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Stores use sonic sounds to chase away children
Filed under: Teens, In The News, Weird But True
When I first read this story, I thought it was a joke. The very idea that there are high-frequency sounds that children care hear that adults cannot is news to me. But apparently it is true, and some shops in London are using that sound to drive misbehaving kids away from their stores.
The device is called a 'Mosquito' and it emits a high-frequency sound that will drive kids crazy with annoyance, but cannot even be heard by most people over the age of 20. Basically, if you've got a bunch of teens hanging out in front of your shop, driving away business, you can scatter them like rats with this device.
Al Aynsley-Green, England's Commissioner for Children, has initiated a campaign to get rid of the devices.
"I'm very concerned about what I see to be an emerging gap between the young and the old, the fears, the intolerance, even the hatred, of the older generation toward the young."
Shami Chakrabarti, director of the civil rights group Liberty, agrees that the devices should not be used in this way. "Imagine the outcry if a device was introduced that caused blanket discomfort to people of one race or gender, rather than to our kids," Chakrabarti said. "The 'Mosquito' has no place in a country that values its children and seeks to instill them with dignity and respect."
The inventor of the device, Howard Stapleton, is clearly worried about losing business and is willing to do whatever necessary to make sure shopkeepers can still use them, including introducing a contract stipulating how the 'Mosquito' can be used. "People talk about infringing human rights but what about the human rights of the shopkeeper who is seeing his business collapse because groups of unruly teenagers are driving away his customers?" he asks.
I have a similar device that I put in my kitchen years ago when we were having a problem with field mice getting in the house. I haven't seen a mouse since, but now I am wondering who else might be hearing this noise. Can Ellie hear it? What about the dog?
The device is called a 'Mosquito' and it emits a high-frequency sound that will drive kids crazy with annoyance, but cannot even be heard by most people over the age of 20. Basically, if you've got a bunch of teens hanging out in front of your shop, driving away business, you can scatter them like rats with this device.
Al Aynsley-Green, England's Commissioner for Children, has initiated a campaign to get rid of the devices.
"I'm very concerned about what I see to be an emerging gap between the young and the old, the fears, the intolerance, even the hatred, of the older generation toward the young."
Shami Chakrabarti, director of the civil rights group Liberty, agrees that the devices should not be used in this way. "Imagine the outcry if a device was introduced that caused blanket discomfort to people of one race or gender, rather than to our kids," Chakrabarti said. "The 'Mosquito' has no place in a country that values its children and seeks to instill them with dignity and respect."
The inventor of the device, Howard Stapleton, is clearly worried about losing business and is willing to do whatever necessary to make sure shopkeepers can still use them, including introducing a contract stipulating how the 'Mosquito' can be used. "People talk about infringing human rights but what about the human rights of the shopkeeper who is seeing his business collapse because groups of unruly teenagers are driving away his customers?" he asks.
I have a similar device that I put in my kitchen years ago when we were having a problem with field mice getting in the house. I haven't seen a mouse since, but now I am wondering who else might be hearing this noise. Can Ellie hear it? What about the dog?
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ReaderComments (Page 5 of 5)
2-16-2008 @ 8:28PM
Emi said...I'm fourteen, and I see that many of these comments towards teens are stereotypes. Just because some teens are disrespectful, do drugs, and so on does not mean that all do and should be treated as escaped convicts. Would you like teenagers to say that all adults own guns, commit murder, and deal drugs just because some do? How is this stereotype any better than stereotypes that discriminate against a given race, gender, or religion? And I do have to wonder how many customers actually get scared off by the fact that teenagers are at a store. It's not like the majority of teens are bad or something. Everyone I know doesn't do drugs, doesn't steal, and for the most part is focused on getting good grades (or at least what they consider good) and doing well in their extracurricular activites such as sports and music. So please, think about this before you stereotype.
Reply
2-16-2008 @ 10:34PM
bremarie03 said...Do you realize what you wrote?:
"And no one, child or adult, has the right to impede or disturb others in a public place."
Isn't that what you're supporting here?
And as for respect, we clearly have differing viewpoints. I don't require people to earn my respect, I give it freely until they do something that diminishes it.
I don't believe I've written anything that conveys superiority. Maybe you're projecting. And the only thing I believe I'm entitled to is basic human rights, same as EVERYONE else.
Reply
2-16-2008 @ 10:37PM
bremarie03 said...The above comment is in response to 'karen' on the first page.
2-17-2008 @ 9:53PM
warren garrison said...what the hell is the problem here. About every other posting that I spend time on, I get no e-mail to be able to post it. Exactly why are you wasting my time if you can't keep this program working right?
Reply
2-17-2008 @ 9:56PM
warren garrison said...First of all Lydia, you are one of the few. Secondly, why did my question of why aren't my postings going through but my real posting didn't make it? AND, for those of you who responded to other postings, I couldn't get those so just say what you have to say at warrenpeaceonu@aol.com.
Reply