The Independent London Newspaper

Letters

Are these alarms needed?

Published: 27 July, 2012

• HOW often in the still of the night – or, indeed, the bustle of the day – are people awoken, disturbed or driven mad by burglar alarms, car alarms or fire alarms noisily shrilling and beating the eardrums and psyche?  

They are usually set off, of course, not because of burglaries, car thefts or fires – but because, presumably, little creatures run past sensors or owners cannot be bothered to have them properly maintained.

It is 4.24 am as I write this, having been woken by one heavily sounding alarm an hour ago.

When peace descended, it took only 10 minutes before a different alarm started up.  

Is it really beyond the wit of manufacturers, owners and authorities to solve this problem? 

Are such alarms even needed?

After all, what is achieved by them these days?

People rarely treat the alarms as indicative of a problem other than the problem of alarms pointlessly disturbing them.

PETER CAVE
Address supplied

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