"Excuse me . . . . "
10-02-07, 04:46 PM
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"Excuse me . . . . "
I was standing in the line at the grocery store, helmeted and gloved, purchasing a couple of bags of groceries.
I hear "Excuse me" somewhere near my feet.
I look down and there is this young boy, about 30 inches high - maybe 3 years old??
Once again, he says, "Excuse me."
I say, "You are excused."
He says "Excuse me" again, and then he says, nice and clearly and loudly, "We are not supposed to wear our helmets in the store."
Then mom speaks up, "Oh, I think he (meaning me) is just coming in and out of the store."
Which implied to me that this IS a rule of mom's that the kid is enforcing.
Taken totally off guard, I say something stupid like, "Oh, really!"
I laughed all the way home as did my wife when I got home.
I hear "Excuse me" somewhere near my feet.
I look down and there is this young boy, about 30 inches high - maybe 3 years old??
Once again, he says, "Excuse me."
I say, "You are excused."
He says "Excuse me" again, and then he says, nice and clearly and loudly, "We are not supposed to wear our helmets in the store."
Then mom speaks up, "Oh, I think he (meaning me) is just coming in and out of the store."
Which implied to me that this IS a rule of mom's that the kid is enforcing.
Taken totally off guard, I say something stupid like, "Oh, really!"
I laughed all the way home as did my wife when I got home.
Last edited by DnvrFox; 10-02-07 at 04:56 PM.
10-02-07, 05:19 PM
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Wearing a bicycle helmet inside the grocery store? That's almost as bad a faux pas as riding a white bike after Labor Day. Tsk, tsk.
10-02-07, 05:20 PM
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i think it would have done a lot for the young man had you actually taken your helmet off and said something like "i'm sorry, i forgot." after all, we are all (like it or not) ambassadors of our sport.
be,
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jim
be,
and be well,
jim
10-02-07, 05:33 PM
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10-02-07, 05:36 PM
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Wearing a helmet in a store strikes me as being, well.......
10-02-07, 05:40 PM
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10-02-07, 05:58 PM
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Well OK, in the kid's defense: when we were growing up, from what I remember, it was considered rude to wear your hats indoors, especially during a meal, unless you were Jewish. Now everybody wears their caps all the time and some look they don't even take them off when they sleep or shower. So the mom was probably doing her best to try to instill manners in her kid.
However, she then needed to tell her kid that it is rude to go judging everyone else on their manners, especially over something that is pretty arbitrary.
I cite as a controlling legal authority Lyle Lovett's "Don't touch my hat".
However, she then needed to tell her kid that it is rude to go judging everyone else on their manners, especially over something that is pretty arbitrary.
I cite as a controlling legal authority Lyle Lovett's "Don't touch my hat".
10-02-07, 06:02 PM
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That's no helmet, that's a mushroom.
10-02-07, 06:39 PM
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Best story of the week. Oh and BTW, next time, DO take the helmet off, he's right you know....
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10-02-07, 06:52 PM
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I couldn't wear hat or helmet at table to eat per my Pop, but son in law does. I could wear my football helmet to bed, which at that time was made of cardboard, the helmet, not the bed. There was no such thing as a bike helmet. I really only needed one during a icy winter day when feet when out from under me while walking, and I landed on back of head. And that explains everything.
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10-02-07, 07:09 PM
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I bet you wear it so often you forgot. I know when I went down a few months back, I wore mine to bed.
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10-02-07, 07:16 PM
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10-02-07, 07:19 PM
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Or you could have said, "Kid, you're ugly too, but I can always take my helmet off". Or something.
10-02-07, 07:40 PM
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I see your point, Denver, but I automatically remove my helmet or any other head covering when entering any building, including a grocery store or even my local Home Depot, where head protection might arguably make sense. 
My younger son frequently wears a cap indoors, but that is something I was raised not to do.
Having said that, I suppose my response to the kid would have been that it is better to wear a helmet indoors than to neglect to wear one while riding.
My younger son frequently wears a cap indoors, but that is something I was raised not to do. Having said that, I suppose my response to the kid would have been that it is better to wear a helmet indoors than to neglect to wear one while riding.
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Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
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10-02-07, 08:20 PM
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Big Paulie, for some reason I can't stop laughing at your post.
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10-02-07, 08:57 PM
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This is the kind of crap that makes many, many little kids hate ALL cyclists. Even those of us that go into the store responsibly. Remind me to ignore anything you post.
10-02-07, 08:57 PM
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I saw your post before you deleted it, and I was laughing, also.
By the way, please ignore all of my posts.
10-02-07, 09:23 PM
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10-02-07, 09:37 PM
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I never, ever remove my helmet. I'd hate to get struck dead by a meteor, especially considering all the money I owe.
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10-02-07, 09:42 PM
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10-03-07, 05:42 AM
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This was rule I grew up with as well, it is not polite to leave a hat on when indoors. I am not sure if this is a rule in the military? I know you need to have your cover on when outdoors or you are out of uniform. Many religious groups require head covering at all times. Funny how these things become ingrained.
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10-03-07, 07:58 AM
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Do you suppose we should widen the range to 30+ to avoid that?
10-03-07, 08:06 AM
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Well, I didn't want to leave it outside to get stolen. I just needed a few items, and if I needed to use both hands I couldn't, as one would be holding the helmet, ergo, I left it on. I don't consider that much of a faux pas in a huge grocery store. A restaurant or home would be a bit different, IMHO. Also, I think there are some regional differences in expectations on such issues. This is a very relaxed community, and lots of folks wear helmets in grocery stores.
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