@thesquirrelfish On my alley in Soma, any noise in the street is LOUD because it's a canyon of buildings on either side of the street. Cars honking (which happens a lot when there are parades & everyone tries to use my alley as a bypass) is one of my pet peeves.
SFPD & SFFD are surprisingly good about not using sirens when they come through. I often only know they are on the street because I see the reflection of flashing lights.