to think its stupid, dangerous and irresponsible

[spongebob13]

to walk/cycle on narrow country roads (or indeed anywhere unless its a footpath) with feckin ear phones in your ears.

this morning a guy was walking along the road (bad road loads of pot holes and lorries). I know the road well and knew he was about to walk along a verge full of bad potholes. as predicted he side stepped out without even looking over his shoulder and then jumped when I slowly passed him out.

how the hell can you be safe and aware of traffic with your ears essentially blocked.

idiot!

Yep, see lots of runners doing this too!

I agree.

I have started running but only ever have one headphone in and if I am running along roads don't use any.

only worse when they wear all dark clothes too and walk with back to traffic intead of facing it so they see.

It sounds a bit Pollyanna-ish but I always try and think of pedestrians etc as being super-vulnerable rather than idiots.

I agree with not wearing headphones for cycling (tho does that mean deaf people shouldn't cycle?) but when people are walking they should really be safe to have headphones in all but the narrowest roads - as a driver I wouldn't get so close to someone that they didn't have chance to get out of the way. Or if the road was genuinely not wide enough for a pedestrian and car, I'd wait behind them until they realised and shifted out of the way.

If you know a walker is going to step out, a hoot on the horn will warn them they're not the only ones around.

I see people driving with headphones in. I mean, wtf?

Trainers, you tend to find that deaf/hard of hearing people rely heavily on their vision when placed in situations that are difficult for them hearing wise, so would have the sense to check behind them before stepping out :). When I'm running or cycling I remove my ear phones so I can hear the traffic, it does annoy me when people don't though.

drivers with headphones in are being safe and probably on the phone why is that weird?

I wouldn't beep because they might end up falling with the fright.

If you've got headphones in as you drive, chances are you're listening to music sufficiently loud that you cannot hear sirens. Or you're chatting on the phone.

Neither is exactly optimal driving.

YANBU.

The best I saw was a group of teens doing an expedition of some kind, walking in twos and threes down blind bends on country roads. I actually pulled over, berated them and got details for their DofE leader for that one.

I stopped and told a young girl on the same road that between her black school bag, black hair and black coat she couldn't be seen. surely parents should be buying their kids reflective bands or gear if they are walking roads at this time of year. so irresponsible.

Middle aged man, in full lycra kit and helmet, riding at speed the wrong way down a narrow bendy one way street, with ipod or whatever plugged in. There's only so much you can do...

Erm, because as someone else said if you've got headphones whilst you drive you won't be able to hear sirens! Or people beeping, anything. Surely you should have optimum awareness?

And I don't think cyclists should ride with headphones in either. Especially in London! Bloody hell, you're just waiting for an accident.

I'm more concerned about the ones round here who cycle in black clothing, down unlit roads, in the pitch black, on the wrong side of the road with NO BLOODY LIGHTS!

I personally find it extremely patronising to suggest that somebody WALKING with headphones in isn't safe..

Agreed, especially if they are walking on the same side as the flow of traffic. If walking on a road with no paths then walk on the side that has you walking towards oncoming vehicles not on the side that has you going in the same direction as the vehicles.

but fact is it isn't safe IF you cant hear!!

Shouldn't they be walking on the right so that they're facing oncoming traffic anyway?

I've been walking on country lanes for years and years on a daily basis.

I have taught my DC's that they never wear headphones on the lanes,that when light conditions are low,we ALL wear a hi viz,and when you hear a car approaching,never assume it's just one car (it could be two or more).

Oh,and watch carefully for bikes coz they're not so easy to hear....