Local Attorney Wants Loud Car Stereo Law Thrown Out

[The Straight Story]

Local Attorney Wants Loud Car Stereo Law Thrown Out

MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. -- A Central Florida attorney is working to overturn the law that lets police ticket drivers with loud sound systems in their vehicles.

State law allows police to ticket drivers if their music can be heard from 25 feet away.

Michael Johnson, who goes by Boom because his sound system is so loud, estimated that he's been ticketed about 100 times, with fines reaching into the thousands.

Johnson's sound system is so powerful that the gas cap cover bounces with the beat, he said.

A Merritt Island attorney is challenging the law as unconstitutionally vague, saying it lets police hand out tickets on almost any grounds.

http://www.wesh.com/r/26324129/detail.html

[Archae]

1. Not only is this guy an asshole, he's a legal asshole as well.

"*I* wanna inflict what *I* like on everyone!"

That's all those with "boom" cars want it that loud for.

[greyl]

8. I don't think Boom is the attorney.

The article isn't very clear.

I happen to agree with the law being tossed out. Being able to hear the radio from 25' away is an offense? Ridiculous and vague.

[jberryhill]

11. Most states typically state the sound pressure level in decibels at stated distances

Because it is the level above ambient that matters.

[Skittles]

2. can they just ticket people for being inconsiderate assholes?

this is not funny, especially to those of us who work nights - it SUCKS to be awakened by someone's crap music (it's NEVER a good song, always pure CRAP)

[laconicsax]

3. You raise an excellent point:

Has anyone ever been near a car with obnoxiously loud music and thought, "Holy shit! That driver has excellent taste in music!"

[Skittles]

4. that lawyer that's going to bat for him

someone needs to park a car outside his residence and boom some nasty-ass song for a while; yes INDEED

[hyphenate]

14. At 2 in the morning!

On a hot summer's night, when EVERYONE's windows are up. Then let's see how fast it would take to reinstate that law!

Gotta think....occifers can only issue tickets when they are around to hand out the tickets. So you can imagine that those getting tickets are only the tip of a very large iceberg, that probably means there are scads more who aren't getting tickets.

And even for ordinance for quiet after a certain hour, there are going to be many, many more who don't get cited for noise and disturbing the peace.

[enlightenment]

5. This holiday season I pulled up next to a sedan that was

positively shaking with sound. The stereo was blaring . . .

the Captain and Tennille, singing "Here Comes Santa Claus".

It was just as annoying as any incredibly loud music - but at least it was different.

[Romulox]

6. Depends. Who's your favorite rapper?

:shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Now that you mention it, no.

:rofl:

[blondeatlast]

18. I would savor the sweet irony in that situation if I ever came across it.

Alas, I don't expect to enjoy that in my lifetime...

[tammywammy]

7. I may listen to my music quite loud sometimes, but as soon as I turn into my neighborhood

Or any neighborhood, I turn it down. It's rude to annoy your or your friends neighbors. We had a new neighbor move onto the street. On a Friday or Saturday they had friends over and their music was quite loud. I could hear it inside my house with the tv on. The woman across the street from me walked right down there and said something along the lines of 'I don't want to hear your music as much as, I assure you, don't want to hear mine.' The neighbor never played their music that loud again.

[elleng]

9. Sure. 'Nuisance.'

[jberryhill]

10. It is vague

Any decent noise ordinance should specify the sound pressure level as registered on a suitable instrument at stated distances, not "whether it can be heard".

That is just a plain stupid statute. The conditions under which something "can be heard" 25 yards away are completely variable and subjectively dependent on the hearing acuity of the listener.

Leave it to the FL legislature to enact a brain damaged noise ordinance.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. If we made everything that is annoying illegal,

our lawmakers would have no time for anything else.

[Raine]

15. "no time for anything else"

that wouldn't be all bad, maybe keep them from constantly picking our pockets.

[TheCowsCameHome]

16. Johnson and the attorney

are both assholes. Big time.

[madinmaryland]

17. Heh! Second-hand stereos can kill, or at least your hearing.