[mrinterweb]

> And people now don’t feel neglected when you keep the Pods in your ear.

I disagree with this. Pods in ears are essentially a "do not disturb" sign for most people. Being around people who regularly have the "do not disturb" sign feels neglecting. People who might initiate conversation don't know if they will even be heard if they try to talk, so why bother. I would rather be alone than in a room of people who are actively ignoring each other.

I dislike the NC pause because it often awkwardly unpauses when someone is replying to you. I just pop the earbuds out when I start talking. To me, speaking with earbuds in is rude, and I want to show the courtesy to the person I'm talking to that they have my attention.

[aurmc]

The automatic switching from noise canceling to transparency mode really does work incredibly, and I'm still shocked at how well it works, but it still feels ridiculous to speak to someone with AirPods in my ears. Even if I know that transparency mode is on (and on the newest Pros, it's so good that I can barely hear a difference between it and not wearing them), it still feels rude to speak to someone with them in.

I always take one AirPod out if I have to say literally anything to anyone, and both come out if it's going to be more than one sentence. Just feels rude. We've someone created a technical marvel: the world becomes silent all around you, and then the world comes back immediately when you start speaking, and then it slowly evaporates around you when you stop speaking for a few moments.

And yet it still feels ridiculous! And rude!

[dillydogg]

This is how I interpret headphones in/on people's ears. I live in a mid-sized town in the US and I swear it's over 80% of people I see walking through the forest trail system have headphones in. I wave and say hello to everyone without headphones. I find it bizarre how many people go outside and walk in the forest just to block out the natural sounds. Or how everyone in the grocery store has them in. I feel like I'm surrounded by androids without an interest in human interaction. Or maybe more generally, I'm suspicious of the impulse to always have something to listen to, like music, a podcast, or an audiobook. Oh well, I suspect I'm just being an old man. I'm glad they have found a way to make going out more enjoyable.

[watwut]

I go to forrest to listen to podcasts while not sitting. The purpose is walking and it is more pleasant experience then walking on streets - ground is softer, there is shade, it is cooler, it looks better.

[wiether]

Keep in mind that some AirPods are now certified hearing aids.

So before calling someone rude for talking to you with their AirPods on, make sure they don't need them on to hear you in the first place.

I myself always put at least one down when talking to someone, but I've learned to make the distinction between someone that is actually involved in the discussion, and someone that's still listening to what's coming from their connected device.

[mrinterweb]

I don't call people rude for doing it. Maybe I should. I consider it rude. Maybe I should inquire if the earbuds are for hearing assistance then mention they are rude if they say no. Not really my style, but at least it would be direct. I don't know what percentage of earbud users depend on the earbuds for hearing assistance, but I would wager it is a small percent of the total of people who use earbuds. I doubt that I'm the only person who considers people who leave their earbuds while talking rude.

[wiether]

There's at least one person in this situation in the comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48599384

I suspect the numbers will grow given how much cheaper they are compared to the standard medical devices.

My point was: I understand where you're coming from, I used to feel the same, but a shift is in the making, and you could consider someone's attitude rude when they are actually impaired.

So starting from: "this person is wearing AirPods as hearing aids" to realize that they're just being rude, is probably better than starting from "they're being rude for wearing AirPods" only to realize you've made a mistake.

[murphyslaw]

I never take public transport because the noises drive me crazy. Earbuds help, but not enough to make it bearable.