It's 3:00 a.m. on a Friday night in Faro, Portugal. If you happen to awake at this hour there are two things you might hear. First a sound that can be heard just about anywhere you might live, the sound of barking dogs.
I consider myself fortunate, because where I live, it's a faint faraway sound; others tell me it's right next door. The other sound will wake you, even if you happen to be in a happy dream state, it's the sound of a motorcycle or scooter's revving engine.
This startling noise is so loud it will not only wake you, but also trigger that facial tick you developed a few years ago. And if your dog was sleeping, he or she will wake up as well.
There are of course occasionally other sounds that might give you a jolt day or night. For example an ambulance siren, a police car on a chase, trash pick-up at 2:00 a.m., an airplane directly overhead, emergency water main break construction, and other sounds we have come to accept, as they are necessary and unavoidable. But a revving engine or backfiring muffler, is this a noise we should all just accept?
In May of 2023, the Diário da República (DR) published the obligation to carry out inspections of motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles with engine capacity above 125cm3, as well as trailers and semi-trailers. The law came into force starting from January 1, 2024. Unfortunately, muffler silencers can be attached prior to inspections and then later removed.
I apologize that I cannot lay out statistics for you. How many motorbikes are on the road on any given day? What hours are the worst? What are the ages of the owners of these bikes, etc.? What I can share is speculation, observation, and what I'm told when I ask around. Firstly, the culprits are almost always teenage boys. Due to the average sleeping pattern of a teenage boy, you probably won't hear this particular noise between 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.; if you happen to be a napper, this might be a good time to take your nap. You might also get a reprieve between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. when these young men might either be eating, drinking, gaming, or making out with someone. I know I am assuming a lot here, but we are talking about teenage boys.
Yes, yes, we were all young once, true enough. But there were a few factors preventing this from being a problem in my day. For one, nobody under 25 years old could afford a motorbike. There were drag racing aficionados and gang fights, but those things happened in large empty lots or out-of-the-way places.
One Saturday when I was worn out from a lack of sleep and so angry I was seething, I approached an off-duty police officer acquaintance at the gym. I politely asked him if I could talk shop. Portuguese people in general tend to be very accommodating and quite honest. I explained the problem while he nodded and listened.
"Yes, yes," he said, "this is a big problem in Faro."
I said, "Why don't the police do anything about it?
He shrugged and shared a few of his personal theories. The one theory that stood out was this:
"Many of the officers have young sons, they just choose to ignore it with their own kids, and everyone else's as well."
This may be a question of parents picking battles; this being a battle that is way too difficult to fight. There are additional factors as well.
Let us not forget that Faro has a very popular and widely known motorcycle club. Young people experience envy and delight as they witness these beautiful bikes paraded throughout the city. Still, to be fair, it is not the members of this club that are riding around revving their engines and deliberately back firing their mufflers.
In 2021, a fatal motorcycle accident occurred on a major street in Faro. The driver had attempted a wheelie and a 17 year old girl was killed. Motorbikes could not be heard on the streets of Faro for several weeks after the accident; unfortunately teen memory muscles quickly forgot the dangers of motorbike tricks on the road, and the noise resumed.
We are living in a time when many concerns are keeping us awake at night. This common practice adds to sleep deprivation. Shouldn't we be asking ourselves why this cultural norm is acceptable, or tolerated day or night?
A Call to Action
- The police can stop motorbikes that are obviously breaking the law.
- Parents of teens who are aware of muffler manipulation, can discipline their children.
- Those who are impacted by the noise can complain to the police. Perhaps with enough complaints, something can be done.
- The Faro Motorcycle Club could relay a message about the revving of engines and muffler backfiring to their members and on their Facebook page?
- Speed bumps on residential roads that are long enough for motorbikes to operate at high speeds?
I have attempted to contact the Faro Police Department by email, however, they do not reply.
C Papagni - Resident of Faro
Photo courtesy of Depositphotos.com
