GIVE OR TAKE A DECIBEL

Press, 29 October 1977, Page 16

GIVE OR TAKE A DECIBEL

By

WHIM WHAM

The acceptable noise level for a normal eighthour working day has been cut from 90 to 85 decibels to protect workers’ hearing . . . over 85 decibels people have to shout to make themselves heard one metre distant from those they are trying to speak to.—News. Some people find their Neighbours’ Revels Create intolerable Noise Levels — At Distance of forty Metres You hear their Woofers and their Tweeters, You plug your Ears, and wonder why They have to raise their Fi so Hi — Their Chainsaws, and their Mowers too, Over the Hedge — what can You do But live with It as best You can? And bear the Din you cannot ban? Can This be how it comes about That No-one hears unless You shout? In Parliament the Volume swells — Can’t Someone check the Decibels? When other Argument lacks Force, The Voices rise, the Throats get hoarse — And other Workshops of the Nation Call for the same Vociferation — As if mere Noise were not Enough, We say too Much, we talk too tough, We stand Up-stage, we huff, we puff, Our Big Bad Wolf sounds fierce and grim, He growls — but Who’s afraid of Him? Are Decibels as high, or low, As Wellington’s, in Tokyo? And if the Voice were softer, sweeter. Could it have carried Half a Metre? This Noise is Anything but cheering In a hard World — that’s hard of Hearing!