We Stink!

[Argabarga]

Relayed to me by the towing manager (TM) as I wasn't there when it happened.

TM is minding his own business at the dispatch desk when he notices an argument is going on out in the parking lot, seems that someone has taken umbrage with one of our drivers over who-knows-what.

TM motions for the driver to send the complaining guy inside, and he does.

Guy walks up to TM and demands that TM keep our trucks out of his neighborhood from now on and if he sees us drive through there just one more time, he's going to call the cops on us.

Why?

Because some of our drivers are speeding? no

Because they're driving recklessly? no

Is it a private street or we're somehow driving on his property? no

The reason is because he doesn't like the smell of diesel exhaust.... and we're "stinking" up the place.

TM tells him that our trucks pass yearly emissions requirements, and that diesel engines are just going to smell a bit, that's how they are, and if he has a problem with that he needs to write his congressman and have them toughen up the regulations about how many PPM of sulfur is allowed in diesel fuel oil, because that's where the smell comes from, other than that, there's nothing TM can, should or will do about that "complaint" It's illegal to idle a diesel vehicle curbside for just this reason, but, once it's in motion and doing its, you know, job, then that's just part of life my friend, and you also chose to buy a house along a main street, which anyone in the public is allowed to use at any time, that includes tow trucks, and it's not our fault that 55 people were dumb this week and parked in places we had to drive by your house to get to. Be lucky you don't live by a railroad track if diesel offends your olfactory sense so much.

Complaining guy stomps out, threatening to call the cops on us once more.....

I've heard of people who buy cheap houses next to major airports and then complain about the noise, but I never thought that same flawed thinking would ever be applied to us.... should have known better.

[Marmalady]

I've heard of people who buy cheap houses next to major airports and then complain about the noise, but I never thought that same flawed thinking would ever be applied to us.... should have known better.

Same kind of people who move out to the country, buy a house next to a farm and then start complaining about cocks crowing, manure smells, getting their car held up on the road by tractors, stock being moved....

[Merriweather]

Wow, the attitude - all I can think of are those bumper stickers "As a matter of fact, I do own the road". Seems he believes that one.

[drunkenwildmage]

I've heard of people who buy cheap houses next to major airports and then complain about the noise, but I never thought that same flawed thinking would ever be applied to us.... should have known better.

Same people they buy property next to a race track, and then force the track to close, because they have the nerve to race cars there..

[sld72382]

Same people they buy property next to a race track, and then force the track to close, because they have the nerve to race cars there..

Kinda off-topic, but Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ has had to deal with this for quite a while now. I think the judge told the snobs, "The track was here first" and that shut them up.... for now.

[siead_lietrathua]

Same kind of people who move out to the country, buy a house next to a farm and then start complaining about cocks crowing, manure smells, getting their car held up on the road by tractors, stock being moved....

oh so you meet our neighbour?
he complained about tractors going by. mom just kinda looked at him, blinked a few times, and said "this is a business. we have work to do."

[Sapphire Silk]

We have the same problem locally with the landfill. Seems we should truck the garbage out of county rather than use it.

I remember moving to the country and smelling the stink of hog manure in the fields the following Spring. Whew! Nasty. But I realized that moving to where I did was my choice, and I should have known this is the kind of thing I'd have to deal with.

So I dealt. And after a couple of days, I didn't even notice it anymore.

[Argabarga]

Memory Jog: About 8 years ago, there was a restored pair of WWII bombers (a B17 and a B24) that came to town here as part of a traveling air show. Stayed the weekend and made a bout a dozen flights, even took some passengers.

I was standing on my front doorstep taking video of the Flying Fortress on one of it's laps around the area when the person across the street came out and asked me if I was planning on joining her in filing a noise complaint against said aircraft.....

I just looked at her funny and went back inside

Yeah, 4 radial engines at throttle are fairly noisy, but this is by no means a common thing you sour killjoy....

And the National Guard helicopters on maneuver make much MORE noise and come through MORE often, so what was your point?!

[Shalom]

Be lucky you don't live by a railroad track if diesel offends your olfactory sense so much. .

To a railfan, that's perfume...

Same people they buy property next to a race track, and then force the track to close, because they have the nerve to race cars there.. :

We lost an airport because of that. Flushing Airport, just east of La Guardia, was a general aviation facility. Some genius decided to build a bunch of 6 story apartment houses right at the end of the runway (ensuring that planes always had to take off at full throttle to clear them), and then complained about the noise that resulted. The airport was shuttered, and wound up turning into a swamp (so of course now it's wetlands...) but wasn't taken off the books for many years, because it still had reserved air lanes that would have reverted to LGA, thereby bringing back the noise they were trying to get rid of in the first place.

Kinda off-topic, but Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ has had to deal with this for quite a while now. I think the judge told the snobs, "The track was here first" and that shut them up.... for now.

Same thing happening in that part of Joisey with the proposal to reinstate commuter rail. Guys, you do realize that track has been there since 1861, right?

[MDLackey]

We lost an airport because of that. Flushing Airport, just east of La Guardia, was a general aviation facility. Some genius decided to build a bunch of 6 story apartment houses right at the end of the runway (ensuring that planes always had to take off at full throttle to clear them), and then complained about the noise that resulted. The airport was shuttered, and wound up turning into a swamp (so of course now it's wetlands...) but wasn't taken off the books for many years, because it still had reserved air lanes that would have reverted to LGA, thereby bringing back the noise they were trying to get rid of in the first place.

Thanks Shalom, I've lived near Flushing for over 20 years and never knew there was a Flushing Airport. Just Googled it, I was always curious what was behind the NY Times building whenever I drop by the 678. Good to know.

[Sonoma]

I was standing on my front doorstep taking video of the Flying Fortress on one of it's laps around the area when the person across the street came out and asked me if I was planning on joining her in filing a noise complaint against said aircraft.....

I just looked at her funny and went back inside

Coming up in a few weeks is our local airshow. I'll have the USAF Thunderbirds going right over my roof. Will I complain? No...I will revel in every minute of it.

[RangerJake72]

diesel exhaust stinks????
been running diesel trucks for 5 years, not to mention they're all parked 100 feet from my house, hardly notice the smell, or the noise

[LillFilly]

Reminds me of one of my boyfriend's mom's neighbors selling a brand new house in the woods they'd bought less than a year ago. The reason? 'The woods are too dark!'

Also reminds me of the hotel I worked at had a trauma center heli-pad right across the street from it. Heaven forbid they have to make a landing, because we actually had guests DEMAND compensation for the noise. You had to drive by the thing to get here, don't tell me you didn't know what it was for!

[wolfie]

We lost an airport because of that. Flushing Airport, just east of La Guardia, was a general aviation facility. Some genius decided to build a bunch of 6 story apartment houses right at the end of the runway (ensuring that planes always had to take off at full throttle to clear them), and then complained about the noise that resulted. The airport was shuttered, and wound up turning into a swamp (so of course now it's wetlands...) but wasn't taken off the books for many years, because it still had reserved air lanes that would have reverted to LGA, thereby bringing back the noise they were trying to get rid of in the first place.

I'm surprised the apartments were allowed to be built, since an existing airport should have restrictions on the deeds of neighbouring properties governing the height of buildings allowed (after all, a tall building at the end of the runway is a hazard to navigation). When the SOBs forced the closing of the airport, the operators should have taken it off the books right away, specifically to have the air lanes revert to LGA as soon as possible. After all, if people don't like the noise of a Cessna 172, they'll LOVE to hear 747s taking off over their home.

[EricKei]

Be lucky you don't live by a railroad track if diesel offends your olfactory sense so much.

Ironically, some of our MOST expensive housing adjoins the railroad tracks, the cemetary, or both.