Once upon a time, I used my helmet at 20 mph or so (younger and much faster then) to hop a car. I was running a generator light and drafting a helmetless, lightless racer on my way home from work in the dark. Mistake. As I strained, head down, I noticed there was a headlight next to my knee which seemed very odd. Ah yes, intersections. My touring bike hit the car at an angle and folded up like car in an old volvo ad, completely destroyed. I am told that my head struck windshield at joint with roof and I went flying over the car lengthwise. Driver was fine, so who knows. Whatever, the helmetless guy never got touched, so maybe he was smarter than me . Miraculously, I was not hurt toooo badly, although it was not good either. As a friend likes to say: "It didn't affect me, affect me, affect me."

So I always wear a helmet, figuring I would have died that night-or the car would have missed me . I wore it last week riding to the dentist. I locked my bike and helmet to a rail I found out of the way and went in. The hygienist saw my funny shoes and pants and we chatted. Suddenly she froze and in a accusatory tone said "Do you wear a helmet?" I sighed, rolled my eyes, and said 'Yes.' She relaxed a second and then froze, asking "Then WHERE IS IT?" Grr, outside, mom: "I locked it to my bike." Not sure she believed me.