it does roll off the tongue more smoothly than, “Loud pipes do nothing more than piss off other motorists, causing them to dislike/hate/show hostility towards motorcyclists to a greater degree than they otherwise might have.”

If you don’t believe “loud pipes save lives” is bunk, have someone on a loud bike follow behind you on the freeway when you’re in your car. Instruct them to maintain a safe following distance, and then see how well you can hear them. The correct answer is: not at all. If people are too inatentive or dimwitted to SEE your motorcycle, what on earth makes you think they’re going to hear it?

I agree with you that some bikes are much too loud. I just get tired of safety being thrown up as a justification.

# 11 BOB G said, on January 31st, 2006 at 11:05 pm

You are right about where you live. Where I live this is a big problem. I live in a large three story house and these people can rattle the windows in the back part of the house. So hang them all and let God sort it out.

# 12 Moe29 said, on February 1st, 2006 at 7:04 am

I have a punk neighbor kid who has bass reproduction in his house that shakes my windows. He has bass reproduction in his car that shakes my windows. His car has straight pipes and is louder than a Harley motorcycle. All his drug dealing punk friends have systems in their cars that shake my windows. I’m all for a law like this…. F his rights, what about mine!!!!

# 13 Sam said, on February 1st, 2006 at 7:38 am

I think the law is completely overkill. Proposing a timeframe for quiet I can understand, but the seizing of vehicles for having a stereo too loud is absurd.

# 14 Pat said, on February 1st, 2006 at 6:51 pm

I’m reminded of a story a few years ago. A young kid was ticketed for a loud exhaust on his car. When he went before the Judge, he denied his exhaust was too loud. For a verification, he suggested the Judge listen himself. The car was parked beneath the Courthouse right next to the Police parking. After running his car, he asked the cop to start up his Harley Davidson Police Motorcycle. Case dismissed.

# 15 BL said, on February 1st, 2006 at 8:18 pm

If your motorcycle must make noise around cars, then use the damn horn — at least it faces the correct direction (front). But crusing outside my window in some loud bike just to prove to yourself that you have balls is F’ed up. How would you like it if I removed the pipes from my car and curised by your window at 2 am?

When I was younger I rode my mountain bike in city traffic for the thrill. No loud pipes, no horn, no power other than my legs and balls; I was just as stupid as you in your stupid-loud machine.

# 16 jim said, on April 9th, 2006 at 1:01 pm

complain to the police. if enough people call they will have to deal with loud mid life crisis people on loud bikes. i like the comment about using the horn if one thinks a motorist doesn’t see the bike. i also write my state legislators and talked to my town manager. i do it every year. i will not give up until the law is enforced. loud pipes don’t save lives. when i see a loud bike coming and if i can safely go out in front of it i drive slow to slow them down a bit. it makes me angry, does not make me think about their safety.

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