This browser does not support the Video element.
Philly gas station playing opera music to deter loitering: ‘It’s better than violence’
A Germantown gas station is playing opera music loudly from their outdoor speakers in an effort to deter loitering and potential crime.
GERMANTOWN - On Chelten Avenue in Germantown, you can end your gas pumping experience on a high note.
The Speedway station recently started playing opera music from their outdoor speakers. The noise level seems to vary by the song and time of day.
A social media post from a resident who lives near the station called out the tactic, out of sheer frustration about the late night noise.
That’s how Tina Jones heard about it.
"If I was a resident and it was in the middle of the night, blasting where it’s disturbing, having kids and stuff like that where I gotta’ get up for school, I would have a problem with it, but if it’s something like this, it’s peaceful to me," she says. "Whatever works, it’s better than violence."
Staff at the gas station would not comment to FOX 29, but it’s believed the music is used to deter loitering and nuisance crimes.
Marquez Davis says he can see why.
"I’d want to move, I’d be like ‘Yo, you gotta cut that music down, it’s too much,’" he says. "The opera music all the time is irritating."
The gas station has signs that state "No Loitering." They also put up paper signs by some of the pumps that say, in part, "Due to safety concerns and increased complaints, we cannot allow loiterers or panhandlers to pump gas."
On Wednesday, FOX 29 saw a boy, who was not an employee of the station, asking to pump customers’ gas. He said he thought the music was peaceful.
"I don’t think it’s going to necessarily work, hopefully it does," says Rodney Billa, who lives near the station.
Philadelphia Police say they have not gotten noise complaints about the opera music, but an officer that worked in the district told FOX 29 the location has had crime issues for years.
Dayhan Johnson says for that reason, he appreciates the approach. "People are kind of indoctrinated to this daily hip hop music that’s forcing these kids to be in this state of mind where they constantly want to kill. It’s good to have something different," he says.
FOX 29 reached out to the Speedway corporate office for comment, but we are still waiting to hear their response.