In Ethiopia and in Amharic, 'men in white' does not mean doctor. It means spy. Like today's heavy weights that follow and protect Heads-of-State and those in power in all capitals, they stuck out a mile. But they did not have the sun glasses or sagging shoulders overburdened by some kind of ordinance as a uniform de rigueur.

These stalwarts were clad in the Ethiopian national dress for all to see, from afar and near. Their job was to be the eyes and ears of the state. They reported on misdeeds; apprehended thieves; took into custody those urinating in public places; and drunks. 

Perhaps they should be sent out on the prowl again. But today, on top of their assigned duties, they should also pounce on, and fine, those making noises: loud and continuous noises, all day and everyday, and even worse, at the most awkward times.

Noise has been recognized as a form of pollution for many years. Originally, the   dormitory towns of the early 1950s in the United States and Europe were designed to have wide, tree-lined boulevards that would absorb as much of the generated noise as possible, a far cry from the noise of the inner city, where sounds of every description were irritating, but also a way of life for many. Once people had moved to their sculptured towns, they were protected by laws that spelled out exactly what could and could not be done to maintain peace and quiet. 

Not all sound is, of course, noise: it becomes 'noise' when the volume is excessive. The mere act of being boisterous might not mean much to some, but to many others, it is the difference between just being raucous, and being a pest.

Speaking on the mobile phone to some is a necessity: to others, those that bellow into their phones are a nuisance, or worse. It is an unwanted sound, as troublesome as the barking of dogs, and unjustifiably loud music from 'boom boxes', or as they are popularly known, ghetto blasters.

As time progressed, it was found that excessive and continuous noise could quite easily cause annoyance and aggression, not to mention the possible loss of hearing.

That was why there had to be a recognised ceiling to the level of noise tolerated by the human ear. This was mainly at factories, where machines making industrial goods were the mainstay of both the owners of those factories, and those that were hired to work on them. Eventually, a device to measure what could be permitted was invented, and was called the "dosemeter," measuring sound in decibels.

The trouble is that here in Addis Abeba, indeed in all the major cities of the country, such an instrument would be laughed out of existence. In the same way, perhaps, that a safety match was at first laughed out of the kitchen. It is surprising how noisy Addis Abeba has become.

There are many culprits that cause disturbance, and they come in every shape and size. People would have looked askance at rowdy youth a few years back, indeed would have scolded them to silence. Today, one just walks on by, not ignoring them, because it would be too impossible to do so; but by not daring to say anything.

If it is not rowdy youth, then it is the music stores that must, they think, advertise their presence and their wares by being as loud as possible. Their ear splitting, massive speakers are chained down at the entrance, belting out the latest CD hit for everybody to hear, whether they like it or not. The decibel count for these speakers is surely over the permissible limit.

It is distorted, it is head-ache inducing, it is unnecessary and it is utterly diabolical. It is not enough to ask, or better still, to demand they turn it down: licenses for the shops should be revoked if the disturbance of the peace continues.

Then there are the places of worship.

I believe that I am as religious as the next person. But there are certain things that I cannot abide, be it hypocrisy, or the sense of being taken for granted. I feel that I am not anybody's push-over. My thoughts and feelings should be just as relevant to me as to those that say they care for my soul. Having been brought up the 'correct' way, I go to church, fast and attempt to harness any carnal thoughts.

But I also seek, being a creature of the present times, some reciprocity from my church.

I do not want to feel that religion is being pushed down my throat. I want to feel that I will take it in my stride - but, I hasten to add - not at my leisure. I do not want to feel that I am being harried. When I err, and being human I will err, (the flesh is weak, after all), I do not have to be reminded of this at every turn; that fire and brimstone will rain down on me, as if I was not aware of that possibility.

I urge all churches to get rid of, and silence, all their Tannoy Systems in all their churches. That does not mean turning the volume down: It means silencing them completely. For those not in the know: the Tannoy systems are the very loud speakers seen atop every corner of most church buildings. 

If spreading the gospel at the crack of dawn, and very loudly at that, is deemed completely essential, then I urge the church to think, instead, of broadcasting to the masses, using the many FM stations that are available. If they are not available, I urge the church to get permission from the authority in charge to acquire a spot on the dial.

They are not alone in this, of course. Islam calls the faithful to prayer once in the early morning, and a further four times during the day. They too address the public continuously for hours, rubbing everybody in the vicinity and beyond the wrong way. 

What the visitor to our shores must think when he/she is woken up at 4:00am in their houses is anybody's guess. I know what I think: and it is not at all benevolent, or charitable; or at all worthy of my faith. 

By Mussie  Ayele