Bluetooth Headsets

[whacked]

Originally Posted by mbc

Perhaps I'm missing something.

What's the difference between walking down the street talking on a cell phone (presumably ok) and walking down the street talking on a cell phone using bluetooth (presumably now you're a pretentious tool)?

Easy. You don't see people w/ bluetooth headsets remove the device after they finish talking, do you?

 

[jabreal00]

Originally Posted by mbc

Perhaps I'm missing something.

What's the difference between walking down the street talking on a cell phone (presumably ok) and walking down the street talking on a cell phone using bluetooth (presumably now you're a pretentious tool)?


Because 95% of the time while in public one will not be on the phone, unless they are a teenage girl. When someone is on the go most conversations are short and quick, it won't kill you to use the phone the conventional way.

I see guys like this all the time. They have the Blackberry clipped to their belt, sporty Oakley sunglasses and a Blue Tooth headset. For a guy who could careless about being stylish, then there's nothing wrong with it because they're probably doing it for utilitarian reasons. However, anyone who cares about style (especially those on a style forum), it's a non starter. The only reasonable times for BT headsets are while driving or maybe if one is a home telemarketer.

 

[Tarmac]

Originally Posted by mbc

Perhaps I'm missing something. What's the difference between walking down the street talking on a cell phone (presumably ok) and walking down the street talking on a cell phone using bluetooth (presumably now you're a pretentious tool)?
with a cell phone, you look like you are talking on a phone. with bluetooth, you look like you are having a jolly ole time telling yourself jokes, telling yourself to speak up, and telling yourself you will be late. edit: btw, I fully support using BT in the car. In fact I think it should be a standard feature on all car radios. I know it would cost less than $10 per car to implement (BT receivers are ridiculously cheap right now).

 

[Brian278]

I bought when when I got a car that was stick---it's light years better than trying to juggle it between hands while steering and shifting. Occasionally I have to finish a call after getting out of the car and I feel like an idiot. It's not obvious to people that your talking to the thing in your ear and not them, so you get weird looks and it's unnecessarily confusing. It's just strange to see people walking around, talking to themselves.

I would never leave it on after a call, though. I see no reason to use the headset over holding the phone up to your ear if you don't need your hands free.

 

[FidelCashflow]

Originally Posted by mbc

Perhaps I'm missing something.

What's the difference between walking down the street talking on a cell phone (presumably ok) and walking down the street talking on a cell phone using bluetooth (presumably now you're a pretentious tool)?

If you're actually talking on it, that's not such a big deal (but some people are confused and irked by the guy apparently talking to himself.) It's more the guy who wears it all the time, even when hes not talking on the phone, it seems to send the message "HEY EVERYONE! I'M EXPECTING AN IMPORTANT CALL ANY SECOND! STFU!" I'm sure it weirds out service people around you like restaurant staff.

 

[mbc]

Originally Posted by jabreal00

Because 95% of the time while in public one will not be on the phone, unless they are a teenage girl. When someone is on the go most conversations are short and quick, it won't kill you to use the phone the conventional way.
Hell, it won't kill you to wait until you've gotten back to the office to make your phone call. For that matter, what was wrong with just writing a damn letter instead? What a bunch of pretentious tools...

I see guys like this all the time. They have the Blackberry clipped to their belt, sporty Oakley sunglasses and a Blue Tooth headset. For a guy who could careless about being stylish, then there's nothing wrong with it because they're probably doing it for utilitarian reasons. However, anyone who cares about style (especially those on a style forum), it's a non starter. The only reasonable times for BT headsets are while driving or maybe if one is a home telemarketer.

OK, I'll concede on "it looks unstylish", but I fail to see how that translates to "pretentious tool".

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by mbc

What's the difference between walking down the street talking on a cell phone (presumably ok) and walking down the street talking on a cell phone using bluetooth (presumably now you're a pretentious tool)?

I'm not really sold on either. It's extremely annoying when someone comes up behind you barking into a cell phone, or when they block the flow of pedestrians because they're lost in their own little cell world. I've noticed that bluetooth tends to encourage the shouting, in particular.

I also think it sends a message about priorities. It used to be considered rude to take a call in someone's presence. Now, with bluetooth, it's like holding the phone to your ear at all times, just in case.

I'm glad that bluetooth headsets still give many folks pause. Maybe it will make people more mindful of how they use the thing.

This concludes my cranky old man rant.

 

[Toiletduck]

I dunno, so many people here conduct business conversations on their bluetooth

 

[acidboy]

Bah. I think a good part of these BT headset wearers just secretly want to look like Borgs.

 

[Toiletduck]

Alternatively, did they ever really define those bizarre devices on the Borg? Maybe they are just cool looking BT headsets

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by macuser3of5

Agreed. Speakerphone > bluetool headsets, and only in the car.

Just don't put it on speaker and hold it out in front of you like a douche.

 

[Soph]

Have a wireless bluetooth system installed in your car. A mic will be placed above your driving wheel and incoming calls flow thru your speaker system.

Using a bluetooth for other than typing in a public setting does look silly:

The term is "look at the Bluetool."

 

[Leslierc]

I don't wear them, ever. Unless your name is "Spock", I think it looks dumb to walk around with an electronic device sticking out of your ear. I keep the ones I own (they came with the phones) in a laquered jewely box my wife bought me several years ago.

 

[visionology]

I use one at my home office during the day. I get bad reception in my house so I have a signal booster which works well for 10 feet or so around the box. I keep my cell phone there and use the headset to walk around the house with.

I also use it in the car but not very often as I normally don't take calls in the car.

I don't care if most people wear them, who am I to judge them? However I have seen bluetooth headsets worn during 2 weddings that I've been in and that was disrespectful to me. One can not take a call for a couple hours during a wedding.

 

[mbc]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

I'm not really sold on either. It's extremely annoying when someone comes up behind you barking into a cell phone, or when they block the flow of pedestrians because they're lost in their own little cell world. I've noticed that bluetooth tends to encourage the shouting, in particular.
Is it annoying when two people come up behind you having a conversation with each other? Or is it only annoying when a cell phone is involved?

I also think it sends a message about priorities. It used to be considered rude to take a call in someone's presence. Now, with bluetooth, it's like holding the phone to your ear at all times, just in case.

I don't really see a big difference. People already have their cell phones with them all the time just in case... the difference in pretentiousness between that and a bluetooth headset I think is relatively small.