tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post5383431876189278223..comments2024-01-05T11:00:30.673-06:00Comments on DFW Point-to-Point: Earphone Bigotry?Steve Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-88369535377487231002013-10-09T09:58:37.766-05:002013-10-09T09:58:37.766-05:00I find headphones very disorienting. If I am going...I find headphones very disorienting. If I am going to listen to music, I want to give it my attention. If I am driving or cycling I want to hear my environment. When I started driving I was only comfortable eiththe window down. Otherwise I felt too cut off.<br /><br />Only ever owning cheap used cars, a luxuriously quiet cabin has never been an issue.cafiendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05749761363337659545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-10280967623129434412013-10-08T21:41:35.537-05:002013-10-08T21:41:35.537-05:00PS. In my younger days, I have seen people driving...PS. In my younger days, I have seen people driving their cycles listening to a transistor radio :)GreenComotionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11272116464292908327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-1193267316342952042013-10-08T21:39:58.147-05:002013-10-08T21:39:58.147-05:00I have used headphones while riding a cycle, when ...I have used headphones while riding a cycle, when I lived in St. Louis. Not anymore. <br />I have a speaker attached to a tiny MP3 player, which I use for listening to music.<br />Not as great as having earphones on, but after seeing joggers and pedestrians, who walk on the trails and MUPs, completely unaware of their surroundings - not knowing that there is a cyclist trying to pass them, who don't move out of my way, unless I yell at the top of my lungs - which in turn offends them, I don't use the noise-cancelling kind (the kind that block out all the outside noise), while riding a cycle or walking, anymore.<br /><br />Auto traffic in Atlanta is very nutty; aggressive and downright rude, in many cases. Tailgating is a way of life for some.<br />By comparison, driving in Dallas is a piece of cake.<br /><br />Peace :)<br />GreenComotionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11272116464292908327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-62999217886084687992013-10-08T14:09:04.137-05:002013-10-08T14:09:04.137-05:00I guess them newfangled cars don't come with r...I guess them newfangled cars don't come with radios no more.limomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15392808188162372410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-38498144554171000882013-10-08T04:17:57.839-05:002013-10-08T04:17:57.839-05:00Earphones are an issue of hypocrisy: the law here ...Earphones are an issue of hypocrisy: the law here in Maryland states that cyclists must not use earphones while riding, yet motorists can't hear a damned thing from outside their cars whether they're wearing earphones or not (which is why their horns must be built so loud that they can startle a cyclist, potentially making him lose control of the bike).<br /><br />On cold days in winter, I wear a helmet with attached ear muffs - these probably muffle my hearing more than earphones would, yet they are perfectly legal.<br /><br />As for motorists using earphones, I don't really have a problem with it, because as I say, they can't hear anything anyway. In my opinion, cyclists should also be allowed to use them, for two reasons:<br /><br />1: because on the rare occasions when I use my earbuds when walking, I find that outside noises can still be heard fairly well - certainly better than they can be heard from inside a car.<br /><br />2: because hearing isn't all that helpful on a bike. Buildings, vegetation and even curbs can deflect or muffle sounds, so it can be hard to tell where sounds are coming from. Also, weather conditions can greatly affect sound. On the bike, I find my eyes are much more important.<br /><br />If the law requires cyclists to be able to hear perfectly, then it should also outlaw side and rear windows on cars so that motorists can also hear clearly. If it's important for us, it must also be important for them.Ian Brett Cooperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11144195897514392433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523357558654725888.post-51494547574568458132013-10-07T17:41:19.776-05:002013-10-07T17:41:19.776-05:00Bigotry (or at the very least hypocrisy) fer sher!...Bigotry (or at the very least hypocrisy) fer sher! I've stuck headphones in without listening to anything on them, just to keep the cold wind out of my ear canal. I don't see why anyone should assume that people with phones in can't hear, I'm guessing many would play their stuff in such a way that they can hear traffic noises as well...RANTWICKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15394479078513545568noreply@blogger.com