TRANQUILITY WRAPPED IN BLUE ??
Yes, Anguilla was the island of tranquility, but not anymore !!
We have lived in Anguilla since 1977 and every year it gets more noisy.
Loud music emanates almost every night from Sandy Ground, mainly from one establishment, and other places on the island, with the bass turned up so high it pounds physically on one’s chest. The music can be heard for miles along the shores and inland . It is not healthy to one’s mental and physical being.
Motorcycles going up and down the roads showing off how much noise their bikes can make and, incidentally, speeding at the same time.
Automobiles blasting loud music up and down the roads – with the inhabitants believing everyone enjoys not only the type of music but the ear-splitting volume at which it is played, all for the sake of drawing attention to themselves.
Modern society wants to talk about how much they care about the environment and the pollution we are all rendering upon it, but whoever talks about noise pollution?
Even going out to eat there are too many places playing their background music way too loud.
I wonder what hearing problems the younger generation will be experiencing in the future!
One may want to consider investing in the hearing aid business and medical institutions researching surgery to repair damaged hearing, because there is going to be a lot of young people walking around asking:“What did you say?” And, maybe they are already asking.
Now, I am a person who likes almost all types of music but I just can’t understand why people are not concerned about the volume of music being played in public and mostly outside. I know that sounds travel quite easily here in Anguilla, and everyone should be more considerate of other people.
We have called the Police Department many, many times to ask them to go tell the operator to turn down the volume but with little success of that happening. The law, as I understand it, gives a special permit to businesses to play music on certain days at certain times, but not at any volume. This permit is granted by the Commissioner of Police. If the volume being played bothers anyone the noise makers have to turn it down to an acceptable level. And after being asked and warned twice they can be taken to court and lose the privilege of a special permit.
Many people have told me that they have given up on calling the police because nothing ever gets done!! And, besides, it appears that the officer can make the determination if the volume is acceptable, not the public. A decibel meter should be used and decibels over 80 should be forbidden.
It’s time the public speaks up and asks for passage of a noise ordinance. This would go a long way in seeing that our island returns to the island of “Tranquility Wrapped in Blue”. And, also will save the younger generation a lot of hearing problems.
A very concerned citizen of Anguilla
