In the "missing woman" thread, the most recent article linked to gives advice, including the above.

How many of you listen to an iPod or equivalent?

I do, but I don't usually listen to music. I listen to audiobooks (I love http://audible.com for that).

Here's why I feel safe doing it. Please tell me if I'm wrong.

1) I only use a bud in one ear.

2) I can still hear everything around me, to the extent that I'm frequently looking over my shoulder for oncoming traffic only to realize it's noise from an adjacent busy street, and my own street is empty.

3) I purposely choose books that require very little concentration. They are "light reading" the nth degree. My typical choices are British mysteries that are so "light" they still use devices such as the middle-aged female sleuth checking the victim's email for clues (the police didn't think of that -- right). In other words, I find them amusing but if I miss something it doesn't bother me. Even though I'm riding and paying attention to things around me, I rarely find myself wanting to back the book up because I think I missed something important.

4) In my case, I don't listen to music because I WOULD be tempted to turn it too loud. I'd also get distracted because as soon as a song came on that I didn't like or didn't fit my mood, I'd be fiddling with the iPod trying to find a better one.

So, what do you do? Do you feel safe listening to headphones or do you avoid it like the plague?