The Mosquito is an electronic "anti-teen loitering" device that emits an annoying sound akin to a mosquito buzzing in your ear that can only be heard by teenagers and people in their 20s (who still have sensitive hair cells in their inner ear).
After selling 1,000 units in the United States, the company that sells the device is now being criticized for torturing teens!
"It's horrible, loud and irritating," said Eddie Holder, 15, who sprinted from his apartment for school one morning covering one ear with his hand to block out the noise. The device was installed outside the building to drive away loiterers. "I have to hurry out of the building because it's so annoying. It's this screeching sound that you have to get away from or it will drive you crazy."
The device has roiled civil liberties groups in countries where it's in use, including England, Australia and Scotland. England's government-appointed Children's Commission proposed a ban. That group describes it as a weapon that infringes on the basic rights of young people and claims that it could have unknown long-term health effects.
The $1,500 device has also been challenged in some American cities and towns that have proposed installing it, with some criticizing the tactic as needlessly cruel.
Others, however, have praised the Mosquito:
"We'd have crowds gather in parking lots, and there'd be the usual trash talk, then you'd have fights," said Rick McGee, the school district's emergency services manager. "Now, there's no confrontation at all; they just get aggravated and leave within a few minutes."
No words on the effectiveness of the original anti-teen loitering devices, Mozart and Kenny G, as compared to the newfangled device: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/23/teen.be.gone.ap/index.html - via Boing Boing
http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/
They've got one of these outside my local McDonalds. I used to go there reasonably often, about once a week or so, but after they've installed this I can't even go near the place. It's very painful, especially when it's just one long sound rather than a beeping noise. It gives some of my friends bad headaches just to walk past it (there's about a twenty foot radius around it where you can hear the sound). And you can even hear it inside!
It seems that the companies are trying to drive away their customers! I understand that a very small minority of teenagers want to cause trouble, but what about the much greater majority who are paying customers? Why should we have to suffer?
They then gather elsewhere and beat the snot out of each other. Smart device. *rolls eyes* Solving social issues by further aggravating those with the issues isn't much of a plan, it's laziness.
Interesting.
if you want to move teenagers away from an area, just play some jazz or big band music. those that dont move are probably too docile to be a problem
like most acoustic warfare though, you just need earplugs or even closed back headphones. or a can of builder's foam and a ladder...
i think there should be an infrasound version for the idiots who install these things.
which is it?
Why should the young ever be painted all as criminals simply because they have no legal standing to fight back?
If you think about it its just a form of discrimination. If it was targeted by any other variable such as race, sexuality or religion it would be cried down; quite rightly. It would also be decried if it was aimed at old people. So aiming it at young people is a horrible idea and as far as I can see probably against human rights.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5459251
(it's near the beginning so just be patient)
I will not shop at places that have this thing installed.
Oh yeah, and then there's that health and rights things.
http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/
and couldn't hear any of the 30 & younger tones.
And I'm 20.
Whiners.
If the Mosquito doesn't deafen these kids they'll do it themselves.
/damn kids
//get off my lawn
The teens do, around my condo.
We call the cops.
http://free-mosquito-ringtones.net