this just seems nuts to me, almost abusive. i’m sure you’ve heard of the “mosquito ring tone“; but in case you haven’t: the high pitched sound is able to be heard by (roughly) those under 25, but not older ears. it was originally developed as an anti-loitering device (mainly used outside stores and such). but teenagers quickly co-opted it, and it’s now an extremely popular ringtone for teenagers (they can hear text messages coming in during school, but their teachers can’t).

but now, the “safety and security” thing is being used by the very people charged with training, educating, and caring for teenagers. short story: the administration of a public school have installed the mosquito tone in the hallways of the school to keep kids from loitering.

for their safety.

really?

wait. really?

i mean, if it were REALLY about the safety and security of the students, why did you — mr administrator — choice an annoyance that you cannot personally hear. if you’re going to choose annoyance to placate your own annoyance, why not just toss out tacks on the floor; or maybe hire carrot top to stand in the hallway. or, better yet — mr “i really can’t stand teenagers, and only keep this job because i like annoying people” administrator — why don’t you just stand in the hallway yourself.

ok. i’m ranting.

but i’m just baffled that this would be allowed. i’m baffled that parents haven’t risen up. i understand that high schoolers can be, well, troublesome. fair enough; you might need the occasional “nothing to see here, ma’am, move along.” but not a constant annoyance in the name of “safety and security.”

geez.

ok, here’s the article about this, from the chicago tribune

here’s a little snippet from the article:

Jefferson High School administrators have a new way to get students to move along between classes rather than congregate in the hallway.

Annoy them.

In the past week, the school installed a “mosquito.” The $800 machine, developed in Wales, emits a high-pitched noise that teens can hear but most adults over 25 can’t.

The idea is to keep students flowing rather than block the stairs and elevator in one particular first-floor hallway.