Get Off My Lawn (Or Suffer the Unknown Long-term Health Consequences)

A company known as Kids Be Gone is selling the Mosquito, a device that emits a shrill noise intended to drive away loiterers. The kicker is that the noise is only audible to teenagers, who still have sensitive cells in their inner ears. While the sound can be heard by babies and animals, it suuposedly would only be "troublesome" to those from the approximate age of 12 to early 20s, "making it the perfect teen repellent". And naturally, all teens wear black hoodies and are up to no good.


At first I was confused, thinking that this story might be from The Onion (whom CNN links to occasionally on its front page). But 1,000 units have been sold since the product was introduced last year. A few towns have passed bans on the device, but others are still using it freely. Some claim that the device has unknown long-term effects on hearing and therefore should not be allowed. CNN's website poll showed only a disappointing 36% found the Mosquito to be a violation of civil liberties, such as the "liberty" to stand wherever the hell you want in public.