7/22/2019 9:59 AM
Edited Date/Time: 7/22/2019 10:02 AM
.pegless. wrote:
Free healthcare. You could slip on an escalator, but wouldn’t wear a helmet going shopping.
I’m not anti helmet. I just find pro helmet riders have a similar attitude as vegans “I’m right, you’re wrong”.
I started riding in 94. Knocked myself out twice in 97. Haven’t had a head injury since. Yeah, I could misjudge something and hit my head. But you could apply that logic to literally everything you do in life.
Sadly, the US doesn't have free healthcare, because apparently making sure the average health of the nation is something frowned upon unless you contribute to insane profits and salaries.
In all fairness to your comment, much of the time a head injury will be worse on a BMX bike VS slipping somewhere based on the typical obstacles involved-ledges with corners, rails etc are more common on a bike where they are being used in a manner not designed. Not often are you spinning around on escalators or stairs, or walking on top of a rail or spinning off ledges when walking around, so the risk is typically lower. Plus the wheels adding the ability to loop out, and typically higher speed increase the risk on a bike by comparison. To say "Well, it could happen anywhere" doesn't mean precautions are a bad thing at all. It also isn't wrong to say helmets are safer than no helmet too.
When it comes to riding, if you are going to tell me that helmets are stupid/gay/whatever other reason, I will call you a moron. If you just say "I don't want to wear one", your call. I will not be the one to call your parent/spouse/family to tell them you knocked yourself out though. I will wait until you come to, and make you do it.
And honestly, using the "I haven't knocked myself out in X amount of years" is also a bit silly in my book. I could argue the same way BECAUSE of my helmets. Last time I was unconscious because of my bike was early May 2004. 15 years ago. Trashed my shoulder and fractured 3 vertebrae (found out 8 years later) that day. Hit my head hundreds of times since, but never to the point of knockout. No helmet and I would've had a MUCH worse day and spent a lot more than a couple hours in the ER.
I also watched a guy with the same "I never wear a helmet" thought hit his head so hard on a 180 in a parking lot that he had a seizure and was hauled off in an ambulance. He slipped a pedal, which we have all done millions of times. Per the doctors a helmet would have prevented the ambulance ride, scans, seizure and likely even him being knocked out.
But do you.
I won't ride without one, because I have seen the benefits, and don't think that they are a bad thing.
Also parts of my previous statement were aimed at being funny, but also to point out to the "helmets are gay/stupid/whatever" crowd that no one truly cares what you do.
"Hey anybody ever make that mistake like right when you wake up in the morning and you believe in yourself?" -Kyle Kinane
"BIKES!" -Tom Segura