Join the Discussion Discuss in the Forum

Related Resources •  Satellite Radio For Your Car, Home or Anywhere

I recently read a story about a woman in Garden Grove, California, who was found guilty of disturbing the peace for playing her radio too loudly. Neighbors claimed it was so annoying, their windows were rattling.

A judge believed the woman had cranked up the volume maliciously and put her in jail for 10 days!

As I mulled this over, I couldn't help but remember how I used to jack up the sound on the radio in the first car I owned. It was an old Pontiac that my mother gave me soon after receiving my driver's license.

In the same way that car represented my freedom as a 17-year-old teenager, the radio in it was the way I chose to announce that fact.

I don't think there is a better feeling in the world than tooling down the road on a warm, Summer night with your favorite Radio station blasting out of the speakers. It's YOUR music and there is a good chance it is probably held in some disdain by older drivers. You like that. As it rattles your car's speakers, it becomes quite clear to all those around you that you have taken a stand. You have spoken to all who might hear and said, "I am my own man and this is what I sound like."

Sometimes, it's all about the image. The Radio station you relate to speaks volumes about who you are. Every generation creates its own sound and song, and there is always a Radio station willing to program that music to attract audience and advertisers.

As long as there have been radios in cars, there have been teenagers speeding down the roadway with the volume cranked up. So next time you're stopped at a light and you become agitated because the car radio next to you is so loud the bass is rocking your Honda, don't be so quick to curse them out.

For decades, it's not only been a sign of youth, but, it's been a rite of passage, as well. And if you didn't do it yourself, then you missed something very special.

- Corey Deitz

Subscribe to the About.com Radio Newsletter for weekly site updates!

Previous Articles