honestly, can't mufflers be mandatory?

playing keyboard next to a drummer during raucous gigs was a thrilling ride: the abrasive skin and cymbal striking would vibrate my very bones.

i didn’t so much have to lock in as i was involuntarily swept by the rhythm. it was akin to being strapped to the undercarriage of a locomotive.

rather than become accustomed to the loud decibel levels over time, my ears felt increasingly irritated each rehearsal and concert. it grew to the point where each snare crack would assault my eardrum, causing me to wince and abruptly stop playing. i soon required plugs in order to participate, and preserve my sanity.

similarly, when attending concerts, if i forget my trusty plugs, i rush to the washroom to fashion a tuft of TP to shove in the canals. furthermore, i maintain my headphone volume at a reasonable level not because it’s suggested, but because it’s tolerable. my sight began its slow degradation almost two decades ago, but my failing hearing definitely signals advanced aging. more precisely, my ears aren’t getting weaker, just more sensitive.

life in a metropolis will naturally offer noises to endure. i can’t fault the jackhammers or jet streams, but there are a pair of rackets that are particularly vociferous and avoidable: hog engines and subway screeching.

i’m no expert on noise bylaws, nor am i looking to ruffle the feathers of bikers, but the arresting rumble of the engines roaring through dense neighbourhoods is no less than offensive. i can feel the cranky codger in me creeping up to complain, but other than enthusiasts and pacifists, shouldn’t we all be outraged? must we tolerate that grating aural pollution, interrupting our thoughts and distracting our peace, just to allow the freedom of extreme expression?

when i’m trapped at an intersection alongside a motorbike, and the leather clad rider is revving unnecessarily, i feel slighted by the provocation. i’m not in the habit of having earplugs on hand, and lord knows the jarring sound is like a heavy metal concert on wheels.

then there’s the piercing screech of the subway careening around corners or braking to a halt. like a thousand screaming sirens from hell, scraping fingernails down a chalkboard in slow motion through a megaphone. riders must be desensitized, because i notice nary a pair of ears plugged with fingers.

i’m not sure if the solution is just track or brake maintenance, or perhaps a massive application of WD-40, but why are we subjected to such daily torture? there’s got to be a ‘better way’…