It may be annoying, but at least it’s no longer discriminatory.
Earlier this year, city staff installed a gadget, known as a mosquito device, which emits a high-frequency tone that is irritating to listeners and can produce headaches.
At the time, the frequency was set at a level which could only be heard by people under 25 years of age, clearly making the assumption that it was primarily young people vandalizing downtown property. This is because the ability to hear high frequencies usually deteriorates with age, so older folk would be immune to the annoying effect.
It was hoped this would help curb damage to both public and private property by discouraging people from being in the downtown area at late hours. The gadget does have a feeling of Big Brother, as it is an irritant to law-abiding citizens and criminals alike. Taxpayers and business owners, however, do not want to constantly be on the hook for cleaning up the work of vandals.
Council’s decision to continue using the device, but with the frequency set to a level that is audible and disturbing to people of all ages is a much better choice.
Instead of tarring a specific group of society with the brush, it paints us all as potential criminals. It may be a sad comment on society, but at least we’re all being treated as equals.
-Salmon Arm Observer
