Some Kwik-E-Marts yell at loitering kids. Some play opera. Some threaten. Some call the cops. Some resign themselves to the scourge. Some have a more positive attitude and embrace their place in the community. And some...
In Swindon, Wiltshire, England, a device has been installed which emits a high-pitched mosquito-like whine. It's called, appropriately enough, "the Mosquito". It's supposed to be audible only to under-25s, is really irritating, and gets more irritating the longer you listen. Or so claims this BBC story.
Does it work? Well, listen for yourself. (Loop the mp3 for the best effect.)
I'm just under twenty-five and I can indeed hear the sound. I suspect I will still hear it in a year or two. And it's annoying, it must be admitted, but not much more annoying than listening to an Animal Collective b-side. However – would it keep me away from a parking lot, were it being blasted 24/7? Absolutely. Ab-so-lutely. For the love of god, please turn it off.
