By this time in August, you can feel fall creeping around the corner. “Out of office” messages peak along with back-to-school retail fever. The news typically slows to a trickle for a few weeks.
I figured it was a good time to assemble some semi-random observations – more than nine months after the Plymouth Independent site launched. As always, I’m interested in knowing what you think, either through an email to me, or as a letter for our “Your View” section. (We’ve published more than 160 of them so far).
More on motorcycle noise
As expected, my recent column on excessive motorcycle – and auto – noise generated a lot of noxious exhaust from bike-riding social media posters, most of whom obviously did not read it. Some wrongly jumped to the conclusion that I was calling for an outright ban on bikes. Others cited the “loud pipes save lives” refrain. More than a few resorted to crude comments, and threats of violence. I had been warned that writing about loud motorcycles could be dangerous. Maybe. But the online response from many – not all – motorcyclists confirmed what I already knew to be true: We’re living in a time when an “I can do whatever I want” attitude often supersedes civility.
I also received dozens of emails on the subject from readers. All but one shared my concerns. Most faulted town and police officials for failing to take the issue seriously.
The majority asked that their name not be published out of fear of retribution from motorcyclists. But they also made points that I didn’t raise in my column. Here are some excerpts, with names redacted:
“I have nothing against motorcycles or most motorcyclists. One doesn’t need to own such a vehicle to see how many owners bond with each other. And to be fair, Water Street in the summer is a gathering place for not only loud but unusual looking vehicles of all sorts, as if on parade for the masses. The owners of these vehicles know that they will have an audience and feed right into it. I don’t have any qualms about that. But must some of them announce their presence in the loudest way possible?”
“Those loud, annoying sounds save lives. Most drivers do not see motorcycles or just don’t care, but when we hit the throttle, they hear us. That is the only reason my husband and I are alive today. Yes, some people hate the noise we make, some guys love to get on the pipes more than needed, some are just [deleted]. But when we are in a line of traffic that is slowly rolling, that is how we keep the bike upright. When we hit the throttle or idle up it helps keep the bike upright. I know that some dogs and kids do not like the noise we make, but we do spend money downtown just like everyone else. If you ban us, how about banning dogs – lots of people are afraid of dogs.”
“Thanks for writing such a great article regarding the hypocrisy of the denial of street music amid the ridiculously loud vehicles and motorcycles in Plymouth. I’d like to add that it’s not just downtown that experiences this nuisance: [It’s] also Rocky Hill Road, as it is another loop around that is popular with the riders. Probably the only thing I like about winter is the absence of this noise…I am so glad someone is talking about this issue as the cars and bikes continue to get louder and louder with no regulation or enforcement.”
“Your article is spot on regarding the double standard on noise tolerance. We rarely go downtown during nice weather, as all joy is sapped out of our souls by the arrogance and entitlement of the vast majority of motorcycles.”
“The Select Board in this town fear that anything they perceive as anti-business [and] is hurtful to the town. Go to the North End and dine outside. Cars and an occasional motorcycle will drive through without the obnoxious engine reaving or loud radio music.”
“I appreciate your article about the noise pollution caused by motorcycles in the Plymouth downtown and waterfront district. I live on the water east of Warren Cove and can hear the roar of motorcycles across the water from downtown. It is horrendous. They also race on Rocky Hill Road at all hours at full throttle. I had an acquaintance who stated that bikers modify their mufflers intentionally to make more noise. She stated [that] it was ‘for safety.’ I called bull—- and she reluctantly admitted that it is part of the bravado of owning a badass bike (in her case, a Harley lowrider).”
“I hope your article draws attention to this issue, although I doubt our ineffective Select Board will be willing to address the problem.”
“It’s a problem everywhere, not just downtown Plymouth. If the police tried to enforce local and state regulations vigorously, it would reduce the problem. Even if the police lost in court, bikers would know they face a citation and a court battle if they rev their engines unnecessarily.”
“Your article about the motorcycle noise was spot on and the topic needs to be addressed. I live on Court Street in North Plymouth. It can be so loud sometimes that we can’t even hear each other.”
“Our home sits on Long Pond Road, just south of Clark [Road], Manomet. Long Pond Road in summer is a draw for mobs of motorcycle riders passing our home. These groups are so large as to need minutes to pass! This augments the chronic and escalating problem of wildly heavy traffic, noise, and reckless speeding. We are fed up, and, as far as we can discern, Plymouth town hall and police have no interest or motivation to enforce the law.”
Local arts, seen
I’ve long felt that Plymouth has a semi-hidden arts scene, meaning that there are artists all over town who – either by choice or circumstances – don’t display their work publicly. With no disrespect to seascapes and floral arrangements, contemporary art, especially, is nearly invisible. But I know it’s out there.
The Your Art Here section was an experiment – we wanted to see if local artists would contribute to an online gallery of images. It’s not the same as seeing art in person, but it’s an easy way to reach an audience, and without a gallery commission or entry free. The response has been encouraging – over 60 images of art and photographs have been published since we began publishing. Scroll through the section when you have a few minutes – Plymouth is loaded with talent. I hope we all get to see even more of it.
Politics, as usual
This is hardly unique to Plymouth, but readers frequently complain to me about town government – who’s running it, the way it’s structured, and how tax dollars are spent. Yet stories about how people can get involved in making changes – like by voting – are never among the most read on our site. At a recent focus group meeting for an engaged group of PI supporters it was suggested that people tend to shout from the sidelines instead of voting because they have “lost hope.” I’m afraid there is truth in that. Still, I hope you will take the time to read Fred Thys’s recent preview of the upcoming state primary. The inertia on Beacon Hill has been well documented, but it does matter who represents Plymouth in the Legislature. The quickest and easiest way to bring about some semblance of change is at the ballot box. Giving up gives some powerholders precisely what they want – a disinterested populace.
Mark Pothier can be reached at mark@plymouthindependent.org.