Because NO ONE has ever thought to use “Bach” for “back”. Right?
A CRIMEFIGHTING scheme will use dolphins and classical music to make vandals Bach off!
Bosses at Blackburn with Darwen Council believe art in the form of a dolphin mural and highbrow music will prove to be the natural enemies of gangs gathering in a Blackburn town centre subway.
But oh my … the whole article is just too darn funny, in a sad sort of way. Still, it IS April 1 (but it was published March 31). Perhaps this is a joke?
The council said a similar scheme has been used very successfully in Burnley. Burnley councillor Roger Frost, who oversaw the development of the town’s bus station in 2002 said that classical music had had “a calming effect” on gangs who had been gathering there.
He said: “I believe it has a had a calming effect and dissuaded gangs from hanging around, even though the idea was met with incredulity at first. Some people don’t like the idea of having to listen to music that’s not their taste, but it’s quite light, jolly classical music – it’s not operatic dirges or anything. Some like it and others either ignore it or put their own headphones on, but gangs don’t like it at all.”
A spokeswoman for the council said: “The dolphin theme mural will ensure there is no blank wall to encourage tagging by graffiti artists. Secondly, classical music will be played in the subway to discourage youths from hanging around.”
… because no one ever tags a dolphin.
Years ago in New York City, when homeless people were everywhere, the Port Authority began playing classical Muzak in its bus terminal, and that actually drove them out. Movements of Mozart, Haydn, etc., segued together with no talking. Whether this would repel hooligans in Blackburn I couldn’t guess, but I’m not surprised to hear that the ploy has worked in Burnley.
Classical music has been used in many places, and I’d blogged about it before. It’s the dolphins that I found so humorous and bizarre, though!
I’m actually very bothered that something I absolutely loved is used in such a negative way. (And “classical muzak” … doesn’t that seem wrong, somehow?)
I had heard that the homeless disappeared from NYC. I just thought they were taken elsewhere.