Diwali is not the only noise source

I THINK the regular objection against noisy fireworks is met with such anger and disdain, due to the community feeling targeted and marginalised.

Diwali is observed once a year but the protests have become clichéd and divorced from other sources of noise that law enforcement turns a blind eye to.

Cases in point are ambulances that sound their sirens so loudly as to scare other motorists to suddenly and quickly move out of the way, potentially resulting in other accidents.

The other highwaymen that blast their alarms are, of course, tow-truck operators – who hone in on accident spots like vultures.

There are others that just don’t seem to come under the searchlight of a law that suddenly becomes active only at Diwali time.

There are roadsters, young and old, not confined to any specific race group, that accelerate right past schools, hospitals, old age homes, etc, without any Metro cops issuing any warnings about penalties and fines for contravening permitted urban noise levels.

Taxis and private buses, blasting their hooters continuously, are seldom if ever challenged by representatives of the law or private individuals that rush to print their objections in daily papers.

Perhaps all those who objected against big bangs this Diwali, should continue their crusade and speak out loudly against all the other continuous sources of unnecessary noise from other quarters as well. EBRAHIM ESSA Durban