Peace and quiet

An incident occurred inside a public utility bus on EDSA where a person with disability, distressed by loud noises, tried to bite a child. When the bus conductor tried to intervene, he was bitten instead. They surmised that the passenger was distressed by the child’s playing video games while inside the bus. This prompted the Metrolink Bus Company to urge the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to discourage passengers from making loud noises while inside the vehicle. The PWD in question was involved in a similar incident of biting passengers last June.

While I am all for a quiet ride while commuting, I think the hardest thing to do, if ever the DOTr does implement a noise-free commute, would be enforcement. If they cannot even enforce basic traffic regulations, such as the double-yellow line, one-way roads, no loading and unloading, yellow box, just to name a few, I doubt if they will install marshals inside public utility vehicles to monitor noise levels. But it is something to consider. Silence is golden.

In Japan, silence is the law inside trains. Which is why you can easily tell foreigners by hearing how loudly they talk inside the train. The fine is a hefty one. This goes the same for eating on trains. But then again, that is Japan, known for how adherent its citizens are to rules. If we can replicate even one-tenth of Japanese culture with regards to order, then I believe the country would be on its way to greatness.

Apart from noise on public utility vehicles, these same vehicles should also be subject to noise inspections. I live in an area known to be a major route of public utility jeepneys, and I must say, I have heard ear-splitting mufflers that would wake up the dead. I know there are ordinances already in place regarding noise pollution, but again, the problem is enforcement. I don’t even know if a noisy muffler adds to the efficiency of an engine, or if it's just to show off.

Noise pollution is something the government should address seriously. From noisy public utility vehicles to public karaoke singing in the wee hours of the morning. The PWD who bites when distressed by noise is an exception. Perhaps he should not travel or commute alone to prevent the same thing from happening. People need to rest after a day’s work. Those who need the noise can do it indoors, where they don’t disturb anyone. This is why the words “peace” and “quiet” are always said in the same phrase.