Music & Cycling: Am I crazy?

[ladyjai]

last I checked - 3 weeks ago - bicycles are NOT considered vehicles in arizona. I was shocked to discover that. Doesn't mean we get off scott-free or have no rights. We have rights and penalties. Just, no motor, no vehicle.

I do not recall reading any laws pertaining to music, but I have no interest in being hit a third time.

I do admit to listening to music in my college days. - or rather, trying to. I live in a very busy city. Many cars moving quickly. If the speed limit says 35, you can expect that most are going 45-50.
I figured, if I kept one ear unplugged, I should be able to hear cars and such and know my danger level. I thought a little soft music would be a nice addition. However, the soft music was not to be obtained, I had to turn the volume level up to very unsafe volumes to be able to make out a thing with my right ear as the noise of the city is very loud. It didn't even last the full 3 miles I was riding before I unplugged it to allow my raging headache to subside. the two loud noises made a disaster in the making. i think i tried it once again, with a "quieter" road, and had similar results. I abandoned them as dead weight.

I find I don't need it. If I want music, I'll provide my own, and let those who can hear, deal. Otherwise, if I'm bored enough to need music - i'm not riding hard enough,

I'm sure there are those who can get away with music and still be safe. But I imagine that number is much smaller than those who listen here think. I would say that if you rely on your "safe routes" and "mild streets" to be validate your choice, please seriously reconsider.

Right now, and probably for the next three months, I am excruciatingly aware of my vulnerability. I've decided that If a human uses wheels to move from one place to another, it is not a matter of if, but when she/he will have an accident. Unlike cars, we do not have crunchable metal cases around our bodies, we must take the brunt of the onslaught with our flesh. I love bicycling. I'm back riding in traffic, and I do not mean to scare anyone off. Just realize that our love has danger attached, ride defensively, it can save your neck. All you need is one car. or a motorcycle, or another bicycle, or heck, anything that can move! to come along and ruin your day, week, year, life.
I'm not pointing fingers, nor do I want you to take offense. Instead, I am asking those who listen, to please carefully reevaluate their choice and make sure they are genuinely ones who can get away with it.

If you would not ride with music on roads with heavy traffic, you should not do it on roads that have the potential for even the lightest of traffic.

It only takes one.

[Trek420]

I sometimes feel there's enough fear warnings in our lives, we're women and we're all aware "don't go here, don't do that", we hear that all our lives.

We're all carefull out there. One thing we have not discussed here is our hearing.

There's a lot of press about Ipods and hearing such as:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4673584.stm

I'm here to tell you it's true.

I work on the phone all day, the customers I talk to are disabled, most hearing impaired. I like my job and most of my customers are lovely but they have no clue how loud they are. They don't hear themselves so I don't hear them either, right? Even with my phone turned down to the lowest setting, headset on the back of my head, I now wear earplugs...it's still loud enough that I know my hearing's been effected.

If you ever meet me, I'm not ignoring you it's possible I don't hear you. I love my job but I'm putting in for transfers.

Once it's gone gals, it's gone. Your hearing is a gift, protect it.

Protect your hearing.