Comments on: Who’s your daddy, NYC? Bloomberg goes after earbuds

By: greywolfrs

greywolfrs — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:18:00 +0000

Well, I tell it like it is, you do not have to like it, but the truth shall set you free. What Bloomberg is doing IS government getting involved, which ALWAYS costs tax payers money, that is the truth. You believe that there is a lack of education and that is the problem? Talk about over-simplfying, like no one has ever talked about it with kids. That is where the stupidity comes from.

By the way, if you do not want to pay for hearing loss with tax dollars, vote Libertarian. Then there will be NO Medicaid, people will have to take personal responsibility.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 04:19:00 +0000

I still don’t think that most kids (or many parents) understand how low the dB level which causes hearing loss is–do you? That is why there is an increasing amount of hearing loss in teens and young adults. I don’t think that millions or billions of dollars needs to be spent on it, but I do agree that it is a problem that should not be ignored. Like I said, I would be happy with a half-page in a health textbook for middle schoolers with the information for them to read. Many will ignore it, but maybe some will not. There is a ton of information out there regarding consumption of sugar. I think you would have to be comatose not to know that drinking 64 oz. of soda is not the smartest choice to make (at least not on a regular basis). If people know that and make the choice anyway, that’s up to them. It is also up to them to lose their hearing. However, unlike weight gain, which can be reversed, hearing loss cannot be reversed. It is cumulative over time and is expensive and affects quality of life tremendously. I’m simply saying, for the love of Pete, that there is a core of truth to what Bloomberg is espousing. That is what you don’t seem willing to acknowledge, for some odd reason. The core of truth is what makes these people so dangerous. They seize every opportunity to “fix” these problems, which really just need more public awareness. Public awareness can be free, by the way. I give out information on it to people all the time, at my own expense. I don’t think the government needs to spend tons of money. It’s not one or the other. You can agree that it is a problem without agreeing on the solution, that’s all I’m saying. If you choose to ignore that there is a problem, rather than disagreeing on the answer, you appear mean and ignorant. So, in answer to your question, yes, I do think that a lack of education causes people not to understand what the definition of “loud” is. If you can hear music coming from someone else’s headphones, then the level is too loud. If you cannot hear someone talking to you in a normal conversational tone in the presence of the noise, then it is too loud and will damage your hearing. I don’t think it requires millions or billions of dollars to let people know that.

BTW, I work in an outpatient clinic as a Speech-Language Pathologist (I am also an Audiologist). I’m getting quite sick of watching all of the Medicaid patients who miss their appointment, don’t bring their kids on time, etc. but expect the best in treatment. You bet I lecture them about the stupid things they do (like putting their babies to bed with juice bottles). Where I live (on the border of Mexico), silver capped teeth are the norm for 2-year-olds whose parents let their teeth rot and then get free dental surgery (paid for by our tax dollars). It infuriates me! So don’t think I’m some liberal posing as a conservative. But I can see the writing on the wall: we will be paying for all of this hearing loss with our tax dollars the same way we are paying for the teeth!!!! BTW, braces are free if you’re on Medicaid–nothing but the best for those on the dole….Our best chance of averting some of this is to try to educate these people, if that’s possible. Because these people on welfare don’t have money for food, but they ALL have iPhones and iPods (and earbuds). I hope that those reading this will at least take the time to talk to your kids about the risks of noise exposure and keeping the earphones turned low! Becuase if you’re reading this, chances are no one’s going to pay for your kids’ hearing aids!!!!! If this helps one person avoid a noise-induced hearing loss, then I guess it was worth being called a dolt…..

By: Tony Giusti

Tony Giusti — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:00:00 +0000

I think Bloomberg should personally have to wipe every single new yourkers once a day. Since he feels these people can’t do anything for themselves i feel as if that should be a new rule. Does anyone else feel like they are in a crazy dream. I truly feel is if i am living in that idiocracy movie. It’s about time someone spoke out against some of these stupid fucking assholes like Michel Bloomberg, Diane Finstine, Obama, and Joe Biden. Only you dibshits could make George W. Bush look like Albert Einstein. To each and every one of you telling me what health care i need to buy, what gun i can have, what soda i can drink,what tax rate to pay, and how women should defend themselves i would like to tell you personally who’s ass you can kiss!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 02:28:00 +0000

These pop-ups are really annoying, they cover up the comments, and you can’t exit out of them.

By: Derek Yisrael

Derek Yisrael — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 02:23:00 +0000

Keep all of that liberal socialism above the Mason-Dixon line

By: Lynda Fay Miller

Lynda Fay Miller — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:47:00 +0000

I am staying out of New York….. too many “crazy” rules. I would hate to break any dumb laws visiting hoping to have a good time!!!

By: Lynda Fay Miller

Lynda Fay Miller — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:45:00 +0000

Ugh… Think I will stay away from New York while the “Crazies” Rule. Sounds like they don’t want anyone to visit the area anyway!!!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 20:34:00 +0000

I agree, Mr. Mayor: let’s talk about the health hazards of high decibels! Try this experiment: stand on a NYC subway platform and turn the music in your ear all the way up as a train goes by. Do you hear any music? No, it’s completely drowned out by the train!

Unlike most subways around the world, NYC’s trains are deafening and the New York City commuter, going to work or school, is subjected to it twice daily for life, and can’t do anything about it.

Mr. Bloomberg, you can! For half a century there have been-noise reducing wheels for subway trains. Just north and south of us, Boston and DC have had their subways down to safe decibel levels for decades.

Why can’t NYC? Simple: every penny the MTA gets goes to the unions, leaving nothing left over for such frivolous things as protecting the hearing of millions of people, including infants and children, who suffer permanent damage from the repeated exposure. You went after the NYC Board of Ed, but even the brief moments when you focused on fixing the subway system, Mr. Mayor, not once did you even mention reducing subway noise.

But now that you’re finally on this subject, please do something about public offender #1: you.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 04:42:00 +0000

Oh, boy. There’s a lot of working deaf people that beg to differ, lol. Beethoven was working just fine when he was deaf. Anyway, your 2nd point is just flat out wrong. And since your 2nd point leads straight into your 3rd, the fact that your 2nd point is wrong renders your 3rd point moot. Just sayin’. People can steal work when deaf, you know.

By: greywolfrs

greywolfrs — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:33:00 +0000

First, this person saying that public service annoucements are already required IS the government over-stepping their bounds. Second, what exactly do you think “raising public awareness” means? Maybe the CDC needs to do something? That is tax payer money. As this person stated, updating text books to include this does not cost money? When schools have to buy the updated books. See, in the end, every solution is going to cost tax payers money, money we do not have. Third, this is a common sense issue, if someone chooses not to heed the warnings, do you really think a public service announcement or changing text books is going to make them say, “Gee, I didn’t know that was bad for me?”