i sometimes go for shorter rides without a helmet. it's wonderful to feel the wind blowing through my hair (less wonderful in recent years as there is less of it to blow). i don't really give a #@$ if any on the list approve of the practice or not, or if they think i am somehow less intelligent than they are. i will continue to behave in a manner i regard as "safe."

on my daily commute to work i always wear a helmet because to ride without one is, to me, unsafe. likewise when i'm mountain biking. i don't really give a @#$% if there are those who think i'm a pansy for wearing a helmet at such times.

we all draw our own safety lines that we refuse to cross. the location of those lines are bound to vary. it's all good.

but i've said it before and i'll say it again: the shrill safety nazis among us really ought to try to get a life. likewise those who question the fact that helmets can protect you against injury.