Dear Editor:
I have been visiting Osoyoos now for 20 years since my parents moved here and now myself for almost two years.
One thing I have noticed is the steady increase in noise. I had approached the town looking for information regarding the number of bylaw tickets that were issued in the last year.
A total of 185 tickets were issued and none for noise from motor vehicles.
Current bylaws state that motorcycles shall not exceed 85 dB. There hasn’t been a single ticket issued for motor vehicle noise issues at all, yet they have this bylaw that exists but is not enforced.
I also went to the police station asking for records of motor vehicle offenses, but just like at the town, the resources of information were limited.
In fact the police detachment noted that they don’t even have decibel meters.
From my chat with the town hall, they seem to have no interest in keeping the noise pollution to reasonable levels.
It’s time that the town was forced to enforce the bylaws they have created.
Instead they choose what they want to enforce and ignore what they don’t. This in itself is rather hypocritical, as they seem to only be concerned with by laws that affect the town in their favour.
Walking down Main Street as a group of Harleys drove down the street and a child had his hands over his ears saying to his mother that his ears hurt because of the noise the bikes were making. Cars are just as bad.
We need to take action to at least get the levels and attitudes of people with these machines to realize that this is a community they are visiting and need to be more respectful of the residents.
Dave Black
Osoyoos, B.C.
Whatever. This is a tourist town, get used to it.
What’s more disturbing are the amount of locals who treat stop signs as a suggestion. It really is ridiculous. Although speaking of the biggest offenders cyclists are the worst. They do understand that they’ll lose every time, right?
Get over it, you must own a bike or car with open pipes.
If the owners stopped revving their vehicles while sitting in traffic just to look cool would help. Our stop doing burnouts. Yes there are a lot of dumb ass drivers here, I can’t believe how many never use signals, drive too slow or too fast. It’s a gong show here and it needs to be enforced.
Nope, everything I own with 2 or 4 wheels is stock. Although come to think of it my Yamaha scooter has an aftermarket exhaust but at 125cc it’s hard to compete with the Screamin’ Eagles.
Although you’re quite right, it’s bad enough getting around in this town when it isn’t tourist season and much of that can be attributed to the fact that it’s always senior’s season. My gawd, if you’re no longer capable of doing 80kph then it’s time to hang up the keys. Then again much younger drivers bearing Alberta plates seem to suffer the same affliction. Did I mention that recently a little old lady in a Buick backed into my truck? Stereotypes don’t invent themselves.
In regards to enforcement that would require our local RCMP to actually get off their collective butts and into their cruisers. I keep saying to my wife that if any of our local RCMP vehicles ever go to auction I’m buying them. They probably have lower miles than that little old lady’s Buick.
Our beautiful valley attracts more tourists than just families. I moved to Oliver ten yrs. ago not far from the highway. I hear what you mean. Unfortunately, our police are so short of officers, they’re obliged to attend more important cases first. Basically, all of them. If we can suck it up and wait, those 8 weeks pass, and the place is mostly ours again. Although I noted this year was so much quieter, probably due to the smoke. I’d say the usual Harley traffic is about 6 times this year’s.
I was born and raised here, we have always welcomed many different people and activities, including Hydroplane races…that was noise ! But only for a few days. I am a female, I ride a Harley Davidson and was actually told by an RCMP to get louder pipes. Why ? He witnessed a person who nearly killed me, what did that driver say…I couldn’t hear the bike beside me !! Sometimes there are reasons to be a bit louder, it can save your life !
That’s a ridiculous thing for a Police officer to say. You were almost killed because of a poor driver, not because your pipes were too quiet! My god!
The point being we may be a tourist town, but we still live here and should have the same rights as anyone else does in a different city or town!
And it’s illegal to purchase a install aftermarket pipes for road use, assuming they are designed as a high performance muffler rather than OEM or a step up.
The noise versus cubic inch size of motors is ridiculous!
I like the bikes and cars but it’s too much, that’s why these bylaws were made but most of you forget back in the 80’s and 90’s how hard it was driving around with noisy exhaust without getting a ticket.
Ring any bells??
This is our town and it’s time out “GUESTS” have more respect for our community.
Obviously not true. If there was any truth to that, RCMP motorbikes would be equipped with extra loud exhausts, for the safety of the officers who drive them.
I think every vehicle should be equipped with extra loud exhausts. Imagine how safe our roads would be! We would all hear each other, and pedestrians would hear cars too. Life would be perfect.
Good points on the noise. Any loud-bike drivers care to provide data on how many more Goldwing rather than Harley riders were killed because of quieter bikes? If so, you have my attention. Loud pipes and leather. My kids call it cosplay, whatever that is.