Anti social motor sport

[p261brm]

Recently at MG Live decidels, not the lack of, but far too many of them, once more reared their ugly head. Being 'anti social' an opinion that has led to good part of my life dedicated to this sport of ours, and 'noise' is part of it. Just think of the glorious music of engines past we would have been denied if efficient silencers had been applied 512 Ferrari, V16 & V8 BRM, Porsche 908 and the pinicle of all [to me] a 917 on full chat.
105db's, unthinkable; grey matter stirred and from the depths an accumalation of things automotive a search yielded:- Manners Makyth a Motorist. and I quote 'Motoring sport in its increasing popularity, is inevitablly bought to the notice of those most likely to be offended. Exhaust noise is particularly arresting'; on public roads one is most likely to be arrested without silencer complying to the prescribed level.
So even I, with my distain of the Sunday morning lawn mower brigade who inhabit the localility of many of our circuits might have accept the ineviatble for the future of this sport of ours.
And the quote; Motor Racing, 'the official organ of the BRSCC', No.5 Volume3 May 1956, and before someone is upset, gets busy with the Blue pen, thats just what is printed on the front of the magazine.

[Andrew Busby]

Sorry but hope I'm not alone in wondering what on earth you're on about?

[Farbrooke]

I think he is on about the imposing of 105db noise level at circuits and the damage inflicted upon his enjoyment certain race car engine notes which in return drowned the unpleasant sound of lawn mowers of a Sunday morning - but I could be wrong and I have no idea what bought on the out burst

[Al Weyman]

I have said this before but I believe its a waste of time sticking a noise probe near the exhaust and declaring a car fit or unfit to race, the most annoying noise and yes it can be comes from the other end, the intake when the engine is at wide open throttle pulling hard. I run an air filter on my cars so this noise is negligable and yet I have been near the mark on a static test but on the track you can hear virtually every car out above mine especially 4 cylinder M3's with their high pitched scream compared to the low rumble of my engine. Maybe the noise police and governing bodies should turn their attentions more to the intake side of the engine than the more obvious exhaust.

[Tim the Grey]

Al, it's the NIMBYS of this world. They move to a village with an extant airport/airfield/racetrack/whatever. THEN they complain about maybe a dozen noisy days in a year. It's the same folk who complain about the smell from top dressing fields, or the sound of the cockerel crowing.
No doubt they also complain about queues of cars trying to enter said facility, regardless of how considerate the drivers of said cars may be...

They are always on local TV news, crowing about THEIR victory over the Air Display, racetrack, airport, bypass, etc. "I've been campaigning for this since I moved to the village 10 years ago."

This, despite their having moved from somewhere noisy like London or Birmingham!

[Al Weyman]

If its the NIMBYS then its also this pathetic government with its ill thought out legislation. They brought in a law to stop Chavs partying on council estates and keeping their neighbours awake all night which is fine I think we all go along with that but it was not specific enough and now caterers for the NIMBY, this law needs modifying before it effect jobs any more and I always thought jobs were the god of this parliement.

[Tim the Grey]

Well, this is one issue I have with HMG looking busy. We have laws on the books now to cover nuisance. They don't use them! Not properly anyway. Same as just about any piece of legislation promulgated in the last 20 years. It covers the same ground as existing laws, then MPs claim to be 'working hard for you'?
Talk about running to stand still. This lot are running the other way!

Repeal 90% of current legislation, and you'd never know it happened...

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Repeal 90% of current legislation, and you'd never know it happened...

And 90% of the MPs wouldn't know it had happened either.

[p261brm]

Originally Posted by Andrew Busby

Sorry but hope I'm not alone in wondering what on earth you're on about?

Sorry you are bemused. Much in the same way I am by people who buy homes within a short distance of a race circuit, then set up campaigns to have it closed because of the noise. Exhaust noise is causing headaches to historic race car owners in an effort to pass noise tests imposed at certain circuits or meetings, also the fact the problem is and fairly obvious from the article quoted not a new one. In certain circumstances owners can be successful in meeting the fairly low levels imposed, try to reduce an ex GP engine to these imposed levels and the task becomes a fairly hapless one.
The result that others and I will be denied the sight and sound of these cars should the levels be imposed and strictly adhered to. If you are still in doubt as to what I am on about, do not let it worry you, the pain will soon pass.

[grantp]

A couple of months ago I popped into the garden one dry evening for a quick breath of fresh air. No aircraft taking off, nothing going around Donington, no mowers and even the traffic seemed quiet.

But those damned birds. I've never heard such a racket before. Couldn't hear myself think. Same stupid calls again and again. Who can I complain to?

[p261brm]

Originally Posted by grantp

A couple of months ago I popped into the garden one dry evening for a quick breath of fresh air. No aircraft taking off, nothing going around Donington, no mowers and even the traffic seemed quiet.

But those damned birds. I've never heard such a racket before. Couldn't hear myself think. Same stupid calls again and again. Who can I complain to?

Yup know the feeling

[terence]

I wonder if these idiots actually realize the amount of income our sport generates for the country,for local communities etc? Apart from the fact that they have possibly paid more for their chocolate box's because of its proximity to a circuit? again adding to the value of said community.

[compte deGraves]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Al, it's the NIMBYS of this world. They move to a village with an extant airport/airfield/racetrack/whatever. THEN they complain about maybe a dozen noisy days in a year. It's the same folk who complain about the smell from top dressing fields, or the sound of the cockerel crowing.
No doubt they also complain about queues of cars trying to enter said facility, regardless of how considerate the drivers of said cars may be...

They are always on local TV news, crowing about THEIR victory over the Air Display, racetrack, airport, bypass, etc. "I've been campaigning for this since I moved to the village 10 years ago."

This, despite their having moved from somewhere noisy like London or Birmingham!

It is not confined to England! The English middle classes are all coming over here and they are very very welcome. BUT they buy houses in a working French agricultural village and then complain about the cockerels (you need them to make chicken babies), the grape harvesters (you need them to get grapes in to make wine etc), shooting on Sunday (its our day off and we harvest a few hares and game birds for the pot). Then they complain about our attitude to life (they say we are too laisser faire). Most us eat and drink produce that comes from an area no more than 15 km from our houses. Of course we make noise producing what we eat and drink. But we go to bed at 10pm and none of my neighbours play disco music until the early hours of the morning the way they seem to do in certain areas of London (or at least they do when I visit).

Rant over!

[terence]

Laisser Faire? sounds perfect to me Comte! as indeed it does to the thousands who leave this Island every year,the very reason they come over in the first place!
WHEN we do actually leave here and move onto the 'Continent' it will be to enjoy the way of life that Britain has lost [for whatever reason] and to mix into the community,not to stand on the edge of it and moan!!

[Rotary7]

This thread seems to have become more about what's wrong with the world than noise from racecars, the original issue. Not that I have a problem with that, per se. As the pilot of a rotary-engined car, noise is an issue that affects me more than most, so I've tried to self-educate myself on the subject. Not only is it a complicated subject, with many ignorant opinions being heard, but the simple fact is that everyone has their own preferences as to what is noise and what is 'music to the ears'. We all of course love the howl of a high-revving multicylinder engine but it's understandable if it's not everyone's cup of tea. In a perfect world only harmful noise would be regulated against (Late-night noise being harmful to our health) and we could all get on with it. As far as testing cars is concerned, the static test is hardly worth doing it's so unrepresentitive, and drive-by measuring should be the only method used. On holiday in New Zealand last year I looked at a couple of the tracks on South Island which had permanent manned measuring posts, and they limit cars to 95dB at 30metres distance and 90deg angle with the car on full power, a much more representitive method.
Actually, we're probably all Nimby's, certainly as far as not having Nimby's living too close to our own back yards.

[Al Weyman]

On our local news channel last night there was a farmer in a nobby part of Hertfordshire who unbeilivably has been served by an order from the council to move his cockerels and he was saying its all down to the complain of just ONE person a new comer to the area. As he said they move to the country next door to a farm what the hell do they expect!

[John Turner]

Yep, the world's gone mad. We had people in one of our local villages complaining about the Church bell practice. My wife and I moved to be in a peaceful rural environment but enjoy the sound of birds, cows, sheep, cockerels, church bells and yes even the farmers tractors; it's all part of it. If you don't like it bugger off back to the city where you can put up with your neighbour playing punk rock or whatever at 2.00am! There should be legislation that bars you absolutely from complaining or suing if you are moving into a location where you know that there is a racing track, an airport, a preserved steam railway or whatever. The only exception being if you can prove an increase in either the decibel level or duration of noise since you started to reside there.

[Peter Mallett]

Or, as the wife of one particularly wealthy racer unsuccessfully tried, sue the farmer for the smell from his cows.
I don't understand it at all. Whilst it is my choice I live in places (as now) where the construction work makes the building (I allegedly live in a very exclusive area) vibrate. And it does so very seriously. Also the construction work goes on 24 hours per day, only stops for Mosque time at lunchtime on Friday. If I complain I'm told to go home.

Same should apply to the nimbys.

[grantp]

Plan E, and I really hesitate to to suggest this but desparate measures and all that .... would be to advise the locals that one is applying for permission to build a wind farm, using a fats track planning procedure, and then publish a plan showing the nearest unit on the boundary line of nearest to the complainant properties.

I suspect that many people complain merely to give themselves something to do in their shallow lives. Egos to support and all that.

[Moosehead]

Race circuit to close due to noise complaints from locals - planning applications recieved so far include
' return circuit to original purpose - RAF airfield',
5000 houses & 2 schools and a Tesco superstore,
Open prison and Young offenders unit


That would be my headlines in the local papers

[Al Weyman]

Well they got the prison at Bovingdon instead of letting the track expand, serves em right! It would have made a beautiful circuit just outside London.

[Moosehead]

Be interesting to see what effect that had on house prices

[Al Weyman]

Quite a posh area actually but it was a long time ago they sancioned the prison. I think it has held prices down though as it would have been a nice place to live and in fairness probably still is but will always have the stigma of the prison.

[driftwood]

there is a simple solution to the moaners who moan about rural life and noise and being a pain in the butt to everyone else
in the old days we would have burned them at the stake for being a witch
not sure if its still legal

[Tim the Grey]

Excommunicate them, and send them to Coventry...
These are the same fools who then insist on signs for ducks/toads/badgers crossing, and demand 50MPH speed limits except in villages where it's 20!

PITA, the lot of 'em.