Originally Posted by
Looigi
Lock me up. I wear them on occasion and usually don't have the volume so loud as to obscure outside sounds. I can still hear better than I can in a car with all it's sound damping and with the radio going, and I certainly can hear much better than on my motorcycle. And although hearing can be helpful, my first line of defense in situational awareness aided by wearing and using a mirror.
And how is this inviting to get hit by a car? You might argue that riding in dark clothing and not using lights at dusk is inviting to get hit ...
Cars aren't constantly being overtaken at massive closing speeds by vehicles that can crush them like a bug. And while I use a mirror when I ride, there's no way it's nearly as effective as the three wide-angle mirrors on a car. And yes, I use lights and high-vis, reflective clothing, but I don't pretend they make me as visible as a car at night.
I never wear headphones on the road. On a path, MUP or rail trail, I might use a single earbud, leaving my left ear uncovered to listen for overtaking cyclists. I just get creeped out if I can't hear what's going on around me.