A Pleasant Helmet Debate

[Stephen Harding]

Was riding my bike through downtown Northampton late last week from work and stopped at a light at
the main intersection of town. While waiting for the light to turn green, a woman walked up to the
street corner and after looking me over a bit, spoke.

"I admire your *****, riding in weather like this!". I replied it really wasn't a big deal. It was
actually about mid-30's and anything above 20 is pretty good for this winter.

"We need more people like you riding bikes to help with the pollution problem." "Indeed yes"
I replied.

"But you're not wearing a helmet". "No I don't really take to them. I think they're over-sold for
safety". I have become deadened towards helmet scoldings. Just about every organized ride I've ever
done over the past 5-7 years has had someone ride up alongside of me and critique my sanity by not
wearing a helmet. Sometimes it's a very righteous warning, sometimes downright rude.

"My life was saved by a helmet once", she declared. I replied that most everyone I know who wears a
helmet has had their life spared by its use.

She smiled slowly, looking almost amused at what I'd said. The light changed to green. Time to
continue on. "Well have a pleasant ride home. Keep up the good work!"

"Thanks!" A nice lady and about the most pleasant and brief helmet debate I've ever engaged in. I
don't think much more needed to be said by either of us, and I certainly parted feeling a little
better from her pleasant remarks and manner in stating them.

SMH

 

[Peter Keller]

On Mon, 23 Feb 2004 16:18:28 -0500, Stephen Harding wrote:

> Was riding my bike through downtown Northampton late last week from work and stopped at a light at
> the main intersection of town. While waiting for the light to turn green, a woman walked up to the
> street corner and after looking me over a bit, spoke.
>
> "I admire your *****, riding in weather like this!". I replied it really wasn't a big deal. It was
> actually about mid-30's and anything above 20 is pretty good for this winter.
>
> "We need more people like you riding bikes to help with the pollution problem." "Indeed yes" I
> replied.
>
> "But you're not wearing a helmet". "No I don't really take to them. I think they're over-sold for
> safety". I have become deadened towards helmet scoldings. Just about every organized ride I've
> ever done over the past 5-7 years has had someone ride up alongside of me and critique my sanity
> by not wearing a helmet. Sometimes it's a very righteous warning, sometimes downright rude.
>
> "My life was saved by a helmet once", she declared. I replied that most everyone I know who wears
> a helmet has had their life spared by its use.
>
> She smiled slowly, looking almost amused at what I'd said. The light changed to green. Time to
> continue on. "Well have a pleasant ride home. Keep up the good work!"
>
> "Thanks!" A nice lady and about the most pleasant and brief helmet debate I've ever engaged in. I
> don't think much more needed to be said by either of us, and I certainly parted feeling a little
> better from her pleasant remarks and manner in stating them.
>
>
> SMH

I wish you luck trying to keep this pleasant! Peter

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[Luigi de Guzman]

My life was saved by my left arm.

It cradled my skull when I went over the bars in a traffic crash. a h*lm*t might have done as well.
I'm ambivalent.

-Luigi

 

[Chris Zacho "Th]

Well, I doubt you'll get as sweet a responce here, LOL! In fact, I find it rather amazing how short
this thread is!

BTW, I don't ride anywhere without a helmet, But that's my choice.

"May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

 

[Tbone]

i don't like helmets either, but i think if i don't wear one, that will be the pricise time that i
would have needed it

and my mom told me to wear it too

"Stephen Harding" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Was riding my bike through downtown Northampton late last week from work and stopped at a light at
> the main intersection of town. While waiting for the light to turn green, a woman walked up to the
> street corner and after looking me over a bit, spoke.
>
> "I admire your *****, riding in weather like this!". I replied it really wasn't a big deal. It was
> actually about mid-30's and anything above 20 is pretty good for this winter.
>
> "We need more people like you riding bikes to help with the pollution problem." "Indeed yes" I
> replied.
>
> "But you're not wearing a helmet". "No I don't really take to them. I think they're over-sold for
> safety". I have become deadened towards helmet scoldings. Just about every organized ride I've
> ever done over the past 5-7 years has had someone ride up alongside of me and critique my sanity
> by not wearing a helmet. Sometimes it's a very righteous warning, sometimes downright rude.
>
> "My life was saved by a helmet once", she declared. I replied that most everyone I know who wears
> a helmet has had their life spared by its use.
>
> She smiled slowly, looking almost amused at what I'd said. The light changed to green. Time to
> continue on. "Well have a pleasant ride home. Keep up the good work!"
>
> "Thanks!" A nice lady and about the most pleasant and brief helmet debate I've ever engaged in. I
> don't think much more needed to be said by either of us, and I certainly parted feeling a little
> better from her pleasant remarks and manner in stating them.
>
>
> SMH

 

[Stephen Harding]

Luigi de Guzman wrote:

> My life was saved by my left arm.
>
> It cradled my skull when I went over the bars in a traffic crash. a h*lm*t might have done as
> well. I'm ambivalent.

Perhaps a couple more left arms might be useful then?

SMH

 

[Dave Salovesh]

In <[email protected]>,
"tbone" <[email protected]> opined:

> i don't like helmets either, but i think if i don't wear one, that will be the pricise time that i
> would have needed it

A few years either side of '90, I owned a helmet only because you couldn't do organized
rides without one. I didn't wear it much unless I had to - it felt heavy and hot and I was
immortal anyway.

;-)

But for a couple of years running, every second time I put it on to JRA I had an accident, whereas I
-never- did without it.

It must have been a curse upon that particular helmet though. I've now owned three more helmets, and
worn them a lot, and I've only had one accident.

Coincidence?

--
Dave Salovesh [email protected] (REPLACE example WITH mindspring TO EMAIL ME)

 

[S o r n i]

Luigi de Guzman wrote:
> My life was saved by my left arm.
>
> It cradled my skull when I went over the bars in a traffic crash. a h*lm*t might have done as
> well. I'm ambivalent.

If you were ambidextrous, you could save TWO heads next time.

Bill "little if any meaning" S.

 

[Peter Keller]

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 16:41:18 +0000, S o r n i wrote:

> Luigi de Guzman wrote:
>> My life was saved by my left arm.
>>
>> It cradled my skull when I went over the bars in a traffic crash. a h*lm*t might have done as
>> well. I'm ambivalent.
>
> If you were ambidextrous, you could save TWO heads next time.
>
> Bill "little if any meaning" S.

Would that make him ambicephalous?

Peter
--
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or propagation.

 

[Luigi de Guzman]

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 16:41:18 GMT, "S o r n i"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Luigi de Guzman wrote:
>> My life was saved by my left arm.
>>
>> It cradled my skull when I went over the bars in a traffic crash. a h*lm*t might have done as
>> well. I'm ambivalent.
>
>If you were ambidextrous, you could save TWO heads next time.

My life was saved by my LEFT arm. with two of *those,* I'd be bisinistral.

=-Luigi
www.livejournal.com/users/ouij Photos, Rants, Raves

 

[Rick Onanian]

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 17:49:25 -0500, Luigi de Guzman
<[email protected]> wrote:
><[email protected]> wrote:
>>If you were ambidextrous, you could save TWO heads next time.
>
>My life was saved by my LEFT arm. with two of *those,* I'd be bisinistral.

Was Zaphod Beeblebrox's extra arm on the left, or the right? And how about the extra head?

Guy? You listening?
--
Rick Onanian

 

[Chalo]

Dave Salovesh <[email protected]> wrote:

> But for a couple of years running, every second time I put it on to JRA I had an accident, whereas
> I -never- did without it.
>
> It must have been a curse upon that particular helmet though.

Perhaps you were wearing that helmet backwards, making you dangerously unstable aerodynamically. ;-D

The remedy would be to ditch the helmet and wear a tall Mohawk, stiffly molded with gelatin into an
effective vertical stabilizer. That way folks will know you are a serious cyclist at a glance.

Chalo Colina

 

[Peter Keller]

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 17:59:12 -0800, Chalo wrote:

> Dave Salovesh <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> But for a couple of years running, every second time I put it on to JRA I had an accident,
>> whereas I -never- did without it.
>>
>> It must have been a curse upon that particular helmet though.
>
> Perhaps you were wearing that helmet backwards, making you dangerously unstable
> aerodynamically. ;-D
>
> The remedy would be to ditch the helmet and wear a tall Mohawk, stiffly molded with gelatin into
> an effective vertical stabilizer. That way folks will know you are a serious cyclist at a glance.
>
> Chalo Colina

Much of the ineffectiveness of helmets may be due to their not being worn correctly. When worn
correctly, there should be no more than 3cm of forwards-backwards movement of the helmet on the
skull, when pushed. This necessitates doing up the chin-strap very tightly. A bicyclist so equipped
can bask in the glory that he is doing everything correctly for his safety. However, s/he won't be
able to swallow, and will barely be able to breathe. These problems can be simply overcome by the
use of a portable heart-lung machine towed behind the bicycle for breathing purposes, and an
intravenous infusion strapped to the handlebars for nourishment purposes. All very simple, really. A
somewhat less cumbersome solution would be for all bicyclists to be required to have threaded posts
implanted into their skulls, onto which helmets can be bolted firmly. Peter.

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