Loud, louder, Pimkie: Beschallungsfrei names Acoustic Polluter of the Year 2008

19.12.2008

With peak values of 87 decibels, the Pimkie chain’s downtown Linz affiliate came in with the top noise level, making it the runaway winner of the 2008 Acoustic Polluter of the Year title.

“According to Austrian federal law, proprietors of a workplace in which the noise level is 80 decibels or higher must make hearing protection devices available to employees working there, and wearing such protective devices is mandatory when the noise level is 85 decibels or higher,” stated Peter Androsch, the initiator of Linz09’s “Hörstadt–Acoustic City” project and spokesperson of Beschallungsfrei – The Campaign to Stamp Out Acoustic Pollution. Beschallungsfrei has declared war on incessantly bombarding people with noise in public places ranging from the supermarket meat counter to public toilets.
The 2008 Acoustic Polluter of the Year title has been awarded on the basis of the results of noise level measurements conducted by professional technicians at 30 shopping centers and retail outlets in downtown Linz as well as at the Plus City, Uno-Shopping and Haid Center malls. This year's dubious honor goes to Pimkie, a clothing retailer located at Landstraße 28. There, testers measured a peak value of 87 decibels and an average sound level of 77 decibels. Even the lowest level measured was a speaker-thumping 72 decibels!
Calling attention to the shop being singled out for recognition in this way is a billboard temporarily set up in front of its window display. Management receives an official certificate and a trophy in the shape of the Beschallungsfrei logo—an ear pierced by a big nail.

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