BPS: Please Be Considerate When Flying Kites

April 5, 2017

The Bermuda Police Service [BPS] is requesting that people be considerate when flying kites, saying “there are a small number of people who constantly disturb and frustrate their neighbours by flying extremely loud kites.”

A police spokesperson said, “Easter in Bermuda is warmly associated with the flying of kites, both the traditional and “artificial” variety. The season this year, however, has been punctuated by a sharp increase in public complaints about noisy and annoying kite flying.

“There are a small number of people who constantly disturb and frustrate their neighbours by flying extremely loud kites in several neighbourhoods throughout Bermuda.

“The complaints include the persistent nature, the unsociable hours, and the piercing noise that disturbs the peace.

“In the same way individuals playing music at home must be mindful of their neighbours, members of the public flying kites are requested to be mindful of the noise they create, and the time of day they take part in such activity.

“It should be noted that several complainants have associated the flying of noisy kites with the supposed sale of illegal drugs in the neighbourhood, causing unnecessary anxiety to residents.

“Members of the public are reminded that Section 18 [a] of the Summary Offences Act 1926 makes it an offence for any person to fly a kite over a public place “to the annoyance or danger of any passenger or frequenter.”

“The Bermuda Police Service wishes to make it clear that we would rather not use law enforcement to tackle this problem, and this is not an attack on a long standing Bermudian tradition.”

“Rather, it is an appeal for a common sense solution: for kite flyers to be reasonable and to be considerate of their neighbours.”

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Comments (32)

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  1. Really says:

    This is “our” tradition for thise who are disturb rent a hotel room or take a vacation!!!

    • Onion Juice says:

      Section 18 [a] of the Summery Offences Act 1926, those days laws were mainly made against certain people.
      And if you guys that fly kites break the law you will be pepper sprayed.

  2. Micro says:

    Louder the kite, the better it’s construction.

  3. Kim Smith says:

    And just in case the flyers of the noisy kites are not considerate of their neighbours, what do we do? Call our community police officer or the main police telephone number?

    • PBanks says:

      “The Bermuda Police Service wishes to make it clear that we would rather not use law enforcement” – sounds like BPS are reluctant, at best, to enforce the law in any event.

  4. African says:

    good luck for your call for common sense. 1 kite flew over my house all night on the weekend. What is a great tradition for ya people could be taken away because a few bird brains have no consideration for other people. But dat be a constant problem here, a couple of bad apples will ruin it for everyone

  5. I heart 441 says:

    One should not have to tone down as aspect of their culture due to complaints from a minority of people.

    • Toodle-oo says:

      Although I don’t believe you’re referring to it but this is not to be confused with what we *expect* on Good Friday .

      Every so often my travels take me into a neighbourhood where someone likes to fly a kite/kites that are deafening at all hours of the day/night .
      This isn’t ‘culture’ it’s outright brain dead inconsideration for others .
      I’m sure the same people are riding around on bikes and in cars with ripped out exhausts and sound systems blaring and think it’s perfectly normal .

      • I heart 441 says:

        If flying kites is brain dead, what’s your opinion on Trump? Now he is the epitome of brain dead, definitely not flying kites!

        • PBanks says:

          I suppose you could compare Trump to Bermuda kites in that they have a too-loud hummer and ought to tone it down especially at night

        • wahoo says:

          Why do you bring up Trump for crying out loud?

          I make and fly kites around Easter and Good Friday that is my culture/tradition. I am respectful of other people’s right to peace and quite and that is also my culture and up bringing and moral set.

          I heard one idiot the other day saying he flew his kite on fishing line and laughing about it. He did not have the foresight to consider what might happen if his kite came down across a road and someone on a bike got clothes lined by his invisible string.

          • PBanks says:

            I’ve had that happen to me – thank goodness I had my helmet with full face visor on or I’d have gotten in some major trouble. People should be responsible with their kites.

      • Anbu says:

        Just do what most of us do. Go out and cut it down. Problem solved.

    • Zevon says:

      You can’t defend stupid and selfish behavior by calling it “culture”.
      It might be what you in your ignorance think is acceptable, but it’s not culture. It’s just stupid selfish behavior.

      • I heart 441 says:

        Wait, are you saying flying kites on Good Friday or any day throughout the year is not a part of our culture?

        • PBanks says:

          He’s not talking about the kites themselves, just the hummers and the loud noise associated with them, which is a somewhat newer ‘pasttime’.

    • Jus' Wonderin' says:

      where u stay? um goin put one up outside by ya window bra lmfao…

    • James Rego says:

      These cultural items are being flown using heavy gauge monofilament fishing line! When they come down and the line goes across any roadway, it puts everyone in extreme danger! Culture my a$$! Ignorant and selfish, defiantly!

  6. Real Deal says:

    no kites? Bermuda must be under attack. I hope everyone see whats happening inch by inch.

    • Rumsoak says:

      What are you , three years old ? No one is saying no kites, just have consideration for others.
      Let someone come to your house and scream in your window for 24 hours .

    • Reuben says:

      Are you Kidding me? Get a freaking life, no where in that article did it say no kites, no where in that article did it say you couldn’t have a loud kite. What it did say was to be mindful of people living around you which means don’t leave your freaking loud kite up for the whole weekend like some people seem to think is okay so that at 4am it’s still making noise.

  7. Vamos says:

    Kites are annoying as f#%cks. I got my scissors!

  8. GB says:

    I suppose next they’ll be calling police to complain how much noise tree frogs make all night every night

    • PBanks says:

      Big difference between the sound of tree frogs and a kite hummer, come on now.

  9. Big says:

    No one said no kites. You fri@@ing a$$

  10. sugraknab says:

    I Love Kites.

    Absolutely love them and everything that goes with them:

    From memories that come with the smell of glue, wood and paper, to pride in craftsmanship, detail and accomplishment. From all the colour and sound of the season, to old brown string bucking off an oleander stick as it slips through burning fingers. From sitting off micing at all the life in the sky… and yeah, right down to the, “OH FFF… father!!” moment when that dopey fattin bat kite brings her down. Comfort in tradition.

    Love Kites.

    Big respect for these wailing screamers that real skillers out there can get from their building style. Massive. I get some decent noise going, but these guys are sharp.

    What I don’t love is how this great tradition is increasingly taking slams because of a few selfish people. Basic consideration for other people is circling the bowl both here and all around the world. It’s a real shame that Bermuda’s kite traditions are being dragged into that.

    What’s been going on is a serious irritant to FAR more people than the selfish few who enjoy the constant screaming day and night, day in and day out. Myself… a kite lover… included.

  11. Will says:

    Bermuda should take a bold move and outright ban the sale of plastic kites. It’s a win win for both the environment and for those maybe wishing to sell traditional kites to locals and visitors. Less ocean trash and keeps our tradition alive I can’t think of anything better the government could do…well perhaps ban plastic straws too!

    • PBanks says:

      Intriguing idea, don’t know if it would fly though. What’s the comparative cost between buying a ready-to-go kite and the combined cost of materials + time taken to build a traditional Bermuda kite?

      • Will says:

        What’s the cost of saving our fragile ocean ecosystem? Bermuda should be leading the way in ocean conservation but instead we sell out to large cruise companies to dredge through the reefs sigh

  12. Real Deal says:

    Kites when i hear them reminded me that I am in Bermuda along with cars stopping at the cross walks. and i smile and think about the craziness that is going on in the rest of the work that we don’t have to deal with be cause of our culture.
    This is Culture.

  13. bdaboy says:

    “… instead we sell out to large cruise companies to dredge through the reefs sigh”

    we dump old cars into the ocean, but complain about dredging that the plp insisted upon.

  14. Maddog says:

    It’s not our culture to create unnecessary noise that IRRITATES NEIGHBOURS for 12 hours straight, or overnight so you have to close all your windows and cannot relax and enjoy your own home in peace. No one said don’t fly kites – yes, it’s part of our history, our holiday, just don’t flippin have them ringing in my ears all day and all night – have a little respect for others. Fly your kite, have fun and take it the heck down.