Portable digital music players existed before the iPod, but they all sucked. The software used to manage them was brutal and, yes, they didn't look very cool. But then there was this:
I got my first iPod (the one shown above, though that's not my Chili Peppers song) for Christmas in 2003. It was the 20GB version, spinning hard drive platter and all. Chris got one a couple years later. And that's around the time that things got nuts. Instead of hard drives, newer models used flash memory. iPods got smaller and thinner and cheaper. (Well, not so much cheaper, but more bang for the buck.)
As they got smaller, they got more accessible. Everybody (close enough) has one. And for people who spent the 1990s carrying around a Sony Discman and a pile of CDs, they were revolutionary. Not only could you carry an album or two with you, you could carry a couple hundred albums with you. And you could go anywhere.
Like, for example, the Keystone Trail in Omaha.
As I was riding into work yesterday — yes, it's true: you can ride a bike to the trail and then ride on it, rather than drive to the trail to go for a ride — I got stuck in the middle of a 10K run of some sort. (And I feel sorry for those who had to run a 10K on the Keystone. Bleh.)
By and large, most of the runners were on the right side of the trail, shuffling away their miles in the time-honored way. There were a few others in the same spot with headphones on (earbuds, really) listening to music.
And there were still others — though a minority — who were in the middle of the trail listening to music. Loudly. How loud? Loud enough to not hear me say, "passing on your left," even when I was right beside them.
You can make a case about a group of cyclists being the most terrifying (and sometimes rude) thing on the trail — I get that. I've been in the middle of groups that haven't exactly been the greatest ambassadors for the sport. But the thing about a group of cyclists, generally, is that they all know how to ride their bikes and won't run into anybody/anything. Basically, if there's a crash, it won't be because of them.
Runners with iPods, however, are a different story. I've never understood running with music. I've tried it, and it pretty much always sucks. Headphones don't stay put, you have wires dangling. And the music sounds awful — though that's mostly because earbuds are awful, too. To hear your music, you have to turn it up louder (oh, hello there, hearing loss). And when you turn it up louder, you lose the ability to hear "passing on your left."
Is it a motivation thing? A need to hear a favorite song while you're out there? I would argue that if you need to listen to music for motivation, you're doing it wrong. The motivation is to be fit and healthy, is it not?
Sure, music is nice, but not at the expense of other trail users. Take off your headphones and enjoy being outside. It's a nice day.
2 comments:
Ah yes, one of my biggest peeves to outdoor activity.
I'm thinking of investing heavily in hearing aid companies. Some people have them so loud, you can hear the music well before reaching them. You know they are going to have serious tinnitus issues in a few years.
Runners aren't the only doing the headphones. There are many cyclists doing the same thing, which I believe is even more dangerous.
I don't need to rant on a Monday. Time to get to work without foaming at the mouth. Good write up Bryan.
You'd probably do pretty well with that investment, really.
And I should say I'm actually fine with iPods - even while running - but not in a way that isolates the user. You need to be aware of your surroundings. Too many people are not.
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