Monday, May 05, 2008

Spain is the noisiest country in Europe

and second only to Japan in the world.

According to a study conducted by the  school of Ingenieros Técnicos en Telecomunicaciones, nine million Spaniards work with noise levels above 85 decibels; ten decibels higher than that set by the Ley del Ruido in 2003.

It isn't just in the workplace that people suffer though. Traffic (particularly motorbikes and trucks) contributes 78% of the noise in cities. The study also found that type of bricks used in construction didn't help reduce noise levels between neighbours.

The Spaniards seem to accept noise as a way of life. Apparently less than 8% of those that suffer from high levels complain.

Up here at Villas Andrea, things are usually peaceful during the week. It is at the weekends when the motos, the quad bikes and the cars tear up and down to the Pedrera that we suffer most.

Mind you even the loudest moto doesn't compare to the fireworks. When we first heard them, we thought war had broken out. We rushed to the roof solarium to see what was going on. Now we just turn the television up a little louder.

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