It's Pollution that is Often Overlooked: Bad Music

There are some people who do certain things that tend to annoy other people. Most of the time people get annoyed because someone else has encroached upon their senses in a negative manner. For example, if someone who is talking to you has just eaten sardines and onions, that could be annoying.

Each person has his own private space around his body that he does not like other people to enter into unless invited. The size of this private space varies with the person. Most people are annoyed, for example, if someone gets right up into their faces to speak, even without the bad breath.

It also doesn't necessarily have to be the other person's body that invades your space. A non-smoker may feel violated if smoke is blown his way from a smoker several feet away in the same room. The smoke becomes an extension of the smoker.

In the same way, if a person plays his stereo too loudly, the loud sounds may violate another person's space. Just read the police reports each week for a clue as to the number of people who become annoyed at other people's loud music.

I love music, and I play it in my car as well as my home. I even enjoy listening to it with the volume up. But common courtesy dictates that anyone listening to music should keep the volume low enough so as not to disturb the people in the next town.

I felt moved to bring up the subject of noise pollution at this time because I, myself, have been the victim of other people's obsession with loud music. The worst part is, I'm not that fond of the type of music that is generally boomed around the neighborhood.

I like a wide variety of music, from country to classical, but I don’t like all country, not even most of it, and I don’t like all classical. Basically, I believe that music should show some semblance of the intelligence of the lyricist and the composer, which eliminates much of country music and every ounce of rap music that was ever created.

Now, before I offend the country music fans, let me say that a good deal of country music is very pleasant to listen to. I especially enjoy ballads and slow songs, but without that annoying Texas drawl that permeates the genre today. I also enjoy acoustic music, both instrumental and vocal. (If I have offended rap music fans, well, I don't really care!)

But people have different tastes in music, which explains why there are so many different genres of it. That’s fine, though. It’s not so much the type of music I’m talking about here, but the loudness.

Those music lovers who insist on pumping every ounce of wattage they can into giant speakers that sit in the back seats of their cars ought to realize two important things. They are damaging their own hearing; that's a fact. And that only means that they will need to turn up the stuff even louder as time goes by.

Secondly, they are being totally insensitive and rude to everybody who does not care for loud booming noises or rattling windows. Unfortunately, those people guilty of noise crimes (yes, there is an ordinance), and who lack the common courtesy of showing a little respect for others are the same people who probably lack enough intelligence to read a blog, so they probably won't get the message here. Maybe if you know someone like that you could tell them for me!