Automakers Market Noise and Incivility

(PRWEB) March 28, 2005

The new Volkswagen ad shows two young people dancing and jumping around on the furniture in their apartment while a neighbor below is trying to quiet them by banging on the ceiling with a broom. He climbs the steps and pounds on their door and, although we aren’t privy to the exchange, it’s obvious he’s complaining about the noise. The noisy neighbors roll their eyes and laugh as they close the door. They jump into their Jetta and crank up the car stereo as they drive to the audio equipment store to purchase a 1,000 watt subwoofer. They are animated and laughing as they drive home with their new speaker – the girl is rubbing her hands together in anticipation of the havoc they are about to wreak. The next scene shows the subwoofer pounding in their living room as they jump up and down and dance – in their new house. The ad displays their new slogan, “The New Jetta – It’s all grown up – Sort of.”

This fictional portrayal would most likely play out in real life with young people continuing to harass the downstairs neighbor with a noisy subwoofer, or more likely, they would install it in their new Jetta and disturb thousands of people wherever they happen to drive.

Volkswagen isn’t alone in their unconscionable advertising schemes. Manufacturers of ‘Boom Car’ audio equipment like Sony, Pioneer, Pyle and countless others use slogans like “Shake the living, Wake the dead” and “Disturb, Defy, Disrupt and Ignite” to pander their wares to those who have no consideration for the rights of others.

Ford now offers a ‘Shaker 1000 Audio System’ 1,000 watt subwoofer in the new Mustang. In addition to squealing tires and loud after-market mufflers people all across America will have the opportunity hear loud nerve-shattering music – whether they want to or not.

Saturn’s new commercial shows a young father who talks about “cruising with his boys” with the stereo thumping with two young boys in the back seat.

People in communities all over the U.S. and other countries are sick of hearing thumping bass in their homes at all hours. In cities and towns across America, angry citizens are passing stronger noise ordinances to combat this sort of obnoxious behavior. Laws regarding loud mufflers have been on the books for years but, enforcement is either weak on non-existent.

In London, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) released a four part program about the ever-increasing noise problem on our planet called ‘The Noisy Ape’. The first 26 minute segment discusses the epidemic of boom cars and loud mufflers in Richmond Virginia. In another segment, Arline Bronzaft Ph.D. discusses her groundbreaking study on the effect of noise on students in classrooms.

Noise pollution is a serious problem and many anti-noise groups have formed on the Internet in response. Noise pollution is ruining the quality of life for millions of people and it’s time for our government legislators and law enforcement to take these issues seriously. Companies that make and install noisy vehicle equipment should be held accountable for their conduct just like the tobacco industry. Second hand noise is just as serious as second hand smoke. Noise is nerve shattering to adults and frightening to little children.

More information can be found at these sites:

www.NoBoomers.com


www.NoiseOFF.com


www.lowertheboom.org


www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/129_noisy_ape


www.csmonitor.com/2005/0210/p01s01-ussc.html

# # #