Freak Helicopter Death Sparks Baffling Debate About Headphone Safety
Reports of an aircraft crash usually result in news reports expressing doubts about travel by air, investigations into the cause of the crash, and, of course, questions regarding whether the crash could have been prevented. But what do you do if you're a news outlet and everyone else has already covered those obvious angles to the point of tedium? Easy: You find some completely unrelated detail of the story and try to blow it way out of proportion. That seems to be what Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper is up to, with a report indicating that the real problem for the man killed yesterday by a falling helicopter wasn't the spinning blades that decapitated him, but rather the MP3 player he was wearing.
The story states that the 23-year-old victim who was killed on the ground by the stricken copter, Isaiah Otieno, frequently listened to his music player while he was out and about. The implication is, naturally, that if he didn't have his player on he might have heard the copter and been able to dive out of the way.
To us, the idea that we shouldn't wear music players in public for fear of helicopters falling on our blissfully ignorant heads seems a bit preposterous -- just like last year's failed attempt to ban listening to music players in New York City while crossing the street. If you live in a city and can't safely cross the road with your ears plugged, then chances are you're going to have issues surviving on the streets anyway. And, if you have a helicopter falling in your general direction, then you have bigger things to worry about than the volume of your MP3 player. [Source: Globe and Mail]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Neil said 8:21PM on 5-17-2008
The writer ignores the fact that numerous studies have shown that the majority of wearers of IPODs, mp3 players, etc. turn the volume too high and consequently suffer hearing loss EVEN when not wearing the earphones.
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Lidya said 10:00PM on 5-17-2008
Maybe what the newspaper is trying to tell us is that we need to be more alert when it comes to our surroundings while walking in the street with head phones on. For example, crossing the street and not paying attention to what cars are doing. Whether you look both ways, it doesnt matter! Someone could have been coming out of their driveway and hit you, someone could have been turning, even a bike or a motorcycle could come in contact with you. Being that your music is in your ears and most of the time we are so focused on a song, anything is bound to happen. Maybe the newspaper is actually right, they are making a point! Dont be so literal and expect the newspaper to say dont listen to mp3's because helicopters are flying around cutting off heads, its just that you need to be more aware of everything around you!
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Melissa said 8:37PM on 5-17-2008
The dude must have had the volume up extremely hight to not hear a helicopter. It's awful someone died, but ya need to keep your head phone at level where you can still hear what is going on around you.
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Bobby said 8:42PM on 5-17-2008
I believe very strongly in "cause & effect". Applying that principle to the article it's obvious if you wear earphones with music blasting away this will greatly diminish your reaction time to ward off accidents such as this. I'm not sure if anyone in the general public has ever died in an accident such as the one mentioned in the article but there have been many more fatalities like at railroad X'ings & in general traffic accidents accredited to loud music & lack of concentration. We all make personal choices & suggesting more laws governing our every move is overkill. Give me freedom or give me death...
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Lou said 8:53PM on 5-17-2008
Apparently he was playing "L.A.Woman" played by the doors.
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Elizabeth said 11:40PM on 5-17-2008
I'm sorry, but this goes back to the whole taking responsibility for your own screw ups. I mean people who are too stupid to keep their music at a normal tone, or who let themselves zone out to music when crossing a street may just need to be hit. I mean its the Darwin effect where the strongest and smartest survive. Making sure to pay attention to your surroundings to increase your safety when out and about is just plain common sense. That is like the irresponsible parents who blame the game companies when their kid kills someone because they themselves didn't bother to teach their kid reality from fiction or keep their kids from playing games inappropriate for their age range.
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PAUL said 12:22PM on 5-19-2008
I KNOW A 6FT 200 LB GUY WHO WAS STABBED AND ROBBED BECAUSE HE DID'NT HEAR THE PUNK COMING UP FROM BEHIND HIM....TOO BUSY ROCKIN' OUT W/ HEADPHONES ON...IN THE INNER CITY
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khan said 9:22PM on 5-17-2008
At least the guy will have a nice story to tell in the afterlife where everyone asks how you died.
I got decapitated by a helicopter while listening to my mp3. all of a sudden i was spinning and flying through the air and then i noticed my body wasn't attached to me anymore just before everything faded to black. Didn't feel a thing :)
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michelle said 11:03PM on 5-17-2008
hahahaha I like where your head's at...
loummyrtlebeach said 1:01AM on 4-25-2009
KAHN, That comment of your's really make me laugh, made my day. LOU
otrpu said 9:22PM on 5-17-2008
And if he hadn't gotten out of bed that morning it probably wouldn't have happeded to him either.
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christina said 9:30PM on 5-17-2008
I dont care how loud the headphones r they cannot be loud enough for
you not to hear a helicopter coming down. it would make you completly
deaf if u can have it that loud in your ear. so i cant see ppl blaming
him for wearing headphones for the reason he didnt hear the helicopter
coming down. its just not possible unless he had the headphones on and
he was near a construction site with work going on plus the noise of
the helicopter
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khan said 9:35PM on 5-17-2008
i doubt the engine was running when the chopper dropped from the sky. so the sound of the whirling blades would of been his only warning.
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Casey said 10:04PM on 5-17-2008
Theres no way this guy could NOT have heard the helicopter even if his earphones on all the way. I read this and decided to complete a test. I was outside with my iPod when a helicopter flew over, so I turned it up all the way, and although it wasn't as loud, I could hear the Helicopter.
Plus, at the highest setting, if you take the head phones out of your ears, you'll notice they vibrate and you can hear the music clearly. This guy must have been doing something other than just listening to his MP3. Don't blame the headphones, Blame the guy who was wearing them. I know it's unfortunate he died, but one can not believe his death was caused by the MP3 nor the headphones.
~Casey~
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Tanner said 9:55PM on 5-18-2008
This guy must have been deaf
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G.L. said 10:33PM on 5-17-2008
A veteran airport worker,with headphones on,walked right into the propellor of a turboprop that was idling on a tarmac some years ago.(the pilots were idling the wrong engine) And a young woman in a convenience store, buying beer and playing music really loud on a personal C.D. player,walked out in front of a train as she left the store.
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dan said 10:35PM on 5-17-2008
the chance of getting hit by a helicopter,ipod or not , are even slimmer than getting hit by lightning. duh tadah!!!
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nichol said 10:46PM on 5-17-2008
um ok... so are we going to make it illegal for ppl who are ACTUALLY deaf to walk in town now? Come on ... give me a break... yeah he shouldn't have it up so loud... but who is he hurting besides himself? who cares if ppl want to be wreckless with their own lives... it's called choice and its what America was founded on.
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Rachel said 10:48PM on 5-17-2008
I seriously doubt that the guy could have avoided a falling helicopter even if he hadn't been listening to his Mp3. Duh.
However I have insisted that my kids listen with one ear only when walking around town. I started this after I almost hit a kid who walked right out in front of my car while wearing his headphones. When he noticed my car the look on his face made it obvious that he had no idea I was there until it was too late. Good thing I drive like a grandma (so my kids say)
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Tina said 11:09PM on 5-17-2008
It's unfortunate this guy died, but I honestly do NOT think that he was listening to JUST his MP3. I listen to mine all the time when I'm in the car with my mother, and she has music blasting, and I'm listening to my music, and if she calls my name I can STILL hear her. NO excuse for not hearing a helicopter...honestly.
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