Store owners all over the world have trouble knowing what to do about young people who loiter outside their shops. Customers are fine, but people who don't buy anything and often cause trouble are a different story. Shopkeepers in central England may now have a way to do something about it. They have been trying out a new device that sends out an uncomfortable high-pitched noise designed to disperse young loiterers outside their stores without bothering adults.
How do they know this won't drive all their customers away? Only people in a certain age group can hear it.
Police carrying out the project for the first time in Staffordshire say some of those who have tested the "Sonic Teenager Deterrent," which is nicknamed ``the mosquito,'' have talked of buying one for themselves.
The device, which costs 622 pounds (NT$35,000), "doesn't cause any pain to the hearer," according to Inspector Amanda Davies.
"The noise can normally only be heard by those between 12 and 22, and it makes the listener feel uncomfortable," she added.
Once in their early 20s, people lose their ability to hear sounds at such a high pitch.
But don't worry, if young people are behaving themselves, there shouldn't be a problem. The device doesn't make noise all the time.
"It is controlled by the shopkeepers. If they can see through their window that there is a problem, they turn the device on for a few minutes until the group has dispersed," Davies said.
"Shop owners have reported fabulous results and we've been approached by some who are considering buying their own equipment," she said. (AFP)
世界各地的商家都一直煩惱，不知怎麼對付在店外遊盪的年輕人。若是顧客當然無所謂，但若是不買東西、老惹麻煩的人那就是另外一回事了。英格蘭中部的商家現在想出了解決之道。他們打算採用一套發送不悅耳高頻噪音的新穎裝置來驅離在店外遊盪的年輕人，但不會打擾到成年人。
商家如何知道這樣不會把所有顧客趕跑呢？只有特定年齡層的人才聽得到。
率先在史丹佛郡實施這項計畫的警方表示，部分已測試過這套俗稱「蚊子」的「青少年音波嚇阻器」的人，已打算自己買一套。
督察亞曼達．戴維絲表示，這套售價六百二十二英磅（新台幣三萬五千元）的裝置「不會對聽者造成傷害」。
她補充說：「正常來說只有十二到二十二歲的人可以聽到這種噪音，會讓聽者感到不舒服。」
一旦邁入二十出頭，聽者就會喪失這種高音頻的聽覺能力。
不過別擔心，假如年輕人行為檢點，這一點也不構成問題。這個裝置不會一直發出噪音。
戴維絲說：「這套裝置是由商家控制的。假如他們透過窗戶看到外頭有麻煩，就會將裝置開啟幾分鐘，直到那群人散開。」
她說：「店家回報說成效驚人，打算自己購買這套裝置的人也開始與我們接洽。」 （法新社）
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