Originally Posted by
545h4
I know, people use their eyes... But this just makes me nervous! Its just like the people in their cars with headphones on because they need a new stereo... In addition to safety on the street from traffic, I wouldn't want to get jumped by a dog or deranged lunatic that comes from an angle outside my field of view.
Deafness is a handicap not a luxury for tuning out sounds that make one nervous! That is why there are street signs identifying areas that those who are unfortunately hearing disabled reside. There is an obvious safety issue. The sense of sound perception is important. In this situation not only for the cyclist but also for everyone else sharing the streets.
Thing is, riding with buds and music does not make you deaf (well it might if you crank it too loud!). THAT is the dirty little secret that the safety nannies won't share because they are long on opinions and short on actual experience.
If the sense of sound perception is so important to operating a vehicle in traffic, why are there not literally thousands of car accidents daily due to the fact that drivers cannot hear anything outside of their steel cage, for the most part? Yes, some sense of sound is a definite requirement (to detect emergency vehicles for example), but listening to music at a reasonable level does not take your hearing below the minimum levels required...if it did, auto sound systems would be illegal and the deaf/hearing impaired would not be allowed to operate vehicles, don't you think?
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