Since this topic is being brought up, I'll share my 2 cents.
I lived in my estate for more than 20 years. Before 2005, there
was no such thing as using an hand held air horn for karang gunis.
They are very hardworking as they go down floor by floor asking for
newspapers. And there was no lift upgrading yet until 2006 where
there are lifts stopping every floor. Many of them are old and
elderly but hardworking and considerate. I like their sing along
karang guni pharse as it was pleasant and not noisy at all.
However from 2005 onwards, I got my first irritation from this
hand held air horn blasting early in the morning in 9am. I was
still a student so I was studying for my exams. That day alone, I
have at least 8 to 9 karang gunis blasting the horn for just a
morning alone, affecting my studies at home. From that day onwards,
I knew that this is going to be a new urban nuisance if this trend
continues. So everyday, at least 6 to 8 of such inconsiderate
people come and blast these horns everyday. Worse, in front of my
block is a big open car park. When the karang guni man blast
the horn at the other end of the car park, the echos are also very
noisy.
In fact every day, it seems like a continuous disturbance.
Different one will come one after another. You may say that they
only horn for a few minutes but it is very irritating when you stay
in the same place, home, and one after another, hour after hour
that these people come and blast their horns. Some even go to the
extreme of walking the second round around the area to blast their
horn again. There is even one that is worse, just in a weekend
morning alone from 9 am to 12 noon, he can come back again and
again to the same place for 4 times! Obviously they are not doing
their business but just want to create a din that they are here and
let everyone know they come. Most of the times, they don't even
come with a trolley and always go back empty handed and yet knowing
that no one wants to do their business, they still come back
everyday, every week to blast that irritating horn.
Some can just stand there and horn and horn and horn. Imagine he
is standing right below your window. How noisy it is. Some horn in
a way that it is loud and continuous, some even use their hand to
cover the opening and horn to make it louder. You can imagine all
these different kinds of people coming in just a morning alone, how
noisy is just a few hours in a morning. Some just walk outside your
corridor to and fro and keep horning.
Some main karang guni contractors hired many runners to help
them, so the number of karang gunis, with their hornings increases.
I don't understand why are they doing their business this way. But
hiring more people to come to the same place for business and blare
the horns repeated over the different hours on the same day, isn't
it a very inconsiderate act? After all, this is a residential area,
not a market. We pay to live in a place where at least we can have
peace with our family from our hectic workplace. Why are these
people allowed to make so much noise using these air horns without
controlling them?
I always rebutt their answer that they are making a living. So
those people living in HDB no need to make a living? They don't
need to rest on weekends? Then how about those work on night shifts
like cab and bus drivers, factory shift workers, no need to sleep?
And babies and old people, no need to sleep and nap? How about sick
people resting at home? If the older generation of karang
gunis can go floor by floor asking for old goods, why these newer
generations who are fitter and younger cannot do it? Why do they
have to be so inconsiderate and come everyday to blast the airhorn?
Older generation can go floor to floor, so why these people are so
lazy and because of their laziness, hundreds of HDB dwellers have
to bear all these noise pollution all these years?
I am not condemning them, of course if they can just shout for
their business instead of keep on blasting the stupid horn.
Moreover, my estate already has lifts stopping very floor, so why
don't use them? Already so good life with such lifts, as the older
generation ones have to carry piles of newspapers using the stairs
since the lifts before the life upgrading stops at 1, 6 and 11. If
they are doing their business without making too much noise, then
fine. But if they want to use the air horn and come everyday and
blast, then they should be banned.
It was in 2006 that I finally cannot take it that in
the end, I have to write a complain email to the Town Council. Then
I was working night shift work. I really needed my sleep but all
these people keep on coming every hour in the morning. How to
sleep?
At first the Town Council put up "No Horning" signs around the
carpark areas, but these people simply ignore them and continue
blasting their horns. After that I called in the police for help.
They said that they will get rid of those foreign and illegal
workers working as karang gunis. The number of people blasting the
horns decreases, but not the frequencies and new people came in
again. So I called the Town Council and police again for help and
then people go, new ones come in again, frequency still the same
and everyday. And this cycle occurs again and again till present.
Although I have changed my job, but these people are affecting my
weekends.
By 2008, I was so fed up that I decided to bring NEA and HDB
into the picture. At first NEA was quite hestitant although they
agree that this is a noise pollution until I wrote a letter to one
of the heads of NEA, then they decided to do something. Meanwhile
the police, Town Council and NEA keep pushing the responsibilty to
one another.
Police says that Town Council and NEA can only tell them to
stop.
Town Council can only advise them to stop which does not help as
they will come back again. so they only hope that NEA can only come
up a ruling that the Town Council and Police can use to stop these
people from creating this noise pollution.
NEA simply push the responsibility to the police and Town
Council. This got me so fed up and I wrote a letter to this
big shot in NEA, asking him to help me solve this noise polltuion
problem. Now NEA deploy officers to check on my area once the
frequncies of such noises are too much. Town Council did their part
by advising them to stop when they see them but it doesn't help
much since some of them are very stubborn.
Now the situation finally has some improvements, now only up to
4 of such blaring noises for the whole day but it is the same old
stubborn people who come everyday, even without business. I am
still working with the authorities to stop these people from using
the air horn. But there is still these few stubborn one who refuse
to cooperate.
Don't think that these people are friendly people, in fact, some
even want to challenge you a fight when you tell them to keep
quiet. There was one occasion that I went down and that guy behaves
like a mad man, then challenge me to fight. "Not happy, call
police", then keep on purposely horn even louder. I called the
police and the police ask him to go away. I was damn angry that
time but it will be stupid to beat him as the police will blame the
one who throw the first punch.
Another stubborn one (till now) still thinks that he own the
place, keeps on coming and blast the horn loudly like nobody's
business and purposely stroll very slowly to prolong the din. And
sometimes comes 3 to 4 times just in a morning. Went down to talk
to him to be considerate but he act like a gangster, tell me "Is it
your business?" in Hokkien. Even Town Council officer who talked to
him many times (but he just don't want to cooperate) describe him
as "aggressive". One fine day, I am going to nab him with the
police and take down his particulars and submit to the NEA and
summon him for causing a nuisance and noise pollution here.
My complains doesn't end here, as these people keep on bring so
much noise here everyday. I had already wrote 3 emails to my MP
from 2009 onwards and they are looking into the matter, according
to the Town Council officer who worked with me for the past 2
years.
I'm not all out to ban the trade of karang guni and make them
out of business but they should do their business in a way that do
not disturb people peace and quiet at home. Enough is enough. We
already have so much noise from the traffic, constructions,
committe events, and other residents, why do we have to bear
another noise from non residents who just smply wants to do
business and make money? And I am not the only one complaining
about this. In fact over the years, there a a number of complains
on this urban nuisance in the newspapers and internet. We are also
human and want to make a living and want to rest in a peaceful and
quiet place like home. If not, where else can we go and rest
quietly? HDB estates is a residential area, not a market place for
people to come everyday and "pok pok pok pok pok". If you want to
make so much noise, then go away. I really do hope that NEA
will come up a ruling one day to stop the usage of hand held air
horns in residential areas, but karang gunis can still come and do
their business, either the traditional floor to floor method or
shouting.
To TS:
I advise you to highlight this problem to the Town Council and
NEA. Describe to the officers in charge the frequncies that these
people blare their horns, day and time, and how they look, their
clothings and the vehicle they drive, if any, and the license plate
number. Call the police also. Just be persistant.
Also highlight this to your MP also personally or email. Once
there are too many complaints about this, I think the government
will intervene and stop this urban nuisance.
But I advise you try not to go face to face with them in case
they might get aggressive. If they purposely want to provoke you,
stop them if possible and call the police and let them handle.
Don't let them get away and let the residents get bullied and bear
their inconsiderate acts just because they act fierce.
