Memphis
I’m trying to like Memphis. I really am. But I’ve found yet another reason to add to my long list of problems with this city. It’s their noise ordinance. It’s old. It sucks. Read this article about how much it sucks. Some excepts follow:
… And then there’s Memphis, at the lower end of the enlightenment scale. Our noise ordinance – Chapter 22 of the city code – has not been revised since 1967, and some of its sections clearly date back much earlier. For instance, two items cover steam whistles and steam engines… The maximum fine is $50 – hardly enough to scare anyone into silence… Memphis police give low priority to noise complaints, responding first to dire situations… What this means, though, is that the police might take several hours to respond to a noise call, if they show up at all. And the rule is that an officer can’t write a citation unless he actually hears the sound. So here’s what usually happens: Your next-door neighbors are having a party and the stereo is cranked up full blast. You call the police around 9 p.m. By the time they arrive, it’s past midnight, and the music has stopped. Police see nothing amiss, they leave. Neighbors go unpunished…
This is exactly what happened last night. He had Britney Spears blasting. It started at about 10:30pm and was still going when I went to bed at 1am. So why call? It’s chronic stress I’m experiencing. He’s got the music on now. I can’t get out of my lease. I’m stuck. I hate this. Memphis… I’m trying. I really am, but I’m not very happy here. The home situation is not good, and then I leave to go drive amongst the worst drivers on earth, and I go from school to school to agency, doing work I love, but it’s all with people in dire situations. I’d love the work more if it weren’t for the daily… make that minute-to-minute stress levels.
