Thanks to the city of Portland for allowing a concert on public property for the public. I know it's a terrible thing for such a "dangerous burst of noise" to be allowed to assault the ears of the ferry goers for a few minutes just to allow the public to have an occasional public gathering. Perhaps the Islanders could assault the city fathers and have all such public gatherings made illegal. After all, why should the ears of a few have to be bothered for a short time just to allow so many of the public to have an enjoyable evening with an outdoor gathering.

Lighten up Arthur

Good thing you were heading for your Island sanctuary.
Next time make it a one way ticket.
So yo won't have to put up with the mainland masses.

I agree with you Arthur, the noise levels were much too high. I used a noise meter and found that the levels exceeded 95 decibels outside the ticket area which is certain to cause hearing loss for those in the audience who weren't using hearing protection. My home, which is 1/3 of a mile from the pier, was blasted by this needless noise until about 11 p.m. The city needs to set a noise limit for outdoor concerts, say 80 decibels which is loud enough for the audience to hear, but not loud enough to destroy someone's peaceful enjoyment of their home.

Andy
I don't think the emergency rooms were crowded with the people who had "certain" hearing loss from the concert.
Earplugs would come in handy when you live in a bustling city area.
Did the fireworks noise on the fourth bother you too?

It seems very unlikely that anyone who believes that they suffered hearing loss at a needlessly loud concert would head to the emergency room. This is a cumulative process and hardly requires a trip to a hospital. However, doctors are reporting that hearing losses that would typically show up in a person well into their 60s are now showing up in folks who are in their 40s. This is of course, due to exposure to loud noises including music. Also, it's good to see that some rock and rap stars, who have suffered significant hearing loss at a relatively young age, are suggesting to their fans that they lower the volume. Those who inflict their needlessly loud noise upon others have no respect for the rights of others to live in a reasonably peaceful environment.

How did you measure this "dangerous" noise, or was this a subjective interpretation?

Cell phones, traffic, construction equipment, leaf blowers, lawn mowers, a room full of kids - over time, any and all of these can cause hearing damage. Let's start by banning leaf blowers. They're just plain annoying, and probably cause global warming, too.

Here's Portland's actual code for a licensed concert:
"Sec. 4-57. Conditions; sound and noise limitation.
Any other provision of this Code notwithstanding, a licensee shall not allow the licensed activity or any other activities on the licensed premises to generate sound or noise after 10:00 p.m. that exceeds fifty (50) decibels when measured at the property line of the nearest lot containing a residential dwelling unit."

Although in the end, I have to say, "Get over it." This too shall pass.

I would certainly hope that anybody who complains about the noise of these summer events doesn't have a problem with the dollars that these types of events bring into the city's economy. We get about 20 minutes of summer in this city, by all means take advantage of it!!

Thank you for posting the code for a licensed concert.
Of course, loud music is only one of many causes of hearing loss. However, if someone left Sunday's concert with ringing in the ears, that means some hearing damage occurred.
Certainly there's a growing awareness of the hazards of exposure to loud noise. For instance, it's now quite common to see someone who works for a lawn care company to be wearing hearing protection while operating a noisy machine.

Below in quotes is information from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

"Sounds louder than 80 decibels are considered potentially dangerous. Both the amount of noise and the length of time of exposure determine the amount of damage. Hair cells of the inner ear and the hearing nerve can be damaged by an intense brief impulse, like an explosion, or by continuous and/or repeated exposure to noise.
Examples of noise levels considered dangerous by experts are a lawnmower, a rock concert, firearms, firecrackers, headset listening systems, motorcycles, tractors, household appliances (garbage disposals, blenders, food processors/choppers, etc.) and noisy toys. All can deliver sound over 90 decibels and some up to 140 decibels."

I am surprised by this. That "noise" was an artistic performance. In fact, Mr Fink is a professional photographer of choreographed performances. I am surprised that he would deny artists the ability to make a living and the people of Portland the ability to make a living by hosting such events.

Maybe it was too loud for some, but we need those revenues. These are tight times.

I would rather complain about neighbors mowing their lawns at 8am on Sundays or workcrews starting with machines at 7am.

A concert is not just a big party, but dozens of people working to make a living. Not just the musicians, but the roadies, the vendors, security, the ticket people, etc.

After 3 published letters to the editors and some hundreds of online readers comments which are exactly the same as letters to the editor; with a BA, MA and a PhD; and being born in Maine, I think I am ready for a PPH Blog if THIS kind of thing is what the PPH and Fink believe should be posted.

Son of a gun, my name and was removed from the post I made above this one!

Boo hoo hooo. A few minutes of loud noise! Oh the humanity!!!