When Natalie Fischer was 15, a police officer pulled her over in Miami for blaring music in her car.
The now 21-year-old UF advertising senior said she didn’t get a ticket, and the police officer let her go with just a warning.
But starting Aug. 1, Gainesville residents won’t be so lucky.
The Gainesville Police Department will soon begin to enforce the sound issue against vehicles with loud stereos.
After a warning, fines will begin at $271 and increase to $521 after a third warning, according to Ben Tobias, GPD Public Information Officer.
The change happened because of complaints from students and Gainesville residents.
“It’s a college town,” he said, “but there’s a mixture of people who live and work in the city who don’t want to be disturbed.”
Noise ordinance violations include anything that disturbs a person’s normal sensitivities and exceeds the 200 feet from the property line, according to the Gainesville Police website.
The most common noise complaints are loud parties, barking dogs, construction, power tools and loud stereos, according to the website.
Fischer doesn’t remember the song she played when the police pulled her over but said it was something by the Strobes.
She said she has mixed feelings about the newly enforced law.
“To some extent it’s good,” she said, “but people should also be allowed to play their music the way they want it.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 7/17/2014 under the headline "Sound violations enforced"]
