Noisy pipes that come calling

I am writing to express my anger at a maddening development in the area of noise pollution, one that appears to have received scant attention from the police or environmental health officers employed by my local authority.The street in which I live is much like any other in the West Midlands. Busy with traffic, the low rumble of lorries, buses and cars throughout the day is almost a "given". I have, over the years, resigned myself to the fact that I live in a traffic-heavy region and can have no complaints about that fact.

However, what I am totally opposed to it the trend among youths that involves the modification of car exhaust pipes in order to increase their noise to ear-bleeding levels. Presumably these young men are so disappointed in the speed performance of their cars that they are somehow trying to compensate in other ways.

This results in a small family car with all the power of a toilet hand-dryer producing a sound output equivalent to a Meschersmitt in full flight. To compound this, these hoodlums tend to choose the late hours of the night to drive around in endless circuits.

Now, if I were to walk through quiet residential streets at midnight while beating an orchestral kettledrum, I would quite rightly expect to be arrested for disturbing the peace. Yet these speed merchants seem to get away with this behaviour, safe in the knowledge that they are unlikely to be touched by the long arm of the law.

If this behaviour is left unchecked, then I can only see the situation escalating to a point where the use of earplugs will be essential for anyone wishing to enjoy basic rights, such as enjoying a peaceful evening followed by restful sleep.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone caught in possession of such a vehicle should have it crushed, not only as a punishment, but perhaps the sound of crushed metal may ring in their ears and ruin their day, just as their offensive rasps ruin our nights.

Johnny Maher, Queen Street, Kingswinford.