Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: How do people wear those Star Trek earpieces all day long?

This is topic How do people wear those Star Trek earpieces all day long? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 10-15-2011, 10:39 PM:

I'm sure Joe will have the answers here, but in case he doesn't surely somebody here will.

I'm talking about the bluetooth things people stick in their ears and wear them ALL DAY, while they sleep, while they are showering, etc.

First off, that would drive me nuts having that thing in my ear. Second, doesn't it impede normal hearing a little bit?

I also hate when I am talking to someone and they are on the phone without anyone knowing and their responses make absolutely no sense. (Then of course they point to their ear, as if we were supposed to know.) The microphones on those suck too. I often hear more of the room acoustics than I do the person talking.

Why are so many people in love with these things???

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 10-16-2011, 12:01 AM:

quote: Brad Miller
Second, doesn't it impede normal hearing a little bit?

Sure. They'd have a little bit less ability to hear on that side due to the unit being in the way. Not to any level that's different than just wearing bud-type headphones (with it doing it to one side instead of both). A more permanent hearing problem would only be from turning the thing up too high which could easily happen wearing it outdoors and needing to cover up noise from cars and such.

And it could cause hearing to be slightly worse since it'll make it more difficult for excess wax to be let out.

quote: Brad Miller
I also hate when I am talking to someone and they are on the phone without anyone knowing and their responses make absolutely no sense.

It was worse when a guy I worked with would actually talk to you while on the phone.

Sample conversation-

Him: Chris, what are you doing?
Me: going to thread theater 5.
Him: Ok. [Pause 2 seconds] Where are you at?
Me: Here?
Him: You ok?
Me: Yes?
Him: Did you take the bus?
Me: What the hell?
[Then everyone else in the room laughed at me, since they'd all done the same at some point]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 10-16-2011, 01:47 AM:

...'bout as bad as texting - addicted to technology, like hooked on bad drugs..

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-16-2011, 01:54 AM:

I would like to know why those dumb things have to have a flashing light on them. They are obnoxious.

It used to be that cellphones themselves would make the user feel really important, since not everyone had them. Now that everyone has a cell, the task of importance-inflation has fallen to the Bluetooth. Have you noticed that everyone using one of those things stands there talking loudly into the air as if to show everyone that "I've got a call on my bluetooth, and I'm SOMEBODY, damn it!"

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 10-16-2011, 02:25 AM:

Obviously, the light is there to make it easier to find those people and stomp them when they try to use that gadget in the auditorium while the show is on.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-16-2011, 02:28 AM:

quote: Brad Miller
I'm sure Joe will have the answers

I always do and here they are:

-The people who wear them are self-important douchebags. They want you to think that they are as important as they think they are.

-If you want to screw with a self-important douchebag, do the following: Start talking to douchebag. Douchebag responds. You respond with nonsense. Douchebag gets confused. Then you say something like "Hold on, some guy is talking to me" and then look straight at the douchebag and say "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Then he'll say that he doesn't see your earpiece. That's when you notice his and ask him how he can still carry that gigantic thing around on his ear, it looks so silly. Get with the times! Then walk away talking to your imaginary phone person.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 10-16-2011, 02:58 AM:

Hmmmm, I just might try that one.

Posted by Aaron Garman (Member # 1653) on 10-16-2011, 03:35 AM:

As with most idiotic things people do, George Carlin has covered this.

AJG

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 10-16-2011, 05:37 AM:

These users are clearly connected to an alternate (higher) intelligence. If COM failure occurs, they will just freeze in place. Louis

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 10-16-2011, 07:38 AM:

People who do that are behind the times.

In the days when cellular phones and e-mail were just hitting the market and were more expensive than they are now, only the most important people could afford to have these things.

At that time, the coolest people were the ones you could get in touch with at any time, no matter where they were.

Nowadays, cell phones are ubiquitous. Everybody has one and they are cheap. You can get in touch with nearly anybody no matter where they are at almost any time, day or night.

Now, the coolest people are the ones you CAN'T get in touch with unless THEY want to talk to you.

Just try to call Bill Gates or Warren Buffett on their cell phones. Even if, by some miracle, you could even get their phone number, you would only get their voice mail and they would never return the call.

It's just the same with people who carry brief cases. Only peons carry brief cases. The truly important people are the ones who can pay other people to carry brief cases. If they carry anything at all, they would only have a pocket sized Day-Planner.

The most important people would simply tell you, "Call my secretary," then hand you a card with his office telephone number on it.

People who wear Bluetooth ear pieces all day long are really just self-delusional peons.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 10-16-2011, 10:06 AM:

quote: Randy Stankey
Now, the coolest people are the ones you CAN'T get in touch with unless THEY want to talk to you.

Wow, since I don't have a cell phone or answering machine, that makes me super cool (at least as long as Randy determines who is cool [Wink]

)

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 10-16-2011, 11:34 AM:

You are super cool but you don't need me to tell you that. [Big Grin]

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 10-16-2011, 01:52 PM:

Forgetting about the egocentric issues for a monent, just as a practical matter, I have tried two of those gadgets and couldn't stand them because 1) they didn't stay in my ear and 2) THE PAIN.

I wanted one exclusively for use for when I am in the car -- you know, hands-free safety they are always yapping about. The first one I bought wouldn't stay in my ear, and the damn hook thing that went behind my ear made it stick out sideways away from my face instead of up against my cheek the way I see others wearing them. Maybe I have some kind of freakish ear canal or something, but I wound up mostly having to hold the thing against my head when I was actually taking a call. So I bought a second one, different manufacturer, thinking it was just a design issue. No better luck. I still had to press it againt my ear to insure decent audio and to keep it in there. So if I had to hold it against my head, then that's not Hands effin Free, is it?!

The worst thing was, if I kept that thing in my ear for more than 10, 15 minutes, the pain in my ear would be more than enough to make me rip it out, stomp on it and use the cell instead. Anyone putting up with discomfort those things cause can only do it if they are taking copious amounts of drugs. Conclusion -- everyone who uses one of them is an egotistical idiot on crack.

Besides, I refuse to be tethered to some piece of equipment and especially so that anyone and his brother can reach me anytime they want. I look for ways to GET AWAY from people, not for ways to be FOUND!

Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 10-16-2011, 02:08 PM:

Personally I can't deal with wearing one for more than an hour or so. The only reason I even have one is because the culture at my place of employment *LOVES* to have telephone conference call meetings all day long. Ordinarily I sit at my desk with a headset and listen in. But I also live 100 miles away from where I work and am allowed to work from home 2 days a week. The only way I would be able to leave early to miss the evening commute on Wednesdays and still attend the 3pm staff meeting would be to phone in from the car. In California it's against the law to handle a mobile telephone while driving, only to dial a number or hang up. ($300 ticket and a point on your record). Also I use the device when I am working from home and on a meeting since I don't have a landline anymore. I do not wear it anywhere else in public.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 10-16-2011, 02:38 PM:

Sean, don't you find it REEEEEALY uncomfortable? Maybe I am just a wuss, but I can't stand it -- I mean it's really painful.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 10-16-2011, 02:53 PM:

Comfortable ear pieces or comfortable 3D...you can't have em both!

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 10-16-2011, 03:27 PM:

quote: Aaron Garman
As with most idiotic things people do, George Carlin has covered this.

I love Carlin.

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 10-16-2011, 04:16 PM:

George Carlin - A very astute observer of Human idiocies... and incredibly funny.

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 10-16-2011, 04:25 PM:

So I'm standing at the urinal doing my business when the cretin at the next stall starts talking. Thinking he's talking to me I ask him what he said. He looks at me like I'm some sort of moron for not recognizing he's on the phone. Give me a F'n break! [fu]

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 10-16-2011, 04:57 PM:

If I was the guy at the other end of the phone, I'd be creeped out hearing the background noise of him pissing.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-16-2011, 05:18 PM:

quote: Sean Weitzel
In California it's against the law to handle a mobile telephone while driving, only to dial a number or hang up.

So it would be legal for you to dial a number on your phone and then pass the phone to the passenger to talk, but if the passenger dialed and then handed the phone to you to talk, that would be illegal?

Sounds like something California would come up with. It should be illegal to have a cellphone in your hand while you're driving, at all, period.

quote: Rick Raskin
So I'm standing at the urinal doing my business when the cretin at the next stall starts talking. Thinking he's talking to me I ask him what he said.

Well, you both broke the unwritten but universal law that men don't talk in toilets! [Big Grin]

Posted by Jake Spell (Member # 5294) on 10-16-2011, 05:40 PM:

quote: Frank Angel
Sean, don't you find it REEEEEALY uncomfortable? Maybe I am just a wuss, but I can't stand it -- I mean it's really painful.

Iv had many bluetooths, mostly since I work with my hands fixing A/C's and I hated pulling out my phone calling and sweating in it on a roof to talk to someone for parts or my boss/coworker. Plus since I often work alone I like to listen to music and while about half the ones that sit in your ear didnt stay in mine they all gave me pain. some were better than others. Until I found the latest from LG the HB-700. No pain and the buds stay in my ear.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-16-2011, 06:21 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
Sounds like something California would come up with.

California is incredibly stupid. Just look at how much debt they are in. Also, Hollywood execs live there.

quote: Chris Slycord
I'd be creeped out hearing the background noise of him pissing.

If he was at a urinal, you probably wouldn't hear it, but still it is very tacky. Hell, even if he was pounding them down in a water-filled toilet you probably wouldn't be able to make out what it was with today's hyper-compressed digital cell phone sound that makes 128kbps and lower MP3s sound like something running in 70mm at the GCC Northpark.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-17-2011, 10:50 AM:

I have one of those headset thingies, one made by Plantronics. I hardly ever use it. I bought it to have in my vehicle. Right now it's sitting next to my Playstation 3.

The audio quality with those headsets typically sucks and even on the very best models the mic picks up all sorts of background noise where the person on the other end can barely understand what you're saying. This is really bad if you're driving in a vehicle that isn't some high priced, sound proofed luxury car.

I actually see fewer people walking around with those bluetooth ear pieces stuck in their heads. I don't think they're a status symbol anymore. People wanting to impress are usually pimpin' a new smart phone, particularly if it's a brand new iPhone release or something.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 10-17-2011, 12:01 PM:

I say go in the other direction -- all those little toy earpiece blue tooths are for sycophancy gurlie men. You want to wear a MANLY noise cancelling headset rated for 100mph wind environments and/or for use in a combat TANK? You want to have something that REALLY sets you apart from the ordinary and will let you talk for hours without ear fatigue? Then be your own man....proudly wear THIS and stand out from the crowd of following sheeple!

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-17-2011, 12:27 PM:

Then if anyone asks your name, just tell them "Biff Henderson... you've probably seen me on Letterman."

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 10-17-2011, 12:51 PM:

Ah, the bane of many a Twin Otter or rotor driver - David CLAMPs... [thumbsup]

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 10-17-2011, 02:21 PM:

You'll want a ClearCom if you want to be like Biff.

Bonus points if you wear the belt pack. [Big Grin]

Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 10-17-2011, 04:33 PM:

Mike: Correct, it would be illegal for a passenger to dial, hand the phone to you and you hold it to your ear. If they dialed for you and you were already paired to a hands free device, that would be ok as long as you are not handling the telephone while you are on the call.

Frank: YES it is uncomfortable. I can't keep it in for more than an hour or so without taking some kind of break.

Joe and others: Here is the full text of the law. It also now prohibits push to talk phones or PTT "CB" microphones.

http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc23123.htm

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 10-17-2011, 05:47 PM:

A friend of mine used to be the sheriff here. He told me he wished there was a law against "driving with your head up your ass." I tend to agree with him, especially these days.