shokhead

But before that happens,he makes all cyclist look bad. I bet he does more stupit cycling stuff and every person in a car that sees it will blame all of us fdor doing it.

ewitz

Did he take off his headphones when he nailed her?

monsterkidz

Well I commute to Mid-town Manhattan with headphones on, and I don't consider myself a reckless or irresponsible rider. I keep the volume pretty low and follow the traffic laws. From my experiences, most of the riders I see running red lights and dodging cars and pedestrians aren't wearing headphones. (mostly delivery guys or messengers who need to get to a location in a hurry) I am not trying to flame any type of rider here, I just think it is totally possible to be a responsible rider and listen to music. There are good cagers and bad cagers, same goes for cyclists.

Cyclist0383

He took his headphones off long enough to shout "What!" and a few choice words. Then he took off. His music was obvisouly too loud for him to hear or speak, otherwise he wouldn't have had to take his headphones off to yell at her.

oboeguy

Word. I'm sorry about the accident, but I hope this changes the headphone-fanboi minds. Headphones can be dangerous while riding!

slvoid

Actually, yes, and I do.
All the times I've been nailed were in very light traffic without headphones on. Maybe it's just because traffic's moving slower but I feel safer in heavy traffic, even with headphones on, than out in the suburbs.
If I'm on an empty road with cars blowing by me at 60mph, you bet I'll never wear headphones and I'll keep 2 mirrors on me.

Cyclist0383

Here it's people driving really fast in the city, sometimes on the sidewalk. When they encounter a traffic jam it just makes it worse. I was nailed last week by a woman in an SUV who while stopped threw her car in reverse without looking and mangled my rear rack.

You really have to see it to believe it. Many times I've seen people fed up with traffic fly down the road in the oppisit lane. Mabye NYC was a bad comparission. As I said earlier I have friends who will drive there but not here.

The Fourth highest rate of traffic deaths per captia in the world. The leading daily newspaper keeps a front page tally. I'll say it again, it's no place for headphones or mobil phones.

shokhead

Real cyclist dont listen to music when riding. There. That should keep this going awhile.

SpokesInMyPoop

VOLUME CONTROL. There are headphones that come with volume control attached to the cord. That's what I use, and what I stand by. Headphones shouldn't be blaring, unless you're on an empty path (what's the chances of that anyway?). I can confidently (heh) say that I would be just as likely to crash without headphones than with headphones on. Now if I were talking on a cell phone and biking, that's a whole 'nuther story.

I'm pretty good at paying attention. That's what I do for work, anyway... a lot of attention to detail, along with multitasking. Next thing you know, these things become life skills, because they're efficient. I think some cyclists aren't "safe" because they're lazy, or don't have a clue. Look at the person next to you...-

aiguy

I wouldn't let anyone else nail my wife, fellow biker or not.

jakemoffatt

So are you going to get an airhorn or two? Are there small ones that can be used on bikes that are still loud enough to get the attention of a headphoned biker or a cager?
Perhaps that would have avoided the problem - if your wife had a loud horn.
I'm not saying that its her fault - sounds to me the guy was way too distracted - but sometimes you have to be defensive and not count on other people to act how they should.

Treespeed

So I would assume that all of the anti-headphone zealots must logically never listen to the radio when they are driving in addition to keeping their windows down at all times so that they can stay attuned to the serious task of driving. Or is driving different than cycling, do you rely on other senses, such as sight to manuever thousands of pounds of steel? Anyone who argues that they use their ears to negotiate urban traffic, is deluding themselves. Try a little experiment on your way home before you flame me, close your eyes and tell me by listening to the sound of the car behind you how close they are or more importantly what is up ahead. All of these anecdotal stories of clueless headphone wearers should focus on the fact that these are bad cyclists and the headphones are only a component of this equation. Just like there are drivers who can chat on the phone responsibly, it is equally possible to ride safely while listening to music. If it wasn't deaf people would not be allowed to drive or ride, which of course they are. Though you won't be seeing any blind cyclist or motorists any time soon, well except for these guys: https://www.teambat.org/index.html
but I don't think you'll see them out on the road anytime soon.
-Marcus.

Cyclist0383

She screamed at him quite loudly (trust me she can be loud when she wants to) and slammed on her brakes. She also slows down every day before encounters the alley.

While she was on the ground yelling at him he couldn't hear her. She was less than a meter from her. That's why he took the headphones off and said "What!"

BTW I ordered an AirZounds the other day.

dobber

Lance often rides with his iPod (at least that's what I gathered from the blatent product placement in last years Lance Chronicles). Of course he's quite often got a team vehicle covering his six.

slvoid

LOL, i can't believe no one picked up on that. I even missed it totally

slvoid

I would like to add that the blue angels frequently fly their F-16's in excess of 500mph within INCHES of each other pulling off difficult stunts and putting those planes in aerodynamic modes that would normally cause enough turbulence to throw everything around it out of whack all while looking at 10 gages at the same time on their HUD and TALKING on the headset.
The comparison's a little extreme but the point is, again, headphones are only a component of this equation. Headphones or not, the guy was still a bad cyclist to begin with.

Cyclist0383

Of course headphones are only one part of the equation. That is self-assumed. I really don't understand all the zelatry. The guy couldn't even hear her when she was screaming at him from a meter away. He was immersed in his one little world, with his headphones and radio providing the soundtrack. Relax everyone, It'll be okay.

dobber

I-Like-To-Bike

For dang good reason.
What is just as important and certainly as relevant to this event - was the scofflaw also not wearing a helmet?

moxfyre

Look, obviously the important thing when it comes down to it is that cyclists be alert and aware of their surroundings and respectful of others. The guy who hit Ziemas's wife was none of those.

Based on my experience, it sure SEEMS like a lot of people get oblivious when they ride with headphones. If you can do it safely, more power to you, but you'd better take responsibility if you get hurt or cause an accident as a result.

John Ridley

I actually ride with headphones. I use Sony open-airs, and I don't listen to music, just NPR talk on an MP3 player or radio, and the headphones have on-cord volume, I keep them at the lowest level I can given the ambient sound level and still be able to understand the talking.

I can actually hear better with the headphones on; they are aerodynamically shaped, and they push in my big ears. Without them, I naturally get very loud wind noise in my ears; they dampen it a bit. I can hear cars about 1/4 mile away, trucks farther than that.

I do realize that MOST people who ride with headphones are probably listening to loud music on them, and I would agree that's very unsafe.

I think the guy in question here is a very inconsiderate, non-thinking moron, and probably would have caused trouble even without the headphones. The fact that he just yelled and sped away proves he's just a big jerk.

twahl

I gotta pick...please take it in the humorous light it was intended. The Blue Angels wouldn't be able to do any of the things they do in an F-16. They'd be too busy trying to figure out why the stick was on the side, along with all the other cockpit differences between it, and the F-18s that they normally fly. They would however have the distinct advantage of knowing that they only have to deal with other highly trained operators, that they fly with daily, in an environment that is cleared of any other traffic, and the only obstacle outside of their influence being the ground.

Your point however, that the headphones were just one symptom, is dead on. As I said earlier, there are inattentive and dangerous operators on bikes and in cars...and canoes, cargo ships, trains, planes...etc. Just some modes of transportation are more regulated than others.

I-Like-To-Bike

Would it be okay if he was being inspired by opera music or perhaps some Bach Chamber Music? Would that make him a more attentive competent cyclist than some reggae luvin' lowlife?

CommuterRun

Doesn't matter if he was listening to Mozart, Marley or Marilyn Manson, he was obviously lost in his own little world and very happy being a hazard to everybody else.

Once heard:
"I'm okay to drive. I've only had a six-pack, I'll just be extra careful. Perfectly safe, I do this all the time."

Corsaire

To ride a bicycle on public streets and roads the bicycle rider NEEDS to be in FULL ALERT, "ON HIS/HER GAME" by means of ALL OF HIS/HER SENSES. No childish, irresponsible, senseless excuses.
Music/headphones on the rider's head is irresponsible, foolish and DANGEROUS.

Corsaire