Headphones are a danger (From South Wales Argus)

Headphones are a danger

10:33am Thursday 16th August 2012 in Letters

HEADPHONES, earphones, iPods – whatever? Have our kids been rendered deaf or merely oblivious to the sound of traffic?

Three times over the past fortnight I have narrowly missed running down children so engrossed with their plug-in music systems that they had no notion that a car was anywhere near them, let alone screeching to a halt to avoid them. Strangely enough, on each occasion the child was mobile; one on a bike, the other two on skateboards. Will the next be on a scooter and will he be so lucky?

Child versus car? Inevitably the child will come off worse, probably disastrously so. One wonders if their parents are prepared for such a loss or willing to push a wheelchair for the rest of their lives. I’m not being a kill-joy here. Let’s face it; everyone loves music but let’s not wish our children to love it to death.

Julian R Powell, Malpas Park, Newport.