Loitering teens can’t be drowned out

Teen-repellent. It may sound like some bizarre invention from a bad science fiction novel -… Teen-repellent. It may sound like some bizarre invention from a bad science fiction novel – but sadly, it’s all too real.

Yesterday’s New York Times contained an article about the latest brand of repellant, the Mosquito. A small device, the Mosquito emits a pulsating frequency so high-pitched that it is only audible to younger, more sensitive ears. Its inventor, Welshman Howard Stapleton, designed it to keep teen-agers from loitering outside of convenience stores.

This is only the latest weapon in the war on loitering; some businesses use blue-tinged “zit lamps,” which highlight skin imperfections, to embarrass acne-prone teens away from their parking lots and storefronts.

Unlike the lights, though, which only make kids blush, Stapleton’s Mosquito can either annoy them or prove physically painful, depending on the decibel level. Also unlike the lights, which would barely be noticeable to people just walking in and out of the store, the Mosquito will likely be an annoyance to non-loiterers.

The Mosquito is supposedly inaudible to people over the age of 30; those 20 and over may or may not hear it and those under 20 can almost always detect the pitch. That means that more than simply a group of bored high-schoolers will feel the urge to stay away from “equipped” areas.

Many convenience store employees are teen-agers; will they be subjected to an unpleasant noise while they work, or if they choose to spend their breaks outside?

Plenty of customers, too, will be under the age of 30; this is not a soundtrack they will want to spend their money listening to. Imagine a 25-year-old mother and her infant walking into a convenience store; if noise-sensitivity is strongest in youth, young children will be among the worst victims of Mosquito-like devices.

Dogs, whether seeing dogs assisting blind people or just average household pets tethered outside while their owners run in for a gallon of milk, will also be negatively affected.

Mosquitoes located in denser commercial areas might also pose a problem for neighboring businesses, whose owners would be unable to control the noise. A coffee-shop or outdoor cafe near a device could lose significant business if the noise spreads to its doorstep.

It’s understandable for stores to want to discourage loitering; a gaggle of teen-agers blocking an entranceway is rarely good for business. Using noise to keep them away is not solving the problem, though, but rather shifting it elsewhere.

There is a lack of safe, public space for people to spend time in. This is a problem that needs to be dealt with on a large, international scale. Exploiting the sound-sensitivity of young people is not a good solution, though; it merely takes the convenience out of convenience stores.