Headphones while riding?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by hippy
Is it illegal?
Is it dangerous?
Who does it?
One or both ears?
Is traffic volume (number of cars not db) an issue for you?

As cfsmtb would say... Discuss.

hippy
<singing> going to the track worlds today, i'm going to the track
worlds today, the aussies will make other nations pay, i'm going
to the track worlds today, even if skys are gray, some time at
the end of May, i'm going to the track worlds today..

Ah, 2Gb of pics awaits from todays proceedings....

In response to your question, no sir, I don't like it. Not sure on legalities, but in the city/suburbs, nope, wouldn't use earphones/buds whatever.

Sorry, but everytime I see a cyclist with earphones, it [censored] me as much as if they had stubbed out a ciggie and left the butt on the ground.🙄

On long rides I wear the Uncle Arthur ear plug/phone, in the left ear of course!

I tend to think it would be dangerous to wear headphones and not hear wotz goin on around you. But I don't get annoyed if I see others wearing them, it's their life.

powinc

"hippy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I used to ride in country Vic all the time with a Walkman
but stopped totally in Melbourne.

This morning, for some unknown reason, I decided to use
them again and it wasn't too bad at all. Something
different. It _was_ 6am Sunday morning though and not
weekday peak hour so traffic volume (not db :P) was
very low.

Is it illegal? Is it dangerous? Who does it? One or both
ears? Is traffic volume (number of cars not db) an issue
for you?

As cfsmtb would say... Discuss.

hippy <singing> going to the track worlds today, i'm going
to the track worlds today, the aussies will make other
nations pay, i'm going to the track worlds today, even if
skys are gray, some time at the end of May, i'm going to
the track worlds today..

yep i use a little usb 128mb mp3 player. i decided to get
one after last years around the bay (it got kinda boring
riding by myself between geelong and werribee).

i havent found it to be any more dangerous than when i dont
use them and i use both headphones.

ps, i find slayer, exodus, metallica, angry [censored] music
good hillclimbing music🙂

Yeah I use earphones. If some stupid motorist is going to mow me down from behind, it'll be done regardless of whether I hear him properly or not. I find I can still hear most traffic anyway.

Yesterday I went on a long ride listening to the Hawthorn carnage all the way - except when mercifully, reception was poor.

If it's good enough for a car driver to be couped up in a sound proof cabin with the radio, stereo or mobile going then why not for a humble cyclist.

Quoted message said:

Originally posted by cfsmtb
Ah, 2Gb of pics awaits from todays proceedings....

hehe yeah I actually went through them pretty fast (for me). Mostly because a lot were [censored]! 🙂

I've got a new web host and I will try and locate them there along with all the other www.thehippy.net [censored]. I will need to reassign that domain to the new server.. there will be issues I'm sure..

Quoted message said:

Sorry, but everytime I see a cyclist with earphones, it [censored]
me as much as if they had stubbed out a ciggie and left the
butt on the ground.

Ahh.. well then you will be please to know that as I listen to music on the bike I chain smoke and prefer not to stub out the ciggies as there is no chance of causing a bushfire this way. If
I run out of smokes and get bored I always carry a 6-pack of everyone's favourite beer - VB - just for smashing onto the
road...

BIG ;-)

I'm still not convinced it's an entirely 'bad' thing though. I mean,
I can ride in a straight line and still hear cars behind me, etc. If one was going to run me down from behind, they'd do it anyway, even if I was 'bud-less'.
I guess there's an argument there if I DO crash, in that, I might find it harder to argue my case because a driver will claim it was the headphones that caused me to do <insert bad thing here>.

Will ponder in dreamland...

hippy

"Spider1977" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yeah I use earphones. If some stupid motorist is going to
mow me down from behind, it'll be done regardless of
whether I hear him properly or not. I find I can still
hear most traffic anyway.

Yesterday I went on a long ride listening to the Hawthorn
carnage all the way - except when mercifully, reception
was poor.

If it's good enough for a car driver to be couped up in a
sound proof cabin with the radio, stereo or mobile going
then why not for a humble cyclist.

I don't get very good radio recption in my part of the
country so I rely on a an MPG player to keep me company.
It's one of the best things I ever bought. I listened to
one track of the Kraftwork "Tour de France" album. I might
try a few more.

Marty

"Spider1977" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]

[...]

Quoted message said:

If it's good enough for a car driver to be couped up in a
sound proof cabin with the radio, stereo or mobile going
then why not for a humble cyclist.

Their cabins are not soundproof. It's as illegal for a
cyclist to put themselves in a position where they cannot
hear what's going on around them as it is for anybody else
on the roads.

--

A: Top-posters.
B: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

Dej said:

Quoted message said:

<snip>

ps, i find slayer, exodus, metallica, angry [censored]
music good hillclimbing music🙂

That sounds like some classic mid 80's heavy metal. Reminds
me of high school 🙂 (and vinyl records 🙂

--
Nick

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Drs

Their cabins are not soundproof. It's as illegal for a
cyclist to put themselves in a position where they cannot
hear what's going on around them as it is for anybody else
on the roads.

Actually, legally speaking its not illegal, per se!

However a cop can pull you over and say you did/didnt do something within the law bcos you werent aware that car was beside you/turning/etc

Got pulled over by one a Sunday morning last year, and as I had a white plug in my ear (ear infection as it turned out!) they thought i had earphones in.
"Didnt you see those pedestrian lights back there mate?"
"Yes. but they were green, as i recall officer"
"How could you be aware of anything with dem headphones on???"
i pulls out earplug/banfdage thingy...
"Oh, this? Its for an infection. I can hear perfectly well.
I heard the green light VERY well, officer😄 "
Funnily enough he was really [censored] at that!!!
You know its illegal to wear headphones and that's what we thought you were doing?
"Oh, i thought you were accusing me of running a green light?"
He was going visibly red now and tried standing just a few inches from my face.
"Can you show me the law that states that the wearing of headphones on a bike is illegal?
"Stay there, smartarse". He walks back to the divvi...
After much fumbling thru pages with fat thumbs he starts trying to change the subject "Well just be careful next time mate".
"So, i can wear headphones on my bike then?"
"Just get on your bike"
i turn to the female officer, "So' i'll take that as a 'No' then.
She looks nervously towards fat plod and discreetly nods.

Having shared all that i couldnt agree more with cfsmtb...
"Sorry, but everytime I see a cyclist with earphones, it [censored] me as much as if they had stubbed out a ciggie and left the butt on the ground."

Quoted message said:

Originally posted by Drs
Their cabins are not soundproof. It's as illegal for a
cyclist to put themselves in a position where they cannot
hear what's going on around them as it is for anybody else
on the roads.

The thing is, I CAN hear what's going on around me. It's almost
like someone is driving past with their stereo on - there's no obvious 'lack of awareness' on my part...
I'm guessing then that it's not illegal.. <homer> mmm guess </homer>

hippy

Quoted message said:

Originally posted by Nickzx6r

Quoted message said:

ps, i find slayer, exodus, metallica, angry [censored]
music good hillclimbing music🙂

Quoted message said:

That sounds like some classic mid 80's heavy metal. Reminds
me of high school 🙂 (and vinyl records 🙂

Hey, I still buy vinyl! All the latest techno comes out on vinyl. I
just wish I could get my 'phones louder so that everyone can hear me 'doof doof doofing' along.. 🙂

I still listen to 'old' Metallica, not a lot of Slayer nowadays.
The only _modern_ 'guitar bands' I've got into have been Tool and System of a Down...

psycho groupie cocaine crazy
psycho groupie coke
makes you high
makes you high
makes you really want to go, STOP!

hippy

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by hippy
>Originally posted by Drs

Quoted message said:

Their cabins are not soundproof. It's as illegal for a
cyclist to put themselves in a position where they cannot
hear what's going on around them as it is for anybody else
on the roads.

The thing is, I CAN hear what's going on around me. It's almost
like someone is driving past with their stereo on - there's no obvious 'lack of awareness' on my part...
I'm guessing then that it's not illegal.. <homer> mmm guess </homer>

hippy

I can see your point. The problem is the moderation where people have different perceptions on what would be quiet (safe) enough. I myself used to listen to radio, and then moved to using a diskman. I, too, tried to keep it low enough so it would not interfer with safety and adrenalin pumping. Last year when my family went on a trip to Europe, my kids borrowed both the radio and diskman. Funnily, I still haven'y gone back to using earphones. I guess it's a habit whichever way you go.

Lately, I use my stereo earphones from my mobile phone only if I should take an important call which I wouldn't want to miss. Yeah, yeah, I stop as soon as mobile rings so no riding while mobiling! During these occasions which are rare, I listen to radio through the phone.

So if this is a bad practice, I'm afraid I commit it from time to time. Good thing is I'm not in Melbourne, so there's no chance to offend cfsmtb. 😄

I used to ride in country Vic all the time with a Walkman but stopped totally in Melbourne.

This morning, for some unknown reason, I decided to use them again and it wasn't too bad at all. Something different.
It _was_ 6am Sunday morning though and not weekday peak hour so traffic volume (not db :P) was very low.

Hmm, lots of views here. I also succumbed to my headphones this morning for the first time in ages. I can hear all things on the road as i dont listen to music full blast. The only thing that i cant / dont hear are other cyclists when they are behind you and are about to pass. Thats not because of music, its because NO ONE EVER rings bell/ says "passing" or some other warning.
Just to remind you folks, cyclists do not ride in a dead straight line. We regularily move around to avoid things on the road, car doors etc so it pays to let a cyclist know that you are passing them to avoid the situation where you move out to the left as someone is passing you. Its not fun for either cyclist or the car in the left lane that freaks out when the cyclist moves into their lane.
Enough of that rant.

Headphones. hmmm. I only really wear them on the bike paths and tracks where there are no cars.
The roads are dangerous enough without adding to the risk.

Spider1977 said:

If it's good enough for a car driver to be couped up in a
sound proof cabin with the radio, stereo or mobile going
then why not for a humble cyclist.

Good point. When my air conditioning broke I started driving
with the windows down all the time. It's a habit that's been
hard to break now, I love the fact that I can hear what's
going on around me so even in the middle of winter I leave
it open a crack.

I think headphones are more of a problem on (e.g.) cycle
paths and shared paths. I've had a couple of incidents
where people riding at dusk with no lights and with
headphones on have appeared in front of me and as I call
out a friendly "on your right" they just keep veering
wherever they please because they haven't heard me. Not a
regular occurrence though.

Downside of wearing headphones is that you miss out on all
the intelligent information/witticisms thrown out the window
by crazy/stupid drivers. Damn shame that.

Tam

"coowoowoo" wrote

Quoted message said:

Hmm, lots of views here. I also succumbed to my headphones
this morning for the first time in ages. I can hear all
things on the road as i dont listen to music full blast.

Quoted message said:

Headphones. hmmm. I only really wear them on the bike
paths and tracks where there are no cars. The roads are
dangerous enough without adding to the risk.

I always used a radio, with two earpieces, riding to and
from the city for 12 years. They don't make you deaf, you
can still hear what's going on around you, probably better
than you can in a car. I had it loud enough to listen to the
music, news, jokes. No, it's not illegal. As Zebee pointed
out, deaf people can drive too. And, as Dutchy said, you can
still hear the green lights, stop signs. It does take the
edge of the shock of some yobbo in a car yelling at you from
the passenger window as they go by.

Motorcycle helmets also shield you from a lot of noise,
maybe they should be illegal.

Theo

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by hippy
psycho groupie cocaine crazy
psycho groupie coke
makes you high
makes you high
makes you really want to go, STOP!
hippy

Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ectasy and Alcohol....C-c-c-c-c-cocaine. A blast of QOTSA first thing (pre-bike) in the morning, or Bert Kaemfert 's, A Swingin' Safari, from the 60's. Top stuff. Don't start talking dodgy 80's toons, I remember most of it...

Want would be really cool. Cycling down (or up) Swanston, all of a sudden, a disruption in the space-time continuum occurs and AC/DC appear on a flatbed truck near the Manchester Unity Building.😄

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 31 May 2004 07:56:03 +0800

Theo Bekkers said:

Motorcycle helmets also shield you from a lot of noise,
maybe they should be illegal.

Is the windrush noise louder or quieter with a lid?

Me, I can't hear much over the sound of my happy tappets!

Zebee

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by hippy
[BThe only _modern_ 'guitar bands' I've got into have been Tool and System of a Down...

psycho groupie cocaine crazy
psycho groupie coke
makes you high
makes you high
makes you really want to go, STOP!

hippy [/B]

Ha! ... and perfect circle (Tool on a smaller gear😄 )

"Conversion, software version 7.0,
Looking at life through the eyes of a tire hub,
Eating seeds as a past time activity,
The toxicity of our city, of our city"

hippy,
to some of us, "headphones" are the big ones designed to block external
noise. We wear earphones on bikes. I tend to turn mine off in traffic,
because the truck noise ruins the music :-)

Tamyka Bell said:

I've had a couple of incidents where people riding at
dusk with no lights and with headphones on have appeared
in front of me and as I call out a friendly "on your
right" they just keep veering wherever they please
because they haven't heard me.

In their defence, much as I hate to defend the no-lights,
you should have rung your bell too. Friendly words arn't
much use unless you have made eye-contact first. Use the
bell Bell!