mm k

how did everytihing turn out with your boyfriend/training partner ?

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Where would you want to swim ?

There's a name for people who don't wear helmets - organ donors.

Don't understand why people don't wear helmets.

Get well soon.

Why is everyone so concerned with what others wear while biking?

I never hear cyclists get so upset when others don't wear seatbelts, or smoke, or eat unhealthy foods and all of those contribute far more deaths than bicyclists without helmets.

We all have stories to tell but really, wear your own helmet, put helmets on your family etc., but let everyone else make up their own mind.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

I'm concerned b/c I don't want to see people I care about have their brains turned to mush.

I'm concerened b/c I don't want people setting bad examples for kids out there, who in turn think it's okay to not wear one when they're out and about b/c "Mommy and Daddy don't do that."

I'm concerned b/c people who choose not to wear a helmet and then get their shit all fucked up in an otheriwse avoidable accident cause health care costs to rise for the rest of us.

Yeah, I get concerened when people don't wear a helmet. It's just stupid. And, for the record, I ALSO get irritated when people don't wear seat belts or let themselves get all fat and eat terribly--for many of the same reasons.

No decision that puts your life at risk is "your personal choice alone". You are part of a society, a family, a circle of friends. Your death/dismemberment/otherwise incapacitation affects more than just YOU. So quit being such a selfish asswipe and put on the fucking helmet.

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com

I was on a bike tour this summer and had my helmet stolen 4 days before the end of my trip. I was nowhere near a town and could not replace it.

I met up with a group of cyclists and of course the helmet Nazis were out in full force. I have biked my whole life and do not even own a car. I used to race and now I do bike touring and have biked in every condition known and have probably biked more miles than most people. I know the risks of biking without a helmet.

My point is, you never know why someone doesn't have a helmet. In my case, this young girl decided to yell at me without having a clue as to why I did not have one on.

I don't get it. Do you really think this perfect stranger was upset with me because she was soooooo concerned with my well being? I don't. I think she couldn't wait to tell someone how they should live because she decided the most important thing in the world was to bike with a helmet.

It's not. They rode the Tour de France for years without helmets. Millions of people everyday ride bikes without helmets on in China and India (I biked there and believe me, the risks are far higher than here).

The bottom line is wear your own helmet, make sure your kids have a helmet but let everyone else make their own choice.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

I agree. Just because somebody is hard headed (pun intended) doesn't mean they don't need a helmet. Yes you have a right not to wear a helmet but we also have the right to annoy the crap out of people that don't.

Why is everyone so concerned with what others wear while biking?

Partly because some of us have had an accident in which wearing a helmet made a difference. In my case, I'm still re-habbing from an accident about 5 months ago, in which a helmet probably saved my life. Or, at least, prevented major head trauma.

let everyone else make up their own mind.

To a point, that's true. The libertarian in me agrees with you, but the conservative in me wonders if that 'everyone else' is guaranteed not to be a drain on society after they have a disabling head injury. If that 'everyone else' is fully insured (health, life, long term disability, etc), then, yeah, go ahead, and ride without that helmet. If not, I don't wanna be supporting your ass because you made a bad choice.

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"You'll find a slight squeeze on the hooter an excellent safety precaution, Miss Scrumptious."

"I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong." -- Richard Feynman

You do have a right, and you are correct, I DON'T know why people are or are not. But that doesn't make me less annoyed when people choose not to. In general though, unless you're my family or close friend, if I see you out on a ride, I'll won't say two cents to you about your helmet. I'm a minnesotan, my people seeth quietly. ;-)

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
Handmade beverage charms, jewelry, and miscellanea
http://momocharms.wordpress.com

Please tell me you gave this lassy a tongue lashing.

Levi Leipheimer's off-season home is here in Santa Rosa. I see him out riding all the time and never once have I seen a helmet on the guy's noggin. Usually just a beannie. I know he rides in all the mountains around here so maybe he figures if he crashes going 50+ he will be dead either way.

Please tell me you gave this lassy a tongue lashing.

I didn't give her a lashing, I just rode off without acknowledging her ranting.

She was almost giddy with excitement, as if she made an incredible discovery. I wonder if she even realized it was not a surprise to me that I didn't have a helmet on. She was on a bike tour and judging by her bike and the 4 bottles of water/gatorade and small backpack of food on her back (we were in the Banff area so you are never that far from supplies) it was her first time.

I'm sure she had been hearing over and over that the first rule of cycling (with a tour group that has to buy insurance) is WEAR YOUR HELMET AT ALL COSTS. It probably never occured to her that some people tour on their own and are not always fully stocked by a sag wagon every few hours. If I lose a helmet or my bike breaks down, I am on my own and do not have someone handing me a spare.

I wear a helmet (if I have one) but if I don't, too bad. I hate it when people start pointing at my head and screaming that I am the devil incarnate because I might get into an accident.

It's just weird how not wearing a helmet has surpassed mass murder as something so socially unacceptable.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

Funny, I know I hit my head, but I don't remember calling you, or anyone else who doesn't wear a helmet, the devil or any other names.

I simply said, think about your loved ones before you make the 'personal' choice about whether or not to wear a helmet.

Of course there are circumstances when you might not have a helmet on - there are no absolutes in life.

Just trying to share an experience.

Funny, I know I hit my head, but I don't remember calling you, or anyone else who doesn't wear a helmet, the devil or any other names.

Sorry, my post wasn't directed to you but the subject in your post "Wear your f*cking helmet" hints at the anger I often see when people see others without a helmet.

I appreciated it when you said you are only concerned with family and friends and I wish everyone else would be the same.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

Apparently you should have stolen the helmet nazi's helmet.

I crashed last fall and my helmet split from above my left ear to the top of my head, and luckily I had no head injuries. One of the ER nurses at the hospital saw my helmet and said "I can't tell you how many people's skulls I've seen that looked like that."

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"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

Of course, this is why children are banned from playing competitive sports at so many grade schools. We can't have a risk of kids hurting themselves playing football at recess!!! There is a large and growing problem in this country (and elsewhere) where people believe the rights of the individual are far less important than the "society." Next thing you know "society" will ban trans fats from our diets, not allow you to buy a cheeseburger if your cholesterol is above 200, ban you from smoking outdoors anywhere....oops...wait...2 out of 3 have already happened in many places. Wake up and smell the end of liberty and the pursuit of individual happiness. /end rant. :-)

How about this for an idea...everyone go take 3-5 years of Judo training. Learn how to fall and protect yourself. That will do far more for you than a helmet. I'm serious about this part btw. :-D

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Of course, this is why children are banned from playing competitive sports at so many grade schools. We can't have a risk of kids hurting themselves playing football at recess!!!

It's become far worse than that. Forget football, there was a school in MA (I believe) that banned playing tag at recess because some kids might fall and hurt themselves if they were tagged too aggressively.

Besides, you have to give everyone an A for effort so we can't have some being tagged out. It would mess up the ranking system and actually give the appearance that some kids may have more athletic ability than others.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008

I won't get into the helmet debate. I just wanted to say, good to here that you don't have any major brain damage.

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Train safe & smart
Bob

I really don't like to be one of those do-gooders who tell everyone else how to live. If we go around lecturing people about it, people are more likely they will say "F-You" and be even more determined to go helmetless. The way I see it, the gene pool needs cleaned of people who don't wear helmets, don't wear seatbelts, play with matches, replicate stunts on Jackass and etc, so let them do their thing.

Out of interest to my health and to set a good example to kids in the neighborhood, new cyclists and other impressionable folks, I always wear my helmet (on the bike anyways). The old saying action speaks louder than words apply here.

Its not just that school. My old roommate was in education at McGill and they were not allowed to play any kind of contact sport with the kids. no tag, no dodge ball, no red rover, no duck duck goose because too many kids were getting their feelings hurt by never being "the goose".

The bottom line is wear your own helmet, make sure your kids have a helmet but let everyone else make their own choice.

I 100% agree on this, with one caveat, start letting me make my own choices as to who should be covered by the insurance costs. I don't understand how people believe it is perfectly OK to make poor choices, but then expect others to pay for the results of their poor choices.

Plainly and simply in today's society where we feel that it is a "right" to have cradle to grave health care and "heroic" efforts to save lives, it simply itsn't "your own choice".

If we know that certain habits lead to better health and others to poorer health by all means feel free to choose which ever one you want. But also be bound to the responsibilty to pay for your choices. We simply can't continue to hand out freedom of choice without the responsibility that goes along with it.

~Matt

If we know that certain habits lead to better health and others to poorer health by all means feel free to choose which ever one you want. But also be bound to the responsibilty to pay for your choices. We simply can't continue to hand out freedom of choice without the responsibility that goes along with it.

I think there are a lot of higher risks than not wearing a helmet.

I wonder how many people in America, end up in the hospital with head injuries from bicycling without a helmet when compared with those in the hospital due to,

• smoking
• high fat diets
• driving an automobile
• not wearing a seat belt
• no physical exercise

I do not partake in any of those activities since I don't drive so I wonder if I should pay more if I don't wear a helmet?

That's the problem of trying to correlate health costs to lifestyle choices.

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You sir, are my new hero! - Trifan 11/13/2008

Casey, you are a wise man - blueraider_mike 11/13/2008

Casey, This is an astute observation. - Slowbern 11/17/2008