Boom Cars in Waianae

Comment:

All of us in the neighborhood are being harassed by young men roaming the streets playing their boom car stereos at all hours of the day and night with no end in sight. It seems to have actually increased in popularity the past couple of years, and there is little we can do since the vehicles are moving and we can't pinpoint them to police. They are literally a block away on the highway and our house walls vibrate. Why are we all being held hostage to this madness? If we can hear and feel these cars a mile away, why are the police forcing us to call 911 when they can easily catch these people on their own? These young men are literally screaming for someone to catch them and yet no one does. No wonder they are so emboldened.

Quieter O'ahu Response:

Aloha,
Thanks for the note.  You've stated one, and one of our biggest, noise problems quite well.  And you pose some interesting points and questions.  Makes us want to stand on a soapbox to answer.  But trying to be a bit restrained, let's see if we can discuss some of your points one by one, in no particular order.

Emboldened - Excellent choice of words.  They are and have been emboldened for some time now.  You may not have seen this page on our website, but it's a small sampling of the advertisements from third party amplifier and speaker vendors.  It's a clear message to youth that their rights to noise are unlimited and, how dare anyone question them.  And should anyone question them, well, that's the middle-finger poster.  Check out these ads:  https://www.quieteroahu.com/illegally-used-boom-car-stereos.html and also here:  http://www.noiseoff.org/boomcars.php where you'll want to watch the "Disturb" video made by Pioneer.

Emboldened - Excellent choice of words #2.  Too, they are emboldened by a lack of enforcement of noise laws by HPD.  Would you believe there is an ordinance on the books TODAY, and has been for many years, that addresses EXACTLY this problem?  Here's the link to our website where you can read Revised Ordinance of Honolulu (ROH) Sec. 41-31.1 Prohibited Noise:  https://www.quieteroahu.com/hawaii-noise-laws.html .  You'll notice that all the HPD officer has to do is HEAR the noise over 30 feet from the source for the motorist to be in violation.  So how many tickets have they issued under this ordinance?  Practically none, zip, nada, zero.  Here's a test case for you.  Attend your next Waianae Neighborhood Board meeting.  You can find where and when here at this link:  http://www.honolulu.gov/nco/boards.html .  At each board meeting there will be a representative from your local HPD police district who provides crime stats.  Ask the question how many noise or noise related citations are issued; how many specifically are issued under ROH 41-31.1 Prohibited Noise?  Guarantee the HPD rep will stutter, and give some excuse that he's not familiar with that one or how many citations are issued.  Then ask if those numbers can be provided at the next meeting.  Ideally what you would want is for the HPD rep to HAVE to provide those stats at EVERY board meeting.  Let your neighbors know what HPD is doing about noise in your neighborhood.  The answer will be close to nothing in terms of citations issued.  But by putting them on the spot where they have to report facts and figures you may be able to begin changing things.

These young men are literally screaming for someone to catch them.  You are absolutely correct.  And there's no way HPD can be excused by saying "once we respond to a complain they're already gone."  Excuse me, but BS.  HPD hears these guys JUST LIKE YOU DO.  They just REFUSE TO ENFORCE THE LAW!  Putting them under a spotlight at board meetings, holding them accountable to your neighborhood board, and contacting your council member are all ways to help influence HPD leadership to become active against this plague to our island home.

Okay, off the soapbox.  But we hope you take the point that you can make a difference and you do have a voice.  You just have to use it in the right place.  If you do, I think you'll find a lot of your neighbors agreeing with you and jumping on the wagon.

Mahalo,
​Quieter O'ahu