I yelled at some cyclists!

[mimitabby]

I was going down Beacon Ave in my car and I saw 2 cyclists, both middle aged white guys. Neither had helmets. On closer examination both HAD helmets, hanging from their handlebars. I got up close and yelled "A lot of good THAT HELMET IS DOING YOU!" and passed them.

They caught up to me at the light. One of them put his helmet on

[boy in a kilt]

And what did that accomplish?

[kelownagirl]

Boy, I am amazed at how many 'cyclists' I am seeing right now without helmets. It is the law that you must wear one here and I sure wish they'd start enforcing it. I've been tempted to holler at them everytime I go by too.

[mimitabby]

And what did that accomplish?

One of them put his helmet on. Maybe I saved a life?


Kgirl, if they didn't have the helmets swaying from their handlebars I would not have said anything.

[maillotpois]

I just make a mental note that it's really nice someone on the organ transplant waiting list may be getting a call soon.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

The law here says kids under 12 must wear helmets. I usually will say something to young kids riding without helmets.

[Ann G]

I don't know about where you live, but in Iowa about 80% of the bicyclists I see wear helmets, and about 5% of the motorcyclists I see wear helmets. On RAGBRAI, helmet use is more like 99%. When I consider which rider is at greater risk in case of an accident, it just seems nutty to me. My husband and I refer to them as smart motorcyclists (the few with helmets) vs. organ donors (those without). Iowa had a mandatory helmet law in the past, but big time lobbying from bikers got that changed. So, a part of the motorcycle culture in this state has to do with demonstrating their "freedom" to ride with a bare head. Personally, I'm glad that helmet use is cool for cyclists.

[imdeanna]

Good for you!!

I don't say anything ..but I THINK it everytime I see someone w/out a helmet...

When my 17 yo dd said she didn't want to wear a helmet because she'd look stupid, I told her MORE people will give you the stink eye for NOT wearing a helmet!!

No one CARES that someone IS wearing a helmet, its those that are not wearing a helmet that look stupid!




Have you guys checked out the Safety is Sexy Compaign?http://safetyissexy.blogspot.com/

Send them your mailing address and they will send you cool stickers that say "You'd look hotter in a helmet" ( I have one on my car!!! )

[boy in a kilt]

Before I go off on a rant here, Mimi has never been anything other than very nice to me. Because of this, I held my comments (beyond my intial sarcasm) because I wanted to say something but I didn't want to be hurtful toward mimi. My issue has nothing to do with her as a person, just the way she chose to deal with this particular situation.

If this were a situation where you were forced to accept a personal risk that you didn't agree to beforehand then your actions would have been justifiable. However, given that you were in your car, the risk their lack of helmets posed to you was relatively minor.

However, it sounded like these guys were grown men out for a ride. That means they were competent to make their own decisions about their personal safety and the risks they were willing to accept.

But, you chose to ignore all that and impose your own beliefs on them. Further, no cyclist likes having a pleasant ride interrupted by yells from passing motorists unless it's encouragement or warning about things like big, fast dogs, or pieces of one's bike falling off.

Put yourself in their position for a moment. How were you any different than the motorists that yell at cyclists for riding in the road?

[teigyr]

Is there a helmet law in Seattle?

I dunno. Peer pressure is a powerful thing. I know people that think that helmets are geeky (and they have no problem saying as such) and that "cyclist clothes" are dorky.

Maybe what Mimi said made them think. One can always disregard comments made by passing people but sometimes those comments will hit home and that's not a bad thing. There are people who have the "it won't happen to me" mentality, also.

I think what Mimi said wasn't negative at all. I know if I ever wasn't wearing my helmet and someone yelled that at me I'd think "um...yeah...kinda stupid...why did I think I was cool and didn't have to wear it? Um...yeah...ok. Now the motorists are noticing. It's going back on." And that'd be the end of it.

For me personally, I'm not all that nice. I guess people will do what they're going to do but a) I don't want to be injured from it (ie unleashed dogs) and b) I don't want to pay for their mistakes because they don't have insurance.

I think Mimi was actually being nice instead of like me

[Tuckervill]

I think Mimi was just being helpful.

I am often quite helpful in that way. My husband would never say anything to anyone about anything that wasn't his obvious business...but alas, I am a mother, and it is supremely difficult to hold my tongue when there is mothering to do.

I think helpfulness is an admirable trait. We don't know if the guy who put on the helmet fell in the next block or what. He might be on his favorite board posting about how this lady yelled at him about his helmet and he put it on and it SAVED HIS LIFE when he was hit by a bus!!

So, you never know. I say err on the side of helpfulness.

Karen

[mimitabby]

If i was standing next to them, I would not have yelled.
I only yelled to be heard. and i don't have a loud voice even when yelling.
My take on it is this: One of them wanted to wear his helmet but because of peer pressure from the other guy, he didn't.
After I gave them my two cents; the other guy felt like maybe the whole world didn't think he looked stupid with his helmet on.
Boy; you're entitled to your opinion, and you didn't offend me.

I repeat, what IS the point of CARRYING a helmet on your handlebars??!?!?!?!

[latelatebloomer]

I repeat, what IS the point of CARRYING a helmet on your handlebars??!?!?!?!

kind of handy place to keep your cheeseburger & fries....

[Boise Birder]

that post here? I'd like their comments.

My opinion - failure to wear a helmet costs us all. Brain injured folks who survive often end up being covered by medicaid, and definitely drive up insurance costs - it costs us all. I'm speaking from the US point of view, where Mimi lives.

I respect personal freedom, but not at the expense of the rest of society carrying the cost of their choices.

[Grog]

I am also annoyed by the helmet-on-the-handlebar phenomena. Haven't had a chance to say anything yet, but I'm more of an ironic kind: "Nice helmet," I'd say, pointing to the useless device.

What bothers me is people who wear their helmet (probably full of good intentions) while fully exposing their forehead. The helmet just covers the top/back of the head, like a kippa almost. Another useless device! (The helmet, not the kippa.) During my morning commute, I keep thinking about ways I could bring the topic up with fellow commuters, or fantasize about designing a set of post-it "tips for commuters" that I would leave on people's handlebars while parking my bike, which would include stuff like that.

*sigh*

I understand you, Mimi.