Someone needs to invent a melodious back-up beeper. And this is the industry that can do it. If musicians had created that beep, beep, beep, instead of engineers, the world would be a better place.
Quoting from Wikipedia on the back-up beeper — “Brains are not adapted for dealing with the repetitive and persistent sound of back-up beepers, but more towards natural sounds that dissipate. When the sound is perceived as irritating or painful, it can break concentration.” Tell me about it.
Forget ringtones. A new back-up beeper would be a universal blessing some inventive artist can bestow on mankind.
I’m envisioning a sort of “Justin Beeper” approach. VT Reporter Jessica Boudevin laughed when I said that. “You mean instead of beep, beep, beep it would be ‘Baby, Baby, Baby?’”
Yes. That’s it.
My co-workers and, for certain, Surf City Project Administrator Dave Verone and project super Rami Alabbasi of Alabbasi Construction, are tired of my tirades about the back-up beeper. I became a NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) when all-night construction commenced on Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach, right outside my bedroom window. It wasn’t the crashing and crunching that set me off. You can get used to most noises, just not the back-up beeper.
Failing to convince anyone this is illegal and saddled with docile neighbors who think you can’t fight city hall and this, too, will pass, I’ve turned my nightmare into dreams of a Justin Beeper. Save the world, won’t you?
The back-up beeper was invented 50 years ago by Matsusaburo Yamaguchi of Japan. The irritating noise, blasting a monotonous 97-112 decibels, tops the list of complaints to government roadbuilders.
Sure, the Justin Beeper has to be approved by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and has to be adopted by construction companies and equipment manufacturers who won’t embrace any added cost, but consider the PR benefits. It’s a fair exchange. Not only can they silence the NIMBYs, but life as a construction crew member would be much more enjoyable.
This is not just a sleep-deprived rant, friends. It’s a much-needed service to humankind. And for the inventor of this new tune, worldwide acclaim. Any takers?
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, save the date — Sept. 13 — to attend the first gathering of RISE (Raising the Industry in Sports & Entertainment) in Long Beach, Calif. It will be a chance to learn from and be mentored by “the names behind the headlines.” Venues Today has been proud to bring you the “news behind the headlines” for more than a decade. Now it’s time for some face-to-face with the names that make that news. More information on RISE is almost in the mail.
And God grant you many years to be free of life’s b-e-e-e-e-p, b-e-e-e-e-p, b-e-e-e-e-p.