Points to Podder

Yesterday, I met a chap at the garage I usually hang out in who spotted my new-ish iPod. Very sharp of you, lad. After confirming that my iPod was a full-house 60 Gb unit and looking suitably impressed, he asked if it sounded good on the bike. I said I didn't know and without realising it, set myself pondering again.

I know that motorcycle helmets contain more than the rider's heads nowadays. There are fairly high end speaker/mic kits available, including ones that run bluetooth, can switch between your phone, MP3 player, or your pillions speaker/mic set and even brush your teeth when you're least expecting it. But is it such a great idea?

The only time I can imagine someone longing for in-lid music is on a lonely, boring, featurless highway. When you're just covering the miles. Joining two interesting dots with an otherwise useless line, as it were. Like, I am told, the East Coast Highway that runs from Orissa to TN. More or less a straight road for hundreds of kilometres with sleep inducing scenery, lulling arithmetic progress and only the changing numbers on milestones to keep track of progress. Then yes, music's good.

In every other situation, I'd say it detracts from your concentration on the road. In any case, when I'm on the bike and concentrating hard, I can't hear my cellphone buzzing in the jacket pocket. Or feel its vibes. I guess if I tried it, I'd tune into the sound at intersections and tune out elsewhere. Doesn't work for me.

Yes, I could use a Cardo Scala type of helmet headset. It'd beat having to fish the phone out of the pant pocket whenever I do stop to take a call. Usually from the wife. But outside of that, it's not for me. Besides, what if drowned out the inner voice...