On an otherwise pleasant visit to Vancouver’s beautiful new waterfront area, my wife and I were consistently subjected to the thunder of cars and motorcycles reverberating off the canyon walls of the new buildings. People like making noise, I get it.
When I was a younger man, motor vehicles were not “street legal” unless they conformed to common sense rules designed to make roadways safer and tolerable for everyone. Lumens (headlight intensity), decibels (engine noise) and exhaust levels were regulated and enforced through regular inspections.
The decision to deregulate vehicles (whoopie!), though popular, has had predictable consequences. The new “normal” gives a green light to anyone interested in disrupting quietude, polluting the air and endangering night drivers. Our collective “freedom” to drive safely, live peaceably and breathe healthfully has been jeopardized for the freedoms of the few.
