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February 02, 2007
The Offensive Earpiece
Whenever I have to walk more than two blocks, I bundle up with my skull cap, hood, sunglasses and ancient (3 years old!) iPod. I'm a dead ringer for the Unabomber, except for the iPod bit.
Lately I find that my iPod battery keeps running out on longer walks. Usually this would annoy me, but I find if I keep it on, people leave me alone. When a homeless person gives me a pissy look for not responding to him, I simply smile, point to my headphones and keep walking. I mean, my iPod is 3 years old; I hardly doubt I could afford the fitty cent you're asking for.
Yesterday my ancient (3 years old!) iPod was working just fine. I was walking on beat to Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia and feelin' all angry and shit, when I noticed our building's mailman out front saying something to me. His mouth was moving, but obviously I couldn't hear him. I stopped in front of him, took my headphones off, and said, "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you. What's up?" He gave me an annoyed look, turned around, walked the other way, and continued his conversation with whomever was in his goddamn earpiece.
Oh. I knew that. I stood there alone, ignored and defeated.
Then I thought, get off the phone, bitch. You're working! You totally ruined my angst-ridden, pissed at the world, rock trip.
People should glow with neon when using those fucking earpieces. It's only fair to the rest of us.
Posted by durban bud at February 2, 2007 09:26 AM
Comments
You've validated two things for me:
iPod batteries DO start to last shorter periods of time after a couple years... My Mini is barely good for 1 episode of "This American Life" anymore.
I'm not the only one who thinks people are talking to me when as we walk towards each other they look STRAIGHT AT ME and say "Hey, How are you?" to whoever is in their ear. Only to walk straight past me when I start to reply.
Posted by: condoblogger at February 2, 2007 11:03 AM
Hysterical.
Posted by: patrick at February 2, 2007 11:33 AM
Someday maybe I'll get one of those Ipod thingys.
Posted by: homer at February 2, 2007 11:40 AM
Now, see, I don't use an iPod or anything else requiring an earpiece. I just listen to the world passing by, which makes me angry enough to glare at total strangers.
Posted by: Huntington at February 2, 2007 12:08 PM
You can easily replace your iPod battery with a higher capacity one. It's very simple to do, the vendors even supply the needed no-marring tools. Sonnettech.com and Newertech.com both are excellent sources. I replaced my second gen battery myself and continued the enjoy the lickability that only a rock iPod can provide. Unfortunately, I recently broke the ceramic headphone jack...not so easy to replace.
Posted by: Mike at February 2, 2007 12:56 PM
Even with a 3 year old iPod, you're cooler than me. I'm one of the like 18 people in the country with an off brand MP3 player. Walking around with black instead of white earbuds is as almost as cool as a cassette Sony Walkman.
Posted by: Stephen at February 2, 2007 03:30 PM
7 of 9 had an earpiece like that. I'm just sayin'....
I'm sure you've very cute when you're all angry.
Posted by: jimbo at February 2, 2007 04:14 PM
I'm finally getting one of those Bluetooth phones (after waiting like 2 years for my $100 credit at Verizon!) and I swear I'm not going to be like that. Our mailwoman does the SAME friggin' thing to me all the time. And the couple of times I've started to talk to her she just glares at me for interrupting her convo... RUDE!
Posted by: TOS at February 2, 2007 04:23 PM
"People should glow with neon when using those fucking earpieces. It's only fair to the rest of us."
Now THERE'S an idea!!! :)
Posted by: TigerYogi at February 2, 2007 08:23 PM
Dudes,
y'all are all cooler than I; I don't even own an iPod.
And yes, when I see people talking to themselves, I often wonder, "Phone conversation? Or just off their meds?"
Posted by: raybob at February 3, 2007 11:10 AM
Don't tell me the mailman was "that guy". A postal worker wearing a bluetooth? Isn't that a sign of 'apocalypto'?
Posted by: cb at February 3, 2007 02:12 PM
I have a 3rd gen iPod on it's 2nd battery. Now I'm having issues with the display. UGh. SO I have been carrying my iPod Shuffle(or as I refer to it, "My Snowboard pod").
I'm so used to seeing people talking to themselves on the street in Portland, that I don't even give it a second glance.
Posted by: TonkaManOR at February 5, 2007 02:30 PM
Every once in a while, I see someone yammering to one of those bluetooth earpieces and I just want to hold them down and CRAZY-GLUE THE FRICKING THING INTO THEIR EAR CANAL AFTER INSERTING A RAVENOUS MOTH LARVA.
But then the feeling goes away - it always does.
Posted by: Jim (The Canuck One) at February 11, 2007 03:56 PM