NoiseOFF

2. NoiseOFF.org The Citizens Coalition Against Noise Pollution

3. Chapters • Introduction • Boom Cars • Boom Car Advertisements • Car Alarms • Motorcycles • Exhaust Systems • Landscaping • Engine Brakes • Our Agenda • Frequently Asked Questions

4. Introduction

5. Noise Pollution Epidemic • American families can’t sleep at night because of boom cars, car alarms and motorcycles • 2001 U.S. Census Survey • 11.8 million households said street or traffic noise was bothersome • 4.5 million residents said it was so bad they wanted to move

6. Boom Cars Car Alarms Motorcycles Exhaust Systems Landscaping Truck Engine Brakes Traffic Airports Stadiums / Events Clubs / Bars / Restaurants Construction Public Transportation Types of Noise

7. Boom Car 140 Jet Takeoff 140 Shotgun 130 Rock Concert 125 Thunder Clap 120 Leaf Blower 100 Motorcycle 95 Lawn Mower 90 Traffic Noise 80 Conversation 50 Whisper 30 Breathing 10 Pain Threshold 125 Hearing Loss Risk 100 Very Annoying 90 Intrusive 70 Comfortable 60 Very Quiet 30 Just Audible 20 Counting Decibels (dBA)

8. Dealing with Noise Pollution • Some types of noise, such as boom cars and car alarms can be eliminated • Other types of noise, such as vehicle traffic can be mitigated • Noise pollution issues are sometimes based on zoning and land use rights

9. Members of the Coalition • Working to reduce noise pollution from the United States and abroad • Citizens • Elected Representatives • Law Enforcement • Educators • Researchers • Activists

10. About Us • People just like you • Similar problem in big cities and small towns • Organized on the Internet • Independently researched the problem • Dedicated to ending urban blight ruining communities

11. Join The Coalition • Help create a national movement • People in every community • Membership is free • Enlist friends, neighbors and relatives • Spread the word • Situation gets worse every day • Joining together makes our voices loud enough to be heard

12. Government Issues • Police departments are not solely effective in solving noise pollution problems • Current federal administration is not focused on protecting the environment • EPA not effectively protecting Americans from noise pollution • Legislators are overwhelmed by the political and financial power of the noise industry

13. The Noise Industry • Identified companies that profit from creating noise pollution • Boom car industry promote anti-social behavior in their advertisements • We are not going to let them get away with it • We refuse to be victims • Working to pass laws against their industry • Empowering the public

14. The Noise Industry • Making billions of dollars a year at your expense • Vehicle Aftermarket Industry • $29 Billion Year Retail Industry • 5,700 Companies • Enormous Political and Financial Resources • Manufacturers and Installers • Boom Cars • Car Alarms • Motorcycles and Hot-Rod Exhaust Systems

15. Noise Industry Trade Groups • Industry Trade Groups • Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) • Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) • Mobile Enhancement Retailers Association (MERA) • Tactics • Lobby against proposed noise-pollution ordinances • Create political caucuses and PACs • Enlist hot-rod and motorcycle clubs to lobby on their behalf • Attempt to marginalize noise pollution activists

16. Join The Coalition • Common complaints • “My family was awakened by the sound of boom cars driving by. We called the police to report the offenders but they took no action. And for the entire night, we couldn't sleep because of the noise. The next day at work, I was tired, angry and frustrated. And the next night, the same thing happened all over again.” -- J.T. • “Car alarm sirens is making my child and newborn upset, I don’t know what to do.” -- M.H. • “My neighbor’s Harley wakes me and my family up at five in the morning” -- W.E.

17. Join The Coalition • Health and safety issue • Huge deaf population looming on the horizon • Drivers with reduced reaction times and diminished awareness • Whole towns being held hostage to extremely loud noise by a few people • Police diverting resources away from other crimes to handle quality of life issues • Multibillion dollar industry callously profiting from all of this

18. Learn More about NoiseOFF • Sign up at NoiseOFF.org and learn how others are working to reduce noise pollution in their own community • Yahoo! Groups where you can discuss and meet other members • Join a vibrant community of concerned citizens just like you

19. Boom Cars

20. Boom Cars • Vehicle equipped with an audio system producing a powerful bass sound • Also called • Street Pounders • Trunk Thumpers • Bass Noise • Rattle windows • Travel through walls • Heard and felt more than a block away

21. Boom Cars • Disturb millions of people each day • Urban residents suffer • No community is immune from this type of noise pollution • Manufacturers are working to develop even louder systems

22. MTX Audio “SuperWoofer” • MTX Thunder 9500 “SuperWoofer” for use in boom cars • Advertised as “head splitting, heart stopping, ear shattering, mind numbing and retina detaching” • Designed to even louder than a Boeing 747 at takeoff

23. “Boomers” • Profile • Male • Late Teens / Twenties • Lower-Middle Social Class • Attitudes • Louder the better • Little regard for others • Car is an expression of themselves • Improve their social standing among their peers • Will attract women

24. Safety and Health Concerns • People exposed to this noise experience • Anxiety • Lost Sleep • Depression • Hypertension • Permanent Hearing Damage • Pregnant woman, infants and children may be adversely affected

25. Safety and Health Concerns • Intense low frequency noise produce • Produces a drug-like euphoric effect • Causes a numbing effect • Medical journal report • Four young men suffered a lung collapse triggered by loud bass music • One of the men was in a boom car outfitted with a 1,000-watt bass system • Source: Thorax Medical Journal

26. The Money Trail • Manufacturers • Sony • Pioneer Electronics • JBL • Alpine • Audiovox • Retailers • Crutchfield • Circuit City • Best Buy

27. The Money Trail • Socially Irresponsible • Aware of the negative environmental impact their products have, but continue making and selling it • Explicitly promote its use as a means to disturb people and ruin neighborhoods • Sponsor sound pressure level (SPL) competitions awarding prizes to the loudest boom cars

28. The Money Trail • Marketing and Promotion Tactics • Print, Internet, Event campaigns • Viral / Guerilla / Stealth Tactics • Avoid public scrutiny because marketing falls under the radar of mainstream culture • Anti-social and sexist messages • Product Placement in Movies / Television • The Fast and the Furious • 2 Fast 2 Furious • MTV’s Pimp My Ride

29. The Money Trail • Trade Groups • Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) • Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) • Mobile Enhancement Retailers Association (MERA) • Tactics • Lobby against proposed noise-pollution ordinances • SEMA created ‘Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus’ enlisting members of congress to support their agenda • Enlist car and motorcycle enthusiast clubs to lobby on their behalf

30. Legal Considerations • Police • Do not regard the problem as serious • Often do not enforce existing noise ordinances • Some municipalities require that the police officer personally monitor and measure the amount of noise with a sound meter before issuing a summons • Officers sometimes drive boom cars themselves

31. Legal Considerations • Major Cities • New York City: Revised its noise code • Chicago: Imposed greater fines for boom cars • Los Angeles: Beholden to the car audio industry • Issues • Nationwide patchwork of noise ordinances are not effectively enforced • Local elected officials charged with protecting the public are overwhelmed by the noise industry's financial and political power

32. Legal Considerations • Environmental Protection Agency • Charged with protecting the public from this onslaught of noise pollution • EPA’s Office of Noise Abatement and Control has not been funded in over 20 years • Current federal administration has no plans to reinstate funding

33. Effective Law Enforcement • Lorain, Ohio • First offense is a fine • Second offense results in stereo equipment being confiscated and destroyed

34. Solutions • Do not approach or attempt to reason with motorists in boom cars • Record their license plate number and call the police • Lobby the community council for stronger laws against booming

35. Learn More about NoiseOFF • Sign up at NoiseOFF.org and learn how others are working to reduce noise pollution in their own community • Yahoo! Groups where you can discuss and meet other members • Join a vibrant community of concerned citizens just like you

36. Boom Car Advertisements

37. Boom Car Ads • Corporate irresponsibility and greed that is ruining communities all over the country • Boom Car Marketing • Disgusting Language • Sexist Content • Promotes Thuggery • Anti Social • Not intended to appeal • Motorists looking to upgrade the factory speakers • Audiophiles

38. Boom Car Ads • Ads are the smoking gun they promote thuggery and anti-social behavior • MERA position statement warning its members • “...not to use symbols, messages or suggest behavior that would adversely affect the industry. Irresponsible promotion could negatively impact the perception of our industry by the public at large and could be used against us by activists or government to regulate our products and activities”

39. Boom Car Ads • Corporate Slogans • Sony X-Plod: “Disturb the peace” • Pioneer Electronics: “Disturb, Defy, Disrupt, Ignite” • JBL: “Either we love BASS, or hate your neighbors” • JL Audio: “Be Very Afraid” • MSX: “Proud to be loud” • Kicker: “You deserve a beating...Kicker’s loudest, meanest subwoofer ever!”

40. Boom Car Ads • More Corporate Slogans • Concept: “When TOO loud...is just right!” • Lightning Audio: “Sonic submission” • Boss Audio System: “Turn it down? I don't think so” • Cerwin-Vega Mobile Audio: “Shake the living, wake the dead” • Crossfire: “We're louder...Deal with it!” • Earthquake Sound: “The Meanest, Loudest, Most Powerful, Motherf***ing Amplifiers Money Can Buy”

41. Boom Car Ads • Leading Magazines • Auto Performance • Car Audio • Hot-Rod • Culture / Hip-Hop • XXL • The Source • Vibe • Mens • FHM • Maxim

42. Car Sound Magazine • How to build a boom car • SPL Competitions • Boom car ads

43. Boss Audio Systems • “Turn it down? I don't think so” • Depiction of a punk giving the finger

44. Cerwin Vega • “Shake the living - Wake the dead” • Depiction of an Egyptian mummy holding its ears

45. Hollywood Sound Labs • “The Word on the Street… Shake Seats and Annoy Neighbors”

46. JBL • “Either we love bass or hate your neighbors” • Uses hate and contempt as a means to sell a product

47. JL Audio • “Be Very Afraid” • Uses fear as a marketing message to suggest that boomers will be feared by others

48. MA Audio • Depiction of a busty women on all fours with a kitchen knife • Meant to appeal to males who assume they will attract a woman with a boom car

49. MB Quart • “Bolt-On Performance They’ll Hear a Mile Away”

50. Sony Electronics • “It's not my remote, its my detonator” • Equates boom car equipment as a weapon, specifically an explosive device • Marketed under the brand name ‘X-Plod’ • Tasteless considering heightened sensitivities