Hamilton council wants police to blitz ‘toxic masculinity’ muffler noise

Knuckleheads. Yahoos. Toxic masculinity. This is how Hamilton city councillors describe aficionados of window-rattling muffler noise.

I guess they feel like it allows them to flex both human muscles, mental muscles and vehicular muscles, which is very unfortunate," Coun. Tom Jackson said Wednesday.

Jackson received unanimous support to ask police to crack down on excessive vehicular noise through blitzes this summer and fall.

It's grating upon many people's nerves, anxieties, quality of life in neighbourhoods."

The request will go to the July police services board. It also asks municipal law enforcement staff to explore a possible partnership with police to tackle the phenomenon.

City licensing director Ken Leendertse said it's police's responsibility under the Highway Traffic Act to pull over vehicles and issue tickets for excessive noise, but there may be an avenue for municipal law enforcement, too.

Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, who wondered if it makes drivers of cars with amplified mufflers feel more of man," said he has fielded several complaints about thundering roars on Golf Links Road.

They got out there and drag race ... They just shake the buildings as they go by."

Coun. Maria Pearson likened the ear-splitting din to gunshots down the street on any given night."

Jackson credited police for silencing thundering mufflers in Waterdown and on the Mountain during blitzes in the summer of 2013.

He linked deafening mufflers with street-racing knuckleheads," who seemed to have found their moment with the lighter traffic caused by the coronavirus slowdown.

Coun. Maureen Wilson agreed. The reason these yahoos are doing what they're doing is because there are fewer cars out there."

A blitz would also help address pollution, Coun. Nrinder Nann said. Not only is it addressing toxic air; it's also addressing toxic masculinity."

Coun. Chad Collins urged a crackdown" on mechanics who do the volume-pumping work - including a home-based operation in his Ward 5.

But don't lump motorcycle riders with booming exhausts for safety reasons in the same category, Coun. Sam Merulla said. Not all noisemakers are created equal."

Teviah Moro is a Hamilton-based city hall reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: tmoro@thespec.com