Dear Editor,
On Sunday night, February 16, a group of about 8 to 10 persons pulled in at the restaurant located at the front of the yard where I reside and started playing loud music. I went out to stop them because I was nursing a splitting headache, heaviness and pain behind my neck from Friday continuing to 3 am Sunday morning triggered by noise abuse, while the pain and heaviness persisted during that day too. I also knew what their coming signified: many times groups of persons both male and female would pull in on the pretext of buying beers but in fact they would have their own liquor to drink and play loud music and speak and laugh very loudly. They would even behave vulgarly in front of our children on occasions without a care about what they do or whom they disturb. They would also litter the premises with food boxes and beer bottles, and even come way down in the yard to urinate despite the fact there is a toilet facility.
It doesn’t matter how low the music appears to be, after they have consumed more than enough the music would be turned up loudly and calls would have to be made to the police, sometimes on more than one occasion before one could get any relief.
So it is better to have them removed. As I was walking towards the entrance, I saw a man in the yard vomiting so I asked him what he was doing vomiting in this yard and he rudely said, “What it look like I doing?” It was one of the persons from the group which had pulled in there. I failed to take note of all of them, but some of them had a bottle of beer in their hands, while I also erred big time by not taking the vehicle number.
Along with some other relatives I asked them to turn the music down, and they started disrespecting us. I called the police and the patrol responded promptly. When I approached the vehicle and requested to have the group removed the rank who appeared to be in charge bluntly refused, harshly telling me that it was a business place and he could not do that. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing because by now the police should know that our location is always subjected to noise abuse. Then from the group a particular male started dancing to the music playing from their vehicle, completely ignoring both the police and us.
It was gross disrespect and provocation and when pointed out to another rank who appeared committed to do the right thing he asked who the owner of the vehicle was and made him turn the music off. The police then drove off slowly.
Again I was shocked and astonished that this could be happening so my sister asked if they were really going knowing what would occur after they left. The police turned their vehicle and drove a short distance in the opposite direction and it was then I decided I was going to fight, not only for my already battered health but for the right to enjoy peace and comfort in my home. I faced the group and started screaming that my head was hurting and they would have to kill me because I wouldn’t be tolerating any more noise. The police then turned back and as my nephew was responding to one of the pompous females there who was abusing him, the rank who refused to do anything started threatening to lock my nephew up.
As noise abuse continues relentlessly especially on weekends and holidays both on Sheriff and Seaforth Streets, absolutely nothing is done to curb this lawlessness and brutal attack on citizens’ health and sanity; if the noise stops for a few days it always goes back to the way it was. A heavy rumbling continues to cause discomfort from the entity opposite, even last Monday night, February 17. It continues to baffle me that there is no cut-off point for these entities which operate when they feel like and for how long they feel like, completely ignoring the fact that there are people who have to work, children who have to attend school and very young children who cannot and should not be exposed to that heavy bass which emanates from their buildings. They know as well as the authorities that Campbell-ville is a residential area and not a commercial one.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
