Go on il start it off - The Mosquito - for or against?

MikeSz · 12-02-2008, 08:22

Been in the news this morning, I have mixed views. On one hand, I think that its a bad thing as it only moves a wider problem. On the other hand, we hear lots of talk about human rights, but never those of the innocents. What about the human rights of Gary Newlove, or the little old lady that gets beaten up outside her local shop where gangs congregate. Food for thought...

katex · 12-02-2008, 08:29

What's the Mosquito Mike ?

MikeSz · 12-02-2008, 08:32

Call To Ban Anti-Social Teenager Mosquito Devices |Sky News|UK News

Its a device that only young people can hear - it puts out a high pitch buzzing sound that is apparently vey unpleasant. Shop keepers have started buying them to put outside their shops - From their point of view, the kids vanish and the grown up customers cant hear a thing.

norwich stanley · 12-02-2008, 08:39

Thought it was a joke to start with says it is only audible to under 25s,what happens when you reach your 25th birthday...you suddenly cant hear it?

katex · 12-02-2008, 08:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeSz

Call To Ban Anti-Social Teenager Mosquito Devices |Sky News|UK News

Its a device that only young people can hear - it puts out a high pitch buzzing sound that is apparently vey unpleasant. Shop keepers have started buying them to put outside their shops - From their point of view, the kids vanish and the grown up customers cant hear a thing.

Oh yeh, remember now .. just not the name .. mmm, will have a think and come back to vote. After all, will affect the very young in prams will it not who are being taken to the shops by their Mums?

Seems as you get older you cannot detect high frequency of sound ? Having said that I have this oven, which ever since I got it has been emitting a high frequency noise ... I can hear it but brother could not, so maybe we don't all lose this.

Can it cause any long term damage to the ear drums do you know ?

harwood red · 12-02-2008, 08:43

The mosquito is all about irritating the ears so you don't hang around, hence them being used outside areas where there has been problems with youth nuisance.... it doesn't hurt...I know as although I am over 25 I can still hear them due to a tonal deficiency in my ears and being sensitive to high pitch sounds and also having intermittant tinitus..

funny thing is I can hear dog whistles too

cue jokes

katex · 12-02-2008, 08:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by harwood red

funny thing is I can hear dog whistles too

cue jokes

LOL .. yer safe HR Neil not around ...

Would think a little more research is necessary, as HR said are people with ear conditions it could affect.

Doesn't sound very pleasant at all.

MikeSz · 12-02-2008, 08:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by harwood red

The mosquito is all about irritating the ears so you don't hang around, hence them being used outside areas where there has been problems with youth nuisance.... it doesn't hurt...I know as although I am over 25 I can still hear them due to a tonal deficiency in my ears and being sensitive to high pitch sounds and also having intermittant tinitus..

funny thing is I can hear dog whistles too

cue jokes

They put the sound on Radio 4 this morning and I could hear it - my dad who was with me however couldnt. Im 28 so I'l be quite pleased if it means my ears are still in good fettle!

Anyway - I think there is a danger if they are available to the public at large - anyone could stick them on the front of their houses like burglar alarms (and we know the trouble they can cause!). I do think however that if a shop for instance has had a track record of problems with gangs hanging round (and in my job I get to know all about it) then they should be able to apply either to the Police or local authority to explore this option if appropriate.

I do however worry that its a much larger problem.

flashy · 12-02-2008, 10:36

anything that tries to tackle the bad behaviour of the youth today is a bloody good idea to me

cashman · 12-02-2008, 11:06

dont think enough research has been done into this device, how it affects babies,people with hearing disorders,etc, also think that the people who come up with these ideas,seem to be accepting nothing else can be done, i can never accept that. think if punishments were severe enough,there would be much less need for them,the bottom line is punishments need to be adequate for whatever crime is commited, if that was focused on,i feel sure it would have the support of the majority.

blazey · 12-02-2008, 11:41

I think its stupid to say you can put an age range on hearing certain tones. I remember when I was younger there was this constant beep i could hear, very faintly and really high pitched. I used to think it was natural to hear the noise and one day there was a news paper report saying the beep had finally been stopped and those who could hear it would finally be able to sleep. I thought it had been absolutely normal to hear high pitched beeping lol.

Also, it reminds me of the dog collars you can get that beep so high pitched that only the dog can hear and its meant to shut them up.

jambutty · 12-02-2008, 12:04

This is yet another example of the outdated Victorian attitude of punishing the whole class for the sins of the few.

Although the problem of youth is growing year by year the miscreants are still a small proportion of the total. For every yob hanging around a street corner or a shop doorway there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, that are not.

So yes this device should be at least regulated but preferably banned. In any case it just moves the problem to somewhere else. But then that is also a sign of the times – “if it doesn’t affect me I’m not bothered” is the current attitude.

Youths will still congregate around shops etc and stick an iPod in their ears to drown the mosquito noise. And as was reported this morning some enterprising person has arranged this noise as a mobile ring tone. So now they can get messages in a classroom and the teacher will not know because s/he cannot hear it.

The real problem isn’t that they hang around places but WHY.

blazey · 12-02-2008, 12:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambutty

And as was reported this morning some enterprising person has arranged this noise as a mobile ring tone. So now they can get messages in a classroom and the teacher will not know because s/he cannot hear it.

The real problem isn’t that they hang around places but WHY.

Assuming the teachers are over 25. I have had at least once teacher under this age at high school, college AND university. So it wouldn't necessarily work

the developers of THAT idea obviously haven't thought it through very carefully.

Besides, its far easier to risk your phone vibrating than a silly high pitched noise that the teacher might hear.

I like the idea of punishing all in some cases, and in this one, nobody should be hanging around outside the shop so it doesn't matter if it punishes all. As somebody else mentioned, the effect on babies needs to be looked into, as some people still leave their prams outside shops if the shop is too small/doesnt allow prams inside.

I've never bothered to stand around outside a shop, that was never my thing. I don't know any shops where anyone still does it. In ossy most young people seem to hang around at the war memorial and the benches near the co-op, and both these places are not ideal for the mosquito, and so doesn't solve any problems in Oswaldtwistle.

Back to the drawing board

BOB · 12-02-2008, 12:54

There are about on a average 70 young people go to the new era youth club on a good night they start waiting outside at 6 00 clock it opens at 7 they go in pay 25 pence for football cyber space pool watch dvds and by 7 30 they are all outside in the rain saying they are bored

Less · 12-02-2008, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by blazey

I think its stupid to say you can put an age range on hearing certain tones.

It's not stupid, it is a true fact, as we all get older the ability to hear higher frequencies diminishes.

This 'device' however should not be allowed to be used in public places, if the noise generated by it effected older people rather than 'the yoof', there would be public outcry, it is punishing all the young for the misdeeds of a minority which isn't supposed to be the way our country conducts itself.