Remove Carnival from Woodbrook

THE EDITOR: The residents of Woodbrook now bear the brunt of the impact of Carnival activities (ie fetes, shows and the two days of the Merry Monarch) through incessant noise from exceedingly loud music; masqueraders in J’Ouvert bands who deface property walls; and disk jockeys who blurt out instructions to masquerades at decibel levels even above the already loud music (while the truck is at a standstill outside of homes for at least 30 minutes).

The effect of this pounding outside of our homes from J’Ouvert through Carnival Tuesday is a form of terrorism by those who do not reside in this area and who fail to empathise with Woodbrook residents.

We have met many times over the years with our parliamentary representative, mayors, NCC chairmen, and local government representative. In addition, complaints have been registered with the EMA and the police to no avail. To whom do we turn to get relief and respect for our residential community?

Carnival needs to be returned to the city centre and restricted to the main streets such as Ariapita Avenue, Tragarete Road, Western Main Road, Wrightson Road and the foreshore. J’Ouvert specifically must be banned from the residential side streets in Woodbrook, St James and St Clair.

The combination of paint, oil and mud is deliberately used by masqueraders to deface walls that were freshly painted at Christmas. In addition, masqueraders urinate on our walls, throw litter (bottles, cans and other stuff) into our yards and generally show scant regard for residents and their properties.

A simple request to a DJ to turn down the music is met with derision and curses and the music is turned up several decibels louder.

Woodbrook residents are law-abiding and consequently we do not block roads and set fires to get attention. It would be interesting to see the response if this was to happen in either the gated or fancy residential areas of Trinidad.

Responses to our complaints include: “Woodbrook residents should get ear plugs;” “They should move out for Carnival;” “You are only complaining now but when you were involved in Carnival you did not complain;” “You people do not like Carnival.”

The truth is Carnival in the past was centred in downtown Port of Spain and crept into the Woodbrook residential area along Tragarete Road and Ariapita Avenue. The impact of noise was not an issue as steelbands and brass bands never generated the level of noise to be considered a nuisance.

However, the advent of the music truck, the deejay and modern technology has exacerbated the noise problem. Carnival fetes must be barred from residential areas or be required to comply with noise restrictions. So too the music truck on Carnival days.

Residents of the western part of Woodbrook are not against the Socadrome. However, we are against the exit route from the stadium onto Hamilton Holder/O’Connor Street to get back to Ariapita Avenue. The big bands with their four or five music trucks get stuck on the street on the way to the Avenue and the resultant bombardment from the loud music is detrimental to both the health of residents and to homes.

The exit route from the stadium should be back along Fitzblackman Drive to Ariapita Avenue or back along Wrightson Road to Ariapita Avenue by way of Colville Street.

The people of Woodbrook ask all who disrespect residents and the community at Carnival to put themselves in our shoes. We also ask the authorities, whose assistance we have sought over the years, to finally and comprehensively address this issue.

ALBAN C SCOTT, Woodbrook