Silvan wrote in message ...
Glenn Cramond wrote:

Of late, it seems to have settled in for good. I _do_ wear hearing
protectors in the shop, while mowing, while weed eating, while whacking on
an anvil, and I have been for years (and my kids too, yes), but I think the
damage must be coming from the truck (tractor-trailer) I drive.

Not much I can do about that. I don't think it's legal to wear hearing
protection while driving. I'm supposed to be able to hear emergency
vehicles, even though I can't hear a damn thing inside that truck except
the engine and the turbo and the fan and the incredible wind noise.

Glenn,

It MIGHT be legal, and even safe. I would check into it.

I say it might be safe because I ride a motorcycle and wear hearing
protection - ear plugs inside my helmet. The prolonged high-pitched
wind noise is one of the most damaging frequencies for your ears. It
also drowns out other noises. I find that when I wear ear plugs I can
actually hear most sounds BETTER (my own engine, car horns, etc). Ear
plugs tend to block out more of the higher pitched sounds (which are
the most damaging) and let through the lower pitched sounds (horns).
And even though sirens are high pitched, they are usually loud enough
that I don't have any problem hearing them through the ear plugs.

The ear plugs have the added benefit of making me feel warmer (no,
really!). It seems that on chilly days, the sound of the wind has the
psychological effect of making it feel even colder. I know it's all
in my head, but that's were it really counts!

-Chris