The Roanoke Times: RoundTable

Comments

# 1

[November 12, 2007 9:08 AM]

Brenda

Well, if noice is a problem, then yes...adopt an ordinance.

I live in the boonies and my neighbor's dogs bark and bark and bark all night. I'm used to it now and am not woken up any more, but for those living nearby other houses or near roads, blaring noise from radios very, well could keep them up or wake them up at night. Also, there are folks working 3rd shift who deserve the chance to sleep (cops, doctors, nurses, and rescue personnel for example).

Since all too many people seem to refuse to be considerate to others...what choice is there besides an ordinance?

Brenda

# 2

[November 12, 2007 11:07 PM]

AndrewY

The ususal Trejbal attitude of nanny-state over-legislation. Let's legislate all our problems away and get rid of common sense. Most noise ordinances that I've seen are so subjective (or totally scientifically inaccurate) as to be useless for anything but the selective enforcement that Mr. Trejbal complains about. You can define sound levels down to the precise number of decibels, at a given weighting, at a given distance, and dozens of other factors but whether or not that sound is annoying is totally subjective to the listener, and also to the amount of ambient noise. One person's pleasing wind-chimes are another's hellish cacophony.

What we really need to do is create an online database of people who buy boom boxes, lawn mowers, and other noisemaking devices, and post it on the Roanoke Times website, and prevent companies that sell such horrible devices from advertising in this fine paper!

AndrewY

# 3

[November 12, 2007 11:08 PM]

Angela

We don't need another law for this - if the cops come by and ask me to be quiet, I'd comply just for the sake of courtesy...there's other ordinances already on the books to cover the rare events where someone else wouldn't do the same.

# 4

[November 13, 2007 8:52 AM]

Brenda

Angela,

Difference between you and many others is that you respect the law/law enforcement. I will not say which jurisdiction, but I used to be a dispatcher near a college and MOST times when we received noice complaints around 2am...it was loud music and partying college students. Officers would show up and say turn it down. As often as not, within 1/2 hour we were getting noise complaints from the same bunch at the same location. That's when officers would start writing citations in most cases.

Other times, the kids would simply go to another house/apartment and continue their loud parties there.

As for AndrewY, I suggest he move near off-campus student housing and see if he changes him mind after about 2 months.

# 5

[November 13, 2007 8:56 AM]

Barry

Barry
I lie in the Alta Vista area of Christiansburg and we have some dogs in the neighborhood that bark continually. I understand that most dogs will bark at a stranger or something different but ther are 2 dogs (1 in particular) that the owners will let out for hours on end and will continually keep barking. It is especially bad at nite when the will bark on for hours on end up to and even after 11:00 in the evening. I live about a half a block away and if I have the windows CLOSED I can still clearly here the dogs sometimes even when the TV is on.
The best part there is a policeman and a sherrifs person that live even closer than me to the disturbance and so far for the past 6 months there has not been a change -- the point is if there is no ordinance how can they go tell the owners to keep the dogs quiet also I don't see how the owners themselves are not annoyed about the noise. We used to be able to sit out last year and enjoy the evening but now have to go in side the the Dogs can have the Right.
Seems a little backwards doesn't it when man's best frient has the Rights and not man.

# 6

[November 13, 2007 4:08 PM]

Alice

Barry couldn't be more on the mark. We live in Christiansburg by the railroad tracks and they aren't as bad as the three dogs that bark nonstop just across the road. These dogs are out almost all day and every evening. There's no sitting out on the back deck to enjoy dinner or the sunset without listening to the dogs bark at each other or anything that happens to catch their attention. The rudeness of the owners should be addressed, but since Christiansburg has no noise ordinance, what are the chances of getting this type of situation taken care of? If people want to be responsible enough to own a dog(s), they should be responsible enough to keep the noise under control; if not, they should be ticketed and fined. Don't even get me started on boom boxes or car stereos!

# 7

[November 13, 2007 4:43 PM]

C. Trejbal

For those of you being bothered specifically by dogs, the Christiansburg Town code does contain a provision in another section.

Sec. 5-39. Disturbance of persons.

It shall be unlawful for any person to allow any dog of which he is the owner or custodian to disturb the quiet of any person by barking, biting, howling or in any other manner.

(Code 1972, § 4-18)
Cross reference(s)‑‑Offenses‑‑Miscellaneous, Ch. 17.

So next time those dogs are barking, call the C-burg police and complain. The owners are breaking the law.

# 8

[November 15, 2007 2:26 PM]

P Sears

The article says "In Blacksburg, when officers respond to a noise complaint, they often warn polite partiers to keep it down. If the disturbance ends, everyone wins. If the cops have to return, then the citations fly."

I am not sure this is as true any more in Blacksburg. The police don't tend to give warnings. A first noise violation is around a $300 fine, a second is $500 and subsequent ones can carry jail time.

# 9

[November 15, 2007 3:04 PM]

C. Trejbal

A number of police officers have told me that as long as the noisy people are being cooperative and agree to keep it down, they will generally let the first one go as a warning. I recently did a ride-along with an officer on a Saturday night and saw this to be the case on multiple calls.

# 10

[November 15, 2007 7:14 PM]

C Ramsey

Christian,

It's good to see that you are doing some field research about the issue. However, I do have a question. If your article is about noise problems and the need for a noise ordinance in Christiansburg, why did you do your ride-along in Blacksburg?

That said, I agree with your assertion about the need for a more clear-cut ordinance in Christiansburg.

# 11

[November 15, 2007 9:01 PM]

C. Trejbal

Because I've been enrolled in the Blacksburg Citizens Police Academy for the last few months. The ride-along is part of the course. I'll be doing another ride-along on Sunday during the day.

I'll write a column about the academy after graduation, which is in two weeks.

# 12

[November 15, 2007 10:00 PM]

C Ramsey

That is certainly a reasonable explanation.

However, it has been posted here that you are a resident of Christiansburg, which again leads to the question, do you also plan on going through the Christiansburg Police Department's Citizen's Polce Academy?

# 13

[November 15, 2007 10:16 PM]

C. Trejbal

I would like to and plan to apply in the future.