ALARMS give audible, visual or other form of warning or signal about a problem. Alarm devices are often outfitted with a siren. Sirens are loud acoustic devices used to alert people to emergencies. In the case of household and car alarms nothing could be further from the truth.
Alarm devices may be a silent alarm: the police or guards are warned without indication to the burglar, which increases the chances of catching him or her.
The purpose of an alarm may be to frighten. Household alarms only startle unsuspecting neighbours and scare dogs into barking or whining mode.
An alarm may cause fear but it’s primary purpose is to warn of danger. Household alarms do nothing of the sort. I have yet to see anybody respond to a neighbour’s alarm. What burglar alarms actually do is interrupt sleep and aggravate because they are set off by anything except burglars at any time of the day or night.
Rapid response security companies are that in name only. Ringing alarms broadcast the fact that nobody is home and the security companies are not responding. This is surely an invitation to burglars.
The purpose of this letter is to advise alarm owners that they are causing disturbances and that they need to show some consideration for others and request security companies to derive some method for switching these unnecessary and noisy devices off promptly. Alternatively silent alarm devices need to be installed.
We live in increasingly noisy times but I suppose a request to the blue light brigade using Swartkoppies Road to exercise a little self control in the unnecessary use of sirens at any time of the day or night would also fall on deaf ears.
A sleep deprived grumpy old man
