A Noisy Shade of Winter

(CLICK TO ENLARGE) A man (left) confronts the amplified preachers today, asking why they didn’t do more to improve the community instead of what he called “spreading lies.” The man asked if the preachers knew the names of their grandmothers, in which the preachers answered via amplifier that their grandmother is named in the bible. At this, the man grew extremely irate, at times removing his hat and screaming. He continued to ask each noisemaker if he knew the name of his grandmother. They screamed back at him, the amplified speech drowning out his unaided voice. The man eventually stomped off, walking east on H Street. (Copyright © 2006. David Klavitter)

The noisemakers boast a perfect Saturday attendance record thus far into 2006. They were present again Saturday and use the amplifier throughout their four hours of ranting from about 3 p.m. until after 7 p.m.

The last amplified noise-free Saturday enjoyed by our neighborhood was on Nov. 26, when the noisemakers did not appear on the corner of H and 8th Streets NE. On Nov. 19, the noisemakers were present, but did not use the amplifier. Otherwise, they’ve been dedicated to their message and the use of the amplifier for more for about four hours nearly every Saturday afternoon of the year. If we apply simple math to these variables:

(average 4 hours per Saturday) x (average 50 Saturdays per year) = 200 hours of amplified noise blasting the neighborhood each year

The amplified noise can be less bothersome to the residents during the winter months, because cold and wind keep windows closed and people huddled inside more than during the spring, summer and fall. The winter’s winds act as an errant volume control, at times scattering the sound waves or blowing them farther south on 8th Street.

It will get worse for us as the weather improves.