Do you want to get a street light shrouded?

[Escortitis]

Hi all,

While Earth hour was making the news late last week, I thought I might take the opportunity to hit up my council about getting a shroud put on the ridiculously bright street light beaming excessive amounts of stray light into my property. It's right out the front of my house, on my side of the road, and given my property is about 1.5m below the road level, it not only lights up the whole front yard but does 90% of the back yard as well including the 'observing shed'. It's a very annoying light even without having the issues of enjoying astronomy.

Anyhow, fired off a very polite email asking what steps could be taken to reduce the 'back lighting' effect of this light (with no mention of a telescope). My suggestion was something along the lines of a 120 degree shroud, of which the other neighbour concerned had no problem with, and registered his support for such action.

My council's response:

No worries sir, you can pay for that to be done, an average quote for this work is around $1500, and you might have to wait 3-4 months.

Maybe that's a polite way of telling me to 'get stuffed'

I'm sure I'm not the first person ask this question of a council, interested in what response others have been getting.

George

[Davros (Lauren)]

I got all hopeful for a second there.

[leon]

An air rifle is much cheaper.

Leon

[rogerg (Roger)]

Cost me $200 to have the one out the front of our place painted black on the back half. I could have had it's wattage halved and be painted for $900. Sounds like you're being ripped off and could argue that's simply not justified. Or, my coucnil might have subsidised mine, unsure.

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

The street light outside my place is broken and has been for a while...I ain't reporting it!!

[Escortitis]

That sounds much more like a reasonable solution Roger. Your council appears to be using a little more common sense than mine. Could I ask you to PM me the name of your shire so I might have a bit of leverage against mine and there unreasonable response?

Air rifle's and the like have all come to mind, but I think that would put me right up there with the idiots and there laser pointers, I feel it might bring the 'sport into disrepute'. Tempting none the less.

Best case scenario is a 'hoon' cleans himself up on it in the wet weather.

George

[DJVege]

I've got a slingshot you can borrow.

Of course, replacements come out of our tax...so...hmm.....

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Does the light shine through any bedroom windows? You could be able to claim sleep disruption.

I had no end of problems with one outside our house that shone straight into the eyes when you walked into the bedroom at night. You might not think this is much of a problem but after a midnight visit to the bathroom when I walked into the bedroom the light shone straight into the eyes waking me right up. I would then not be able to get back to sleep for ages.

(note: an old uni trick for staying up late and studying, turn the lights off for a few minutes, keep your eyes closed and then turn the light back on. I used to be good for another couple of hours after that. It wakes the brain back up)

I mentioned to my council that it was disrupting my sleeping patterns and my emotional wellbeing, and they said they would be happy to look into it. Unfortunately we sold our house a month later before they got back to me I hope the new owners will benefit from it.

Maybe worth a try

BTW I tried the standard approach of asking to get it shrouded and they said np, get consent from the neighbours and be prepared to pay for it. yeah right, with my council $1500 would have been a deposit.

[programmer]

The streetlight that's bothered me since I started last year has strangely disappeared. I'm in the backyard and the streetlight was visible over the back fence and through the next door neighbour's yard. Was relatively obscured, but it could hit you in the eyes if you weren't careful. But now it's gone. Perhaps it was a house light... I might go and investigate.

I'm not complaining. Pity there have been hardly an clear skies in my area to make use of it though.

PS: I swear I didn't sabotage it! Although I considered it many times..

[thunderchildobs]

Becareful what you ask for. I ask the council about a shielding a street light. They said they did a review, and the repsonse was that the street outside my house needs MORE lights. Thankfully nothing has happen yet.

Brendan

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

I would have been at the council front desk next morning asking to see the smart ass that sent the letter and point out in no uncertain terms the the people who pay his/her wages (ratepayers), do not like being told to get stuffed. Anyway they obviousily need a course in diplomacy, when you tell someone to go to hell, they are supposed to look forward to the trip

Bill

[coldspace]

Telling them about sleep deprivation worked for my sister. She lived in a town house and the bright street light in the path next to the units kept her awake till all hours, she complained to the council to no action, she then went and spoke with her local councilor for her suburb and 3 weeks later they placed a shroud around it.

Matt

[leon]

I know a fellow, actually you all know him, that got himself a very long ladder, took the risk of being caught in the act, and painted the back of the light black.

To date, and it has been a long time ago, no one has ever noticed, and it did the job perfectly.

Leon

[space oddity]

could be an opportunity here for someone to make a few bucks. Capital:- 1 crane lift , other costs driver, paint, shrouds, ubiquitous fluoro vest to make you look like a council worker. Backhander fee $300 per light. Legitimize business by contracting out to council for this type of service. Alternately, agitate that whenever repairs are done to any streetlight, it is replaced with appropriate reflectors/ masking/ lower wattage lamps. Alas, bureaucrats are generally too dumb to think of this

[leon]

Hi Guys, I have read all these posts about light shrouding etc, if the council wont do it, do it yourself, if caught 200 dollar fine, cheaper than 1500.00, if not caught, jobs done, take a risk.

Show em who has got the balls, and stop being sooky la la's

Leon

[Suzy_A]

On a similar line to Leon and taking liberties with The Breaker:

"We work under Rule .177"

[Starkler (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by Suzy_A

On a similar line to Leon and taking liberties with The Breaker:

"We work under Rule .177"

If there are any entreprenual types with the required equipment, I have a small job for you

[Escortitis]

Originally Posted by leon

Hi Guys, I have read all these posts about light shrouding etc, if the council wont do it, do it yourself, if caught 200 dollar fine, cheaper than 1500.00, if not caught, jobs done, take a risk.

Show em who has got the balls, and stop being sooky la la's

Leon

You win Leon! The maths works out perfectly. I'm off to to get a can of paint, a lenght of conduit and some really thick wellies!

I'll take the $200 if it all goes bad (If it goes really bad I'll have to take the 11KV as well!)

Cheers

George

[g__day (Matthew)]

Hmm, a really long wooden (non conducting) stick, a few rubber bands, a paint brush and a tin of black paint, not many people out at 2an or 3am and I guess 5 minutes later problem is all gone.

[Outbackmanyep]

Originally Posted by leon

An air rifle is much cheaper.

Leon

The pellets bounce off the glass, try using a .22 with "Z's" , 28gn slugs should have enough ooomph to do the trick! If yur using round-nose air rifle pellets they tend to ricochet!

Cheers!

PS.....you must be licenced and registered !