I’m not quite sure how I feel about the legislation covered in this story. It seems the House and Senate have just passed a bill mandating that hybrid cars get noisier.
This seems counter-intuitive to me. Isn’t traffic noise one of the plagues of modern life? If cars were silent, we could hear the birds and crickets, even a block from Union Avenue. Lovers could sit at a sidewalk cafe in Manhattan and whisper sweet nothings to each other as the traffic silently passed. You wouldn’t have to raise your voice to say something to your friend across the street. There would just be a gentle electric hum in the air.
Oh, I suppose it makes sense to protect the blind with noisier cars. But it seems an odd law to pass. I’m wondering if the actual sound will be mandated, or if different manufacturers will elect to give their vehicles a signature voice. Maybe we’ll be able to customize the sound of our vehicles, much as we pick the color now.
I want my new Prius in mocha silver and I want the Wild Goose soundtrack. Wait. No, I’ve changed my mind. Make it Cicada.
