If the May 5 cruising were a silent event, it would excite considerably less neighborhood fury. Of course, environmental degradation from noise is a year-round problem. The congestion and density of city life make some noise unavoidable, which is all the more reason to limit unnecessary or discretionary noise. Loud motorcycles, barking dogs and excessive stereos all need to be controlled in order to maintain a decent quality of city life. The thunderous stereos and continuous horn-honking that characterize the May 5 cruising acutely degrade the weekend experience around Federal.
Respect is a two-way street.
The desire to spend a quiet weekend at home is no less respectable than the desire to show off cars, flirt, see friends, have fun, etc. More likely, this behavior conveys something between thoughtless selfishness and a deliberate wish to provoke. The same question may be asked about the profuse littering, trampling of gardens, public urination and so forth that always attend the Federal Boulevard cruising. None of this is anything to be proud of. Perhaps the city should encourage it to evolve into something closer to a parade.