I ride my bike very frequently. I own two helmets. I did not buy either of them and I don't ever wear either of them. Last summer I posted a video on Youtube that shows me riding without a helmet. Since then I have received two comments (out of five) and two thumbs up (out of two) saying I should wear a helmet. The last one assumes that I am showing off my toughness by calling me a "tough guy". A few weeks back I went on a group ride with about 40 other people. This was my first time riding with this group and I chose not to wear a helmet. Not one person introduced themselves to me or even said hi. Only three people spoke a word to me.
1. "Where's your helmet?"
2. "You should really wear a helmet."
3. "That must be nice a breezy. You should probably wear a helmet though."
When I was in college I showed up for a group ride and the people wouldn't let me ride with them because I didn't have a helmet. That's how I got my first helmet. A friend who invited me gave me his old one (helmets, like many safety things, have a only a short life).
I aquired my other helmet in a similar fashion.
This post is not about the merits of wearing helmets. I have no good reason for not wearing a helmet, I simply don't like them. Feel free to think of me as an idiot for not wearing one. Don't call me a tough guy though please, that hurts my feelings :' (
No, this post is asking the fundamental question "why are people so adimate about me wearing a helmet?" Most people, when they see a personal flaw in somebody else they keep it to themselves. What is it about helmets that is so special? I am a very stubborn person and have been known to things strictly because other people didn't want me too. So now I can never wear a helmet, even if I wanted to. Otherwise I wouldn't be such tough guy.
In thinking about this I can across a couple interesting stories about bike helmets. One. Two.
The first contians a rather graphic images and it's message is bascially "Always wear a helmet because you never know what's going to happen." But when I read I hear "Wear a helmet, that way you don't have to pay attention to your surrondings."
The second one the guys says he doesn't wear a helmet because he's too pretty. I'm tough and pretty!
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First, I thought this was Megan talking about an actual bike helmet, and I thought, "You don't wear one because you're not Fred LaTour."
Then I realized this was Andrew, and all I have to comment is this: if I had a bike, I'd wear a helmet, because I've heard a nurse refer to motorcyclists as "organ donors." I'd just be afraid that the one time I didn't wear a helmet I'd turn my face into a bloody smear on the pavement. I'm not necessarily in favor of helmet laws, though, because legislated safety isn't my idea of fun. Really, what's the point of a helmet law? You get guys cruising down the interstate at 80+ mph wearing a helmet, t-shirt, and cargo shorts, maybe sneakers. They're still going to be a grease spot if they wreck. At least if they were wearing leathers or a riding jacket I'd think something better...
So, if you're going to not wear a helmet because you don't want to, that's fine, as long as you admit that it somehow increases the danger. I guess that's my view.
Again, the point isn't whether or not I should wear a helmet but rather why does everybody tell me to wear one.
Also, this is on a bicycle, not a motorcycle. Although I wish I could ride my bike (bicycle) at 80 mph.
If I go for a leisurely (slow) bike ride around around the neighborhood away from traffic, and I'm not wearing a helmet, strangers often holler at me. No one cared when I did the same thing when I was 6-years old.
It was definitely *not* clear in your blog that you were talking about bicycle helmets instead of motorcycle helmets. (Which by the way, if you didn't ride your motorcycle with a helmet I would think you're crazy.)
Anyway - why do people tell you to wear one? I think it's along the same lines as people telling you not to smoke or don't use so much salt. I'm not sure why it's okay (perhaps it isn't?).
You should try being pregnant. People are even more concerned for your safety. "Should you be drinking that caffeine? Is bike riding okay for the baby? I don't think you should lift that."
The point I'm trying to make is that I think people just like to tell you when they think you are doing something harmful to yourself or others.
Please note the second note is written by KATE, so the reference to "pretty" is appropriate. Just wondering if the people who are saying you should wear helmets are either parents or had to wear helmets when they were children (it's the law here in OR). Helmets are for prevention. Just because you wear a seatbelt doesn't mean you drive more recklessly. I don't agree AT ALL with the philosophy that if you wear a helmet you aren't as careful in your driving. NO, NOT AT ALL!!!!
On a bicycle? There's no reason at all to wear a helmet unless you are: engaging in a race, riding in heavy traffic, or mountain biking (as far as I'm concerned.)
The reason people tell you to do so is that people think they have the right and moreover that it's their responsibility to tell you what you should be doing to be safe. If I were riding a bike and someone told me to put a helmet on, I'd probably be impolite to them.
Also, Megan, when we were 6 people did not think that individual safety was society's concern to nearly the extent we do now. I don't think they even made children-sized bike helmets when I was little. The only people who wore helmets were NYC bike messengers and Lance Armstrong.
I'm under the impression that most people do not tell strangers not to smoke or not to use too much salt. Yet they are comfortable telling strangers to wear bicycle helmets. Any idea why this difference exists?
Another thing, if people are genuinely concerned about a non-helmet wearer's well-being, would it not be more effective to express this concern lovingly, rather than with names, smug accusations, or refusals to associate with the helmetless head? (Not an attack on blog commenters - any concerns were expressed with care)
Also, check out the Fruita video link in the post. It was so much fun. Wanna go on vacation there? There's lots of NOT very technical trails too, and we can camp for cheap, and take turns watching babies, and we should bring our dogs too!
The reason I wear a helmet is because I have been in two bicycle accidents resulting in crushed helmets. The first one the result of blunt trauma - I hit the ground with my head - the second was a sharp impact that really could have killed me if I hadn't had the helmet on. I was not taking conscious risks when the accidents occurred, so I doubt they were caused by me feeling safe due to the helmet.
The reason I wore those helmets in the first place is I have people depending on me for their financial well-being. I am not willing to curtail all risky activity because of that, but I am willing to take prudent measures against permanent damage. I hate the way I look in a helmet, I hate how bulky they are and how expensive they are. The heat doesn't bother me though, in fact I find that when I ride without a helmet on trail rides the helmet pads prevent perspiration from getting in my eyes. Also, I hate pain and hospitals.
So after considering the cost/benefit of either choice and choosing helmets, my natural reaction to people who don't wear helmets is to think that they haven't thought it through all the way, which is probably not accurate, but there you have it.
This post is really interesting to me because I think it shows a difference between Americans and Germans. (For those who don’t know: I am German.) I can only imagine one reason for someone telling me that I should wear a helmet on my bicycle. And that is because that person is worried about me. I can imagine that a wife would tell her husband to wear a helmet. Also, I know that my brother forces his kids to wear helmets. But random people who don’t really know me? Very unlikely!
I will try to explain what I feel about this. Telling someone to wear a helmet means to me that I break into his privacy. If someone decides for himself that not wearing a helmet is fine for him then I will have to respect this decision (given that this person is in fact able to make his own decisions). Since this decision does not affect me in any way, I have no right to tell him that he is wrong. I might feel comfortable though to let him know my own opinion without giving any advice. That is, I am fine by telling him that I am wearing a helmet because of whatever reason.
I guess Germans like to keep their distance.
By the way: I never wear a helmet on my bicycle. The only one who ever addressed this is my boyfriend after he witnessed a bicycle accident.
"...when they see a personal flaw in somebody else they keep it to themselves."
My old roommate Jasmine is the kind of person that will tell you if she thinks you are doing something wrong or if you could be doing something better regardless of the subject matter. And in return she expects/demands the same from her friends. Even if it is an embarrassing piece of information like "I can see your bra through that shirt." How many people would be too embarrassed to say something in fear of embarrassing the other person or what not?
Yet when I rode my bike to work without a helmet I had people threaten to let air out of my tires if I road one more day without one. It's funny how people will attack you about helmets but not as viciously as smoking or even simple things like wardrobe malfunction.
I think people should stop keeping the obvious to themselves and let others around them know. After all your only hurting them by not letting them know.
Needless to say I wear my helmet everywhere I go now.
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