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Smoke Detector Beeping - The Sound of Urban Poverty - 2013 Blog

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The Sound of Urban Poverty Mon, 11/03/2013 - 12:00am Over the years I have visited many Baltimore inner city homes to interview the residents about their life and work, their hopes and dreams. They are members of the urban poor: the un- and underemployed, as well as those who despite the fact that they work full time and then some - do not make a living wage and struggle to make ends meet. It doesn't matter what time of the month or year I visit, whether it's the East side or West side, public or private housing, upon entering each residence, I am always greeted by the same persistent sound: the plaintive chirp of a smoke detector whose batteries need replacing. It accompanies us as we settle down for our interview and whimpers throughout, often acting as punctuation to a particularly illuminating point the interviewee has made. It is not something my hosts apologize for or even feel the need to explain. It's just part of the soundtrack of their lives. And a barely perceptible one at that. They are much more likely to notice the sounds just outside their door: gunfire at all hours, wailing police sirens, bottles breaking in the back alley, junkies hanging out on the front stoop. It's not that my hosts are not concerned about their family's safety. They are. It's just that they do not perceive a house fire as their biggest threat. When I mention the dysfunctional smoke detector, it's as if they themselves are hearing its appeal for the first time. "Oh that? Yeah. It always does that."

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