[*BCM*] grim scenes saturday... any news?

[Alek Shapiro]

I agree that helmets ought to be optional. There's nothing better than an 
unhelmeted bike ride, wind rushing through the hair. It's your head; it's 
your life. Do with it as you wish.

That said, you're very lucky you haven't landed on your head after going 
over the handlebars. Stop short at a high speed, hit a pot hole, or 
whatever, and a date between the head and the ground is on the horizon. 
Doesn't matter who you're sharing the road with.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Turtle" <turtle at thewiseturtle.com>
To: "Boston Critical Mass" <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 02, 2009 3:35 PM
Subject: Re: [*BCM*] grim scenes saturday... any news?


> I've flown over my handlebars a number of times and never hit the top
> of my head at all.  It's not at all physically likely.  You usually
> land on your chin, hands, shoulders, and elbows when this happens.
> Plus, I really, really hope no one is going 20 mph on a busy street
> that has objects that are likely to crash into you (or vice versa).  I
> only get up to those kinds of speeds if I'm on a big open road, with
> no traffic immediately in front of me.
>
> Of course racers, who regularly drive like crazy people,
> intentionally, have far more chances of doing something dangerous
> enough to really warrant wearing a helmet (and they keep their heads
> down a lot, too).  Though wearing a helmet didn't do racer Nichole
> Reinheart any good when she took a corner on a treelined street in
> Arlington way too fast and slammed head first into a tree.
>
> Again, it's a fine idea if you want to wear one, but don't exaggerate
> the reality of the physics of it all.  If you drive your bike at a
> legal speed (reasonably safe for the conditions) and manner (following
> the laws, and respecting the right of way of other travellers) you
> most likely won't ever have any use for a helmet.
>
> Peace, Love, and Bicycles,
> Turil
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