Noise in Guyana at madness levels

Nov 28, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

I’ve been in Guyana for several weeks, and it’s been a joy to indulge in ole-time get-togethers with Guyanese of all stripes and colours. I am impressed with the progress made in several departments but not its tolerance of mind-boggling madness, such as the noise factor.

In downtown Georgetown, the pushcart music operators blast your ears from several corners in a square; waiting for a few minutes for a bus sends you into a tizzy – a harrowing experience because of the maddening cacophony. I take the minibus from GT to the ECD almost daily for a 45-minute ride. (I do so to save money but also to have a taste of Guyanese culture). It is an assault on the tympanic membranes of hapless passengers, as bus drivers dole out their piercing, lewd music. You look forward to stepping off the bus and heading to your home – hoping for some rest and quietness to recuperate from the incomprehensible constant clamour. You arrive home, and within a few minutes, you are blessed with one of the three boom-boom businesses blaring, as they test their customers’ boom boxes. These businesses operate with impunity in the residential neighbourhood, as they ply their trade as late as 9:30 p.m.

One of the things that is unfathomable is what these happy customers do with their new toys. They turn on their blasters to the loudest and open their vehicle windows for others to enjoy, or to have some attention – or both! And they do so at all hours of the day (and night!). When they do, one’s house vibrates! The other day one of these guys pulled this stunt at 2:30 a.m. And for good measure, they return about 30 minutes later to ensure you enjoy the experience well. Why don’t the authorities do something about this health hazard? I believe one of the reasons they never experienced any such instance; they live in sophisticated, gated communities and have no idea how ordinary Guyanese suffer. (On this topic of noise, there was a loud(!) party in my neighbourhood at around 3 a.m. a few weeks ago. I called the Vigilance Police Station, which responded courteously and efficiently; within 15 minutes, the party noise abated. Thank you, Vigilance police officers!).
Something should be done immediately to help stem the assault on ordinary Guyanese people.

Yours truly,
Devanand Bhagwan

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