Is there a cause for alarms?

Every time I walk near the parking structure at Cal State Long Beach, I am astounded by the cacophony of whoops and buzzes echoing within.

Car alarms, triggered by everything but car thieves, fill the structure with sound at all times. As soon as one stops squawking another takes over, and the quiet calm of surrounding pathways and an adjacent field is interminably destroyed.

This symphony of noise pollution is not limited to our parking structure. It is being played to audiences all over the country.

Though no statistics have been compiled, my own experience convinces me that these nasty devices prevent few thefts. Nobody pays attention to alarms. I have even seen people ignore their own when they hear them chirping nearby.

John Caldwell
How I see it

Car thieves seem to find no challenge in them. A friend of mine had his truck stolen from the street right in front of his house despite an activated alarm.

Instead of serving any real purpose, this car accessory junk food is merely a gimmick used by manufacturers to sell us something we do not really need. And the result is a public nuisance.

Residents of Los Angeles voted in 1998 to pass Los Angeles Municipal Section 112. 04 (c), an ordinance banning gas-powered leaf blowers because of the overwhelming noise pollution they caused. In a stupefying display of social hypocrisy, they demanded protection against the very type of pollution they contributed to with their car alarms. If these people were forced to give up their precious car alarms as part of the deal, maybe the leaf blowers would never have been an issue.

Angelinos have passed many hypocritical laws to protect the peace, quiet and comfort of their neighborhoods. Section 114.02(a) bans excessive engine, horn and vehicle noise within 150 feet of property lines. But, there is no specification for car alarms, despite the incredible disturbance they cause.

I suspect materialistic reasons are behind our indifference to this issue. We love our gadgets and buttons almost as much as we love our cars. If someone tells us we need a gadget to protect our cars, we shell out big bucks without questioning whether or not it actually works.

I am amazed at our ability to willingly surround ourselves with this obnoxious noise. Perhaps the reason so few of us complain about it is because so many of us contribute to it, and maybe the loss of peace and quiet is a worthwhile price for a false sense of security.

Other security products for automobiles protect against theft without annoying side effects. The Lojack system is a well-known car-tracking device that allows police to quickly recover a vehicle once it has been stolen. The system retails for about the same price as some nicer alarm systems, but has actually been proven effective.

The Club is a steering wheel lock that costs far less than most alarms yet appears to be at least as effective.

I believe we should do all we can to reduce the noise level in our society before it becomes unmanageable. We need to either prove that car alarms serve some valid purpose, or ban them.

John Caldwell is a print journalism major at Cal State Long Beach.