Doesn't this strike you as plain old prejudice?

[LAS14]

The kind of thing we're trying to teach our children to avoid? Philadelphia is broadcasting irritating high pitched sounds in their parks at night to drive away people 25 and under. Presumably older people can't hear them. The target is vandalism and other unwanted behavior.

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/10/739908153/can-you-hear-it-sonic-devices-play-high-pitched-noises-to-repel-teens

I've heard of stores and malls broadcasting classical music to drive away loiterers. Somehow that seems more OK, more tied to a smaller group and their actual behavior. But maybe not. Of course it would make me hang around...

What do you think? Is high pitched noise OK? Is classical music OK?

[MineralMan]

1. It's certainly something like it.

Public parks are public places. Denying use of those public parks to some of the public is wrong. Targeting a specific age range and annoying that group is definitely an ageist thing to do.

Is it illegal? Probably. Equal treatment under the law. Will someone take this to court? Probably not.

As for the malls and stores, they are private property, so their use of annoying music (to some) is legal. If they want to drive away potential customers, they are free to do so. I'd say to them, though: "Today's loiterers are tomorrow's paying customers. Think before acting."

[jberryhill]

2. "Public parks are public places"

Not after 10 PM in Philadelphia they aren't.

These are the Philadelphia park rules:

https://www.phila.gov/departments/philadelphia-parks-recreation/about/rules-and-regulations/

A 10 p.m. curfew exists throughout the parks and recreation system.

Your suggestion that it would be actionable to stop the use of the noise system to keep people out of a park during hours when no one is allowed in the park at all, is ridiculous.

I don't think Philadelphia is unusual in closing its parks at night.

Are the parks in your area open all night? Let's have a look:

https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks__destinations/parks__lakes/

Hours for parks are 6 am-midnight in developed areas and 6 am-10 pm in undeveloped areas. See Ordinance PB-2-33 for more information.

The city could put up fences and gates, and lock the parks up at night, but that would be prohibitive. The sprawling Fairmount Park in Philadelphia is the country's 22nd largest urban park.

I don't see the difference between a fence and a sonic barrier. Nor do I see any problem with a system that operates to discourage trespassing in the park when it is closed.

[MineralMan]

5. Well, I don't live in Minneapolis, but in St. Paul.

Our parks are open until 11 P.M. You have a point about closing times, of course.

Since everyone is prohibited in the parks when they are closed, there wouldn't be an issue after closing time.

[jberryhill]

3. The parks are closed to all of the public after 10 PM

But in Philadelphia, Parks & Recreation defends its use of the Mosquito, saying the devices are operational from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. only, and they're just one part of an overall anti-vandalism strategy that includes fences and gates, security cameras and night watch staff.

No one has a right to be in the parks in Philadelphia after 10 PM.

[Sherman A1]

4. Years ago I would play classical music at my desk

I was a Grocery Store Receiver and my desk was too often the hang out place for folks screwing around and before the advent of cell phones it was a place to use the phone away from management's eyes. The Classical music tended to drive people away unless they really had business there and worked out for my needs.