Demanding a $400 apology for enduring U2
Most of the nearly 100,000 people in the Rose Bowl last night seemed to enjoy the U2 concert.
So did most of the people in the neighborhoods surrounding the Arroyo Seco, with some having outdoor parties to take in the show's audio at least.
It was indeed very, very loud, very far away.
At least one homeowner wrote the Rose Bowl and the mayor and copied me and didn't like it at all. In fact, he's demanding retribution. His letter, taking out his name and a few identifying details, follows:
My wife and I have lived (near the Rose Bowl) since 1982. This is about 1/2 mile from the stadium. We value the Rose Bowl and appreciate that it often makes good efforts to keep the operations of various sporting and entertainment events as unobtrusive as possible. Something went terribly, terribly wrong last evening (10/25/09) however. Even though we had our double-glazed windows and doors shut, the sound from the U-2 concert reverberated within our home making it hard to talk, impossible to ignore and impossible to sleep. We called the police, the Rose Bowl operating company, the local councilmember, and the mayor' office to request help -- all to no avail.
It is my opinion that allowing the speakers to be placed up so high and operated at full volume was the origin of the problem. The sound was not confined to the interior of the stadium as is usually the case but went off to the surrounding homes. Although your company wrote that a "sound check" would be done, we did not hear one and so were totally unprepared for the awful and truly frightening level of sound that intruded into our home from about 7:15 p.m. to about 11:45 p.m last evening.
This was about 4 hours of painful and frightening noise which scared us and upset us.
As a result of your negligence and nuisance my wife and I demand four things:
1. A written explanation and apology for the noise;
2. A promise that this high positioning of speakers such that the sound can escape will not be repeated;
3. A payment of $400 for the emotional distress caused by your nuisance and negligence; and
4. This payment may be made as a donation to the Pasadena Humane Society in our name if you notify us that it has been made.
Comments
LOL .. Yeah, good luck with that.
Posted by: james626 | October 26, 2009 8:14 PM
What an idiot, too bad.
Posted by: James Dean | October 26, 2009 8:15 PM
Scared them? Geez! I was annoyed that I couldn't hear anything where we lived - had to walk up Grand to the Colorado Street Bridge before I could hear anything. Mind you, I want $400 compensation from Charter Cable because our internet went down just as the concert started so I couldn't watch it live on YouTube.
Posted by: Cliff | October 26, 2009 9:36 PM
Great man for wanting the money donated to Humane Society. Valid complaint, shame on Rose Bowl.
Posted by: Elaine | October 26, 2009 9:40 PM
Oh, James Dean that sucks. Time Warner came through and it was fantastic watching the stream on YT.
Regarding the poor dear in the hills, my, my, sir, what would you do with yourself in real
discomfort? You even felt scared! Good job on the tizzy fit.
The Rose Bowl has nothing to be ashamed of. We are blessed to have this wonderful stadium and the rich history in our community. There are always going to be complainers. It is just a disappointment to actually see it.
Posted by: Lysette | October 27, 2009 12:30 AM
Oh, James Dean that sucks. Time Warner came through and it was fantastic watching the stream on YT.
Regarding the poor dear in the hills, my, my, sir, what would you do with yourself in real discomfort? You even felt scared! Good job on the tizzy fit.
The Rose Bowl has nothing to be ashamed of. We are blessed to have this wonderful stadium and the rich history in our community. There are always going to be complainers. It is just a disappointment to actually see it.
Posted by: Lysette | October 27, 2009 12:32 AM
Get off my lawn!
Posted by: U2 Rocks | October 27, 2009 7:45 AM
I was there, but it was my choice to be there.
Much as it their choice to live there.
There was a soundcheck, but it was barely audible outside.
Posted by: gecko | October 27, 2009 8:51 AM
Hey idiot...sound check was done.....just deal with it....moron
Posted by: Sherman | October 27, 2009 9:12 AM
WTF...You bought your house next to the Rose Bowl...what did you think, that because you live there now, the venue would be silent. Maybe you should have planned to be out for the evening. That is the price you pay to live in that exquisite neighborhood. You really have nerve to ask for $400 after the City and Bowl paid to mitigate the impact on the neighborhood for security, traffic and parking control, etc. Maybe it's time to move!
Posted by: Rob Ramirez | October 27, 2009 10:33 PM
I was at the concert and the music finished before 11.45pm - I know because I was home in La Crescenta by then! This wasn't just a rock concert but a global event that reached out to seven continents AND the international space station with a message of hope, love and connection to our fellow man. Sorry if it kept you up but we were making history and you were part of it.
Posted by: jan fox | October 27, 2009 10:38 PM
Wow, listen to the "hope" and "change" and "compassion" just oozing from the pores of the concert-goers !
Ha, ha, ha.
Part of the contempt directed toward residents who live near the Rose Bowl emanates from the fact that those residents can afford to live in a wealthy neighborhood---and as we all know, many people in this world simply resent rich people.
However, "rich people who live in nice neighborhoods" are just as entitled to reasonable peace and quiet as everyone else...regardless of what slogans the Marxists come up with.
The fact is, the particular set-up of U2's stage and acoustics was the problem.
As the plaintiff correctly writes, it was not structured to attempt to be contained within the stadium---rather, by virtue of the set-up of the stage & acoustics, it was amplified outward.
As much as it amazes (and angers !) the naive concert-goers to hear this, there are actually strict specifications for Rose Bowl events, including curfews, noise levels, frequency of events, etc.
That's just typical of civilization.
Likewise, the city of Los Angeles enforces specificiations for concerts at the Hollywood Bowl and Greek Theatre, since they are also adjacent to residential neighborhoods.
I see that someone suggested the residents ought to have planned to be out that evening, however, for working people, it was actually a "school" nite---meaning, there was a workday the following morning.
Some people have to get up early. You know, so they can work hard to produce revenue to pay for all of the entitlements being handed out by the state. After all, about 45% of the nation does not even pay income tax to the IRS---therefore, Uncle Sam is realllly depending upon productive rich people to carry the weight of the tax burden.
And not every "rich person" can afford to employ an army of tax lawyers to shelter their money from the tax collector, as the members of U2 do.
Posted by: Working for a Living | October 28, 2009 12:37 AM
To the poster 'Working for a living' - I am not a "Marxist" and have good friends who live in lovely homes in Pasadena. I have absolutely nothing against anybody, rich or poor. I have worked hard all my life - don't make assumptions and take that chip off your shoulder.
Posted by: Jan Fox | October 28, 2009 8:49 AM
U2 is the absolute worst. No wonder all the donkeys went.
Posted by: Spelling Champ | October 28, 2009 10:00 AM
Jan Fox,
What are you talking about ?
I didn't make any assumptions about you.
Maybe you should reconsider your holier-than-thou overreaction and recognize that I was specifically responding to the commenters who were whining about people living in nice homes in the Rose Bowl area.
By the way, you say that "history" was being made, therefore, everyone should just appreciate that.
If you believe rock concerts are that important, well, that's your issue.
However, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was also making "history."
Should everyone have just sat back and been relaxed in their reaction to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, simply because it was "history" ?
Ha, ha, ha.
Seriously.
Posted by: Working for a Living | October 28, 2009 11:39 AM
Dear Working for a Living:
That's a really stupid analogy.
Posted by: Teacher | October 28, 2009 12:48 PM
Dear Teacher,
No, it's not a "stupid" analogy---it's a very OBVIOUS analogy.
Jan Fox clearly established that since the U2 concert at the Rose Bowl was "history," and that since we were all "part" of it, we should all therefore be grateful to experience it.
Ok.
But since experiencing "history" is the premise, then I can name a great number of historical events where being "a part of it" was neither an enjoyable experience, nor was it justified.
The Pearl Harbor bombing is one of them.
That does not mean that the U2 concert = the bombing of Pearl Harbor, rather, it means that the premise of "experiencing history" is the common denominator.
After all, being a part of "history" is the premise which Jan Fox established.
The ultimate bottom line is that the specifications for a concert at the Rose Bowl were violated.
And no awesome songs or speeches about "hope," "change" or "compassion" can alter that fact.
Posted by: Working for a Living | October 28, 2009 4:33 PM
'Working for a living' trots out this tired old assertion that someone's wealth is a good measure of their productivity. I'm about to inherit a sum which, on investing it, will roughly double my income. Will I suddenly become twice as productive? Twice as valuable to society?
Wealth begets wealth. Some people have the need to rewrite this as some sort of meritocracy.
And entitlements get handed out to people in all categories--not just the undeserving poor.
Posted by: liberal codger | October 29, 2009 8:32 PM