A woman in the
UK has been banned from owning a TV, stereo or radio for two years, after she
repeatedly played music by Eminem so loud that it made her neighbors furniture
vibrate across the floor.
The Birmingham
City Council made Sharon McLoughlin, 33, the first person in the city barred
from owning any of the devices.
Mcloughlin, a mother
of three, played “Stan” and other songs at deafening levels, much
to the chagrin of her neighbors.
The issue was so
serious that environmental health staff measured the noise from a resident’s
flat above McLoughlin’s and found that the levels were about 65dB (decibels)
– the legal level a passing airplane is allowed to make.
The music was so
loud that officers in a neighboring flat couldn’t hold conversations with
each other, despite being less than 6 feet apart.
“My settee
[sofa] moves across the living room, my son’s cot moves across the floor
and the constant music has me permanently on edge,” a neighbor told officials.
“My GP prescribed me antidepressant tablets to cope.”
McLoughlin’s
flat was raided several times and each time, authorities seized thousands of
dollars worth of stereo equipment, televisions and CD’s.
McLoughlin simply
went out and bought more gear. In addition to the ban, she has been evicted
from her flat.
The issue was taken
serious because of the health problems associated with noise pollution.
In addition to
hearing loss, studies have shown that heart disease and high blood pressure
often occur in cases of long term exposure to noise levels above 65dB(decibels).
