And no-one thought to lend them another CD?

I popped down and asked politely if they'd mind changing the music, but they must have identified me as the female enemy and refused.

Generally people are pretty good if you ask nicely.

We supposedly have a map on noise, but I don't think it works. Marshall Day has put one together for the square to project the noise impact from the proposed Big Screen.

I've been told Laneways was managed so that it was 85db at the perimeter of the square. According to Marshall Day mapping, it should have been between 56 and 66 when it reached my building.

According to my reasonably accurate iPhone app it was 83db outside the building.

They were having a picnic. Myers Park makes a pretty good sound bowl - I reckon there would have been a minimum of 200 apartment dwellers sharing in the joy.

All credit to the council, after some sympathetic giggling (they could hear it over the phone), noise control was there in 10 minutes.

Feel free to contact me about the city, Christopher - I've been here 8 years now. Us long term residents sometimes feel a bit forgotten about, so it's grand you're looking into it. If we want the 'world class vibrant city' people are always banging on about, we need to have people living long term in the city. Very excited about the new supermarket on its way.

I guess one of the things that really irritates me is people saying "If you don't like the noise you shouldn't live in the city". Like it was a suburban idyll up until the Laneways festival, and now we're just wanting to ruin your fun.

I regularly deal with noise of a level that would have suburban residents running for the phone. In 8 years I've only once called noise control. The movement for Father's Rights had the Crazy Frog CD on repeat outside my window. Loudly. Very loudly for two hours. And they wouldn't turn it down when I asked them nicely. Generally you accept a bit of noise from time to time and you deal with it or move to the suburbs.

Having said that, we have bylaws that govern noise just like everyone else. Higher than the suburbs, and allowing for six events a year that blow them out the window. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect these to be adhered to.

I also think it's reasonable that we're freaked out that the council now wants 52 of these events a year rather than 6. Especially as these noise events are located right next door to a district plan identified 'residential precinct' in the city.

"Noise levels in the Central Area are not always compatible with residential activity. One of the purposes of the Residential Precincts therefore is to provide a choice of location for those people seeking a quieter residential environment".

Monday's event broke the council bylaws in duration and no one seems to want to acknowledge this. I want Laneway in the city, but I don't want its equivalent every weekend.