Coming to a mall or town near you???

Heard a fascinating discussion on NPR the other day on the way home from the 'Y.'

Apparently, over in England, many town councils and shopkeepers are installing a 'mosquito' device that emits a high-pitched sound that only people under twenty can hear. The annoying buzz sound quickly scatters groups of loitering teenagers who find it irritating and uncomfortable and thus move away to another spot in town where they can socialize or whatever it is teenagers do these days.

There are now calls to have it banned. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole business--especially since babies (the next generation of teenagers) can hear it as well and may become immune to its sound.

Living now in the US, I've become very aware of the concept of individual freedom--something that admittedly is being eroded currently--so my gut-feel is it isn't right and should be banned. England does seem to have changed through the years because they have CCTVs everywhere, a carryover from the years of IRA campaigns on the mainland that got extended until it got out of control, I'd imagine--which wouldn't be tolerated over here. On the other hand, teenagers can be a pesky lot (pun absolutely intended). They gather in my local town center and shop-owners complain as well.

Maybe the solution is to provide things for kids to do and for parents to act like parents and exert control of their charges in the waning years of their offspring's adolescence.

Anyway, there are calls to ban the Mosquito and I'm sure court challenges will ensue.