I am by no means the final arbiter on “cool,” but I know uncool when I see it.

This month’s Wired cover perfectly captures a pet-peeve that has been driving me nuts for years.

Walking around with a headset hanging off your ear is not cool, regardless of how much it cost, what color the LED glows, or what nifty shape the manufacturer pressed the plastic into.

This is a guy thing, I can’t recall seeing a woman ever try and use a Bluetooth headset as a fashion statement. Since it’s a guy thing, I am guessing that the people who wear headsets around the clock probably think it’s futuristic, commando-ish, or it makes him feel like a superhero. Let me assure you, it doesn’t.

Unless you are on the phone so often, and making calls to a ton of different people, take the thing out of your ear when you aren’t talking on it. Taking it out might not make you look cool, but it will help you avoid looking like a tool.

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