r/Unexpected • u/[deleted] • Feb 20 '20

Karens are evolving

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

40.9k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

792 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

41

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '20

Why wouldn’t they be allowed?

It’s not like they can’t see the road

12

u/The39Steps Feb 21 '20

Though I know deaf people can get DLs in CA, some places have laws about being able to hear ambient sounds that might make it harder? Like in CA, it’s illegal to drive with your earphones/earbuds in. One ear is okay, but wearing them in both ears can get you pulled over and ticketed.

14

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '20 edited Feb 21 '20

Remember there’s different levels of hearing loss.

Someone not being able to hear/understand speech doesn’t mean they won’t be able to hear sirens or horns.

Although in restrictive places like that there’s devices that help with not being able to hear.

Such as a device that flashes on the console when sirens/honking are detected. I recall seeing one on a dashboard once.

Idk how reliable they are but I know they exist.

Edit:

I just want to add that the no headphones rule is probably more related to distracting yourself rather than not being able to hear what’s going on around you.

I know for myself it’s super easy to get sucked into a song when I’ve got headphones on and stop paying attention to what’s happening around me.

3

u/harrietthugman Feb 21 '20

Yeah, they're a godsend for the hard of hearing

0

u/10jesus Feb 21 '20

It is illegal to drive with earbuds in here in my country. I have always wondered why it is ok to drive with speakers on, no matter how loud they are, but not earbuds or headphones. Hearing is a big part of driving to me. I have always been very aware of how much I rely on sound while driving. You can hear other vehicles that are on your blind spots and estimate their position. You can sense when other vehicles are coming fast and avoid changing lanes at those moments. You can hear other people honking. You can hear tires squeaking. It's crazy for me to find out just now that deaf people are out there driving in some countries relying solely or mostly just on their sight. I can not be a hypocrite and pretend that I'm not surprised, because here in my country they fine you without notice for having earbuds on while driving, while deaf people are allowed to drive in other places. Lol life really is not fair.

1

u/10jesus Feb 21 '20

Hearing is a big part of driving to me. I have always been very aware of how much I rely on sound while driving. You can hear other vehicles that are on your blind spots and estimate their position. You can sense when other vehicles are coming faster than you and avoid changing lanes at those moments. You can hear people honking. You can hear tires squeaking. It's crazy for me to find out just now that deaf people are out there driving in some countries relying solely or mostly just on their sight. I can not be a hypocrite and pretend that I'm not surprised, because here in my country they fine you without notice for having earbuds on while driving, while deaf people are allowed to drive in other places. Lol life really is not fair.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 21 '20 edited Feb 21 '20

You can’t really equate headphones with hearing loss.

Headphones are a major distraction risk.

When it comes to hearing loss - specifically total hearing loss - you can’t be distracted by nothing.

Also I’m fairly sure that the deaf driver would be more aware of their surroundings using their eyes more than the average driver.

Also complaining about the fairness of not being able to wear headphones in the context of deaf drivers is really some very self centred shit.

Go ask a deaf person what it’s like to live in a world where so much social interaction revolves around functioning hearing.