Posted on 05/19/2008 11:22:59 AM PDT by buccaneer81
Concerns of wearing headphones raised after helicopter death of B.C. student
TORONTO - The death of a 23-year-old student who was killed when a helicopter crash-landed on him in the middle of the street is raising questions about how aware people are of their surroundings when outside listening to portable audio devices - such as Ipods and MP3 players.
Isaiah Otieno, from Kenya, was crossing a street in a quiet Cranbrook, B.C. neighbourhood last week when a helicopter struggling to stay airborne suddenly dropped on top of him.
At the time, there were reports that Otiena was wearing ear or headphones and may not have heard the downward spiralling chopper.
While there is no evidence to back up that theory, the speculation is hard to avoid considering the millions of people each day who walk, run, cycle and in-line skate with the ubiquitous ear buds.
When Kevin Guest, a staff sergeant with the Toronto Police, gives streetproofing tips to students, he reminds them to stay alert while wearing earphones.
"If you are going to wear an IPod or headphones or something like that, you keep the level low enough so you can still hear ambient noise," Guest said.
It's a warning Stephne FitzGerald heeds. The 38-year-old works in the music industry and, two years ago, traded in his daily newspaper to listen to tunes on his IPod during his half-hour commute to work in Toronto.
But he says his surroundings are always on his radar.
"If I am walking outside, I don't have it that loud -- you know traffic," he said. "I'm not that comfortable not hearing any outside noises."
The helicopter accident in British Columbia is the latest tragedy to illustrate how people wearing ear or headphones outdoors can put themselves at increased risk.
In 2007, a student in Grimsby, Ont. was killed while walking along train tracks. He failed to respond to the train's repeated whistles and was wearing his MP3 player earphones.
Also last year, a student in-line skating while wearing headphones in Windsor, Ont. slid under a tractor-trailer he failed to notice until the last minute.
In Australia, police have placed ads that show a teen lying on the ground - MP3 player splayed beside him - with a chalk outline around his body. The ads followed a campaign by a woman whose 16-year-old daughter was struck by a tram in 2004. The teen was wearing headphones.
Last year, New York Senator Carl Kruger's bill to ban the use of IPods, cellphones or other electronic devices while crossing the street was defeated. It was motivated by the death of a 21-year-old Brooklyn man who was listening to an IPod when he stepped in front of a bus.
While there are no laws in Canada dealing with the use of headphones while walking, it's illegal to wear them while riding a bicycle in both British Columbia and Quebec.
Oh great, get ready for another new law
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.
I hadn’t considered auto-rotation. I’m not sure what the noise levels would be from the wind.
And inquiring minds want to know if the helicopter pilot was wearing headphones and how did that contribute to the crash?
What is the reaction time to dive out from under a falling helicopter?
some=someone
It was not a helicopter but rather a Chopper.
...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.
You watch...a couple of deaths related to this, and before long NOBODY will be allowed by the NannyState to wear headphones in public.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Al and Tipper Gore TRIED to warn America of the evils of rock music over 20years ago. Al Gore cares.
not necessarily very loud. there are a TON of headphone options available anymore to muffle or completely deaden ambient sound.
This ought to be an Apple Commercial. Our headphones are so good you can’t even hear a helicopter landing.
"I'm SING-ING in the RAIN-N-N, Just SING-ING in the RA-A-A-AIN!"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.