Photos - Wikipedia commons
Spain has the dubious distinction of being the second
loudest country in the world, second to Japan. This prompted me to write a
story about it. The result was ‘Big Noise’, a Leon Cazador tale which addresses
this serious issue but also injects humour, usually at the expense of the noisy
miscreant: here’s the beginning…
“You’ve
come to the right person, Mr. Santos!” Darren Atkins said, speaking louder than
was necessary in the tapas bar that overlooked the Plaza Mayor. “My product is
the best on Spain’s south coast, take my word for it! I’m the big noise around
here!”
Every
sentence tended to end with an exclamation. This self-styled important person
was big in other respects as well. Even when I use my real name, Leon Cazador,
rather than my undercover alias of Carlos Santos, I stand six feet high in my
open-toed sandals; yet Atkins was a couple of inches taller than me. His
Hawaiian-style short-sleeved shirt bulged due to his big muscles and shoulders.
Because he had shaved his head, his big ears appeared more prominent and tended
to press forward like little radar. I wondered if that feature prompted him to
go into the acoustics business.
“I’m
pleased to hear it,” I said, nodding. “I only want to use the best equipment.”
“Too
right! Sure, in the UK, I was just a little fish in a big pond, but out here,
I’m a big fish in a little pond! Know what I mean?” At least his questions
ended on a lower note.
“I
think you mean that you can produce the right sound, no?”
“Too
right, Mr. Santos. Or should I call you Carlos, eh?”
“Carlos
is okay. As I told you on the telephone, I want a good sound system, the best I
can afford.”
“You’ve
come to the right man and the right company!” He ran a big hand over his
cranium’s stubble. “As the name says, Big Noise is big.”
I
stroked my false moustache as if in thought. “That is what I want. But it must
be within the right parameters, according to the safe recommendations, no?”
“Hey,
you don’t want to take any notice of all that so-called safety stuff.
Statistics! In the history of the world, what did statisticians ever do, eh, I
ask you?” He shook his head. “My equipment will knock your punters’ socks off!”
I
glanced at my feet. “Even if they only wear sandals?”
Atkins
chuckled good-humouredly. “A sense of humor! I like that in a foreigner! The
French, they’re a bit too serious for my liking!”
“Thank
you, I think.”
“Right,
then,” he said, rubbing his big hands together, “let’s talk specifications,
shall we?” From his jeans’ back pocket he pulled out a pen and a small
spiral-bound writing pad. “Big question is, how much noise do you want to
make?”
– from
Spanish Eye (see below)
***
The research
Much of the information here was obtained from Wikipedia. This
is a table of decibels raised by certain machines and other sources:
140 dB
Fireworks/Plane taking off/Pain threshold
120 dB Fire engine
100 dB Pneumatic drill
90 dB Disco
85
dB Levels
above this may harm our hearing
70
dB Vacuum
Cleaner
50 dB
Boiling Kettle/Rainfall
40
dB
Refrigerator
30
dB Bedroom at
night (depends on what’s happening, who’s snoring etc?)
10
dB Breathing
Loud noise can cause hearing problems, but it can also cause
annoyance, which leads to stress. Noise interferes with concentration and
learning ability, it disrupts the sleep pattern, and it has even been used as a
weapon in military or siege situations. The notion that we become used to
noise is debatable; those habitually in a noisy environment may be in denial;
one good aspect of health and safety has been the insistence on ear-defenders
when using equipment such as pneumatic drills.
Traffic noise accounts for 66% of the total noise generated
outside dwellings in the UK, with 32 million people being exposed to high
levels of noise (55 - 75 decibels); so, judging by the above table, it’s safe –
if not endured for long periods, I suspect. Traffic noise is caused by engine
noise and the vibration of tyres on the road surface; at speeds of over 40mph
vibration from tyres on the road surface is dominant. Research suggests that noise-reducing
modern asphalts are the most effective way to reduce traffic noise at source.
The material is laid in such a way as to achieve a very even running surface
which reduces tyre vibration. Conventional types of road surface use projecting
aggregate (crushed stone) to provide skid resistance, which cause tyre
vibration. Modern asphalts have a 'negative texture' with skid resistance
provided by gaps in what is otherwise an even surface resulting in minimum tyre
vibration and a dramatic reduction in traffic noise. Lower speeds can bring
about a reduction in noise levels. Research from the Conservation Law
Foundation, based in Boston, Massachusetts, showed that a 12-15mph increase in
speed results in noise levels rising by 4-5 decibels. This doesn't apply when
speeds are lower than 35-40mph when most of the noise is created by the engine.
However, a car travelling at 31mph makes one-tenth as much noise as one going
at 56mph. The noise from vehicles moving at speed is particularly noticeable in
rural areas. Traffic calming has become common in urban areas. It is usually
done for safety reasons. Yet it can increase noise levels if it results in more
'stop/go' vehicle movements. Traffic volumes continue to rise, particularly in
rural areas, despite government efforts to encourage local authorities to
stabilise or reduce traffic in their areas – government now requires local
authorities to reduce traffic on their local roads, but, so far, has shied away
from national traffic reduction policies.
Hearing Impairment. For most adults, a one-off noise has to
be very loud to damage their hearing. Probably it has to reach 140
decibels. For children, it is lower – around 120 decibels. (Toys may exceed
that level when children hold them very close to their faces and ears). Noise
levels of anything over 75 decibels can damage a person’s hearing if exposed to
it regularly over a prolonged period. This has implications for large sections
of the population:
Rock concerts: 100-120 decibels
Night Clubs: 95-110 decibels
Personal Stereos: 80-110 decibels
Jet taking off: 110-115 decibels
Car at 50km/h: 60-80 decibels
HGV at 50km/h: 75-100 decibels
I would add film directors – TV and the movies – who clearly
have impaired hearing and force the audience to listen to foreground music that
obliterates the dialogue of the actors.
When exposed to prolonged noise on a regular basis, hearing
impairment is gradual. Dulled hearing or tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
are often the first signs of something going wrong. After a rock concert 63-73%
of young people report dulled hearing and/or tinnitus. After a visit to a
night club 47-66% do so. After listening to their personal stereo, it is 17%
(3).
Sleep Disturbance. The WHO calculates that if people’s sleep
is not to be affected, then continuous noise heard indoors shouldn’t exceed 30
decibels. There are two important exceptions to this: low-frequency noise which
is not 'loud', but which takes the form of a low hum (an air-conditioning
system, for example); and environments where there is a combination of noise
and vibration – eg heavy lorries of trains. To achieve 45 decibels indoors,
outdoor sound levels should not exceed 55-60 decibels. Night flights
exceed this limit over 10 miles from the airport.
Not everybody is woken by noisy events. Older people,
and noise sensitive people, are more likely to be affected; children are less
likely to be woken up, but show a larger heart rate response during sleep; some
people can adapt to noise at night. And of course there are shift workers who
sleep during the day, even with all the noise that abounds then; their bodies
seem to cope; or do they? Even if people are not woken by noise, there is
considerable evidence that the body
is
being affected. It can cause increases in the heart-rate and blood
pressure levels; alter the depth and quality of the sleep; and cause changes in
respiratory movements.
Acute noise can lead to temporary changes in blood pressure
and heart rate. After prolonged exposure, susceptible individuals may develop
permanent problems such as hypertension and heart rate associated with high
blood pressure levels. There is evidence that these effects can be experienced
with constant exposure to noise levels from 65-70 decibels upwards. Similar
physical effects can take place as a result of exposure to low-frequency noise.
Annoyance is a big issue. Noise can be so annoying that it
blights the quality of life of millions of people. Fine, somebody likes a
certain kind of music, but they shouldn’t foist it upon their neighbours: this
is the ‘ghetto blaster mentality’. There’s a debate over what constitutes
"the onset of community annoyance" – 50, 55 or 57 decibels. Interestingly,
‘over 600,000 people experience noise of 54 decibels or more from aircraft
using Heathrow Airport.’ Annoyance from noise can lead to anger,
disappointment, dissatisfaction, withdrawal, helplessness, depression, anxiety,
distraction, agitation or exhaustion; and of course there have been murders as
a result, notably in the US.
***
Leon Cazador makes an aside further into the story:
'And yet,
there are laws about noise levels, even in Spain. Of course, respect for
authority is pretty far down the list for the majority of Spaniards. Many well
remember those years under the dictator, when the walls had ears. Perhaps that
was why people shouted—just to prove they weren’t whispering and didn’t have
something to hide. Now, of course, I wonder if it’s because they were deafened
at a young age with all those marvellous fiestas.'
***
Spanish Eye, released by
Crooked Cat Publishing is available as a paperback for £4.99 ($6.99) and much
less for the e-book versions.
Paperback - Amazon UK here
Paperback - Amazon COM here
e-books:-
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