Bluetooth Earpieces - anyone wear them?

Yes, I use one. Mine is made by LG and is small and works great. I work as a medical courier and drive alot and take stat calls all day. It is much safer to me than driving with one hand. I don't use it on the weekends and certainly don't wear one to try and impress anyone. For me, I use it as a tool to help do the job safely.

At one time I worked as a news photographer (video, not still).

On any average day I was on the radio (2-way), being text paged (later, a mobile phone with the 2-way radio feature, whatever its called, mind went blank), talking to my reporter if they were along, navigating on a map and eating, all while driving. Usually, in the dark. Much of the time, doing it all pretty much at the same time. If i'd had a BT then that would have cut out 2-3 things I was doing and I could just talk and drive, occasionally navigate, and then feed myself during the 10-14 hours per day I spent either in the car, near the car (shooting video) or running to/from the car at the office or various locations.

These days, mine lives in a small checkbook-sized bag that holds the phone charger, BT, BT charger, pens, flash drives, and other assorted stuff. If I need it, it's there.

Only when I'm working on my brain tumor.

They just don't look right on me.

I have one and have lost at least three. I keep it in my ear when driving, and on extended calls so I don't have to hold the phone to my ear. I often forget that that it's in my ear (the ones I've used are very comfortable) until someone asks me "are you on the phone" at which point I remove it. I agree that the appearance is unattractive and also probably sends messages that the user is an a**h*** that has so much going on that he can't be disconnected for a single minute. I have also recently abandoned my smart phone "belt holster" as that also looks unattractive.

everyone should go read The Murderer by Ray Bradbury. it's a short story found in Golden Apples of the Sun.

I can't stand BT headsets. Rarely acceptable. But I'm also one of the few "younger people" that thinks it's ok to turn your cell phone off (not on silent, but off! try it sometime!)

i know that people have expectations of getting in touch immediately now but honestly...I'm caring less and less.
maybe we can draw a line: during business hours, a necessary evil; however, for evening endeavors a gentleman keeps his focus on what's before him.

undivided attention is slowly dying. the children I teach can't function for long without some technology-driven stimulus. it's getting worse and it's simply ridiculous.

I can't not have one for two reasons. One is that my bride, for reasons no one can fathom, loves me and wants to keep me around and extracted a promise that I would be hands free talking while driving. Not talking while driving ain't an option.

Secondly, I had cubital tunnel surgery on my left elbow and can't hold a phone to my ear with that arm for more than a minute or two. I look like a d'bag with them, but thankful every day that they exist.

joshuastar said:

everyone should go read The Murderer by Ray Bradbury. it's a short story found in Golden Apples of the Sun.

I can't stand BT headsets. Rarely acceptable. But I'm also one of the few "younger people" that thinks it's ok to turn your cell phone off (not on silent, but off! try it sometime!)

i know that people have expectations of getting in touch immediately now but honestly...I'm caring less and less.
maybe we can draw a line: during business hours, a necessary evil; however, for evening endeavors a gentleman keeps his focus on what's before him.

undivided attention is slowly dying. the children I teach can't function for long without some technology-driven stimulus. it's getting worse and it's simply ridiculous.

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Or maybe those kids are just creating new ways of interacting with the world that the old generation will never understand.

I only wear one during sex. Otherwise, they are terribly offensive.

While driving I'll use one if I get a call but I don't put it on the second I get in the car.

Just walking around or going into a store and wearing one like a fashion statement? Ha. No.

I wear a Blue Ant z9i earpiece when I am in the car that doesnt have integrated bluetooth. I dont make calls from the car, but I will answer one - esp if I am commuting home from work, because 99.9% of the time it is the lovely bride asking me to make a stop on the way home.

Those times when she calls are extremely rare, but I would rather wear a silly earpiece for the ride home than fumble with a cellphone. Next car (and every car from now on) will have integrated bluetooth when I buy it. It will become like power windows and locks - just something that is there because people want it.

At no other time do I have the earpiece in my ear

Go West Young Man said:

Or maybe those kids are just creating new ways of interacting with the world that the old generation will never understand.

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could be! they have improved at thinking quickly, and I think that's largely due to living with our technological advances. but it's to their detriment in other ways: though their thinking is quick, it is decidedly superficial. they're great at coming up with correct, quick answers yet thy have trouble making connections and answering questions that start with "why...?"

losing old-fashioned things like cursive may be sad but don't seem to have far-reaching consequences; losing something old-fashioned like being able to read a long passage of fiction or legislation and interpret it with depth...well, lets just say keeping some old-fashioned skills in our arsenal might be a good idea.


sorry for the hijack. BT headsets are a great tool but they remind me of a lot of other things that can make us all look like...well, tools.

my mobile is vital to my work, so I do use a Blue Ant (it's a small, unobtrusive, very good model, decent battery life - at least out of those I've tried) its' not a fashion statement, nor do I enjoy it, nor do i wear it around town, only when driving or otherwise unable to use a cellphone the normal way

I also ALWAYS put my cellphone on vibrate at restaurants, meetings etc... and excuse myself from the dining area/meeting etc to speak if I must take the call. that is a HUGE pet peave of mine. I get so annoyed by people who have entire conversations at the table next to mine over , well, NOTHING substantive at all.


it's their world, I'm just visiting evidently.

I have used many but my current Plantronics M100 has been the best. Delivers good, quality, has't broken and amazingly I have not lost it.

They look ridiculous. They're understandable if your career requires excessive 'phone calls or car driving time but please take them off when you have to deal with living, breathing people in person.

slimxwhitman said:

I realize its been almost a month since anyone has posted here, however I am new, and I wanted to add my $.02. I personally use a Plantronics 975 Discovery. I am an on the road insurance agent and am almost constantly on my phone with clients, other agents, or similar. I rarely wear my bluetooth in a store, or outside of my car, but I almost always have it in my pocket in the event I get a phone call(often). I agree I don't like to wear it in the store or anything but sometimes I have to take a call and if its going to be long winded I much rather have my BT in vs holding the phone to my ear.. Here is a shot of my BT
View attachment 274313
and the black box in the back is a charging case for it, very convenient.
Josh

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This is the one I use for the past year or two, its always in my ear, its so comfortable I forget its there.

Now I will put it in my pocket at church, a courthouse, maybe some meetings, casinos used to not like you wearing one at a craps or blackjack table but otherwise its stays in my ear.

I've even had it in my ear at the driving range, and why not! I can keep hitting balls and talk if needed.

I wear my Bose when no one else can see me, usually in the car. You DO NOT want to be seen walking the streets with that thing in your ear.

I wear one to keep all the women from bothering me all the time. Works perfectly!