I don't get people's resistance to helmets!

[Zen]

I have a great deal of respect for the cyclists I was riding with. They are not stupid or irrespsonsible people. They have incredible bike handling skills. They have evaluated the risks and decided that they don't always need helmets. It has nothing to do with being "cool" either for these people.

Making a judgement about someone you don't know is not very respectful. It's like junior high school. They're not wearing the "uniform" so they're not real cyclists.

Whatever.

V.

If these cyclists have a family they are indeed stupid and irresponsible.
if they die, they leave a grieving spouse and children . When someone dies, the grief will always be there though it will fade with time. A wife whose husband dies can eventually find someone to share her life with.

If they don't die and suffer irreversible brain damage the grief continues.
I have a friend who was a triathlete. He was not wearing a helmet when the car hit him. He can barely communicate and needs to be supervised all day. His wife has to attend to his rehab and care arrangements and she no longer has the man she married who was her lover and life partner.
His son doesn't have a father who can give advice and act as a role model

He evaluated the risks and decided he didn't need a helmet either.
I call that stupid and irresponsible.