So, I anxiously await summer. That time when bees buzz, birds chirp, gentle breezes blow and I can sit on my deck and enjoy the lovely summer sounds while I read in relative peace. Then came the new expansion joints on the McKay Bridge. Now, with each car that passes over the bridge, you hear two sets of thunderous "ka-chunks" as the wheels pass over these horrible, evil, deafening widgets that are supposed to make the bridge "new and improved". Did anyone TEST these things before they were installed? An internet surf uncovered cities far and wide also encountering this form of noise pollution, and some of the cities were able to rectify the situation. Why didn't the Bridge Commission know about this flaw? Or did they and simply did not care? To our Bridge Commission and the powers that be - DO SOMETHING. North Enders are now barraged with this horrendous cacophony of thumps, multiplied by a thousand each day. Sleep is disrupted, backyard enjoyment is now impossible. I bet if this were happening in the South End, it would be solved in a jiffy. Happy Freakin' Summer. —Ear Plug Girl