Letter of the Day | Party for some, nuisance for many

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Monday, August 7 should have been a day of festivity, family reunions, and outpouring of joy and pride as Jamaica celebrated another Independence anniversary.

This was true, I am sure, for thousands of Jamaicans, but the citizens of Discovery Bay got the short end of the stick from a cacophony of unrelenting noise, gridlock traffic, and an invasion of the community that left people marooned in their homes and subjected to a bombardment of monstrously amplified sounds emanating from the huge music boxes set up on Puerto Seco Beach for one of those mega holiday dancehalls that should have no place in the centre of such a small town.

The vehicles and the crowd that brought all movement to a standstill kept us locked away in our homes, unable to host visitors, unable to pay visits, unable to seek medication, unable to move and keep any of our holiday appointments.

We are appealing to the operators of the beach, and to the police and to the municipal corporation, and those who grant entertainment licences, to understand that Puerto Seco is too central to accommodate such a huge party with its bestial sounds in the middle of the town and surrounded by homes. This was an ordeal that should never be allowed to happen again. If it does, be assured that the citizens will be considering appropriate action.

Functions like these should be kept out of town and in remote areas where they do not provide a public menace to citizens.

After putting up with the sounds for three hours, I eventually had to seek escape, apologise to my guests, and run for cover, retreating to a quiet location as far as Montego Bay where I held down for hours until I considered it was safe to return.

We hope that operators and party organisers will learn to show respect for our residents whenever next they plan their seasonal shout outs, eliminate the noise, limit your invasive numbers according to specifications, and allow us all to share in the good times.

EASTON STREET

Discovery Bay PO