You won’t hear Al Gore or Greenpeace talking about it but there is such a thing as noise pollution. Noise pollution is defined as Environmental noise that is annoying, distracting, or physically harmful. Also called sound pollution. In Scotland there are laws which protect people against noise pollution. It’s illegal to make a certain level of noise after 11.00 p.m. This doesn’t mean that everyone in Scotland is silent after 11.00 p.m. but there is a general principle at least that you should think about how much noise you are making and how it affects others. There was even a chewing the fat sketch about it with the punch line “haw we’re oan the night shift!” . So why am I talking about noise pollution? Because I have moved to one of the worlds worst polluters. In fact, Spain has the world’s second highest level of noise pollution after Japan and has been fined by the European Court of Human Rights for precisely that reason.
Noise is simply part of the Spanish way of life and starts from when they are children. In English there is an expression, Children should be seen and not heard. I have never really agreed with this expression. Children are noisy and this is true in most countries I know of. It’s natural that they will make a lot of noise when they are playing in a group. However, if Scottish children are noisy then Spanish children are deafening. This is something I know very well after working in a Spanish high-school. In the summer, when the schools are off, it’s common for children to be out in the street until 3am. For those of us unlucky enough to be working in the morning, it is a difficult time. The most surprising thing though is not that the children make a lot of noise but that they are allowed to make so much noise. The parents of these children, who live in the same street and can hear the noise like the rest of us, don’t bother doing anything about it. In Scotland you would get an ASBO for letting our children behave like that.
When driving Spanish people use their horns at an unbelievable rate. I don’t know for certain but I suppose owning a horn shop must be a profitable business in Spain. The Moped must be the nosiest vehicle ever created it. Given that it is usually young guys who are drive them, and young guys generally like noisy things, then the idea of a silencer is a non-starter.
If you want to escape the noise and mayhem by turning on the TV then you are in for a shock. Spanish TV is full of chat shows which are basically just screaming matches. If you thought Jeremy Kyle was bad then wait till you see Spanish dafties discussing the love life of some D list celebrity or other.
Noise is even taking over one of my favourite past times, watching football. Spanish football commentators make Peter Martin look tame. When you nip into the kitchen to get another beer from fridge you hear an excited commentator scream. Rushing back into the living room, expecting to have missed a goal you realise you only a missed Barcelona winning a throw in, on the half-way line.
Finally you might think the older generation would provide some calm amid all this noise. Well you would be wrong. If you are ever in a shop queue behind two old Spanish ladies then you will see what I mean. The elderly in Spain, particularly old ladies, are some of the nosiest people I have ever come across. I don’t know where they get the energy from, and in this heat.
Now, perhaps I am being an over-sensitive Northern European. After all, Southern European countries are noisy. It’s part of their culture and after all, that is why I moved here in the first place. At times, when you need something done or you need to work, the laid back attitude and lively night life cause the average Northern European huge amount of grief. However, when the pressure is off and you stop and think about it, it’s actually quite charming.
Noise is simply part of the Spanish way of life and starts from when they are children. In English there is an expression, Children should be seen and not heard. I have never really agreed with this expression. Children are noisy and this is true in most countries I know of. It’s natural that they will make a lot of noise when they are playing in a group. However, if Scottish children are noisy then Spanish children are deafening. This is something I know very well after working in a Spanish high-school. In the summer, when the schools are off, it’s common for children to be out in the street until 3am. For those of us unlucky enough to be working in the morning, it is a difficult time. The most surprising thing though is not that the children make a lot of noise but that they are allowed to make so much noise. The parents of these children, who live in the same street and can hear the noise like the rest of us, don’t bother doing anything about it. In Scotland you would get an ASBO for letting our children behave like that.
When driving Spanish people use their horns at an unbelievable rate. I don’t know for certain but I suppose owning a horn shop must be a profitable business in Spain. The Moped must be the nosiest vehicle ever created it. Given that it is usually young guys who are drive them, and young guys generally like noisy things, then the idea of a silencer is a non-starter.
If you want to escape the noise and mayhem by turning on the TV then you are in for a shock. Spanish TV is full of chat shows which are basically just screaming matches. If you thought Jeremy Kyle was bad then wait till you see Spanish dafties discussing the love life of some D list celebrity or other.
Noise is even taking over one of my favourite past times, watching football. Spanish football commentators make Peter Martin look tame. When you nip into the kitchen to get another beer from fridge you hear an excited commentator scream. Rushing back into the living room, expecting to have missed a goal you realise you only a missed Barcelona winning a throw in, on the half-way line.
Finally you might think the older generation would provide some calm amid all this noise. Well you would be wrong. If you are ever in a shop queue behind two old Spanish ladies then you will see what I mean. The elderly in Spain, particularly old ladies, are some of the nosiest people I have ever come across. I don’t know where they get the energy from, and in this heat.
Now, perhaps I am being an over-sensitive Northern European. After all, Southern European countries are noisy. It’s part of their culture and after all, that is why I moved here in the first place. At times, when you need something done or you need to work, the laid back attitude and lively night life cause the average Northern European huge amount of grief. However, when the pressure is off and you stop and think about it, it’s actually quite charming.
2 comments:
hyhy, jak to mowia: rock'n'roll ain't noise polution...
:D
Have you forgotten the noise generated by Lucy and Eva having a conversation?
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