Perfection and Its Opposite

A few days ago I was walking on a beautiful Spring day, sunny, dry and calm, about 60 degrees. 

Light jacket weather, but for me that is absolute perfection. 

Until the brigade of garbage trucks came down the street. 

A scourge of humanity, these things. Obnoxiously noisy, in multiple ways. 

• Extremely loud heavy diesel motor
• Squeaky brakes too
• Both made worse by constant stopping and starting and never getting out of first gear - heavy trucks are extremely loud in first gear, if you recall
• Giant arm that reaches out to grab the receptacle and lift it high to dump the trash or recycling into the giant bin, and replace it back on the driveway, lid flapping in both directions - more obnoxious noise, with the grabbing, the banging, and the dumping
• Now start the whole noisy thing all over again, and louder this time, because it’s getting closer

This cacophony repeats for every house on the block, and if you happen to be out walking on a beautiful Spring day, enjoying the peace and solitude, well, that part is over my friend. 

I said, “Over!” Did you hear me?! “OVER!!” 

If for some strange reason you set out to design a vehicle and driving style to be as noisy as friggin’ possible in quiet residential neighborhoods, this would hit pretty close to the mark.