Helicopter Noise!!!! (San Diego, Nice: crimes, homes, salary)

[tande1n5]

I'll never forget the time that I heard the choppers announcing a missing child... after going ahead and feeling bad, we learned the next day that he was asleep the entire time, and the parents were just too stupid to look under the covers in his bed.

[D. B. Theunissen]

I have just moved to San Diego. I have lived in cities all over the world. Cape Town, South Africa, Wolverhampton, UK, Chicago, Il, Philadelphia, PA, Minneapolis, MN, and so on.

Yet the first night I was here I was astonished by the helicopter noise. It seemed to be right over my house! It came back every 15 minutes or so religiously! It woke me up, prevented me from going back to sleep, and 'dsiturbed the peace' and my enjoyment of San Diego.

So I question that 'this is how it is in cities!'. I have never had this experience before. It seems way worse than a flight path.

This morning is my day off and I went to have some quiet time on my balcony! This time, the helicopter was going round and round my house in small circles. It went on and on for almost an hour! It was hellish.

Does the advantage caused by police helicopters in any way compensate for this 'police state' feeling and the disturbance of the peace for law abiding citizens?

I don't believe so. I am astonished that San Diegans are not insisting on curtailing this annoyance to only absolutely necessary intervention, and when the helicopters are just doing surveillance, they should be forced to fly much higher and use magnifying viewing equipment.

This has definitely negatively affected my enjoyment of what I thought was going to be a great city in which to live!

DBT

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by D. B. Theunissen

Does the advantage caused by police helicopters in any way compensate for this 'police state' feeling and the disturbance of the peace for law abiding citizens?

I don't believe so. I am astonished that San Diegans are not insisting on curtailing this annoyance to only absolutely necessary intervention, and when the helicopters are just doing surveillance, they should be forced to fly much higher and use magnifying viewing equipment.

San Diegans created it by not funding enough police to handle the city.

[sammitem]

The military shows a lack of respect for the residents here so why should the police be any different. It's the noisiest place I've ever lived. It's a shame too, a place blessed with great weather and beaches, ruined by abusive air traffic.

Originally Posted by D. B. Theunissen

I have just moved to San Diego. I have lived in cities all over the world. Cape Town, South Africa, Wolverhampton, UK, Chicago, Il, Philadelphia, PA, Minneapolis, MN, and so on.

Yet the first night I was here I was astonished by the helicopter noise. It seemed to be right over my house! It came back every 15 minutes or so religiously! It woke me up, prevented me from going back to sleep, and 'dsiturbed the peace' and my enjoyment of San Diego.

So I question that 'this is how it is in cities!'. I have never had this experience before. It seems way worse than a flight path.

This morning is my day off and I went to have some quiet time on my balcony! This time, the helicopter was going round and round my house in small circles. It went on and on for almost an hour! It was hellish.

Does the advantage caused by police helicopters in any way compensate for this 'police state' feeling and the disturbance of the peace for law abiding citizens?

I don't believe so. I am astonished that San Diegans are not insisting on curtailing this annoyance to only absolutely necessary intervention, and when the helicopters are just doing surveillance, they should be forced to fly much higher and use magnifying viewing equipment.

This has definitely negatively affected my enjoyment of what I thought was going to be a great city in which to live!

DBT

[johnknox]

Jesus f##### christ I feel like I live in Baghdad! Helicopters are going over my house EVERY FIVE MINUTES. What's up with this place? (I'm in Chula Vista btw.)

[luvSD]

I've noticed helicopter noise when there is a problem, like a crime taking place, a missing child, or something going on where they want constant coverage. Otherwise, I might here a helicopter fly overhead once in a while. Wait till the Miramar Airshow starts - now that's noise!

[johnknox]

No, they're military helicopters (apaches). It feels like living in Baghdad here.

[SurekRZA]

Wow, really San Diego? just a few helicopters and it causes all this madness? I agree with Sassbertos original post. You live in a city!

[disturbed]

NO this is very extreme. I have lived in cities much more dense and urban than San Diego and there was not this much disturbance in the air. I am a native San Diegan and have recently moved back. I have lived in La Mesa, North Park, Chula Vista, and now the College area. I can truthfully say that the air traffic (specifically helicopters) has NEVER been this bad. I live in University near College- closer to La Mesa. The helicopters are horrible. I hear them circling SEVERAL times a day. As well as every night until about 2:30am- some times later. They are circling now and have been for the past 45 mins! Its insane! What are they doing going over the same place over and over again? I watch the news and look online and there is nothing being reported. This is obviously a normal thing here and it is very disturbing. I agree that it is WAY more expensive to keep a bunch of Helicpters in the air 24/7 than pay a few more ground patrols. I think there is something else going on that we the public are not being informed of.

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by disturbed

This is obviously a normal thing here and it is very disturbing. I agree that it is WAY more expensive to keep a bunch of Helicpters in the air 24/7 than pay a few more ground patrols. I think there is something else going on that we the public are not being informed of.

So basically there was a street robbery or a car accident or a domestic disturbance. Just a normal thing that police respond to. That's just how they operate - the chopper goes to EVERY call. They send out the chopper, no matter what, because once you add up salaries, overtime, pensions, and health insurance, a helicopter IS cheaper than 10+ cops. I live in the same area you do, and unfortunately there are a lot of problems over by Helix High (Lowell and Normal) that constantly require police presence.

We had to call the cops on a neighbor once who pushed his girlfriend while she was holding an infant. I kid you not within 30 seconds the chopper was circling overhead and there were 3 black-and-whites there.

The real problem no one wants to pay for police in San Diego.