Concerns of wearing headphones raised after helicopter death of B.C. student (Heads Up!)

The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton, NB) ^ | May 19, 2008 | Lorrayne Anthony

[Retired Greyhound]

Oh great, get ready for another new law

[1rudeboy]

True story. I was driving south on State Street on the University of Michigan campus one Halloween afternnoon, and some wearing a full-on Grim Reaper costume (scythe, the whole enchilada) just crossed in the middle of the block right in front of. There is NO WAY, with the hood over head and all, that he could see the traffic, which was heavy.

The person just expected us to stop for him, and we did (both directions). No one wanted to kill Death in a traffic accident. I watched as he walked away, and "the seas were parting for him," if you know what I mean.

It took some balls, but man, it was hilarious.

[buccaneer81]

I hadn’t considered auto-rotation. I’m not sure what the noise levels would be from the wind.

[woollyone]

And inquiring minds want to know if the helicopter pilot was wearing headphones and how did that contribute to the crash?

[weegee]

What is the reaction time to dive out from under a falling helicopter?

[1rudeboy]

some=someone

[50sDad]

As I also noted on another thread, compared to the Gangsta Culture, very few Barbershop Quartet Singers get capped outside of the Disco in gunfights over their Hoes.

[trumandogz]

It was not a helicopter but rather a Chopper.

[ConservaTexan]

...was killed while walking along train tracks. He failed to respond to the train's repeated whistles and was wearing his MP3 player earphones.

...a student in-line skating while wearing headphones in Windsor, Ont. slid under a tractor-trailer he failed to notice until the last minute.

...16-year-old daughter was struck by a tram in 2004. The teen was wearing headphones.

...the death of a 21-year-old Brooklyn man who was listening to an IPod when he stepped in front of a bus.

Natural selection's a b!tch. The nanny state wants to swoop in and perpetuate the polluting of the gene pool.

[50sDad]

You watch...a couple of deaths related to this, and before long NOBODY will be allowed by the NannyState to wear headphones in public.

[Ramius]

Ridiculous. Even a deaf person would be fully aware something was wrong if helicopter dropping out of the sky on them, just from the wind and vibration. And imagine how loud the music would have to be to block out the sound. You can hear helicopters for miles. Let’s just pass a law that you can’t wear headphones under helicopters.

Yes, it's ridiculous. That's what the media does. They find the silliest angle on a story and make it about ~that~.

But there might not have been as much noise as it seems. Not, at least, while the chopper was far enough up there to give him enough time to react.

[rottndog]

Reminds me of this...

[ThreeYearLurker]

My father in law flies helicopters. They are louder than hell. To be even near a helicopter you need to have ear plugs the size of corks. There isn’t an Ipod in the world that is louder than a helicopter.

[skully]

Did Cranbrook have Helicopter Crossing signs up??

Otherwise I'm sure this is all Bush's fault. And Global Warming is making helicopters fall out of the sky. And wearing head phones will be linked to brain cancer. And more government will solve this crisis, that's killing our young people.

[Reeses]

Cars have gotten so quiet now we can’t rely on hearing anymore, iPod or not. Hybrids in electric mode as well as electric city buses are dangerously quiet. A hybrid leaving a curb makes no warning sounds of imminent movement so it’s all up to the driver to look around. Things have gotten too quiet and we need stereo sounds of some kind added to vehicles. A low bass sound, if loud enough, can be heard by the body no matter what someone’s ears are listening to. Directional subwoofers could be added to locomotives to shake the bejesus out of people on the tracks.

[weegee]

Al and Tipper Gore TRIED to warn America of the evils of rock music over 20years ago. Al Gore cares.

[absolootezer0]

not necessarily very loud. there are a TON of headphone options available anymore to muffle or completely deaden ambient sound.

[Steamburg]

This ought to be an Apple Commercial. Our headphones are so good you can’t even hear a helicopter landing.

[weegee]

"I'm SING-ING in the RAIN-N-N, Just SING-ING in the RA-A-A-AIN!"

[Disturbin]

"Ya know Jerry, when someone yells 'heads up' you don't actually look up"