To the editor:

My husband and I recently moved back to Lawrence. It is still the Lawrence we knew and loved, and, yet, we’ve noticed that it’s louder now.  We expected to hear normal traffic noise from our house on Massachusetts, but not deafening, house-shaking NASCAR track roars. There seem to be fewer than 20 or so drivers (motorcycles, small pickups and even a few compact cars) determined that their appearance in town be heard by everyone, including that baby the neighbor finally got to settle down. 

This is not the way these engines came from the factory. These chosen few seem to have made quite an effort to make their engines scream instead of purr, causing irritation and stress to anyone within five miles. Why should so few be the cause of so much agitation to so many?

We’ve lived in cities much larger than Lawrence that were successful in their enforcement of noise ordinances. Why does Lawrence choose not to do the same?