Negril deserving of a night's sleep
published: Monday | May 31, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I see only certain people deserve the right to a good night's sleep. The police enforced the Noise Abatement Act and ended (bravo!) the Heineken Startime 16 series in Negril at 2:30am, some half hour grace beyond the statutory cut-off. But the law enforcers are extremely selective in the areas where they enforce this law.

What about those areas in Kingston notorious for sound systems to be turned on full force when the setting sun glows orange over the horizon and fizzle only when dawn threatens. Aren't those areas worthy of law enforcement too? The law was enacted to ensure residents are not bombarded in their own homes with noise too loud and continuous to curtail sleep. But it seems Negril with its potential for tourist dollars is a far cry from the small communities and ghettos of Kingston and the folks in Negril are more deserving of the simple right to a night's sleep than the average Joe of any small Kingston community or ghetto.

The latter is destined to add sleep deprivation to the already long list of things that will send him to an early grave. Shape up, law enforcers, play your part and lead from the top down; because if you are lax so will the citizenry be too, for lack of direction.

I am, etc.,

JACQUELINE HINDS

jhinds@stblaw.com

New York, NY

Via Go-Jamaica