Josh, they don't look stupid, they look smart. You have never been someone that I have known to care what others think. You have been an individual and a standout the whole time I have known you bud.
Let me share a story about one of my brothers childhood friends. He moved out to San Diego with another of my brothers childhood friends after College and they roomed together...their names were John and Steve to make the story simpler to understand. One night, they thought it would be fun to get on their "longboard" skateboards (the ones that feel kinda like surfboards when you ride them) and be pulled by their dog by holding onto its leash while it ran ahead. Sounds kinda harmless and even fun, right? Well, neither were wearing helmets and when John took his turn with the dog and disappeared around the corner, Steve rode up behind John and the dog who had momentarily disappeared from his view to find the dog sitting on the side of the road next to John who was all sprawled out over the sidewalk and grass. John was a big prankster growing up, a real wiseass too. But you couldn't help but like him, he was a great kid. So when Steve caught up, he naturally thought John was just screwing around so he told him to cut it out, they both had to get home because they had to work the following morning. After a couple of these remarks, Steve realized that something really was wrong. Turns out that John somehow fell and hit his head and was in a coma. The plug was pulled a week later as he was brain dead anyway and was just being kept alive by machines. Needless to say, my Brother was crushed!!! The doctors said that if he had been wearing a helmet, chances were that he would have just hit his head, gotten back up at the worst dazed a little and continued on his way home that night and to work the next day as usual. Sad story, but reality. My brother honored his name (John Taylor) by naming his dog "Taylor". Josh, I already have a dog named Georgie, I don't need another "Taylor" in the family... :wink:
I don't care if I look like Carrot Top on a bad hair day, I'm wearing a helmet and I refuse to allow Amber to learn until she has hers...she already has a Shred Ready Shaggy on order, the second piece of equipment she has bought only to her seat harness!
I am convinced that helmets will soon be a required piece of equipment to ride anywhere. Just look at high impact sports like Football, Baseball, Hockey, etc. They all started with helmets being optional, that changed over the 'evolution' of those sports...
All I'm saying is helmets are not uncool unless they are sitting in your attic in a box somewhere not being used...
PS - Kev, if your hair gets in your line of view while in your helmet, it'll get in it while you aren't wearing one just as much, maybe more because you won't have any of it pinned down by the helmet. And if you say it is safer to ride without one, I bet I could find you a BUNCH of the most qualified and established doctors, scientists, and safety experts that would beg to differ... :wink:
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