ummm... can you turn that down?

Remember back in the 80's (if you were around back then) how the stereotypical noise pollution was some "punk kid" with a boom-box and a bright red leather jacket. The boombox was typically carried on the shoulder so that the loud music would go directly in the ear of its carrier and at that elevation, carry quite a bit further to all those in the neighborhood. This was bad (although in the 80's I was not nearly old enough to care), but at least you weren't surprised. You see some guy carrying a boom box with a dance-like swagger, you knew what you were getting. You were not shocked when you heard loud music.

However nowadays we got something worse... cell phones. Everyone has one (though I do not, so I guess I fall into the ranks of a no-one). When they first came out they were big and bulky. You had to carry them in a briefcase like thing, so there were no surprises. They were also very few in number. But then there were more of them; multiplying like a virus. Car crashes went up dramatically because of them. All of a sudden people started getting tumors in the shape of cell phones. But it was still bearable. My issues have only been in the last couple of years where now instead of ringers (ex: brrring-brrring, beep beep beep) the phones play songs. Full out songs. At first I thought it was cool. I am at fault as much as anyone else. I used to have a cell phone and I downloaded "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" theme song as my ringer. People would hear my phone ring and they would nod their head approvingly and say stuff like, "NICE!!!" "AWESOME!!!!" and "I want that ringer!" It truly was my 15 minutes of fame.

But now people have full out songs and instead of answering their phones like God intended it to be. So now I have to listen to a poor quality of a song that I really don't like in the first place! This basically is due to the fact that I was awoken on my morning commute by "Soldier Boy." There are more rants to come today!!! Stay tuned!