Officials in West Palm Beach have adopted a controversial method to drive homeless people away from a city-owned rental facility. The ''Baby Shark Song’’ and '' Raining Tacos’’ were played in an endless loop during the night.
The area hosts a city-owned Lake Pavilion, which is used as events venue, from which it is expected that the city will make a $240,000 (€213,000) profit next year. In the past weeks, “unpleasant remnants”, such as human faeces, have been found around the venue. In order to guarantee that people get what they pay for, the city has now taken these unusual measures.
These particular songs have been chosen because they are very repetitive and have an aggravating effect when you hear them over and over. Attempts to drive drug dealers away with classical music in another part of the city failed, because they enjoyed the music. The songs they have chosen now might be enjoyable for children but can become torturous to adults, especially if listened on repeat.
Advocates to the homeless considers this to be a cruel treatment of those in need, whose lives are only made more miserable. In addition, the use of children’s songs, which are supposed to spark joy, is particularly insidious. Approximately 354 homeless people live in West Palm Beach, but thanks to associations for the homeless approximately 6 people are put into shelters each week.
