The more popular bikes get in general, and fixies in particular, the more of this crap you'll see. Hell, I see enough idiots riding CCM mountain bikes brakeless down the sidewalk, though the sound from their deraileurs usually indicates that they've found a substitution.

I have to say though, that for whatever reason, this kind of stuff pisses me off all to hell. When I was out in Vancouver last summer it was all over - fixies are the new pink out here, and everywhere you look there's some clown who thinks track bars and a front brake only somehow make up for the lack of a back brake (and look uber-cool, yo). It's important that people like this do not recieve the social affirmation they seek, or they'll only multiply. I'm not against suicide hubs, but for god's sake, many cheap REAL track hubs are sketchy enough brakeless, what makes anyone think that thier particular collection of locktite, lockrings, screws, welds, epoxy and dumb luck are going to save their ass in a pinch? I've spent a lot of time on the roads and know full well...BRAKES WILL FAIL (have a backup) and cars will do something stupid (have a brake). Most importantly, it's important to realise that it will likely, eventually, all go wrong at once, because that's just the way that life works.

I just hope none of these idiots get fixies (or bikes in general) banned. My campus now devotes a significant chunk of its security force to policing people for minor cycling infractions (especially locking up in non-designated areas).