txrandom

At least he wasn't the type that could "feel" wireless and other radio signals.

Science Goy

Nonsense. Even when something is provided by the airline, you still have the responsibility to use it in an appropriate manner. It's like jabbing your seatmate with your dinner fork, and then saying "if the airline doesn't want me doing that, they shouldn't have provided me with something sharp."

Ancien Maestro

Ear wax is a factor.. I used to get the ear wax cleaned out once every 2 or 3 years.. its amazing how much stuff comes out when the nurse pumps water into the ears..

slawecki

is everything the airline provides the responsibility of the airline? are you absolved of all responsibility regardless of use or miss use?

CPRich

I concur that "it's not mine" doesn't make one immune from irritating others.

Some hydrogen peroxide and a bulb syringe can do wonders at home. It is amazing what comes out. After going to the doctors at $50 a pop a few times, I started doing it myself (with the doc's OK and instructions)

MKEbound

None of us were on the flight with the OP, so I'm not sure any of us can really answer the questions, but I can tell you from personal experience I have been on many, many flights were there people with their music up so load I could hear it from several seats away through their earbuds.

However, I have always lived with the idea that a plane is shared space and if I want quiet it's up to me. Thus, I always travel with earbuds, ear plugs and on long flights noise cancelling head phones.

Yaatri

Nonsensew is the assumption that they were being used irresponsibly.

But you are correct, the kind of head phones is not material to this. It's just that some people asked what kind of headphones was being used.

CyBeR

Actually, you're wrong here. It's monumentally important.

I have headphones that I can use in public because they are closed. That is, they isolate and don't leak unless I seriously crank them up.

I also have headphones that are only for private use because they are open. This is better for the sound, but they don't isolate at all (while wearing them, I could hear a pin drop) and they leak like nobody's business. Even at low volume, someone sitting across the room can hear what you're listening to.

Yaatri

Sorry you are wrong. We are not discussing what headphones are appropriate for aircraft use.
You would think that equipment on aircraft provided by airlines would be in good working order, but often, it's not. The colour on the video monitor, for example was way off. Lets not digress into a discussion on headphones.

CyBeR

That does not make me wrong.

It was in good working order. Or could you not hear anything?

In any case, your original post made no mention of the headphones being the ones given by the airline, so I think I was justified in asking that question.

FXWizard

My rule of thumb is that if my face isn't turning blue, they're not that loud...and if my face is turning blue I'll turn down the volume, then unwind the headphone cord from around my neck where my seatmate had tightened it because he was trying to kill me due to the excessive volume.

vmsea

On a FLIGHT, I don't see how bad headphones (those leaking sound) can possibly affect another passenger. The sound of the engine is gotta be louder than any 'leaked sound' can be no?

I use Shure headphones so no issues but I've never heard another person's headphone on a plane.
in a library - yes.. on a plane? that's hard..

hedur

Apparently you both missed the part where the OP only had them up loud enough to be able to hear the movie. How is that not using them in an "appropriate manner" or "miss use"? ("miss use"? Really? )

If the airlines expect passengers to be able to watch (and hear) a movie with the headphones they provide then it's their responsibility to provide ones with which the dialogue can be heard without disturbing other passengers.

If the person in front with supersonic hearing was disturbed I can see why he complained but this isn't the fault of the OP in any way, shape, or form.

I personally wouldn't get on a plane without my Shure earbuds. I bought my original pair back in 2001 and Shure has replaced them with upgraded models when they went bad two times, at no charge to me. Great company, great headphones. Just a tip...

CyBeR

As I said, open headphones will leak as they're designed to and people sitting close (i.e., next) to you will hear it.

However, I assume by "bad" headphones you mean those not designed to leak. Well, depending on the specifics of said headphone, they can still leak pretty badly when cranked up to the louder settings. Earbuds especially are very susceptible to this, because they tend not to seal very well. And to make matters worse, the only things they have enough energy to reproduce over a larger distance than that between the driver and your ear canal, are the really high-pitch tones. So rather than music, all you hear is *tss* *tss* *tss* *squeeeak* *tss* *tss* *tss* etc.


This all said, OP wasn't wearing earbuds or headphones that I know to be particularly bad, so I can do nothing but attribute his trouble to the person in front of him being full of shít.

Ancien Maestro

Good point if you're living in the US..

I live in Canada, so its paid for by Universal Health Care..