Return of the Cans

In many ways society is bring back some fashion and attitudes of the '80s. I'm not going to complain about all of this, because I never had to worry about wearing leg warmers. Plus, they are making boomboxes again that fit iPods, and I won't lie that owning one of those while watching the fellas skate or while playing cornhole would be pretty damn cool.

Something I am not thrilled about seeing back in the daily spotlight is the gigantic can headphones. I admit to owning a pair of Bose noise-canceling ones, but I only use them on airplanes or Amtrak when on travel. These days I am seeing people rock them out on the sidewalk or on the Metro. People going through the zoo or reading a magazine in a coffee shop. Frankly, I just don't see it.

We have iPods and tiny little media players and you can buy plenty of nice in-ear buds or chesticles (as Kelly coined them) that do the job just fine and make music or podcasts or whatever the hell you are listening to sound great. Lugging around these enormous headphones has got to be a pain in the ass. Plus, being able to hear sounds around you (oncoming buses, lurkers, a friend before they are kidnapped, whatever) is an important aspect of living in the city. I cannot underestimate how crucial it is to paying attention to what is around you in DC (or any other city, really). Bike messengers are out for blood it seems, tourists have no idea where they are going, city buses have no regard for pedestrians, you just need to be able to pay attention and keep your head on a swivel.

Twice in the last week I have seen people with these things on completely missing out on the world. When one of my trains was emptied for mechanical failure, she stayed on the train long afterward because she couldn't hear the conductor's instructor. Everyone mocked her as she sat oblivious before the cop finally roused her. Two days later I saw a guy living in his can-head world on the train platform blocking the escalator while four people yelled at him to step aside. I thought he was gonna get shoved onto the third rail, these folks were so pissed.

Just not sure that Taylor Swift or Twilight book on tape is worth the facial you might receive from city transit.