A Noisy State is an Aggressive State

The Hon. John Watkins
Deputy Premier, Minister for Transport and Minister for Police

Dear Mr Watkins,

In regards to curbing the number of violent street attacks, you want "to see if there's any more practical measures that can be implemented".

Recent years have seen a rise in noise pollution throughout NSW from various sources, most particularly doof-doof cars. Both the World Health Organisation and the NSW Health Department acknowledge that noise causes aggression. There are many factors causing violence but, generally, a noisy state is an aggressive state. It follows that a quiet state is a calmer state.

Britain has strengthened its resolve to fight anti-social behaviour, including noise pollution. New York demonstrated that policing the smaller quality-of-life issues with zero tolerance reduces other crimes.

The recent rise of noise pollution has been seen in:

thumping doof-doof car stereos
thumping doof-doof stereos in homes shaking neighbouring homes
people playing music out loud on phones and stereos in public
noisy iPods on public transport (see the numerous complaints in the Mx newspaper)
CityRail's incessant noisy announcements on trains
noisy motorcycle exhausts, particularly Harley Davidsons
noisy car exhausts
shopping centres are now filled with loud music, often doof-doof music
car horn tooting as people signal their arrival and departure from premises
councils using noise to ward-off anti-social behaviour
aerosol air-horns used by spectators at sporting events

Noise initiates micro shocks that cause pain via the nervous system. It causes people to become tired, irritable, angry and aggressive. It is assault.

A society filled with overlooked micro assaults from noise pollution results in the following:

angry victims (which is everyone)
the resulting attitude in society is "no-one cares, so why should I?"
in a culture of assault where everyone constantly assaults everyone else with noise, the step to physical violence is small, after all "there's assault everywhere, so what's the difference, it's just more of the same"
unpoliced micro assaults encourage criminals to break other laws (the "broken window" theory)

The most pervasive noise pollution today is the doof-doof car. Nowadays, every neighbourhood has their share of doof cars that prowl around assaulting residents in their own homes. Places like the Rocks and Brighton le Sands are recognised hot spots, and receive attention, but the general community is overlooked and suffers the daily assault on our nerves. Current policing measures against doof cars are woefully inadequate.

How do we devise a Calming Policy?

Measures for the Police Department:

legislate to ban high-powered speakers in car stereos that are capable of transferring thumping bass from the road into a house, and from one car to the car beside it. And subsequently police this with a Dob-In-a-Doof phone line (where offenders are required to drive their car to an inspection station), and Random Doof inspections (if feasible). Confiscation and fines for offenders.
toughen up legislation and/or enforcement of bike and car exhausts. There are way too many obscenely noisy exhausts. Likewise, have a Dob-In-a-Noisy-Exhaust hotline (offenders are called in for inspection) and Random Exhaust Inspections. Confiscation and fines for offenders.
empower council parking rangers to fine the doofers and noisy exhausts, to take workload off police
fine people being a public noise nuisance e.g. playing music on phones/stereos, rowdy behaviour, etc
resource police to take noise complaints more seriously, respond quickly and not dismiss them, as is often the case. We need more police on the beat prepared to call noise for what it is, assault
a corresponding education program to let people know that noise assault is a crime and will be punished
temper advice that comes from police that encourages complainants to approach noise offenders. Sione Matavesi did just that.

Measures outside Police jurisdiction (inattention to these matters makes policing more difficult):

the Advertising Standards Bureau is undermining the authority of the Police by permitting ads showing unlawful anti-social behaviour in the form of noise assault (see attached)
fine noisy iPoders, and similar, on public transport (like is happening in New York)
stop CityRail assaulting people with incessant noisy announcements
stop councils fighting noise with noise
Police or Department of Environment to conduct a campaign to silence car horn tooters e.g. "Tootin Calmin"
quieten shopping centres

Sydney and NSW is badly in need of a calming policy. Silencing noise pollution is a quick way to calm people. Look at the effects of extinguishing these micro noise assaults:

everyone is more calm, civil and polite (including would-be criminals)
the resulting attitude is "this is a nice place to live, people care"
by eliminating the culture of micro assault, the step to physical assault is greater. The line of distinction is much clearer, making people less likely to make the jump
anti-social people "stick out like a sore thumb"
you disempower/belittle/castrate those people for whom noise goes hand in hand with power and violence

Individual conflict often follows a pattern of escalation which starts with a verbal argument, the words and volume increase, until finally it spills over into physical violence. This is a well recognised pattern, its called "escalato" by some.

What is not recognised by the government is this same game of escalato is happening on a mass scale with noise pollution, with the result that everyone is getting angry with everyone.

Why was Sione Matavesi fatally stabbed last weekend? Because he wanted quiet. That's what people want. It's not rocket science, you don't need a university criminology education to know that.

If you don't extinguish these micro noise assaults, you are still playing the game of mass escalato, and that only leads in one direction - mass escalation. You have to take the fire extinguisher to the base of the fire, not fight the flames.

Sydney and NSW have reached the disturbing point of accepting a culture of assault as normal.

To illustrate that this culture of assault is becoming accepted, look at the way councils now solve problems ... at Brighton le Sands they play Barry Manilow over a PA to ward off doofers, at Parramatta library they play music outside the library to ward off undesirables. But the messages behind these responses is "its OK to fight noise with noise", "its OK to respond to assault with assault", and "two wrongs DO make a right". This only feeds the escalato spiral.

Likewise, CityRail is assaulting its passengers with incessant noisy announcements. Riding a train is an angry experience. The result is everyone on public transport has that "don't push me, cause I'm close to the edge" look on their face.

Overseas experience in multicultural/multiracial countries suggests that violence in Australia could increase. It is imperative that proactive calming measures be taken now.

The World Health Organisation and the NSW Health Department acknowledge that noise causes aggression. The question is whether the NSW Police Department acknowledges that a noisy state is an aggressive state.

Noise pollution is a growing concern. There is widespread support for making NSW a quiet calm place.

You can fight anger and aggression proactively with a Calming Policy, or you can keep up the mindless reactive policing which sends out our police to watch victims die in their arms and be traumatised with those memories thereafter.

Its not rocket science, its a calming policy.

..........................................

References:

1: WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OF THE HUMAN
ENVIRONMENT: GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNITY NOISE, 1995-2000.
http://www.who.int/docstore/peh/noise/Comnoise3.htm

"Noise annoyance is a global phenomenon ... social and behavioural effects include ... aggression, unfriendliness, disengagement, non-participation ... It has also been suspected that people are less willing to help, both during exposure and for a period after exposure."

2: THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE - OTHER THAN HEARING LOSS
Report for the enHealth Council by the New South Wales Health Department, 2004
http://enhealth.nphp.gov.au/council/pubs/pdf/noise.pdf

"The most widespread subjective response to noise is annoyance, which may include fear and mild anger, relating to the belief that one is being avoidably harmed ... Noise is also seen as intrusive into personal privacy, which may be particularly important in urban settings ... Approximately nine percent of residents surveyed who were seriously annoyed by the noise also indicated they had become aggressive due to the extent and nature of noise impacts ...".

3: New York Subway iPod Law:
http://www.thevillager.com/villager_139/roaringtrucksblaring.html

4: UK Music Free Buses Petition:
http://hovis21.com/buses.html

Advertising Standards Bureau is Undermining Police Authority

Over the past 18 months, several advertisements have appeared on TV and radio that encourage illegal noisy behaviour. The Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) dismissed all complaints about these ads on the grounds that they were not contrary to prevailing community standards, or the ads were a fantasy scenario.

This is a disturbing outcome. The ASB is condoning illegal behaviour, and thus creating a culture of noise assault. This is effectively working against the Police Department.

The ASB is governed by the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) which has advertising codes for Alcohol and Motor Vehicles, but not for Noise. I encourage you to request AANA to devise a code for Responsible Use of Noise in advertisements.

Examples of advertisements condoning irresponsible/illegal use of noise include:

Coca-Cola: Music, As it Should Be ...

A Coca-Cola TV ad which stated that: "your favourite song should be played so loud, neighbours you didn't even know you had ask you to turn it down". This was followed by neighbours turning on their lights in response to being disturbed late at night, concluding with the notion "that's music, as it should be".

This scenario was at night when people were sleeping and the noise was so great as to wake neighbours. This is clearly irresponsible/illegal use of noise.

The ASB dismissed complaints on the grounds: "The Board considered that the depictions in the advertisement represented a fantasy scenario".

It is unacceptable to have advertisements breeding a culture of noisy people. Young people take these ads as a green light to disturb. It suggests annoying one's neighbours is a legitimate sport. It makes more work for police in responding to noise complaints.

Coca-Cola: the Great Australian road trip

This TV ad depicts a group of young people in a car on a holiday road trip. The ad shouts "the stereo should be set to 11" and "the windows should be wound down".

Since scales are often 1 to 10, the "set to 11" implies beyond absolute maximum. This is confirmed by the statement being shouted, not spoken.

However, the ASB again dismissed complaints on the grounds: "The Board noted that the portrayals of loud music in the advertisement were where the people were during the daytime, in the open air and in public places. The Board did not consider that such behaviour was contrary to prevailing community standards ..."

Given the plague of doof-doof cars in NSW, this ad also depicts irresponsible/illegal behaviour. Noise can still be offensive/illegal even if in the "daytime, in the open air and in public places".

i-Kids mobile phone: Car Horn Honking

This radio ad depicts a child talking to his soccer coach about his new mobile phone when his mother arrives in her car. The mother toots her horn to signal her arrival and the child says "there's Mum now".

Complaints were made on the grounds this is illegal use of a car horn. Australian Road Rule 224 states:

"A driver must not use, or allow to be used, a horn, or similar warning device, fitted to or in the driver's vehicle unless: (a) it is necessary to use the horn, or warning device, to warn other road users or animals of the approach or position of the vehicle; ... ". This attracts a $225 fine.

The ASB again dismissed complaints on the grounds:

"The Board noted that the use of the horn in the advertisement is very discrete and short, and would be unlikely to be noticed or considered intrusive by most listeners
Although the Australian Road Rules make use of the horn an offence, other than in certain circumstances, the Board considered that most members of the community would not see a short sounding of the horn to notify a person of one’s arrival or presence as inappropriate."

According to section 1.1 of the AANA Advertiser Code of Ethics: "Advertisements shall comply with Commonwealth law and the law of the relevant State or Territory". This is a clear breach of ethics.

Sunbeam: Car Horn Honking

This TV ad shows a woman sitting in a car in a driveway outside a house, ready to go out for the evening and she slams her hand to sound the car horn for the purpose of hurrying-up her partner inside the house who is running late. Complaints were made that this was irresponsible use of noise, causing intrusive annoyance into surrounding homes. Again the ASB dismissed complaints on the grounds:

"The Board noted however that people are not prohibited from beeping their car horns and that the beeping of the horn in the advertisement was short and for a purpose. The Board did not consider that the advertisement depicted behaviour that is contrary to prevailing community standards ... "

Again they condone illegal and irresponsible use of noise.

There are numerous other ads that depict offensive use of noise. All these ads lead to a culture where noise assault is accepted as normal. They are undermining Police authority, breeding a noisy culture, and thus an aggressive culture.

The AANA has a Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising:

Advertisers ... should avoid explicitly or implicitly drawing attention to the acceleration or speed capabilities of a vehicle.

Likewise, they have an Alcohol Beverage Advertising Code:

iii) must not promote offensive behaviour, or the excessive consumption, misuse or abuse of alcohol beverages;
iv) must only depict the responsible and moderate consumption of alcohol beverages;

I request that you contact AANA to devise a Responsible Use of Noise code in advertisements. Suggested code:

must not encourage offensive or excessive use of noise

must only depict responsible and moderate use of noise

must not depict illegal use of noise

should avoid explicitly or implicitly drawing attention to high levels of volume

advertisers should not use fantasy, humour and self-evident exaggeration in any way to contradict, circumvent or undermine the above provisions

We have responsible use of motor vehicles, responsible use of alcohol, and responsible ownership of weapons. Where is the responsible use of noise? The plague of doof-doof cars and other increasing sources of noise pollution indicates a Responsible Use of Noise code in advertising is long overdue, and an important part of a calming policy.

If the death of Sione Matavesi, for wanting quiet, does not highlight the need to act on noise then I hate to think what will.

Full details of the above ASB complaints and dismissal reports are online at:
http://www.oocities.org/quietaus/authorities.html