Noise Polluters Sentenced To Listen To Barry Manilow

A Colorado judge has come up with a way to ensure noise polluters learn their lesson. He forces them to listen to Barry Manilow. Four times a year, Judge Paul Sacco forces noise ordinance violators to sit in a room and listen to one hour of hits from Barry Manilow and Barney, the purple dinosaur. "These people should have to listen to music they don't like," Mr Sacco said.

Comments

Neil Diamond I can stand

[tepples]

I can stand Neil Diamond. In fact, in some moods, I could listen to his music for an hour straight. Barry Manilow, on the other hand, gives me an itch that can only be scratched by changing the channel.

Also first post.

The judge has no regard for the taxpayers.

[razerr]

This sentence is a reflection of a judicial system out of control. We have no room for this nonsense in today's environment. Taxpayer dollars put to waste, as well as the time of those serving this sentence. Somebody should question the sanity of such a judge. Even the most simple minded (myself), could come up with a better sentence. Community service to help deaf persons or any number of other things that would not be a complete waste, as apparently this judge is.

Re:The judge has no regard for the taxpayers.

[Farmer Tim]

Taxpayer dollars put to waste, as well as the time of those serving this sentence...[snip]...Community service to help deaf persons or any number of other things that would not be a complete waste

Problem 1: to do just about anything in a specialised field such as working with the deaf requires a certain amount of training, unlike, say, picking up garbage. So you have to take someone with those skills away from whatever else they're doing in order to train the miscreants.

Problem 2: anyone antisocial enough to wind up in court repeatedly for noise pollution is probably not going to participate in such a program willingly; they'd have to be very closely supervised to ensure they're actually doing something useful.

So your specific suggestion would be a complete waste of the offender's time, the trainer's time, the supervisor's time and very probably the deaf person's (people's) time too. That actually makes it a more expensive proposition than making the offender sit and listen to music they don't like for an hour (one baliff, one hour's pay), and it also has the disadvantage of being an abstract punishment which teaches them nothing about why their behaviour is objectionable.

That's not to say I disagree with you in principle, I'm just pointing out that the effectiveness and hidden costs of any punishment need to be taken into consideration, otherwise you can easily end up asking for what you're objecting to.

Re:The judge has no regard for the taxpayers.

[razerr]

Not at all offensive! Good points well taken! Given the knowledge you've provided, I would say that ANYTHING is better than having them sit, doing nothing. It is nothing short of juvenile detention hall: Being kept after school. Surely there must be some community service programs that are already up, running and staffed. Although I used, working with the deaf as a suggestion, due to my ignorance, anything productive would be better than this sentence. If the judge put any thought into this and wasn't merely looking for headlines, he could have easily sentenced them to one hour, under a prison guard's protection, at the nearest prison, during peak time, to give them a dose of what REAL unwanted noise is. Instead, the judge and the system he represents, is now laughing stock.

Enya

[MustBeOriginal]

Grampa: Now, you're about to see what it's like to be as old as me. Are you ready Billy?
Stan: Uh, I guess. [Grampa starts the tape, playing Enya's 'Orinoco Flow'] Okay, you, you can let me out now.
Grampa: Not just yet. [turns up the volume]
Stan: Let me out grampa! I can't take it anymore, this music is terrible, it's, it's cheesy, but lame and eerily soothing at the same time.
Grampa: That's it, now you know what it feels like to be grampa.
Stan: Eh, grampa, I had no idea how bad it was for you. Now I understand.
Grampa: So now will you kill me Billy?
Stan: Sure I will grampa, I will.

So...

[NoxNoctis]

I hope they obtained a license to do public performance of the music, otherwise they'll probably see some paperwork their way ;-)

my lad, this is THE correct application of justice

[unity100]

For, its practically simple as this ; 'dont do anything you wouldnt like to others'.

prison sentence ? cash penalty ? public service ? all irrelevant to this crime.

but, subjecting them to the same treatment, is up to the point.

punishing individuals with penalties irrelevant to their crime havent accomplished much to this point. before criticizing something with nonsense, you should get your argument together first, but do it with observation.

ha also

[unity100]

shove your taxes up your butt. you americans are WAY too obsessed with your money. 'taxpayer money taxpayer money taxpayer money'.

you make an effect on other inhabitants of the world that forces them to say 'fuck your taxpayer money'.

try to become less self centered. youre not the only people in the world paying taxes.

and really, fuck your taxpayer money.

if you dont want to pay taxes, withdraw to a fuckin mountain top, and live as a hermit, and let go of all perks being a society brings.

if you cant let go of what being a society brings, shut the fuck up and pay your taxes.

geeez.