Muzzle loud cars and bikes - or else

Call it plenty of fair warning.
Police Chief Barry MacKnight said the city's police force is going to clamp down on motorcycles and other vehicles that have installed noisy, after-market exhaust systems.
While motorcycles are often the culprits, MacKnight said, they're not alone.
Even little Hondas can be seen roaring around town with big exhaust pipes.
"People who are very soon going to be putting their bikes away, if they've got a bike with these pipes, the message from us is clear - deal with this over the winter time," MacKnight said. "Get your pipes sorted out before you get it out again in the spring. Otherwise, you'll be having an appointment with one of our staff who'll be issuing some paperwork."
When spring hits, police will be keeping an ear to the noise.
"We're going to be enforcing this with renewed vigour in the spring," the chief said.
Insp. Gary Forward, in charge of patrols and community policing, said 104 tickets and compliance notices have been issued by police since August 2006. The fine is $172.
After-market exhaust systems don't improve engine performance and often serve little purpose other than to increase decibel levels, Forward said, adding the their use is against the law.
He said they're disruptive and distract others, which causes public safety concerns.
Oddly enough, it's legal to sell after-market exhaust products, but it's not legal to use them.
"There's a small amount of legitimate ignorance and there's a large amount of wilful blindness for those people who know that having an exhaust system - basically straight pipes - knows that amount of noise is not legal," MacKnight said.
Police have the support of the city's public safety and environment committee.
At the committee's Tuesday meeting, Mayor Brad Woodside said although he's a big fan of motorcycles, he's not supporting people who are revving and cruising to show off.
"The decibel level is deafening," Woodside said. "A small group of people are taking it to the extreme."