Originally Posted by caloso

You mean like this?



As for the kid in the big picture, meh. It's fashion driven for most (emulating messengers, who have a functional need for squeezing through traffic), and it's probably uncomfortable for long rides since you've only got one hand position, but it doesn't seem particularly unsafe to me, especially if you've got a brake lever right there. You mostly steer a bike with your butt, rather than your hands.