It is a beautiful hot summer evening. Finally, the temperature is cooler and outside it is more pleasant to be than inside the house. We open the doors and want to enjoy this beautiful summer evening like all others with a bite and a drink and enjoy.
This moment is only short lived. Suddenly the sound of music from a far distance expands. What is happening? Is there somewhere a private party or is there somewhere a music festival where we have no knowledge about? Fact is that the sound of this music increase with gusts. To enjoy this summer evening undisturbed – The Netherlands does not have that many of such splendid summer evenings – is no longer possible. We have to close the windows, doors and even the ventilation grills. We turn on the TV in an attempt to give this evening some purpose. Unfortunately, we have to turn the sound of the TV much louder than usually in order to hear some of what is said. We hope it doesn’t bother our neighbors.
Even with the earplugs in the sound of the music is hardly to bear. The bass sounds penetrate the house all over. The pleasure we hoped to have has completely gone. Everything in the house rumbles as if all works as an acoustic box. Even in our bodies, we feel the trembling of the sounds.
What turns to be the problem? The city of Utrecht declares that a part of several hundred meters between two parts of the city is lying outside the city and as such got a license for the festival. The amount of dB is measured by someone of the festival and not by a public officer. The city do not take into consideration in their permission that the sound of the basses carries far especially when temperatures are high or when there are certain air currents. In those cases, the sound can easily exceed the dB norm. Also, modern equipment (possible line-array system) is not available or not well installed.
They could take an example of the foreign cities in the following pdf: http://www.utrechtanders.nl/wp-content/uploads/geluid-en-evenementen-in-Europa.pdf
Hearing problems arise when someone is exposed for more than 30 minutes to sounds above 80dB. The last decennia the amount of mainly young person’s has increased enormously. In addition, many people get due to noise nuisance all kinds of other health problems. http://www.rivm.nl/bibliotheek/rapporten/609021029.pdf page 25. WHO stated in 1999 that the limit is at 50 dB(A).
Time for Utrecht and other cities to adjust their legislation in order to contribute no longer to harmful health effects on its citizens.
To be continued…
