"Is there any more apt a piece of imagery to depict late-stage capitalism than a Home Depot installing sonic weaponry and then training those irritating sound waves against not only the day laborers it wants to see gone from its parking lot, but also its own customers and employees? This kind of carelessly blunt, scorched-earth move speaks to a corporation that seemingly wants to remove itself"
"The machines, reportedly stationed at L.A.'s Cypress Park Home Depot according to the L.A. Times, emit high-pitched whining and droning, which day laborers who wait for work on the fringes of the parking lot describe as torturous, saying that the sound "penetrates your bones" and continues to ring in their ears for hours after leaving the area, resulting in dizziness, headaches and nausea."
Home Depot installed noise-emitting machines at its Cypress Park, Los Angeles store intended to deter illegal overnight parking and day laborers. The devices emit high-pitched whining and droning that day laborers describe as torturous, saying the sound "penetrates your bones" and causes dizziness, headaches and nausea that persist for hours. A company spokesperson framed the devices as a safety initiative with no connection to immigrant enforcement. Observers report the noise often runs all day, affecting customers and employees as well as the intended targets. Immigrant advocates and local lawmakers reject the company's explanation and call the action deliberate.
Read at Jezebel
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