It's Not Just the Damned Terrorists that Annoy Me

They have a new noise-abatement law on the books here in Gotham; it doesn't work any better than the old one, because the cops figure that if they bother someone who's only making noise, he might do something worse, so best to leave things alone. As a consequence, much of the time I wear my new noise-cancelling earphones even here in my office, because I have a choice of listening to the incessant horn blowing out on the street (a hospital "quiet" zone) or the rapid-fire banging of the ancient air conditioner that rattles the metal-framed casement windows to jackhammer effect. Sigh.