ItsJustMe

I see someone is referring to the 13 year old article on The Onion:

"I have an iPod - IN MY MIND!"

I Have An iPod?'In My Mind' - The Onion - America's Finest News Source

I-Like-To-Bike

Sure, that's what smug High on Life/Songs in My Head types would say - I'm not distracted, I'm just dialed into life.

Instant shutdown and only used in quiet and peaceful scenarios? Yeah sure! Get real!

bikecrate

This is a pointless discussion. I can feel annoyed with anyone or anything I care too. This includes cyclist/pedestrians/skaters who wear headphones and, because some of them also behave unpredictably, I have a hard time communicating my intentions since they can't hear.

1989Pre 

I think one of the major differences is that when listening to "external" music (or narrative), other, ambient sounds are blocked to varying degrees. When tunes are remembered and rehearsed, these sounds are not blocked. Do you understand this distinction, I-Li?

I-Like-To-Bike

I might get annoyed when cycling or walking if someone directed what I view as pointless, unwelcome and unnecessary "communications" at me. I wouldn't care if passing or not; if someone wants to pass just do it and without the drama.

I-Like-To-Bike

Sure, if you and genec say so, it must be so. Ambient sounds (i.e. traffic noise) with all its cryptic safety messages comes through loud and clear, despite all those rehearsed tunes floating about in your heads and off your lips.

genec

OK it's an ongoing dialog with God and it comes in Text format, and I have to read it out loud or lightening strikes me...

indyfabz

This thread has not disappointed.

Paul Barnard

Driving and riding are different environments. I can't speak for where you ride, but here's the way it is in places where I ride. I ride on MUP's with pedestrians. I have seen pedestrians, their kids and dogs do some remarkably oblivious crap. When I first started riding these MUPs several years back I thought like you did. Two things changed my mind. The paths here run atop the levees. Most pedestrians walk with the flow of bikes. One day I was coming up on a pedestrian who was wearing headphones. Thinking like you do, I set up to pass with the maximum available clearance. Without looking over his shoulder, he did a 180 and swung all the way over to the side of the path I was set up on. I was able to brake and swerve to avoid slamming into him. Had I arrived perhaps a second or two earlier there would have been an accident. I saw something similar happen with another rider, but that time there was a nasty collision. After that I started announcing my approach. Some used the information to reel their kids and dogs in. Some used it to move from triple file to single file. I even go so far as to exchange verbal pleasantries with some of them. Some are budded up an remain oblivious. While in your world hearing is not and cannot possibly be used as a safety tool, in other peoples world it can.

Ajkollme

The issue here is not that the pedestrians couldn't hear, but that they didn't turn their head 90 degrees to check for anyone passing them before they changed direction. This same course of events could have happened without headphones. They are completely incidental to your story.

Ajkollme

The flaw in the "I would never wear headphones because they are unsafe" crowd's logic is that you assume you will be able to hear an approaching vehicle and react in a manner that will avoid an accident, whereas if you did not hear the vehicle you would be hit. Maybe you all ride in rural areas, but where I ride there is a steady stream of cars moving in both directions, and cars that are traveling too closely sound exactly the same as cars giving a wide berth. Therefore, the only different sound made by an imminent accident is screeching tires.


If you think you will be able to save yourself when you hear screeching tires behind you, you overestimate your abilities.

kevindsingleton 

What would you say that could have prevented such a random, haphazard maneuver, though? "Don't swerve wildly to the other side of the path in the opposite direction?" The walker was probably through with the course change by the time you could get it out. Maybe we should use lasers on the handlebars so we can attract their attention from behind, visually? Then, we can wear our headphones, they can wear their headphones, we don't have to say anything to them, and they still realize that someone is approaching from behind, perhaps with a pist*l? That should get their attention!

I wear ear buds, and listen to music, or audio books, whenever I feel like doing so, whether on the road, on the MUP, or on single track. I pay attention, and use mirrors and lights and reflective stuff, to minimize risk, but, at the end of the day, we've all gotta die of something, right?

Paul Barnard

The headphones are not incidental to the lesson. The lesson being that a pedestrians ability to hear me announcing my approach can enhance safety.

Paul Barnard

I am not sure I understand what you are trying to convey. I gave examples of how my ability to communicate with pedestrians enhanced safety.

Ajkollme

But in the examples you provided, no warning was given.


Additionally, hearing is not a sense that is required for safety. All that is required is that somebody visually check their surroundings before changing directions.

kevindsingleton 

I was responding to the example you gave in which your ability to communicate with pedestrians did not enhance safety:

"One day I was coming up on a pedestrian who was wearing headphones. Thinking like you do, I set up to pass with the maximum available clearance. Without looking over his shoulder, he did a 180 and swung all the way over to the side of the path I was set up on."

genec

There is a certain point there that makes sense... wearing headphones might make one react less to the honks, the verbal chatter and other "snap" noises that can startle a rider.

I do agree that hearing the screech is probably too late, but I often found that I could somewhat hear the "heartbeat" of regular traffic and notice when that changed for some odd reason. A sight challenged cyclist and I discussed that a few times. He limited himself to quieter streets, due to his poor eyesight, but he noted that he could hear and "feel" traffic and that he depended on that like others depended on seeing everything.

ZmanKC

Earbud(s), not earphones.

indyfabz

Same thing per the OP's definition in the OP.

CB HI

Which all leaves room for the best of the wired headphones to be better than the best of the bluetooth headphones.

You really go out of your way to find the littlest thing to argue with some of us about and you seem to pick the same targets over and over again for your slights.

CB HI

OH MY you are annoyed at me. I really do not care if you are annoyed. I already saw you coming, know how far back you are, know how fast you are riding and can see if you are going to pass me close or not.

Too often the people without the headphones are the ones that go all erratic when someones intentions are announced and heard.

Mr. 66

I don't just not a good idea distracting in my opinion. Its also against the law.

jeichelberg87

Yes. It is called a "turn signal."

Since the idea is to communicate one's intent to others around them in an efficient manner, turn signals have been found to be efficient in communicating the intent to others...

CB HI

Are you PWI?

Posting while intoxicated.

PS1 - If English is your second language, then be more careful with what comes out of the translator.
PS2 - But searching your prior post, I see you are in Seattle, so PWI is more likely.

CB HI

Efficient in communicating the intent to traffic behind to change lanes or left/right turns. Not very effective for signalling passing and actually confusing leaving your turn signal on while passing.

Why not use hand signals for your passing if you claim such signal are so efficient for passing?