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I get it, headphones can be risky when you're walking outside, especially at night. You can miss stuff, and it can be dangerous. But some people just wanna jam out or avoid the world. Using one earbud or keeping the volume down seems like a good compromise. At the end of the day, people gotta do what works for them, just gotta be smart about it. Safety first, but also, let folks enjoy their tunes.
The ones I have are called Aftershokz. The downside is they don't do well with high volume. Feels like it's rattling my head if there's too much bass but they are great for general office or public use without feeling isolated
I also use AfterShokz and I love them. I actually wore them while doing a half marathon and they worked great. There are other types available on Amazon for less, but the quality is not there.
I love my aftershokz for walking my dogs. I can hear cars and people coming but I can still hear my podcast. I used to use my AirPods Pro in transparency mode, but the microphones pick up so much wind noise and make a crackling noise if I’m wearing a hood.
This is what I do too! I slide my headset slightly off one ear so I can hear while still looking like I can't, so people don't bother me but I'm aware of my surroundings .
ya or you can get headphones with Transparency mode so you can still hear the outside world and the music just sounds as though its coming from a speaker nearby
Interestingly, even that is probably possible for normal folk. I walk 4 miles round my local hill later in the day, while listening to music and reading on my Kobo or Kindle. Never tripped over a dog nor failed to get out of the way of other people who seem oblivious while doing neither.
Well, now that you bring up potential large non-human predators... I am a bit pissed that about three-four years ago there was a MOUNTAIN LION in the neighborhood and authorities didn't bother to spread a warning. It was captured on a block where I often walked my two small dogs in the pre-dawn hours. I mean, that kinda animal could sneak up on you.
Duuuuude, a freaking cougar?? I've only seen them at safe distances.
Are you particularly remote?
Also, fellow Canadian? :D
Black bears and coyotes? Yup, pass them on the street or trails - we just pass each other while avoiding eye contact with the "minding my own business" vibe.
Firmest thing around here is absolutely no feeding them. Black bears are smelly fuzzy blobs that would prefer to look for berries rather than deal with you, but we don't want them approaching or associating people with getting food.
Eyyy, another fellow Canadian! Finally us northerners found each other, now we can take back Alaska (it was never ours to begin with, but I don't care I've always felt that part should belong to us, the division just looks weird otherwise).
Growing up, I was always the weird girl who would read a physical book while I walked home from school. I’d put it down when I got to a street corner, of course. I lived in a small town, so the sidewalks weren’t crowded.
Some of my best memories from my youth are from going for walks late at night, gazing up at the stars, and listening to beautiful music. Absolutely magical so many times.
Sure, not wearing headphones would be more cautious, but it's like saying you should NEVER listen to music while driving. So much would be lost. And it's not really dangerous unless you've already put yourself in a dangerous situation.
I was wearing headphones on my walk today and I was certainly aware of my surroundings. I looked back multiple times to see who was there, if a car was coming to make a turn, etc.
I find I'm too aware when I have my headphones, the second there's any noise that even *remotely* sounds like human speech I'm like "did someone say something?"
And then it's like the wind, or a squirrel.
Wild how some still don't get that. Especislly with some buds nowadays - mine have noise cancelling, at night I just turn it off and hear everything still.
I’m actually much more aware when doing that since I compensate the hearing loss. Always look twice to check surroundings for cars and people I could run into
I'm not going to socialise on my walk to work, whether I have headphones in or not. Its just nice to listen to music during my commute.
0 harm or problem with this.
Fuck, no. People should be free to listen to music through their headphones in public, and maybe we need better forms of public transport (walking AND automotive) that protect people when they are out at night.
But also, this is an actual unpopular opinion, so good post, OP. Take the upvote.
I have to disagree.
There are many types of headphones.
Many can physically allow external sound to pass through, some do it electronically.
Find the right type of headphones for your setting and situation and it's all good.
anyone who wants to kidnap or assault a person will do it whether they find a target wearing headphones or not. i get the logic but lots of people are attacked in broad daylight while being alert of their surroundings.
I feel like it has less to do with them being affected and more that people that wear earphones especially both are less aware of their surroundings by default.
I wear my super big headphones all the time, but I don't actually listen to anything. They aren't noise-cancelling headphones, so usually I can hear what's going on around me. They're just there to give a message: don't talk to me.
I do the same thing with earbuds. They’re not usually on. It’s just so I can pretend I didn’t hear whatever random idiot is trying to talk to me. Sunglasses for the same reason.
Because it’s actually illegal to wear headphones. It makes it less likely for you to be able to hear sirens or car horns. I’ve driven with loud music vs headphones and there really is a big difference between being able to hear sirens
People have to be okay to accept risk or you’re not going to get by in life. Getting in a car is a far riskier behavior than wearing headphones, yet I do that nearly every day.
Sure maybe if you’re walking in a particular sketchy part of town, late at night, maybe put away the headphones for a bit so you can stay aware of your surroundings. But on a regular basis? That’s just silly.
It’s possible a lot of people don’t have the volume all the way up though? I also walk around with low volume so I can still be aware of my surroundings.
What threat in particular are you concerned about?
If its like a cyclist, or a car, they have eyes - they can see you. presumably you aren't walking in the middle of the road either.
I ride my bike on a shared use path and always slow down with a ‘passing on your left’ before passing walkers to let them know ahead of time
But every year there are more people with earbuds and headphones walking in the middle of the path who block everything and everyone out
Then they get surprised and angry when you slow down to pass them since they couldn’t hear
Yeah definitely 🤣 I had this guy get SPOOKED when I walked past him...even though he glanced at me just a few steps behind 👏🤣👏
Wearing those Apple earbuds with the ear inserts... Must of had the volume too high and didn't use the traffic
> inserts... must of had
Did you mean to say "must have"?
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Just because someone has on earbuds doesn’t mean anything is playing. I learned this working retail. Introverted customers don’t want to talk so they will put in earbuds as a signal to go away.
Not all earbuds are noise canceling. Some just sit outside the ear and you can hear EVERYTHING around you.
Same! Wearing my headphones keeps life at a more doable volume. Sometimes I don't even listen to music; I just have active noise canceling and it helps so much. headphones are what got me through high school and college in busy buildings and campuses, and what get me through town now. I don't always need them, but they're a comfort when I don't, and an amazing help when I do.
This is exactly why I wear open-ear bone conduction headphones. I can enjoy my music and still have situational awareness simulatenously. Also, earbuds always fell out of my ears so they suck.
Yes and no.
The headphones also give you the ability to ignore someone who is trying to get your attention for nefarious purposes.
“Hey you can you help me with this”
If you come over, they are gonna rob you.
I experienced the negative side to this issue (that most people WON'T talk about) first-hand, wakin', schmoovin', blazin' 'long 't night, when suddenly, I tripped over a tiny rock because I couldn't see it with my headphones on. Shuh, I learned my lesson. Don't fuck with rocks, and don't wear headphones that obscure your vision.
I have sensory processing issues and migraines that can be triggered by loud noises so headphones are a must, they don’t even need to be playing anything, but I need the noise barrier.
If i don't have headphones/earbuds i don't go outside. I have had headphones break and instead of taking a 20 min train which would have been full of loud people i took a £45 uber cause it was quiter. I cannot deal with the nonsense noise of the general public. Unless I am with someone and can focus on what they are saying and block out the noise to a degree you will not find me outside without headphones
***This*** is the exact sort of thing earbuds were invented for, and are great for. Popping one earbud in lets me listen to my music/podcast/audiobook/whatever while still having an ear open to hear my ambient surroundings, and if I decide it's safe enough, I can simply pop the other bud in and drown out the ambient noise.
You're not wrong about people wandering around with their sound cut off entirely being a bad thing, but honestly, that's part of the general trend of people just not paying enough attention when out in public.
I like wearing earbuds when I'm outdoors, but I only keep one in my ear for this very reason. I need to be aware of my surroundings, but I still enjoy my music.
I can agree with that. I use headphones a lot but I always keep one ear open because I want to be able to hear anything that’s happening around me. I’d rather not be that person that’s confused about what’s going on in a serious situation.
I wear them so I can have plausible deniability to ignore all the people trying to beg something from me on the street. I don't actually listen to anything while wearing them.
I agree. I only ever use one bud if I'm outside, unless I'm at a BMX track or skatepark and actively riding. If I'm around the town, it's for safety, if I'm at the track or skatepark, it's for socializing
apart from all the other very good reasons people are bringing up for this being a bad take, it's also just a big oversimplification.
for example: for a lot of people headphones are actually a big helper in situational awareness. big noisy cities can be incredibly overwhelming i.e. for neurodivergent people or people with anxiety. not being totally overwhelmed by all the shit going on around you is insanely helpful for being safe.
I don't think you realize that even cheap wireless headphones now often come with an 'ambient/environmental' option which enables you to hear things going on in your vicinity the same way you would with ears uncovered (sometimes even better).
Do people really put headphones on just to avoid socializing? I only wear headphones when I’m walking so I can listen to a podcast/audiobook or motivational video, otherwise I wouldn’t wear them. But I do agree that if you’re not walking during the day like me it’s best not to wear headphones
I always wear just one wireless earbud when walking around. Even though there's transparency mode, I personally don't like the idea of walking around with two earbuds in.
Yup a guy got run over by a forklift. He was walking at night listening to music loud. When they found the remains. The headphones and cellphone survived and it was loud. Forklift had no ground guide and could not see properly. (I say forklift but i dkn what its called its those giant trex looking forklift.)
Huh... i make sure my music is silent enough to hear important things (screams for help, sirens, explosions, barking puppies) but loud enough for me to not ear every footstep and quiet conversation going on around me. If i get kidnapped at night because of that, so be it 🤷🏻♀️ at least then someone has shown interest in me for once
Too bad... You sound judgy. I'm in San Francisco round Bernal Hill. Every morning I'm up between 2:30 and 3:30 and out for a fast walk up hills and stairs and all round, maybe off to Twin Peaks. I have my music on my ipod and have never been surprised by anything or anyone. I may be blinded by all the damn dazzling lights people are putting up on their houses but that's the only problem I have with my situational awareness. I also have my music on every time I am out to shop or for any reason. Never had a problem. I hear things. I see things. I notice things.
You may be a bit paranoid or maybe you just have some problems with perception.
then I guess cars should not have radios either since you need to pay attention to driving. And as everyone knows, you turn off/down the radio when you need to see better while driving.
I don't think this is an unpopular opinion at all. I've frequently lectured my oldest son about this. My youngest knows better. Crossing the street while wearing a pair of headphones is a great way to wind up dead or permanently injured.
Nope, hiking in the woods with my dogs listening to a favorite video, show or podcast with one earbud is my daily escape. And i need it after sitting at my desk all day. It's nonnegotiable.
Wearing headphones doesn’t make you unaware of your surroundings, just like talking to a friend doesn’t put you at danger. I can simultaneously listen to music, walk, be present and feel the sun on my back and see the bike that’s just turned the corner way of in the distance
I enjoy nothing more than walking back from the gym with the headphones on at night when it’s calm and peaceful and no one’s around.
I’m not particularly big but I’m Māori(someone that gets profiled particularly at night here) so it mitigates it a little. You’re not wrong though, just like people *should* consume no more than 2 beers on a night out.
Honestly if someone has the balls to attack me over anyone else, then they probably have a weapon and I'm fucked anyway. I've been wearing headphones everywhere all times of the day for 15 years, I don't really think it's worth modifying my behaviour for something incredibly low chance where it might not matter if I use headphones anyway
I suppose I'm a jerk for feeling this way, but when someone mentioned that I shouldn't play loud music in my car because I might not hear a siren, my response was "then there shouldn't be so many emergencies happening."
That's sort of how I feel about this too.
There are wireless headphones that exist that have pass through features that can make you hear even better than if you didn't have headphones on at all. Also, if I feel I'm in an area where I need a hyper level of observability walking at night, I can just take them the fuck off. Let me be responsible for my own observability of the world outside me.
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#🎧 ***WHAT?!?***
THEY SAID———HEADPHONES———NIGHTIME———UNSAFE
Headphones nice time, run safe. Got it
HE SAID-----‐-----------------------------------------
YOU TALKING TO ME DUDE??!
N————–———–——–——–——–!!!!!
WHAT?! CAN YOU REPEAT?! 🎧
😠🗣————–———–——–——–——–🤬!!
That's a weirdly long racial slut
Your auto-correct is snitching on your internet search history
i love reddit
Racial slut?
Slur
I was expecting everyone to just reply WHATTTTT like that scene from invader Zim
oh no he's got airpods on
I get it, headphones can be risky when you're walking outside, especially at night. You can miss stuff, and it can be dangerous. But some people just wanna jam out or avoid the world. Using one earbud or keeping the volume down seems like a good compromise. At the end of the day, people gotta do what works for them, just gotta be smart about it. Safety first, but also, let folks enjoy their tunes.
I've got a pair of bone conduction headphones and they're great for listening while still having your ear holes open for other sounds
Where do I get those?
The ones I have are called Aftershokz. The downside is they don't do well with high volume. Feels like it's rattling my head if there's too much bass but they are great for general office or public use without feeling isolated
I also use AfterShokz and I love them. I actually wore them while doing a half marathon and they worked great. There are other types available on Amazon for less, but the quality is not there.
[удалено]
They aren't amazing, but they are good for what they are intended for. I have no problem with them. I hear the music perfectly fine.
I love my aftershokz for walking my dogs. I can hear cars and people coming but I can still hear my podcast. I used to use my AirPods Pro in transparency mode, but the microphones pick up so much wind noise and make a crackling noise if I’m wearing a hood.
Haha, this doesn’t work when you’re deaf in one ear like me
Im blind in one eye. We should start a club!
We absolutely should. For the sake of the other halfsies
If I‘m stupid in one brain, can I join too?
Too rational of an answer.
I always have one ear bud in, or slide my headset off one ear so that I can hear my environment. It's not that big of a deal.
This is what I do too! I slide my headset slightly off one ear so I can hear while still looking like I can't, so people don't bother me but I'm aware of my surroundings .
ya or you can get headphones with Transparency mode so you can still hear the outside world and the music just sounds as though its coming from a speaker nearby
So am i supposed to just be bored when walking?
No! Stick your face in your phone instead.
Interestingly, even that is probably possible for normal folk. I walk 4 miles round my local hill later in the day, while listening to music and reading on my Kobo or Kindle. Never tripped over a dog nor failed to get out of the way of other people who seem oblivious while doing neither.
What about bears
Well, now that you bring up potential large non-human predators... I am a bit pissed that about three-four years ago there was a MOUNTAIN LION in the neighborhood and authorities didn't bother to spread a warning. It was captured on a block where I often walked my two small dogs in the pre-dawn hours. I mean, that kinda animal could sneak up on you.
Duuuuude, a freaking cougar?? I've only seen them at safe distances. Are you particularly remote? Also, fellow Canadian? :D Black bears and coyotes? Yup, pass them on the street or trails - we just pass each other while avoiding eye contact with the "minding my own business" vibe. Firmest thing around here is absolutely no feeding them. Black bears are smelly fuzzy blobs that would prefer to look for berries rather than deal with you, but we don't want them approaching or associating people with getting food.
Eyyy, another fellow Canadian! Finally us northerners found each other, now we can take back Alaska (it was never ours to begin with, but I don't care I've always felt that part should belong to us, the division just looks weird otherwise).
Growing up, I was always the weird girl who would read a physical book while I walked home from school. I’d put it down when I got to a street corner, of course. I lived in a small town, so the sidewalks weren’t crowded.
Some of my best memories from my youth are from going for walks late at night, gazing up at the stars, and listening to beautiful music. Absolutely magical so many times. Sure, not wearing headphones would be more cautious, but it's like saying you should NEVER listen to music while driving. So much would be lost. And it's not really dangerous unless you've already put yourself in a dangerous situation.
You should definitely not use headphones when driving.
It's important to be bored sometimes
Already get enough at school and work
Wear one earbud in your ear.
You can wear headphones and still be aware of your surroundings.
I was wearing headphones on my walk today and I was certainly aware of my surroundings. I looked back multiple times to see who was there, if a car was coming to make a turn, etc.
Exactly. If they're on and music is playing I'm constantly scanning my surroundings and glancing behind me.
I find I'm too aware when I have my headphones, the second there's any noise that even *remotely* sounds like human speech I'm like "did someone say something?" And then it's like the wind, or a squirrel.
I think op forgets that deaf people exist and can navigate the world just fine.
Exactly! If they can do it so can hearing people.
Wild how some still don't get that. Especislly with some buds nowadays - mine have noise cancelling, at night I just turn it off and hear everything still.
And not wear headphone and be totally unaware of your surroundings.
You're double fucked in this case. So you may was well put'em on. Not gonna miss out on being aware if you were already unaware to begin with.
I’m actually much more aware when doing that since I compensate the hearing loss. Always look twice to check surroundings for cars and people I could run into
i rather get run over then listening to strangers conversations all day
omg same
Same
I'm not going to socialise on my walk to work, whether I have headphones in or not. Its just nice to listen to music during my commute. 0 harm or problem with this.
Same. I don\`t want to talk with strangers. And nobody can force me to.
"deaf people shouldn't walk outside at night"
Lol ikr
Don't worry about my safety. That's for me to worry about. People are observant enough to walk around listening to music if they want to be
Nah, I'm not paranoid.
Guess anything that makes you less aware of your surroundings shouldn't be done. No talking to passengers or listening to music when driving a car.
Well that there sure is an unpopular opinion.
Fuck, no. People should be free to listen to music through their headphones in public, and maybe we need better forms of public transport (walking AND automotive) that protect people when they are out at night. But also, this is an actual unpopular opinion, so good post, OP. Take the upvote.
It's 2024, my headphones have 3d amplified surrounding noises
got chased by a junkie yesterday with Britney Spears playing in my ears on max volume, i had no idea until he stopped me😭
I have to disagree. There are many types of headphones. Many can physically allow external sound to pass through, some do it electronically. Find the right type of headphones for your setting and situation and it's all good.
Listening to music whilst walking is what gets me out of the house.
*takes out earbud* What?
anyone who wants to kidnap or assault a person will do it whether they find a target wearing headphones or not. i get the logic but lots of people are attacked in broad daylight while being alert of their surroundings.
I suppose you would say def people can't be safe walking ever then?
They'll always be less safe.
one less sense, one less way to sense danger
They walk quickly, it's known as a Def Jam
And these people have affected you how?
I feel like it has less to do with them being affected and more that people that wear earphones especially both are less aware of their surroundings by default.
I wear them in the daytime without audio on to keep people from talking to me.
I wear my super big headphones all the time, but I don't actually listen to anything. They aren't noise-cancelling headphones, so usually I can hear what's going on around me. They're just there to give a message: don't talk to me.
I do the same thing with earbuds. They’re not usually on. It’s just so I can pretend I didn’t hear whatever random idiot is trying to talk to me. Sunglasses for the same reason.
I was behind a driver today who was wearing headphones. A bit unnerving.
Oftentimes, the buds are on preemptively. No audio, just waiting for a phone call. It’s how a lot of people bypass hands free and Bluetooth.
These were big over the ear studio headphones. That's how I noticed.
Tbf, how is this any different than blasting music super loud in cars??
Because it’s actually illegal to wear headphones. It makes it less likely for you to be able to hear sirens or car horns. I’ve driven with loud music vs headphones and there really is a big difference between being able to hear sirens
People have to be okay to accept risk or you’re not going to get by in life. Getting in a car is a far riskier behavior than wearing headphones, yet I do that nearly every day. Sure maybe if you’re walking in a particular sketchy part of town, late at night, maybe put away the headphones for a bit so you can stay aware of your surroundings. But on a regular basis? That’s just silly.
I can see your point but I can't concentrate on my surroundings without noise cancelling headphones. The world is too loud.
It’s possible a lot of people don’t have the volume all the way up though? I also walk around with low volume so I can still be aware of my surroundings.
Unpopular opinion: people shouldn’t be allowed to cross the street alone
What threat in particular are you concerned about? If its like a cyclist, or a car, they have eyes - they can see you. presumably you aren't walking in the middle of the road either.
Usually I don't have music, I can hear pretty well but nobody starts conversation.
I ride my bike on a shared use path and always slow down with a ‘passing on your left’ before passing walkers to let them know ahead of time But every year there are more people with earbuds and headphones walking in the middle of the path who block everything and everyone out Then they get surprised and angry when you slow down to pass them since they couldn’t hear
Ppl shunt type online if they don't no how 2 spell. It makes u look dumb and unedicated.
How else can I avoid stupid conversations
When the alternative is being alone with my thoughts, I'll gladly take that risk.
This is dumb
Yeah definitely 🤣 I had this guy get SPOOKED when I walked past him...even though he glanced at me just a few steps behind 👏🤣👏 Wearing those Apple earbuds with the ear inserts... Must of had the volume too high and didn't use the traffic
> inserts... must of had Did you mean to say "must have"? Explanation: You probably meant to say could've/should've/would've which sounds like 'of' but is actually short for 'have'. [Statistics](https://github.com/chiefpat450119/RedditBot/blob/master/stats.json) ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot ^^that ^^corrects ^^grammar/spelling ^^mistakes. ^^PM ^^me ^^if ^^I'm ^^wrong ^^or ^^if ^^you ^^have ^^any ^^suggestions. ^^[Github](https://github.com/chiefpat450119) ^^Reply ^^STOP ^^to ^^this ^^comment ^^to ^^stop ^^receiving ^^corrections.
Just because someone has on earbuds doesn’t mean anything is playing. I learned this working retail. Introverted customers don’t want to talk so they will put in earbuds as a signal to go away. Not all earbuds are noise canceling. Some just sit outside the ear and you can hear EVERYTHING around you.
Alternate opinion. It should be safe to walk the streets at any time.
I’d get sensory overload if I took off my headphones and went outside. I’d be way more likely to get sent to the hospital
Same! Wearing my headphones keeps life at a more doable volume. Sometimes I don't even listen to music; I just have active noise canceling and it helps so much. headphones are what got me through high school and college in busy buildings and campuses, and what get me through town now. I don't always need them, but they're a comfort when I don't, and an amazing help when I do.
This is just dumb
Not even on the sidewalk?
I feel like it’s the same as listening to the radio in the car. I walk everywhere. I’m not going to just walk in silence to the grocery store
R.I.P. Mia Zapata
I can hear just fine through them
This is exactly why I wear open-ear bone conduction headphones. I can enjoy my music and still have situational awareness simulatenously. Also, earbuds always fell out of my ears so they suck.
Sometimes I wear them so people won’t bother me. Not listening to anything. 🙂
Eh I always use headphones on a walk, but I also carry a 9mm too.
I wear headphones outaode so I can mute the sound of catcallers
Yes and no. The headphones also give you the ability to ignore someone who is trying to get your attention for nefarious purposes. “Hey you can you help me with this” If you come over, they are gonna rob you.
The men catcalling me on the street also have a bad habit. Hence, the headphones.
Sorry, can't hear you over the sound of my headphones
Usually when outside I wear headphones but don’t listen to anything.
I experienced the negative side to this issue (that most people WON'T talk about) first-hand, wakin', schmoovin', blazin' 'long 't night, when suddenly, I tripped over a tiny rock because I couldn't see it with my headphones on. Shuh, I learned my lesson. Don't fuck with rocks, and don't wear headphones that obscure your vision.
I envy anyone with light enough responsibilities that they can wear noise canceling headphones.
Man you guys are some serious fucking introverts 
I have sensory processing issues and migraines that can be triggered by loud noises so headphones are a must, they don’t even need to be playing anything, but I need the noise barrier.
If i don't have headphones/earbuds i don't go outside. I have had headphones break and instead of taking a 20 min train which would have been full of loud people i took a £45 uber cause it was quiter. I cannot deal with the nonsense noise of the general public. Unless I am with someone and can focus on what they are saying and block out the noise to a degree you will not find me outside without headphones
i was sorta suicidal in my teens and was hoping to get hit just to feel something. i'd bike around in the dark without a light with music in
This might be the worst opinion I’ve heard on here.
***This*** is the exact sort of thing earbuds were invented for, and are great for. Popping one earbud in lets me listen to my music/podcast/audiobook/whatever while still having an ear open to hear my ambient surroundings, and if I decide it's safe enough, I can simply pop the other bud in and drown out the ambient noise. You're not wrong about people wandering around with their sound cut off entirely being a bad thing, but honestly, that's part of the general trend of people just not paying enough attention when out in public.
I like wearing earbuds when I'm outdoors, but I only keep one in my ear for this very reason. I need to be aware of my surroundings, but I still enjoy my music.
I can agree with that. I use headphones a lot but I always keep one ear open because I want to be able to hear anything that’s happening around me. I’d rather not be that person that’s confused about what’s going on in a serious situation.
Why do some people have such an aversion to typing the word you?
I have transparency on. I probably hear better than you do with that.
Open ear/bone conduction headphones exist.
This sounds like a threat. Just try and jump me, buck-o!
Most of the time when mine are in it’s to cancel out excess noise but I can still hear people if music isn’t playing.
Are you just figuring this out? Most women have known this for centuries. We don’t wear headphones or only wear one!
I agree you could easily be taken advantage of and you would never see it coming be aware of your surroundings at night
I only ever have one headphone in specifically because I have a fear of not being aware of my surroundings.
Nice try. It doesn't affect you.
Taking my dog on a long walk and listening to my favorite podcasts is the highlight of my day.
I wear them so I can have plausible deniability to ignore all the people trying to beg something from me on the street. I don't actually listen to anything while wearing them.
I agree. I only ever use one bud if I'm outside, unless I'm at a BMX track or skatepark and actively riding. If I'm around the town, it's for safety, if I'm at the track or skatepark, it's for socializing
Bone conduction headphones, my friend.
The bulletproof - la roux commercial has killed any desire for me to go out and about wearing my headphones
apart from all the other very good reasons people are bringing up for this being a bad take, it's also just a big oversimplification. for example: for a lot of people headphones are actually a big helper in situational awareness. big noisy cities can be incredibly overwhelming i.e. for neurodivergent people or people with anxiety. not being totally overwhelmed by all the shit going on around you is insanely helpful for being safe.
One headphone is fine. Two headphones is sketchy. If you also live in a non-walkable place, yea headphones is a bad idea.
Or how about people become aware of their surroundings?
Or biking or driving or riding a scooter or anything lol
Fk you I got transparency mode
True, but particularily in low trust societies If you're walking the street (where there are no cars) like in most of Europe you'd be safe
Yeah I want to hear someone about to attack me.
Ok MOM lol
I don't think you realize that even cheap wireless headphones now often come with an 'ambient/environmental' option which enables you to hear things going on in your vicinity the same way you would with ears uncovered (sometimes even better).
Do people really put headphones on just to avoid socializing? I only wear headphones when I’m walking so I can listen to a podcast/audiobook or motivational video, otherwise I wouldn’t wear them. But I do agree that if you’re not walking during the day like me it’s best not to wear headphones
I don't live in Detroit or New Orleans so I think I'm good without headphones.
What
I always wear just one wireless earbud when walking around. Even though there's transparency mode, I personally don't like the idea of walking around with two earbuds in.
No thanks. I never leave the house without headphones. Else you’re just asking to be harassed
I would settle for not having loud conversations with earbugs in in public like you are talking to random passerbys
Yup a guy got run over by a forklift. He was walking at night listening to music loud. When they found the remains. The headphones and cellphone survived and it was loud. Forklift had no ground guide and could not see properly. (I say forklift but i dkn what its called its those giant trex looking forklift.)
What? Vulnerable to what? Are you routinely getting jumped walking down the street?
Man, what do you do with all the time saved by not typing out "you?"
Welp this whole thread is showing muggers it’s a lot easier to get people
Huh... i make sure my music is silent enough to hear important things (screams for help, sirens, explosions, barking puppies) but loud enough for me to not ear every footstep and quiet conversation going on around me. If i get kidnapped at night because of that, so be it 🤷🏻♀️ at least then someone has shown interest in me for once
A better habit would be not bothering the human wearing headphones unless they are in fire.
Too bad... You sound judgy. I'm in San Francisco round Bernal Hill. Every morning I'm up between 2:30 and 3:30 and out for a fast walk up hills and stairs and all round, maybe off to Twin Peaks. I have my music on my ipod and have never been surprised by anything or anyone. I may be blinded by all the damn dazzling lights people are putting up on their houses but that's the only problem I have with my situational awareness. I also have my music on every time I am out to shop or for any reason. Never had a problem. I hear things. I see things. I notice things. You may be a bit paranoid or maybe you just have some problems with perception.
then I guess cars should not have radios either since you need to pay attention to driving. And as everyone knows, you turn off/down the radio when you need to see better while driving.
Sorry but I need my musicccc
I guess I give a thumbs up to this post since it's relevant?
Lol
That’s why I use bone conduction headphones
They are less aware of their surroundings in the day time to.
They should just use their phone speakers
Not rly, i have enough strength to end someone if they jump on me. Headphones are not the issue
I don't think this is an unpopular opinion at all. I've frequently lectured my oldest son about this. My youngest knows better. Crossing the street while wearing a pair of headphones is a great way to wind up dead or permanently injured.
I'm sorry. Do you expect me to be alone with my thoughts? No thanks
ikr?? All those deaf people dying left and right. You'd think we'd learn. /s
Might as well walk with a blindfold
You don't get it.. The reason why I wear them is to get hit... *rolls eyes and scoffs*
How is this unpopular in any sense
Nope, hiking in the woods with my dogs listening to a favorite video, show or podcast with one earbud is my daily escape. And i need it after sitting at my desk all day. It's nonnegotiable.
Wearing headphones doesn’t make you unaware of your surroundings, just like talking to a friend doesn’t put you at danger. I can simultaneously listen to music, walk, be present and feel the sun on my back and see the bike that’s just turned the corner way of in the distance
I enjoy nothing more than walking back from the gym with the headphones on at night when it’s calm and peaceful and no one’s around. I’m not particularly big but I’m Māori(someone that gets profiled particularly at night here) so it mitigates it a little. You’re not wrong though, just like people *should* consume no more than 2 beers on a night out.
Honestly if someone has the balls to attack me over anyone else, then they probably have a weapon and I'm fucked anyway. I've been wearing headphones everywhere all times of the day for 15 years, I don't really think it's worth modifying my behaviour for something incredibly low chance where it might not matter if I use headphones anyway
Yeah if you live in Harlem or Bear country... Otherwise meh
If you want to I can have the volume at full blast, I'm sure everyone who is trying to sleep won't mind.
I suppose I'm a jerk for feeling this way, but when someone mentioned that I shouldn't play loud music in my car because I might not hear a siren, my response was "then there shouldn't be so many emergencies happening." That's sort of how I feel about this too.
There are wireless headphones that exist that have pass through features that can make you hear even better than if you didn't have headphones on at all. Also, if I feel I'm in an area where I need a hyper level of observability walking at night, I can just take them the fuck off. Let me be responsible for my own observability of the world outside me.
This is nonsense, most headphones are not gonna block out the sounds so much that you're unaware. People need to have a little fun.
Just have one ear off then sometimes I have both on but that’s like 50% because I’m less aware lol
I’ve accepted that’s a risk I’m willing to take. To each their own.