On a recent vacation I walked an average of 8-9 miles a day. Most of it was quite enjoyable, but I must admit, some of it was quite boring. My iPod filled in that gap very well, and it didn’t cause me to walk into things, etc.
You know what annoys me? People looking for stuff to get annoyed about. If you think it’s foolish or dangerous to walk around listening to music, then rest easy in the knowledge that they will be injured and get their comeuppance. Otherwise, mind your own business. Sheesh.
Nope. Better than a boom box!
I spend a good part of my typical work day with ear buds listening to NPR; doesn’t hamper my attention to my environment one iota. And much of my work day is spent on ladders; haven’t fallen yet.
Some of the reactions don’t surprise me. I can only suggest that you try leaving the earbuds out and listen one time. Try to note what you hear. Is your situational awareness as complete as you thought it was? Was there stuff happening behind you and to the sides?
It’s a 360 world out there and eyeballs only account for the what is directly in front of you.
It’s incredibly noisy where I walk. Better to have music.
Obviously, those in this thread that use earbuds are the survivors. Those that walk out in front of cars aren’t able to participate any more.
A Google search for “killed while using ipod” returned 22 million results.
Can I also disparage those people who read books while walking in public? I’ve had to take evasive action to avoid one particular guy who crosses my path (literally) in the mornings when I ride my bike across the civic square on the way to work. Now I take a very wide berth if I see him strolling along, nose buried, completely oblivious to others around.
If I was annoyed by seeing people walking around with earbuds in, I’d be annoyed pretty much every single second I was out of the house. I listen to music pretty often when I’m walking and I can still hear cars, sirens, etc. It’s never been a problem in the slightest. Actually, I think I’m more aware of what’s going on around me while listening to music because if I don’t have music I tend to get lost in thought.
I don’t own a car and walk pretty much everywhere. More or less every route I walk is one that I’m extremely familiar with. I suspect this is true for a lot of walkers. I have walked all of these routes both with and without earbuds in and I can assure you that there is no real difference. Either way you are aware of most everything around you, but no matter what there are going to be occasional things that catch you off guard. In fact, I was hit by an asshole riding his bike on the sidewalk once, and I was not listening to anything at the time.
No, a google search for “killed while using ipod” only gets one hit: this thread. Searching without quotes gets 22,000,000 and they include:
- a few articles about the same ipod related deaths
- articles about how a financial move will kill the ipod
- complaints about dead batteries effectively killing one’s ipod
- several articles on Sen. Kruger’s proposed bill for banning ipods while on crosswalks
- a strange warning against using an ipod outside during thunderstorms
- articles about a woman struck by lightning while using a cellphone
- articles about how teens should be taught not to text while driving
etc etc.
But anyway… I’m not annoyed by people walking around with earbuds. They’re not yelling into cell phones, so I consider it a plus.
Damn those deaf people, walking along without being able to pay attention to things around them!
I like the way it’s an either/or scenario. Either you’re listening for everything around you like a ninja or you’ve got your earbuds in and you’re a tunnel-visioned oblivion machine.
I know I can’t rely on hearing cues when I’m using my earbuds. So I keep to one side, I don’t drift or wander and most importantly, I use this swivelly thing that my head is propped on to turn my eyes to various directions make sure I’m not about to walk into somebody’s path, or step off a curb in front of a speeding ambulance or anything like that. Strangely enough, I’m able to pay attention to what is going on around me without having to hear it. Fancy that.
I think anyone in self propelled motion in a condition of low situational awareness would apply. Pedestrians, Bicyclists, motorcyclists, and drivers. If you look at the traffic statistics. Pedestrians are a pretty high percentage of the fatalities. A very high percentage when you figure the pedestrians aren’t in the road that much. I don’t know where pedestrian non-traffic fatalities are counted, but over 4,000 dead pedestrians is already pretty high.
Last week, I saw a bum on a corner PULL OUT HIS EARBUDS to go accept money from a stranger in a car.
I don’t have any device that requires earbuds, other than my desktop. And I assure you, when I’m listening to something on my desktop, I am seated and not moving.
If OTHER PEOPLE walk around with earbuds, it doesn’t bother me, as long as they can manage to retain some awareness of where they are and what they’re doing.
Do you think that everyone in this thread that disagrees with you has never walked outside without auditory accompaniment? I suggest you stop believing that something beyond your abilities is impossible for anyone. Exactly what cues do you think we earbud wearers are missing?
I think it’s interesting that, in your original examples, the jogger, Segway user (Seriously?? How many of these does anyone see on average?) and the driver aren’t being admonished for their lack of “situational awareness”. The joggers I see are all wearing earbuds. I’ve never seen a Segway user outside of the police at Pearson Airport, and I’m sure I don’t need to mention all the inattentive drivers around.
To be honest, most of the clueless pedestrians I’ve seen are not wearing earbuds or even using cell phones, but instead are just walking with other people. Should everyone avoid walking in groups, too?
And I don’t think those traffic fatality stats really say anything that would help your argument because it doesn’t mention where the fault lies in each accident, just the basic numbers. The majority of those 4,000+ pedestrians could have been killed while paying special attention to everything around them or they could have been drunk and trying to walk across a freeway. The fact that the number is high only suggests that no amount of automobile technology can raise our odds of surviving a pedestrian-to-vehicle collision.
I used to ride my bicycle 20 miles a day on the multi-use path to downtown Boston. I’ve got a bell and a loud voice, but a few times a day I’d pass someone who was totally oblivious until I was right next to them, often walking right down the middle of the path. More than once I’ve had someone walk right in front of me without looking.
To answer the OP, yes, in certain places, people walking with earbuds in do annoy me.
http://www.emergalert.com.au/pdf%20files/hearing%20loss/sound.PDF
This is an explanation for why people generally don’t hear sirens from emergency vehicles when they are in their own vehicles. Having driven an emergency vehicle, knowing how very loud the siren is firsthand, and knowing that I always see the lights before I hear the siren when I’m in my personal car… Well, I turn my radio up as loud as I want.
Also, being deaf does not mean you’re not allowed a driver’s license. The deaf rely only on lights flashing when they respond to an emergency vehicle.
Yep. I’m usually much more bothered by those generous people who share their music with the whole wide world.
Apparently I am way behind on national trends. Google the term “Distracted Walking” and you get lots of hits. Apparently many state legislators are trying to pass laws against it. In NY they want to fine anyone crossing the street using any electronic device. Some others was talking about banning texting while walking.
I know some people are saying that they aren’t putting anyone at risk but themselves, but face it. If you live in a state with a helmet law, you already lost that argument. For that matter any state with a seat belt law.
I also share a multi-use path near my house with horses. You really want to watch were you put your feet.
I’m sorry, but that is a stupid idea for a law. I can see what the problem is with cellphone users, because they are much more distracted than music listeners. For that same reason I approve of bans on talking or texting while driving. But music? Drivers have been listening to music a lot longer than pedestrians have. Unless they’re planning on banning radios in cars* I don’t see how they have a leg to stand on.
*or indeed banning being deaf
I guess these kind of vehicles aren’t so popular up in the Canada. Down here in Florida they use Segways a lot and also those electric trikes that Seniors use. I’d say the trikes are more popular. You have to stand up to use a Seqway.
Uh. We are talking about safety, not liability. The dead pedestrians are still dead, even if they had the had the right of way. It is dangerous enough driving a car, but when you are a pedestrian around automobiles, then you are prey and the automobiles are the predators. An alert pedestrian doesn’t depend on the laws of traffic, they use the laws of physics. When I want to cross the street, I don’t ask first if I have the right of way. I ask which cars can get to me.
I had a friend who did two tours in Vietnam and told me the closest he ever came to being killed was a car driving the wrong way street when he was walking across.
There will be some times when alertness won’t save you, but most the time it will help.