Fight Philly Noise

Submitted by Fragrant_Joke_7115 t3_11315jc in philadelphia

*Posted this in Reply to another post in this Subreddit*

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I hope this can be of help because have been wanting to post this about noise in Philly in general and what to do about it. I have had success with it and hopefully others can, too.

*The relevant part of the city noise ordinance and how to enforce it is at the bottom of post.

My specific issue was with parking garages—which is still a problem elsewhere—but people don’t realize the garages are breaking the law! I’ll get back to that.

Several years ago, I had a noise complaint in Chinatown in my condo. A parking garage a few doors down has valet parking and the valets drive up and down the circular ramps all day long. So that they can go faster and not hit each other, instead of just looking at the curved mirrors to see who is coming, they honk every f’ing floor! Horrible. Terrible.

The noise ordinance for non-residential properties—for any time of day—with regard to another residential property, is not more than “5 decibels above background level” noise (with some minor exceptions, such as reasonable construction activity). So, given an average “background level” of noise (‘regular’ traffic noise, etc.), readings that regularly exceed more than 5 dbs above that are unlawful.

I found this number with the city and I *think it is the right number I called to get a noise tech/person: (215) 685-7580

I called them, and amazingly enough, a guy came out within a few days, took a decibel reading from my window, said it was definitely more than 5 dbs above every time they honk. The city sent the garage a notice to cease and desist, and if I recall they tried to ignore it at first (nice fellow citizens!), but they would have faced significant fines daily. They stopped! Haven’t done it since. God bless the City of Philadelphia.

I always hear the same ridiculous honking from the parking garages when I am on Sansom, between 16th and 17th, and always think about telling someone to call the damn City. Bad for quality of life for everyone. Yes, the city is loud, but that doesn’t mean free reign to act like idiots and give everyone a headache.

[Edit: Not something for "judicial notice"--need the city person's decibel meter reading.] Car horns are designed to interrupt and distract you no matter what you are doing, and they are super effective!

Here is number (I think, but if not they should direct you to right person)

Noise technician/person: (215) 685-7580

Part of the relevant City Code:

§ 10-403. Prohibited Conduct

(3) Sound From Non-Residential Properties. No person shall create or cause, or permit the creation of, sound originating from a property used for a non-residential purpose that exceeds:

(a) 5 decibels above background level measured at the property boundary of the nearest occupied residential property; or

(b) 10 decibels above background level measured at the property boundary of the nearest occupied non-residential property.

https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-282012#JD_10-403

Edit: Fixed phone number

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Comments

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verbeeg t1_j8ncene wrote

Play some opera to keep the valets away.

100

RayDeAsian t1_j8nlhwm wrote

My neighbor sings opera. Cool for the first day. God damn annoying at 11PM at night

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Fragrant_Joke_7115 OP t1_j8nega2 wrote

Try having a car horn honk a hundred feet from you with nothing between you and it, all day long. If you are okay with living like that, that's on you.

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OccasionallyImmortal t1_j8ni22v wrote

He was joking by referencing a post yesterday where a resident is forced to listen to opera from a nearby shop 24/7 because the business is using the music as an anti-loitering strategy.

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Moose2157 t1_j8ncoxf wrote

Amazed someone came out. Meanwhile the house next to my parents’ is literally crumbling—rowhomes, to boot—and they can’t get L&I or 311 or anyone to do anything, and this is potentially a live and death matter.

Still, glad some parts of the machine actually work.

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Animalmother172 t1_j8oio0g wrote

L&I department specifically is a hot mess (not saying that other city departments don’t have their issues). Bad upper management, poor worker retention and too little new hiring means not enough inspectors that can actually come out to enforce codes. Even other city departments have trouble getting them to help with enforcement for issues when it’s their responsibility.

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DrJawn t1_j8nw6gb wrote

Yeah I have two crumblers I can see from my back bedroom

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yzdaskullmonkey t1_j8onjp3 wrote

I was on Frankford Ave getting some wine at 5pm on Monday and a piece of the roof next door came crumbling down on the sidewalk, it's a god damn miracle no one was hurt. Literally on Frankford Ave, one of the busiest pedestrian roads in the fishtown area, right after work let's out.

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yzdaskullmonkey t1_j8onkod wrote

I was on Frankford Ave getting some wine at 5pm on Monday and a piece of the roof next door came crumbling down on the sidewalk, it's a god damn miracle no one was hurt. Literally on Frankford Ave, one of the busiest pedestrian roads in the fishtown area, right after work let's out.

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porkchameleon t1_j8nfphr wrote

The OP is the real MVP.

Because fuck all that noise, ye hear?

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Username4133 t1_j8nyp3d wrote

I had an issue with a restaurant I live by. They always play loud music outside which I was okay living with, but one night they hosted an outdoor party on the street with a DJ and had music blasting until 11pm on a Tuesday night. That night I called, talked to the manager that was working on the phone to try to work it out amicably and was told to "Fuck off" so I took revenge and it was really easy.

Instead of going through the city which is useless, go through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. I submitted the contact form and called the number on the website, and got a call back from a police officer a day later and talked to him for a while and he took care of it. Never heard another peep from the restaurant. I'd recommend documenting everything with pictures, videos, and timestamps and then let the PLCB do their jobs as they take it a lot more seriously than the noise ordinance department in the city government.

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Ragoz t1_j8nbr1r wrote

Air Management Services has an email but it never works and they will just tell you to call anyway. Glad the number works then.

There is a building near me that makes a ton of noise regularly from giant fans but there would be no way to get a reading right now with the months of construction they have been doing instead..

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WoodenInternet t1_j8oaf1n wrote

Godspeed. May the next mayor give more priority to quality of life issues like this

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sexy_wash_bucket t1_j8nfxj7 wrote

Does this apply to the ATV things as well? 1am weekends near the parkway are horrible.

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cfh294 t1_j8ngno3 wrote

AHH this same thing happens at the garage on 20th and walnut next to blue stone.

And it’s particularly annoying bc it’s at a busy intersection and sometimes I think its a driver beeping

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Pugslysparks t1_j8o1kte wrote

Question: Does this also apply to churches? I live on a main road across the street from a church who rings their bells at 8am, 12pm, 4(ish?)pm, and 6pm every single day for about a half hour each time they do it. Weekends included. What's weird is I've been living in the house for about 5 years now and they started doing it around late summer '22. They're so loud that it even drowns out my tv at full volume with me standing directly in front of it.

we wrote them an email kindly asking to stop as its disturbing at a ridiculous level but the response we got was basically a polite "Go fuck yourself"

I'd imagine with that attitude they must be protected in someway so I've just been dealing with it. But a solution to this would be heaven

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Fragrant_Joke_7115 OP t1_j8o25nt wrote

Pretty sure religious jawns are one of the exceptions under the code.

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Edit: Yep:

§ 10-403. Prohibited Conduct. 85

* * *

(13) Exemptions. 86 The provisions of this Section shall not apply to the following:
(d) Sounds lasting no more than 5 minutes in any one hour created by bells, chimes, carillons, or the human voice, or by electronic or mechanical devices that reproduce such sounds, while used in connection with a religious institution;

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JiaMekare t1_j8o4y2n wrote

Sure, but they’re describing bells lasting way longer than 5 minutes. Might be worth a shot

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Cabanarama_ t1_j8p5k2x wrote

I know this is outside the scope of your post, but you seem like the person to ask: what is the best course of action against residential properties in violation of noise ordinance? My neighbor (conjoined rowhomes) likes to start hardware jobs in the evening and carry on until as late as 11. Consistent and unbelievably loud banging of a hammer, with the occasional solo by the power drill mixed in. I have called 911 on him several times but they never send a car. Any ideas how I can escalate and get the city on his case?

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Fragrant_Joke_7115 OP t1_j8p7m2j wrote

Ya, I am really not sure. I know the realities of getting the police to respond in some situations is pretty tough.

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Cabanarama_ t1_j8p7rje wrote

Rather than the police, do you think there is a similar hotline or department that handles that kind of thing for neighbor issues? If it weren’t for this guy I think I’d live on the quietest block in Philly.

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Fragrant_Joke_7115 OP t1_j8pgsmz wrote

Ya, I really don't know. Maybe your city councilperson. Probably won't help, but if they want to look good to their constituents, they might inquire with precinct why not responding. That's all I got.

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babywithahugedick t1_j8nzqfr wrote

Idk what was causing the noise but I nearly went insane a few years ago because of a beeping noise that nobody could find the source of

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verdantx t1_j8on0ue wrote

Just FYI, I would not count on a court taking judicial notice that a car horn violates a noise limit that is relative to the noise levels in the surrounding area. That is a situation where evidence is probably required.

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Fragrant_Joke_7115 OP t1_j8p3tbj wrote

Ya, right. Definitely need the decibel meter reading. I don't know why I added that. It's just so egregious.

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ISOtrails t1_j8q2bpb wrote

Does this cover incessant ice cream trucks ?

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Wu-Tang_Killa_Bees t1_j8qcpz6 wrote

If only they took dog barking complaints as seriously

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boytoy421 t1_j8nns0g wrote

laughs in northeast Philly

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Finger_Gunnz t1_j8o57zl wrote

What’s that? I can’t hear you.

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serutcurts t1_j8rkf9c wrote

Anyone done this recently though? I am currently trying to do this for a commercial property next door to my house. The office rarely answers and when they do they say they will come out, but then no one does. Been trying since December. They are nice people though...

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DrJawn t1_j8nw4lk wrote

Cities are loud

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Fragrant_Joke_7115 OP t1_j8nwcip wrote

"Cities are loud so don't enforce laws and go honk your horn by my apartment all day long." Derp.

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DrJawn t1_j8nwyjd wrote

There is an open air heroin market, the schools blow, the streets look like swiss cheese, and there's dirt bike gangs, this is not a law I give a flying fuck about the city wasting time to enforce

They honk so they dont have a head on collision with other cars on the ramps.

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Fragrant_Joke_7115 OP t1_j8nyfwl wrote

  1. If you had someone honking their car horn outside your window all day long, pretty sure you would care. Basic human mental health issue. If it doesn't bother someone, something Is not right.

  2. Because there are bigger problems doesn't mean give up on any other positive changes. (I'd even argue it is a "broken window theory" issue.)

  3. They don't have to go so fast or honk, they just need to slow down. Honking horn all day not a sane option

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lonetravellr t1_j8o8mmy wrote

There's plenty of laws that no one is enforcing.

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DrJawn t1_j8o8sl0 wrote

Yeah, let's enforce them with priority to the ones that cause death, then injury, then financial loss to average citizens, then noisy minimum wage workers that annoy this karen

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Master_Winchester t1_j8ohdvy wrote

The people who enforce the laws about noise ordinances are not taking any resources from those who should be keeping our streets safer, schools better, or housing more available. It's not one or the other.

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DrJawn t1_j8oi4k8 wrote

This guy lives in a nice neighborhood, I'd like to see someone in Southwest Philly call in a noise complaint and have somebody show up with a decibel meter.

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[deleted] t1_j8ncvp1 wrote

[deleted]

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aintjoan t1_j8nj88t wrote

Ah yes, the inevitable "fuck you boomer move to the burbs" person who pops up in every thread where someone makes a reasonable quality of life complaint.

Cities are noisy. Everyone knows this. That doesn't mean that every noise is reasonable or necessary and it does not mean that people should be berated for trying to address it.

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enn_sixty_four t1_j8njnpg wrote

I know you're just being difficult and this is pointless but .. living under the EL (which I've done as well) is not the same as what OP is describing. Living under the EL was no big deal.

What op describes sounds fucking terrible. It's not necessary traffic beeping that happens in the city, it's not an expected train rumbling thru, it's sporadic shrill bursts of unnecessary noise...literally designed to be shrill and piercing and grab your attention.

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justanawkwardguy t1_j8nfuiu wrote

Yeah, you. And if you already do, then don't complain about city life because you don't live in the city

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[deleted] t1_j8nglqb wrote

[deleted]

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enn_sixty_four t1_j8nkn6x wrote

LiViNg UnDeR ThE fUcKiNg eL isn't the flex you think it is. I lived under the EL for yrs and it never ever bothered me. Was barely conscious of it.

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NeatMemory t1_j8o14nv wrote

How DARE we try to make the city a better place to live!!!

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