Posted by Howard Stapleton should be given a short, sharp slap in the face with a wet kipper for ever creating the tortuous sound of the “Mosquito”.
Not only is it discrimatory towards teenagers and infringes their basic human rights, but it is wildly unfair to the majority of youths who are not unruly, and also to younger children and babies who also have to suffer the following sound:
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Has the government really lost the plot? The one single time they could get something right, intervene and stop this torture, they run a mile and refuse to make the use of the device, which is programmed at a frequency which only people under 25 can hear, illegal.
The England Children’s Commissioner launched a campaign to ban the use of the device using the name “Buzz Off”. “These devices are indiscriminate and target all children and young people, including babies, regardless of whether they are behaving or misbehaving. The use of measures such as these are simply demonising children and young people, creating a dangerous and widening divide between the young and the old.”
I don’t know what’s more worrying, the fact that the government refused to listen to the Children’s Commissioner, or that when the sound gets to 18.5kHz, the frequency at which the Mosquito is operated, I can no longer hear it!
Instead, why don’t we randomly fire tear gas at people?
After all, they are both good methods of crowd dispersal, and both of them would be used in descriminatly.
This seems shocking that it can be allowed. How on earth can something like this be legal? Surely I have a right to loiter and not suffer abuse from such devices. I wonder what the outcry would be if they made one that affected old people.
Yet more age decrimination, and seterotyping. Young people = trouble. It’s not on.
Why should I suffer this sound but someone older not?
Unfair, unjust and should be made illegal ASAP!
As a side note: it was a few minutes ago I listened to the clip and I can still hear it.
Completely with you on this one Alan. In my view it’s tantamount to an ongoing *passive* assault on a huge number of the general public.
I’d like to see the legality of it challenged. I have some doubts though that the Children’s Commissioner will do anything effective.
What we need is a group action taking this to the high courts. Maybe you could speak to your friend Cllr Rehman Chishti and ask for his legal advice.
Interestingly, I heard a high-pitched sound very clearly (i.e. not attenuated) and I am aged 58. Yes, I know I look like Brad Pitt — oh no, that was James Purnell MP’s line…
Anyway, I think I see desperation here, and a classic case of cause-and-effect. The solution isn’t the right one, but can at least be “sold” to the public whose perception will be that this device selectively targets the “bad guys”.
Although it isn’t the way I’d have gone, it is really up to the youth community to show that they are not a major part of “the problem” as perceived by the public-at-large and (most significantly) the tabloid press. Only then can attention be shifted elsewhere.
The ball is currently in your court, like it or not.
John - the sound featured is the Mosquito sound, but at a frequency at which everyone can hear. The actual Mosquito is a much higher frequency.
As for us proving that we are not a major part of the problem, it is difficult because people will always continue to believe what they read in the papers - and bad news sells, so papers will always focus on the delinquents rather than us good guys.
Quite correct Alan. Most people seem to have the meia view that all young people are yobs. Until the media stop saying they are, they’ll continue to believe it.
i must say its about time something like this came out.
and i disagree with you lot as by were i live we have gangs of 20 to 30 youths all with hoods up on the street corne all aged 14 to 17 years old from 5pm till 11.30pm everynight, they are all drinking alcohol some smoking cannabis which by the way if you dont know is illegal as well, all these low life scum are known to the police but they do not have the resources to be out every night moving them on.
they end up getting drunk shouting abuse at everyone smashing up cars, houses, bottles, throwing litter, urinating up walls, and causing trouble for all.
lets blast them and get them gone so they can go home to there parents who give them the booze and drugs just to get them out the house.
i say mosquito he lot of them.