As I pulled into a parking space on Circuit avenue in Oak Bluffs a few weeks ago, I heard loud music emanating from the large, shiny, black SUV next to me. Much to my surprise, there was no one in the car. The doors were locked, the engine was running, and the radio was blasting — I assume for the benefit of passers-by. Otherwise, why would someone impose his music on the rest of us? Such entitled behavior is becoming more common, even on the Vineyard. I once encountered an empty auto, radio blaring, on the ferry. Then there was the empty car parked in a spot for disabled persons at the Vineyard Haven Post Office with motor running, windows wide open, and ear-splitting rap music on the radio. I took the liberty of turning both the ignition and the radio off.

As a former New Yorker, I am well acquainted with noise pollution. On the New York city subway, for example, it’s impossible to find a place to sit or stand without experiencing a cacophony of sound emanating from other people’s earbuds. It is not the sort of behavior I associate with the Vineyard. I may be hypersensitive to other people’s noise when it invades my space. But why would anyone inflict his music on the rest of us when he isn’t around? Perhaps some noise offender who reads this letter can enlighten me.

Caroline Baum
West Tisbury