Rory
07-14-06, - 04:20 AM
http://www.thenassauguardian.com/national_local/321232079750802.php
By JASMIN BONIMY, Guardian Staff Reporter
jasmin@nasguard.com
Music blazes late into the pre-dawn hours as a vocalist blasts out tunes. A deep bass line vibrates throughout the neighbourhood as windowpanes rattle in its wake. Frustrated residents angrily clutch pillows to their heads as they try to drown out the beat.
For many residents in the nation's capital, this is a disturbing trend. Now, Bahamians from all walks of life are sharing their experiences about their noisy neighbours from hell.
Winton resident Alexandra Hall told The Guardian yesterday that she is fed up with her inconsiderate neighbours.
"I've lived in this house for 14 years and I had seven years of peace," said the stay at home mom. "That was until new people moved just down the street from me. Since then, it's been a real nightmare," she continued. "It's like every other weekend they have a wild party with music that can burst your eardrums. The police was called on them quite a few times. They're a nuisance to our neighbourhood."
Antoine Rolle, a former cook, also complained about noise pollution in his community.
"It's not only that the music is loud, it's what type of music they play and when," said the 61-year-old. "Often it keeps me awake at night because it is so loud that I can feel my bones rattling. But not only do they assault me with the loudness, there is also the cussing," he added. "That kind of loud vulgar music should be illegal."
Others expressed anger at having to endure hours of excessive noise.
"It just makes me furious when neighbours carry on that way," said 19-year-old Shawney Higgs. "I know that everyone wants to have a good time but having that loud music shows that they have no respect for me or others who don't want to hear it."
Still, mother of three, Vernice Miller insisted that neighbours should begin caring about others in the community.
"I just wish people would learn to respect their neighbours," she said. "I paid to live on the land where my house is just like [that of] any other person. I didn't pay all that money to be molested in my own home by other people's loud music."
Meanwhile, police officials have admitted that noisy neighbours are becoming an almost weekly problem for the department.
Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for crime, Reginald Ferguson, told The Guardian yesterday that The Royal Bahamas Police Force is doing all it can to tackle the issue.
"Residents would call if people are having a party in the neighbourhood with loud speakers [which causes houses nearby to vibrate,"] Asst Commissioner Ferguson explained. "The law is, you ought not to be playing loud music after midnight.
Usually if someone finds that they are in a position where they are being disturbed, they call their local police station or the Police Control Room and make a complaint," he continued. "The police respond and ask them to lower the volume."
According to the police official, fines for anyone charged with disturbing the peace can vary based on the presiding magistrates' discretion.
Still, Asst Commissioner Ferguson admitted that peak times for noise pollution is during holiday periods and weekends.
He added that authorities have also discovered that loud parties can also lead to violence.
"Certain types of music draws certain types of responses," he said. "Some of the music is inflammatory and even obscene.
"But to say whether it causes public fights and things like that, it may contribute to that in the sense that it tends to cause people to congregate," he continued. "Then they're drinking alcoholic beverages and one thing leads to another. So sometimes we do get problems like that arising out of the congregation or parties with loud music."
Still, the Asst Comm maintained that keeping music at a moderate level during legal hours can benefit entire communities.
"I think we ought to be respectful of other persons space in the community, whether it's day or night, [when] playing music," he insisted. "I might not necessarily want to hear your music, so we ought to be conscious of things like that. "If we work within the law, and your community comes together for a good time but ceases from doing that [which is illegal according to the municipal law,] then I think that [such course of action] will go a long way in helping [to] keep a neighbourhood quiet."
By JASMIN BONIMY, Guardian Staff Reporter
jasmin@nasguard.com
Music blazes late into the pre-dawn hours as a vocalist blasts out tunes. A deep bass line vibrates throughout the neighbourhood as windowpanes rattle in its wake. Frustrated residents angrily clutch pillows to their heads as they try to drown out the beat.
For many residents in the nation's capital, this is a disturbing trend. Now, Bahamians from all walks of life are sharing their experiences about their noisy neighbours from hell.
Winton resident Alexandra Hall told The Guardian yesterday that she is fed up with her inconsiderate neighbours.
"I've lived in this house for 14 years and I had seven years of peace," said the stay at home mom. "That was until new people moved just down the street from me. Since then, it's been a real nightmare," she continued. "It's like every other weekend they have a wild party with music that can burst your eardrums. The police was called on them quite a few times. They're a nuisance to our neighbourhood."
Antoine Rolle, a former cook, also complained about noise pollution in his community.
"It's not only that the music is loud, it's what type of music they play and when," said the 61-year-old. "Often it keeps me awake at night because it is so loud that I can feel my bones rattling. But not only do they assault me with the loudness, there is also the cussing," he added. "That kind of loud vulgar music should be illegal."
Others expressed anger at having to endure hours of excessive noise.
"It just makes me furious when neighbours carry on that way," said 19-year-old Shawney Higgs. "I know that everyone wants to have a good time but having that loud music shows that they have no respect for me or others who don't want to hear it."
Still, mother of three, Vernice Miller insisted that neighbours should begin caring about others in the community.
"I just wish people would learn to respect their neighbours," she said. "I paid to live on the land where my house is just like [that of] any other person. I didn't pay all that money to be molested in my own home by other people's loud music."
Meanwhile, police officials have admitted that noisy neighbours are becoming an almost weekly problem for the department.
Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for crime, Reginald Ferguson, told The Guardian yesterday that The Royal Bahamas Police Force is doing all it can to tackle the issue.
"Residents would call if people are having a party in the neighbourhood with loud speakers [which causes houses nearby to vibrate,"] Asst Commissioner Ferguson explained. "The law is, you ought not to be playing loud music after midnight.
Usually if someone finds that they are in a position where they are being disturbed, they call their local police station or the Police Control Room and make a complaint," he continued. "The police respond and ask them to lower the volume."
According to the police official, fines for anyone charged with disturbing the peace can vary based on the presiding magistrates' discretion.
Still, Asst Commissioner Ferguson admitted that peak times for noise pollution is during holiday periods and weekends.
He added that authorities have also discovered that loud parties can also lead to violence.
"Certain types of music draws certain types of responses," he said. "Some of the music is inflammatory and even obscene.
"But to say whether it causes public fights and things like that, it may contribute to that in the sense that it tends to cause people to congregate," he continued. "Then they're drinking alcoholic beverages and one thing leads to another. So sometimes we do get problems like that arising out of the congregation or parties with loud music."
Still, the Asst Comm maintained that keeping music at a moderate level during legal hours can benefit entire communities.
"I think we ought to be respectful of other persons space in the community, whether it's day or night, [when] playing music," he insisted. "I might not necessarily want to hear your music, so we ought to be conscious of things like that. "If we work within the law, and your community comes together for a good time but ceases from doing that [which is illegal according to the municipal law,] then I think that [such course of action] will go a long way in helping [to] keep a neighbourhood quiet."