Daniel J. Stern wrote:
> On Wed, 9 Mar 2005, Jim Yanik wrote:
>
> > > OK. Define "noise pollution" for us
>
> > Taking the manufacturer's (stock) muffler off and installing a
noisier
> > one.
>
> That's a nonstarter. If Chrysler will no longer sell me a muffler for
my
> 1962 Dodge, and so I install a Walker or Goerlich aftermarket
replacement,
> and it's even fractionally louder than the original 1962 item, my car
> flunks your poorly-thought-out standard of "noise pollution". If I
install
> a muffler on my truck that's louder than the original BUT no louder
than
> some other vehicle with a factory muffler, my truck flunks your
> ill-considered standard of "noise pollution".
>
> And if the standard is "no noisier than original equipment", then
who's
> going to collect and maintain the necessary database of noise levels
from
> all the different OE variants of all the different models of all the
> different cars over the years? And what's the standard, is it "when
the
> car is brand new"? Is it "When the car is 3 years old"? Is it "When
the
> car is driven by at 30mph, measured at street level 10 feet away"? Is
it
> "When the car is revved in Neutral, measured 2 feet from the
tailpipe"?
>
> And what kind of sound meters are we going to equip cops with to
measure
> exhaust noise objectively? You and I both know what's too noisy and
what's
> not, but that's unconsitutionally vague and leaving it to the
discretion
> of individual cops is fraught with unintended consequences.
>
> Just to save you some time, here's another equally-useless attempts
at
> exhaust noise control laws:
>
> "No vehicle shall have an exhaust tailpipe or outlet that is of a
larger
> size than original equipment". Terrific, what if I install a system
on my
> '71 Volvo that has a 2-1/4" tailpipe, but is *quieter* than the
original
> system with its 1-7/8" tailpipe? Bzzt, doesn't work.
>
> Next idea?
>
> DS

The standard should be 'not to exceed db--- (whatever) at --- feet.'
Why it exceeded the level has no bearing on it. If it could pass when
new but now doesn't - fix it or pay the ticket.

I agree that standards based on size or brand of original equipment
would be a nonstarter.

Harry K