Dear Editor,
Is it the desire of Starlite Drive-In’s management to drive the citizens of Atlantic Gardens, Happy Acres, Montrose and other areas mad?
On Saturday, March 7, 2009, the Starlite Drive-In hosted a song and dance show, including sexy gyrating dancing, even with children in the compound. The sound from the system was the heaviest yet, and they were announcing that it would go beyond 2am. Had it not been for citizens constantly calling the police, the show would have gone beyond time.
In our homes, some made of heavy concrete, we could feel the vibrations from under the earth, with windows and doors shaking. If the sound was heavy enough to affect buildings, doors and windows, imagine what it does to people’s eardrums, the sick and students, many studying to graduate from high schools and others at the University of Guyana. We could not rest until minutes after 12 midnight, after the police instructed them to stop.
This kind of thing affects people’s productivity, as they are fatigued due to lack of proper rest. It also affects people who plan to sit and have a decent quiet Saturday evening with family and friends, as their music definitely would overpower residents’ small systems. Sometimes after a hard day’s work, people just need some quiet and peace. Heavy sound causes migraine in healthy people, so imagine what it does to those who suffer from it frequently. Thank God the police acted on the complaints, or we would all have been like zombies the next day.
What is most sickening is that Starlite will have shows again on Saturday, March 14, for a chutney competition, and another on a subsequent Saturday. I wonder what the authority which gave the permission is thinking, be it the Magistrate or the Commander of the Division. If they gave permission for last Saturday, do they not recognize that two or three consecutive Saturdays is definitely too much? Why must consideration be given only to the noise-nuisance maker? What about us, the citizens of this country; do we not have need for consideration? Are we not entitled to peace and quiet on our weekends? Must these boom specialists and marketers of vulgarity always have their way? Why must the music be so loud? Are the listeners deaf?
I pray and hope that the authorities take note of complaints like these and work to eliminate the problem. Magistrates or Commanders need to be more vigilant and concerned when issuing approvals.
One function three or four times per year, with a serious stipulation on time and sound levels could be considered as reasonable, and we would understand. Furthermore, Starlite was originally intended to show movies, not be a public dance hall for the destruction of persons’ eardrums and peace.
Yours faithfully,
Roshan Khan
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Henry Greene, for any comments he might wish to make.
