What noise gets on your nerves?

Is there a certain noise that makes your hands reach for your ears? Is it a sound that you cannot stand yet someone else loves? Describe it using words.

The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) in Kenya has compiled a noise regulation plan with the aim that government may consider it for legislation.

Noise laws and ordinances vary widely among municipalities and indeed do not even exist in some cities.

Some city dwellers complain about the traffic while others find loud music and late-night partying unbearable. And some say church congregations are far too loud.

Use the written word to creatively describe what noise pollution means to you. Send us your aural descriptions, poems, stories and verse.

---

Thank you for your comments. This forum is now closed. Read a selection of responses below.

What noise grates me? The sweet, intoxicating, falsetto voice of our beloved island favorite, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole... being blasted from my neighbour's house for hours on end every Saturday morning. Apparently my neighbour only likes one of Iz's songs and he likes it loud and on repeat. Also, loud motorcycles and cars make me angry! I have yet to get the license plate of the guy who speeds past my parent's place everyday in a pickup truck with a Harley gang under the hood. I think it's tragic to be sitting in our backyard, surrounded by lush tropical trees, watching all sorts of birds flying by, and then being given a heart attack by the sudden explosion coming from that single vehicle.
Isaac, Honolulu, Hawaii

My alarm clock - bleeeurgh!
J, Nottingham

I hate loud music and religious noise especially in Lagos, Nigeria. Both Christians and Muslims make me go mad from the way they blast their loudspeakers anytime of the day, like God they are parying to is a deaf God.
T Jawando, London, England

There are 3 sounds that I react on:
One is hearing bones break. Like, when I'm whatchin tv n' see someone breakin his/her arm I, for some reason reach for my arm to feel its still intackt :P..
Two is hearing a fork or a knife slide uppon a plate . makes a chill go down my spide.
The third noise is the sound comes sometimes when a teacher or so is writing something on a blackbord/whiteboard.. You know that sound "kriiik" from the pen or the crayon...
Hussein Musse, Falkenberg , Sweden

The screech of the tennis shoe on playing synthetic surface is the most horrible and unbearable noise. My reaction to the noise is similar to the feeling of drilling teeth without anaesthesia. The most soothing is the rustling of tree leaves, with the music of water flowing in a natural rivulet.
NG Krishnan, Bangalore, India

Most aural manifestations of the modern world are vile. Particularly annoying in London is the so-called music emanating from the MP3 players of people on public transport, especially teenagers who are travelling for free on London buses. In fact, I simply no longer use buses for this reason, and do my best to avoid public transport in general.
Fraser Bailey, London, UK

People who find it necessary to talk in a flat note and with a croak in their voice. Excruciatingly awful to listen to, especially on radio.
Bram, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Well, well, I do believe that belching is annoying or rude in the western culture. While this is a taboo in the western culture, Africans take it as satiation. Of course a stomach full will let out gas, which is a result of enzyme action. In an African context, those around the one that belches will feel jealousy. Does this also contribute to noise pollution? Yes, I digressed a bit with something quite silly, but real in the real life situation. Now let us get real with the growing African cities that are sprawling with squalor slums. Those slums are noisy at times because of its niche of commoners who share common fate (poverty + alcoholic beverages + perhaps prostitution + crimes of varying degree = noisy slums). How about industrial machinery noise that are in those suburban locations? How about the garages that do not meet western garages. The exhaust pipes with busted mufflers? You name it... are African cities cope less with these hopeless noisy elements?
Isaac Vukoni, Ottawa, Canada

I usually jump from bus to rain from train to metro when I go to and fro work and home. One night I missed a metro so I had to wait for the next one in the station. It was too quiet. I like it when it is quiet. Suddenly I heard noise which sounded like old shutter rolled up or down. I couldn't believe my ears cause the noise was generated by the advertisements which roll up and down in the multitude glass windows in the station. It was not the magnitude of the noise volume that surprised me. What surprised me was that I used to think that those advertisements which are all over the city were the only soundless things in the city because the other noise dwarfed them to the extent I can not hear them in the day time. This is proof which shows how much we are exposed to noise.
Mitiku, Norway, Oslo

Noise pollution to me includes:
Christmas songs played at full blast starting in September.
Neighbours singing Karaoke very loudly and very badly.
Dogs barking all night.
Roosters crowing at 3am.
Prayers played over the PA system in the local supermarket.
Hearing the Eagles Song 'Hotel California' 10 times a day.
But, that's life in the Philippines so I grin and bear it.

Matt Meeking, Puerto Princesa, Philippines

Un-silenced engine exhausts, Screeching tyres and one note bass. Summed up in two words? Boy Racers!
Caracallac, South Dublin & West London

Nails on a chalk board just irks me!
Gaella, Montreal, Canada

1) Dripping Tap at night
2) a phone ringing in the middle of a lecture
3) neighbours lawn mowing on Saturday mornings(I know they got to do it, but 7am is too early for a Saturday morning
4) my boss (shrill voice, speaks on top of her voice, constantly)
Sarah, Sydney, Australia

The noise of people eating (especially while talking) is the most aggravating assortment of sounds to me. The scraping of the fork on the plate, the muted clacking of teeth, the rubbery grinding of food, and the swallowing noise which the English language thankfully cannot describe all make eating at a restaurant or having a family meal almost impossible.
James, Simcoe, Canada

The fashion in Ethiopia these days is for the churches and the mosques to get the loudest possible speaker money can buy and turn it on to the maximum during worship time (no matter what time of day or night it is!) one really don't need to go to church or mosque anymore. I always thought those who believe go to their place of worship to here whatever their priests have to say and those who want their peace and quiet stay at home and enjoy their life. I sometimes wish there was a device that could release sound waves to take out the sound waves coming from undesirable sources. The world would have been a real peaceful place.
Gram, Koln, Germany

My co-worker flips through stacked pages of paper all day long, and the sound of flipping pages is the most annoying sound ever. It's far worse than the jack hammering outside from all the construction. I had to get noise cancelling headphones and listen to music so I can't hear it as much. Each time I hear it I want to punch a wall it is so annoying so I just have to turn up the volume and damage my ears to preserve my sanity.
Steve, USA

I certainly hate it when trains pass through the city centre. The noise they make is extremely irritating, especially in the early morning hours of the day.
Paul, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

I absolutely hate the sound of someone loudly smacking or cracking chewing gum. I grew up with strict table manners - chewing is always to be done with a closed mouth and no talking while chewing - so not only does this sound annoy me but I also find it extremely rude. I would rather hear fingernails on a chalkboard then someone chewing gum.
Catherine, St. Louis, USA

The sound of two cars hitting each other. It can keep me up for a while at night until I can shake it off.
Angela, USA

High pitched "squealing" type noises are the ones I can't stand. Here's a head scratchier of a situation. In the Chicagoland area (where I live) we have a ordinance where all trains entering or leaving the city and surrounding suburbs MUST sound their horns through all intersections, even in the middle of the night. I have to agree with NJe-Suah Beyan, the sound of a child's laughter has to be the most uplifting and joyous sound in the world.
Shannon McDonnell, Palatine, Illinois, US

People smacking their food in their mouth I almost expect them to start mooing afterwards.
Eni, Ann Arbor MI, USA

I work on a trading floor and the noise of the turrets (trader phones) ringing incessantly is the most annoying sound in the world. It's 5pm, the desk is closed, stop calling!
Quintessential New Yorker, New York City

I just returned from Ghana last month. In fact Ghana should be ashamed of themselves for the pollution being created. Environmental and noise altogether. At this point I will only write of the noise. Cars are running without exhaust pipes that creates a loud noise. Churches are allowed to hold all night vigils from 10pm to 4am, with their speakers blasting loud while others are in bed. I ask why use speakers to pray to God in the night? God is not death. I think they are rather annoying God. The moment you annoy someone you annoy God. They should try to do something about it.
David Aku, Sterling Va, US

I hate the sound of someone sharpening a knife or the constant bark of a dog. These sounds just drive me up the wall but my favourite sound of all would have to be silence. At about 4am the serene silence that exists... the perfect sound happens to be nothing at all.
Kendi, Canada

The noise of a chalk screeching on a blackboard... it hurts. But the annoying voices of so many politicians, that is pain that digs all the way into the soul.
Andres, Bogota, Colombia

People who sneeze with their voice. My mom always screams when she sneezes. I always tell her that it's totally unnecessary. You don't need to use your voice when you sneeze. Just let the air out.
Adriano da Mata, USA

The sound of a whiney woman is very irritating it makes me roll my eyes.
Alex, Canada

I find the "screech!" of a bottle cap when dragged underfoot against a cement surface rather unsettling to the point where I have to grit my teeth and close my eyes tight.
Tito

l really hate people who yawn and talk at the same time. You better decide to yawn and say nothing at all or say everything and not yawn at all. It's so unbelievably irritating.
Farai, Toronto, Canada

I live between a busy London roundabout and a railway line. Traffic, alarms, sirens, trains - none of it bothers me in the slightest. But the sound of next door's television has me reaching for the ear plugs. There's something about hearing a sound, but not being able to make out the words that I can't stand. Traffic is simple: it's noise without meaning.
Katya, London

Unexpected and unnecessary blowing of a car horn disturbs my ears and the burst of a car tyre is very scary, especially so when one comes from a war-torn country. Guess what, I went into hiding on 4 July (America's Independence Day) while visiting the US, upon hearing the sound of a fire cracker. I said to myself, don't tell me that war has followed me. My friends killed themselves with laughter and after regaining my normal self and I told them I thought it was the sound of heavy machine guns. I love to hear the laughter of children. They don't worry a bit about anything. Their laughter is so reassuring!
NJe-Suah Beyan-Livingstone, Monrovia, Liberia