There once was a song called “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” and now that the weather is, for the most part, getting warmer, I’m reminded of one of my pet peeves: People who drive convertibles who have to blare their stereos in order to hear it over the wind. The problem is that when they pull up to a red light, everyone around them has to share in whatever they are listening to.
The other day I was waiting for a light when I heard someone talking very loud. I looked around to see who it was or what was going on and realized that it was some talk radio station being listened to by a woman in a convertible. It would be nice if those cars, especially the fancy ones, could reduce the volume automatically when the driver reduces speed or comes to a stop. Hearing that high-volume talk combined with the THUMP THUMP THUMP of the subwoofers in another car nearby made me wish the light would turn green a lot faster. I wonder if the police have the authority or the will to regulate some of this high-volume noise pollution.
Archan writes: “I’m wondering whether Metro has a clear policy on air conditioning and heating. As it got warm this week and I went out in short sleeves, I found myself freezing in a Metro car. My wife found herself catching a cold in a bus where the driver said the air conditioning was automatic (despite there being open windows). TheMetro car and bus were air-conditioned to the point where it was certainly below 65. Yet in the winter, the Metro cars are often heated to something like 80 degrees.
“Since we all have different personal preferences, and it is costly for Metro to maintain the exact same temperature throughout trains, buses and stations, Metro must have some policy on an acceptable range and what side to err on. If we’re interested in reducing costs and energy, it might be to cool less in summer and heat less in winter (especially when people open the windows on buses). If the focus were to get fewer people sick, it might be to avoid too much air conditioning. Currently, though, we go from being warm to freezing and then back again. It’s certainly not the best system for our bodies or our wallets.”
We get a response from Metro’s Steven Taubenkibel: “Metro trains have cooling and heating equipment. The temperature for trains (mid-April through mid-October) is set for 73 degrees and between mid-October to mid-April at 65 degrees. However, it may feel warmer or colder when the doors open and close at the stations, allowing warmer or colder air to escape.
“Metrobuses also having cooling and heating equipment. Depending upon the conditions inside a bus, if the temperature is less than 68 degrees, the heating system is activated. If the temperature in the bus is above 72 degrees, the air conditioning system is activated. Passengers traveling on a bus will experience similar conditions to Metrorail, as it may feel warmer or colder when the doors open and close at bus stops, and if riders open the bus windows.
“The air conditioning or heaters inside rail cars and buses also may be broken. Passengers are urged to note the rail car or bus number and report the problem to 202-637-1328.”
Questions, comments, random musings? Write to [email protected].
