ok, so today two things happened

Scenario 1
I was in a shop and an elderly gentleman with a cane was trying to get to the cash register but there was one of those guided lines where you loop around, he didn't like the look of it and just started circumventing it before the cash register lady waved him back to the looping line..

he grumbled , i laughed and made a joke that this line (system) was for the more unruly customers, he joked back and said yes thats me

Scenario 2
A height challenged indian lady was trying to reach a family pack of custard creams on the top shelf and motioned to me and asked if I could reach for her, which of course I gladly did.


I don't think I would have had these exchanges if I had my passive and active noise cancelling head phones on.. and I would miss not participating in community life in such simple ways..

What are your thoughts on wearing these headphones in shops.. trains.. busses.. and human contact. Is it a bit rude?

i don't see the poll options

The majority of communication is non verbal. You can go a long way with body language and gestures (I know, also body language). Keep them on, for the craic.

I think, it's fine to wear them, as long as you don't sing along...

I can see your headphones will accompany us through the year 2017

What's with the poll? You set it up - you voted - you closed it? LOL, Erdogan can learn from you.

I suspect that wearing noise cancelling headphones during everyday life is the equivalent to deliberately giving yourself a hearing impairment...certainly not something I would recommend - we rely on our hearing to alert us to problems (and not just 'social communication') and dangers, far more than we think...

Public transport, yes why not.
Walking in the street, yes but pay attention to whats going on around you
Riding a bicycle with headphones on, you are an idiot
In a shop, you are rude

Noise cancelling earphones will degrade your spacial awareness .. Don't do it.

People who just don't get what's going on around them should simply be kicked in the face.. For example those who stop at the top of an escalator and just look around, step off the train and just stop, stand still aimlessly in a shop doorway, stand looking at phone preventing the tram door from closing.. etc etc..

Just don't

That's called being European. Nothing to do with headphones.

Naw, that's not European. That's here.

You are nicely picking up scottish

xcuse me, us Swiss are still in Europe ..... it's a continent not just a hopeless club called EC

I didn't mean to imply CH is out of Europe..I just meant to say I haven't seen such skilled folks blocking pedestrian traffic elsewhere

Mhhh...must be why there's an anglicism for it

What is it? Bouchon?

Queue.

Ha! That's a French loan, from Latin originally.

Bouchons and brainfarts in pedestrian traffic are delicacies.

Pretty certain bouchon is french... (and a form of cheese).

PS; the english don't borrow words, they shamelessly nick 'em.

I don't know of any bouchon cheese... but, using Google translate, traffic jam, stopper, cork, wad.

I am missing the chicken theme, it is a very small part on this thread,
https://www.google.ch/?gws_rd=ssl#q=chicken+jumpers&*

If in a shop or somewhere where its likely to need to listen or talk then I just free one ear of headphones