It should be about the noise, not what makes it

There are some things you can complain about in your neighbourhood and get sympathy even if you’re being an over-reactionary NIMBY twat - housing for disadvantaged people, load music at a rock venue that was around before Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs and an airport that has been operational since aircraft were made of wood, wire and canvas.

Quite often two people can have the same complaint but receive a different reaction to their cause depending on the source of their complaint.

For example, if your street was filled with cars every night and your driveway was blocked because of the Ramadan celebrations at a local Mosque, you’d get a 300-member action group, local newspaper support and council parking-restriction signs faster than you can say “not in my backyard Mohamed”.

But, have the same complaint about local traffic and parking problems caused by your neighbourhood’s over exhuberant outdoor Christmas light displays, and you’ll be branded the local scrooge who fucked baby Jesus and ate him.

It’s the same with the woman who complained about the constant sound of a gun going off next to her backyard every Saturday morning, which caused great distress to her and her baby. If the shots were noises from a construction site, or military training she would receive plenty of sympathy. But because the gun shots are the starting pistols of the Kew Little Athletics Club, she’s branded an un-Australian, blow-in, NIMBY bitch.

While I agree it’s odd that she is the first person to complain about the starter’s pistol in the club’s 30-year history, I think that her grievances should be considered before jumping down her throat - maybe the noise is horrible; maybe it does cause distress. Does it make it better because it’s being used to start races by good little Aussie Vegemite kids who may become Olympians?

Again, it should be about the complaint, not what causes it.