It was just an example, one that came to mind b/c in my low-mid-class residential 'hood in a medium-sized city, I have nearby neighbors who seem to think nothing of blasting rap (it’s always rap for some reason) at a gazillion Db and drenching the entire block in pure noise. All, apparently, because of some sort of “I can do whatever the fuck I want, suck it up” attitude. Now, I personally loathe rap, don’t consider it music at all, but this behavior would be every bit as bad/wrong if they were blasting out symphonic music or trumpet concertos or Coltrane or classic rock or blues or, really, any kind of unnecessary sound that their neighb’s might just not be fans of, or in the mood for. And that includes fireworks noise, which actually is kind of a year-round thing here, just concentrated around calendar events when people can manufacture an excuse to set them off. Stupid riceburner street-racers with, evidently, straight-pipes, actively racing, are also a weekly scourge around here and the cops seem to just look the other way.

What seems to have vanished, in the loud-noises in public sphere, is any kind of common courtesy. I don’t blast my loud “music” in random places where other people are going to be forced to listen to it because that’s just rude - they might have their own tunes on, hate my fave genres, or simply want some peace - I don’t automatically expect that they’re going to be totally down with my noisemaking just because I have the ability to make it. If I pull up to someone with their windows down at at red light and I’ve got some loud tunes on, I turn them down. Basic civility. But now the attitude seems to be “fuck you, I’ll do whatever I want and you’d better like it and if not, tough shit, try to stop me.”