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I slept for about 18 months in a second-story room overlooking one of the busier streets in town. That'll never happen again. Motorcycles were especially obnoxi
by thaumaturgy 7y ago
I slept for about 18 months in a second-story room overlooking one of the busier streets in town. That'll never happen again. Motorcycles were especially obnoxious; I usually sleep like the dead, including all the way through an energetic northern California earthquake, but we had a regular that would rip up and down the street sometime after 1 a.m. and it often interrupted my sleep.
Also -- and this hasn't previously been a popular thing to say on HN, but here it is again -- this is largely an urban living problem. Smaller towns have their noisy bits too, but they don't tend to have the constant, non-stop din that is a signature aspect of metropolitan areas.
I've been camping at a few different parks and the like since moving out, just getting some R&R, and it's amazing how much better I'm sleeping and, gradually, feeling.
- ProfessorLayton 7y agoI used to live near a freeway exit, and motorcycles were by far the worst compared to literally any other traffic. They are dangerously loud, and can cause ear damage. The silver lining is that obnoxiously loud bikes are a dying breed (Harley Davidson sales have been taking for years) + general electrification of personal transportation should quiet things up in the not too distant future.
- toastal 7y agoI live in an area where old Vespa scooters from the 70s-80s are used as the main form of transportation for textiles between businesses probably because of the wide rack at the back and ease of buying used vehicle. Not only do most of them spit out blue smoke, but the putter of the engine is absurd compared to anything modern. Counter point that with electric scooters that scare you when they whiz by because they're barely audible and there's hope for a future.
- bllguo 7y agosimilar situation for me currently but i manage to survive using a white noise machine. I also leave the fan on in the summer for the noise. I wonder if I would feel better if i transitioned to a quiet sleeping environment. i've thought many times about how loud motorcycles are even legal, especially at late hours. I even see ebikes that are just as loud which is absolutely insane to me. The worst part was when my downstairs neighbor owned a motorcycle. Occasionally he'd rev the engine or something at 1 am for 10 whole minutes before actually driving it away. Very thankful he's gone now.
- lowercased 7y agoI agree on motorcycles, but have read that the loudness is at least partially a safety thing for them, as other car drivers won't notice them without some sound.
- bllguo 7y agoi'm glad i commented so you could inform me - there's always another side to everything. that makes some sense, though like you say it must be partial. i have no problem with japanese motorcycles which seem to be much much quieter.