We live on Manteli Drive and several times a day there is a
pickup that goes by with an incredibly loud muffler. I think it may
have been altered.
“We live on Manteli Drive and several times a day there is a pickup that goes by with an incredibly loud muffler. I think it may have been altered. We’ve even spoken to neighbors who are annoyed by it. Is there a way to get the police involved as this noisy pickup is now a menace to the entire neighborhood?”
and…
“Is there a limit on how loud a muffler can be on a truck? We have a small pickup on our street that sounds like a motorcycle going through our house every time he drives by. He drives by at all hours of the day and night and is loud enough to wake the kids when they’re sleeping.”
Red Phone: Dear Blown Away, Red Phone knows your pain all too well. Oh, how nice it would be to put a potato in that truck’s tailpipe.
The California Vehicle Code says no one can “modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor” and “every motor vehicle subject to registration shall be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise, and no muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass or similar device.”
But not all loud exhaust systems are illegal though, according to the California Highway Patrol, and officers are urged to make “informed professional evaluations to determine if excessive noise statutes are being violated.”
To see how the highway patrol interprets rules on mufflers, go to www.cent-21.com/laws/exhaust-us.htm. To report a noise violation, call police at 846-0300.
Queen requirements too stiff
“I am wondering why to be eligible for the Garlic Queen you have to be under 25 and not married with no kids. And why are we getting people from Watsonville, Salinas, San Juan Bautista, Hollister and Morgan Hill to compete with the Gilroy citizens? I believe it should be Gilroy people, no matter what age, married or not.”
Red Phone: Dear Keep It Local, While the Garlic Festival is held in Gilroy, it attracts people from around the country and even the world.
In order to find someone who can best represent the range of cultures represented, the festival chose to open the search to the entire South Valley. Salinas and Watsonville are not included. Yes, there are good people outside of Gilroy.
“These communities are representative of a majority of our volunteers,” said Joann Kessler, Gilroy Garlic Festival Association assistant director. “As to the age requirement, it is standard in most pageants.”
And there is the issue of flexibility.
“As ambassadors, they are asked to represent not only the Garlic Festival, but the city of Gilroy,” she said.
The association received five applicants for the Garlic Queen by the Friday deadline, three of which were from Gilroy, Kessler said. The Garlic Festival Pageant is scheduled for March 27.
Question on committee
“In the recent Gilroy Business Focus, I read that someone is a member of the Police Chief’s Advisory Committee. How many members are there? What is their purpose in life? Thank you very much.”
Red Phone: Dear Committee Cop, The Police Chief’s Advisory Committee is an invitation-only group of about a dozen local business representatives, clergy members and media representatives that meet quarterly to discuss their concerns about issues such as safety, gangs and crime trends in an informal setting, said Gilroy Police Chief Denise Turner.
“It was something that was established by the previous chief, so I picked it up,” she said. “If there is something new we are working on, I run it by them and get their feedback.”
