We have a great fixed gear culture here and lots of riders... you don't see too many off the shelf bikes but rather, a great number of nicely done conversions.
I'm the old guy at the shop who helps many of these kids with their nice conversions and I insist that they run a brake and seem to have garnered a good deal of respect as I too ride fixed and can still drop most of these guys.
I tell them that my brakes make me go faster.
It's nice to ride around the city and see happy folks riding fixed gear and ss bikes.. a high percentage wear helmets and just about everyone uses lights.
I guess in some places it's hip to be square.