Agreed ssmiker....
as an Audiologist, I must say, auditory clues and cues are paramount to making decisions, whether behind the wheel of an automobile, while cyling, or merely walking down the sidewalk....why anyone would want to circumvent that ability with "canned music" in your ears is beyond belief.
Julius in Ohio, who now uses hearing aids to survive and yes to hear the birds.
"Live simply, so that others may simply live"