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Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 6th 03, 08:10 AM
James Shugg
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Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!

I was walking along in the drizzle yesterday, passed a young guy about
18yo, wearing headphones, who was crossing the road (single lane each
way, divided by a median strip). A few moments later I heard a brief
skid and a loud thud and turned around in time to see a shoe flying
through the air and a Peugeot 605 grind to a stop.

Amazingly the guy seemed more or less alive, he was sitting in the
gutter and shaking, but not obviously bloody. The 605's windscreen was
badly cracked. Passers-by called an ambulance which was there within
minutes.

Sounds really obvious I know, but still it hammered home to me how
much we rely on our hearing, and I'll now make more of an effort to
persuade my cycling friends that they should not use their walkmans on
their daily commute.
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  #2  
Old October 6th 03, 08:31 AM
Lee
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Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!


"James Shugg" wrote in message
om...
I was walking along in the drizzle yesterday, passed a young guy about
18yo, wearing headphones, who was crossing the road (single lane each
way, divided by a median strip). A few moments later I heard a brief
skid and a loud thud and turned around in time to see a shoe flying
through the air and a Peugeot 605 grind to a stop.

Amazingly the guy seemed more or less alive, he was sitting in the
gutter and shaking, but not obviously bloody. The 605's windscreen was
badly cracked. Passers-by called an ambulance which was there within
minutes.

Sounds really obvious I know, but still it hammered home to me how
much we rely on our hearing, and I'll now make more of an effort to
persuade my cycling friends that they should not use their walkmans on
their daily commute.


Sounds very nasty.

I wear a walkman on my commute and if you are safe and careful then there is
no reason why not.

I stop at every junction, look to make sure nothing is coming, look again
before i cross etc. etc. No accidents to date. I have my walkman turned
very low and can hear the traffic in any case!

How is it different to a car driver having his radio on? There you have the
noise of the engine, the radio and the fans all blowing!!

Just my 2p worth ;-)


  #3  
Old October 6th 03, 08:31 AM
Lee
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!


"James Shugg" wrote in message
om...
I was walking along in the drizzle yesterday, passed a young guy about
18yo, wearing headphones, who was crossing the road (single lane each
way, divided by a median strip). A few moments later I heard a brief
skid and a loud thud and turned around in time to see a shoe flying
through the air and a Peugeot 605 grind to a stop.

Amazingly the guy seemed more or less alive, he was sitting in the
gutter and shaking, but not obviously bloody. The 605's windscreen was
badly cracked. Passers-by called an ambulance which was there within
minutes.

Sounds really obvious I know, but still it hammered home to me how
much we rely on our hearing, and I'll now make more of an effort to
persuade my cycling friends that they should not use their walkmans on
their daily commute.


Sounds very nasty.

I wear a walkman on my commute and if you are safe and careful then there is
no reason why not.

I stop at every junction, look to make sure nothing is coming, look again
before i cross etc. etc. No accidents to date. I have my walkman turned
very low and can hear the traffic in any case!

How is it different to a car driver having his radio on? There you have the
noise of the engine, the radio and the fans all blowing!!

Just my 2p worth ;-)


  #4  
Old October 6th 03, 09:22 AM
Ian
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Posts: n/a
Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!

Lee must be edykated coz e writed:


I wear a walkman on my commute and if you are safe and careful then there is
no reason why not.

I stop at every junction, look to make sure nothing is coming, look again
before i cross etc. etc. No accidents to date. I have my walkman turned
very low and can hear the traffic in any case!

How is it different to a car driver having his radio on? There you have the
noise of the engine, the radio and the fans all blowing!!

Just my 2p worth ;-)


The difference in a car is that you are surrounded by a big metal box!

--
Ian

http://www.catrike.co.uk

  #5  
Old October 6th 03, 09:22 AM
Ian
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Posts: n/a
Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!

Lee must be edykated coz e writed:


I wear a walkman on my commute and if you are safe and careful then there is
no reason why not.

I stop at every junction, look to make sure nothing is coming, look again
before i cross etc. etc. No accidents to date. I have my walkman turned
very low and can hear the traffic in any case!

How is it different to a car driver having his radio on? There you have the
noise of the engine, the radio and the fans all blowing!!

Just my 2p worth ;-)


The difference in a car is that you are surrounded by a big metal box!

--
Ian

http://www.catrike.co.uk

  #6  
Old October 6th 03, 09:42 AM
Robert Bruce
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Posts: n/a
Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!

How is it different to a car driver having his radio on? There you have
the
noise of the engine, the radio and the fans all blowing!!


In addition, many (especially mid to top range) cars are deliberately
designed to exclude outside noises. I wonder how much sympathy we'd get if
we cycled around with ear plugs in.

--
Rob

Please keep conversations in the newsgroup so that all may contribute and
benefit.


  #7  
Old October 6th 03, 09:42 AM
Robert Bruce
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!

How is it different to a car driver having his radio on? There you have
the
noise of the engine, the radio and the fans all blowing!!


In addition, many (especially mid to top range) cars are deliberately
designed to exclude outside noises. I wonder how much sympathy we'd get if
we cycled around with ear plugs in.

--
Rob

Please keep conversations in the newsgroup so that all may contribute and
benefit.


  #8  
Old October 6th 03, 09:47 AM
PK
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Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!

Lee wrote:
How is it different to a car driver having his radio on? There you
have the noise of the engine, the radio and the fans all blowing!!



In two ways:

1. As a driver hearing is a less important tool. eg I see cyclists I don't
hear them!
2. As a cyclist hearing is what helps me stay alive. Noisy thing behind me =
potential danger!

Paul


  #9  
Old October 6th 03, 09:47 AM
PK
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Posts: n/a
Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!

Lee wrote:
How is it different to a car driver having his radio on? There you
have the noise of the engine, the radio and the fans all blowing!!



In two ways:

1. As a driver hearing is a less important tool. eg I see cyclists I don't
hear them!
2. As a cyclist hearing is what helps me stay alive. Noisy thing behind me =
potential danger!

Paul


  #10  
Old October 6th 03, 10:39 AM
PK
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Wearing walkmans can be dangerous!

Robert Bruce wrote:
How is it different to a car driver having his radio on? There you
have the noise of the engine, the radio and the fans all blowing!!


In addition, many (especially mid to top range) cars are deliberately
designed to exclude outside noises. I wonder how much sympathy we'd
get if we cycled around with ear plugs in.


Sorry, but that is still a wrong headed argument - sight important for
driving hearing far less so (are the deaf banned from driving?). Hearing is
FAR more important on a bike.

pk


 




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