helmets are not optional

[Trek420]

Folks, along with the normal crew of Darwin Award recipients the spike in gas prices is bringing a lot of newbies out. Some just took the bike down from the garage and thought "here, this will save me a buck or two".

Let's give 'em a break.

Offer suggestions "your helmet is on backwards, can I show you how to put that on?" Worst we can do is yell at 'em which just adds to the whole "cyclists are elitests" thing and may just scare them so much they fall over.

Some may keep riding, that's a good thing.

I sometimes use the "big smile, point at helmet, pat the head" jesture.

OTOH, when my neighbors 70's French-threaded fully lugged steel Motobecane stoped working because they did not pump the tires and they abandon it on the bulk waste pick up in my condo complex, I did not offer "here, let me show you how easy this is"

I'll let them go replace with a box store bike and then we'll educate them from there ;-)