Off with your head(set)!

I think I just found the funniest person ever. While perusing a recent San Francisco Chronicle I came across a regular featured called Two Cents where the newspaper asks a group of five readers a common question. Last Sunday the question was: "What personal behavior law has government not thought of--but should?"

Love it? Love it not?

Now if that's not a intriguing poser, I don't know what is. While most of the answers were relatively dull, two of them caught my eye. The first suggested banning excessively loud motorcycles (I don't like being woken up at 5 in the morning, either) but the second was my absolute favorite. Ryan Kelling of Walnut Creek, Calif., suggested, "Wearing a Bluetooth headset in public should be outlawed. We get it: You're so important that you might get a phone call that needs answering quicker than pulling the phone out of your pocket would allow." All I can say is, Ryan, please run for office.

Now let me be clear that I don't think the government has any business regulating Bluetooth headsets. But I think Ryan has a very good point. I know I'll get a lot of flak about this but I've always had a love-hate relationship with Bluetooth. On one hand, it's a fantastic technology with many useful applications (wireless file-sharing is a godsend) but on the other hand, wearing a Bluetooth headset when you're not on the phone is just annoying. I can see it when you're driving as it allows you to keep both hands on the wheel, but there's no reason for it when you're riding the bus, eating in a restaurant, or doing your grocery shopping. I don't care how important you think you are. Really, it's just annoying.

Stereo Bluetooth headsets for music players are another matter, however. That's because if you're wearing one of those, you're actually making use of the headset instead of just wearing it as an earring.

[moretroops]

Bluetooth is the fanny pack of the 21st century

Totally unacceptable, unless you're driving -- in which case you should (if
possible) wait until after the ride to make the call anyway. But of course people
don't limit it to driving. They prattle away in public, looking (for the unitiated)
like schizophrenic lunatics, and to the initiated as hopeless dorks.

Stop it people. You are not a cyborg from the future.

[Lerianis]

Why don't you stop getting on their case for this? Really, there is nothing wrong with wearing a Bluetooth headset in public, just as there is nothing wrong with wearing mp3 player headphones in public, bluetooth or not.

Just keep your disdain to yourself, shut up, keep your thoughts about what other people are doing to yourself, and get on with your life.