City police would be able to seize cars blasting loud music under an ordinance passed Friday by the Board of Aldermen.
The ordinance, which would take effect once signed by Mayor Francis Slay, prohibits the use and even installation of some enhanced speakers.
Alderman Craig Schmid's proposal easily had enough votes to pass, but only after aldermen turned up the volume on their own concerns. Impounding a car for playing loud music is too severe, opponents said, and ripe for abuse.
"It's almost idiotic for us to take somebody's car for something like that," Alderman Stephen Conway said.
Schmid said he wanted to send a "strong message" to drivers who cruise through residential areas, jarring neighbors and rattling windows.
"I analogize it to auditory graffiti," Schmid said.
Other aldermen said loud music coming from cars is among their top complaints from constituents. The music gets so loud, said Alderman Dionne Flowers, that when "you're in bed, you fall out."
The bill would prohibit operating car that creates "louder volume than is necessary for convenient, normal hearing," which is the same language as the city's current anti-noise ordinance.
But the new measure would outlaw possessing or installing any car stereo with a speaker over a foot in diameter; having more than one speaker 10 inches in diameter; more than 10 speakers overall; more than two amplifiers; and any amplifier over 300 watts.
In addition to impounding the car, possible penalties include a minimum of $250 fine on the first offense and $500 on subsequent offenses within a year.
The city's push to quiet loud music is not new - the Board of Aldermen passed a bill targeting cars with loud music 10 years ago.
On Friday, some aldermen complained that the measure is heavy-handed. Stephen Gregali, who represents the 14th Ward, questioned whether police would get rulers to measure the length of speakers.
"It's like killing an ant with a howitzer," Alderman Charles Q. Troupe said of the measure.
Bob Pfeiffer, who has been installing custom car stereos for 23 years in St. Louis, said the ordinance could destroy his business.
"I might as well lock my doors now," said Pfeiffer, who operates Automotion Alarm and Car Stereo on North Broadway.
Not all "tricked out" stereos are used for cruising and thumping music, said Pfeiffer, whose his clients include jazz musicians.
"What a crock," Pfeiffer said. "It's really a bogus bill."
. If this sort of legislation is allowed to stand our industry is at serious risk. we can no longer sit by and allow this to happen.
-------------------- Team Xtreme Loud Audio. Team Stetsom Usa Street B Stetsom`s North America Sales Rep 1-413-433-1604 Posts: 1631 | From: Springfield Ma | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
dont these old government folk have anything better to do with their time??? GOD this makes me angry...some people are so ignorant..
-------------------- (2)10" SE RE 12.1
Electrical: 200 amp Iraggi alt 1/0 gauge NSB 90 Big 3 upgrade 5 cubic ft. box with swappable ports.. All in a '92 Accord http://www.sounddomain.com/ride/2277525 Posts: 518 | From: louisville, ky | Registered: Dec 2004
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- 2006 Bass Race 149.9 World Finals 2nd place H.O. Alts FI If you dont like what I have to say, just contact Boomingcreation he will erase it for you Posts: 16072 | From: tx | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by kevox: What do I have to do to help our cause.?
You could contact the council, and voice your opinions. Be as tactful as possible, without being vulgor. Maybe even offer a different soultion for them to consider. You can contact them by clicking here.
Since many of the council are already biased, maybe focusing on contacting the Mayor (since he has yet to actually sign the law into effect) may be the better option.
posted
this is ****ing bull****.... well i guess st. louis should ban firearms as well for people who abuse then and use them for crimes.... guess you better not buy a car that has "310" watts... these ****ing law makers
I recommend to sell all your speakers and by legal things...like guns...
There are way more "machines" out there what produce noise pollution. And dont forget, it isnt the gun what kills people...
So it isnt the speaker what disturbs people. Its the behavior of a small group of people what drags the image of "us" down.
What are these lawmakers afraid of? A moving paper cone???
I may agree with penalties against boomers (or loud exhausts) who drive down the same road 50 times an evening, but a law against installing it and even SELLING it is ridiculous !
That can ruin peoples existances ! The shops will close down and I think maybe there will be other problems come up if a shop owner becomes mad and will buy a legal gun to express his opinion...
Hope that never will happen, but its closer than it appears...
Ü MM
-------------------- www.sqpl.de I´m a Kraut,and I want it loud! Üüüühh!!!
"The music gets so loud, said Alderman Dionne Flowers, that when "you're in bed, you fall out." Posts: 2276 | From: East | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
if you live next to some super street guy that tests in the drive way at 2 am i'd be pissed to
I tested my truck here one afternoon...i got a phone call from my closest neighbor that is over 300 yards away and I was told a picture fell off a wall....thats almost a 161 outlaw at 54 hz....maybe ho problems got sold to a guy in st louis??
-------------------- Posts: 6877 | From: Russellville AL | Registered: Nov 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
not surprising. if people keep riding around with their stereos constantly cranked then theres gonna be laws like this. but if your respectful then im sure people wouldnt have to have laws like this.
-------------------- Pioneer AVH-5700DVD Pioneer DEQ-P8000 Orion 8004 Kicker SS comps
The bill also applies to listening or playing music in your own home. It also actually makes it illegal to have a subwoofer enclosure.
I implore everyone who lives in St. Louis and the surrounding area to email Mayor Slay and the not so smart Craig Schmid. Please do so in a professional manner explaining that this is not a proper solution to the problem, will hurt local retailers, limits manufactuers from selling their products, and makes certain stock vehicles illegal in the city of STL or any other logical argument you can think of.
If you are friendly with a local shop in St Louis or the area please alert them to this issue and urge them to contact their distributors and manufactuers.
If you are a lawyer please look over the bill and find any flaws.
Please list the make and model of any factory audio system you know of that violates the bill, i.e...
233. there is any speaker over 12 inches in diameter.; or 244. there is more than one speaker 10 inches or more in diameter; or 255. there are more than 10 speakers; or 266. there are more than 2 amplifiers; or 277. there is an amplifier with more than 300 watts of output; or 288. there is a separate box in the vehicle that is not installed as part of the compartment of the vehicle and which is used solely for the speaker, sound amplifier, or other sound system or device.
Remember you may not live in STL, but your town could easily be next. Thank You.
-------------------- Art's Sound Chamber World's Loudest SS Vehicle World's Loudest NW Vehicle World's Loudest Port Wars Vehicle 63 Mafia
-------------------- There are 2 teams in the NFL. The Broncos and the rest. I love the Broncos, and hate the rest. How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains?... Yeah ... Coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we would've been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind. Posts: 831 | From: Valdosta, GA | Registered: May 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Dear Mayor Slay, It has come to my attention that you will be making a decision on a bill that will affect many citizens throughout the United States. Personally i feel that Outlawing the installation of aftermarket speakers and amplifiers is ridiculous. Not only would you be stealing many americans hobby's but also their livelyhoods. Also the proposed law states no more than two amplifiers, none over 300 watts, and no subs greater than 12" in diameter. Under these specifications you will find many vehicles sold at dealerships will not be able to drive "legally" on your streets. Many new cars come stock with 240watt stereos and some up to 500 watts. Its truly sad to see their arent more important ways to spend our tax dollars than to beef up police officers w/ rulers, Decibel microphones, and the hassle of added confiscations. Im sure you feel that guns, drugs, and even underage drinking has to be a greater issue. So please reconsider how you vote on this issue.
Sincerely, Josh
well i sent one
Posts: 62 | From: Fort Pierce, Florida | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Here is what I wrote. I hope it helps our cause. "Dear Mayor Slay It has come to my attention that Bills 81 & 82 will be proposed to you and they deal with car stereos specifically. They state that it will be illegal for anyone to own a speaker 12" or larger, an amplifier 300w or larger, and it will also illegalize the use of more than 2 amplifiers in a stereo. I realize that there are many car stereo owners who crank their systems in urban areas and don't give any respect to the people around them. Please believe me when I say that, thankfully, these are not the majority of loud car stereo owners! There are FAR more of us that use our stereos responsibly, giving much respect to our neighbours as well as the people we pass everyday. We, the true majority that you DO NOT see (because we keep a low profile of our loud stereos in populated and even public areas) are very responsible stereo owners who will be VERY affected by these two bills.
There are so many car stereo dealers in St. Louis making a living and these Bills would certainly take all that away from them and cause them to a) move to another city or b) seek another career because it would starve them of their business - which is selling high quality (and yes, high sound quality does require over 300w of power a lot of the time!) stereo systems. Do you want MORE people to be jobless - from a career they are very good at by the way - because of a noisy minority in the car audio industry? I sure don't.
Also, please be aware that there are car manufacturer's who put stereos larger than 300w into some of their vehicles. Do you want to attempt to tell your citizens that they can not own the stereo that came in their brand new vehicle and that if they do not uninstall it the cops will confiscate their vehicle? I surely hope not.
I am personally striving to become a professional, MECP certified, car audio/video installer. It will be my career (and it already is my hobby) and I definitely would not survive in it if the options were reduced to the restrictions set forth in these two bills!
My proposal is this: Instead of allowing these two bills to come through, increase fines and penalties for noise ordinance violations. Like I mentioned, the majority of us are respectful of other people's ears so really you would only be aiming at the minority - who would become more respectful of others the first time they got thier XXX.XX dollar fine!
Do not limit (very severely, I will reinforce) a majority simply because of an out of line minority. I hope you will consider what I have said, Thank You"
Posts: 537 | From: Canada | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
