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His stereo’s so loud he was basically banned from driving. Then he doubled its power

Click to play video: 'Saanich man all but banned from driving loud car'
Saanich man all but banned from driving loud car
A Saanich man who’s been all but banned from driving his car in the city says he’s being treated unfairly. As Neetu Garcha reports, it’s not how he drives, but how much noise he makes – Oct 13, 2017

Some people like hockey, some people like lacrosse.

Central Saanich resident Dustin Hamilton likes car audio.

Coverage of noise complaints on Globalnews.ca:

The car audio installer from the Vancouver Island has a PT Cruiser with an amped-up stereo system that blasts beats at a higher volume than a number of local residents are comfortable with.

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He’s been warned, ticketed and charged with criminal mischief over it since May. People have even put up flyers imploring the public to call the police about the noise.

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“If you value the peace and quiet of our beautiful community, please contact the police to assist them in stopping this individual,” Hamilton read off of one of the posters.

READ MORE: VPD begins crackdown on loud vehicles in the city

And now his driving has been seriously limited.

Hamilton has been restricted from driving on a section of West Saanich Road, which is home to 17 people who had reported the noise from his car to the police.

“The horses panic when he goes by,” said complainant Lesli Steeves.

“My dogs are terrified, my grandson was out here, he’s six years old, he just burst into tears. It really is an awful noise.”

The stereo in Central Saanich resident Dustin Hamilton’s PT Cruiser. Global News

He’s only allowed to drive to appointments, to drop off his girlfriend at work, and to court hearings.

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Denver Maloney, a Central Saanich resident who feels the noise is too loud, said the conditions he’s facing are “a little too extreme.”

READ MORE: Vancouver police warning motorcyclists can be fined for excessive noise

What’s Hamilton’s response to all this? He’s “absolutely sorry” if his noise has affected children.

He said he’s following court-ordered conditions.

But he’s also stepping up his audio game. He’s installed a new amp that has “twice the power that it had, where all the complaints came from.”

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