Sexist bike helmet laws mean too many bad hair days, says cyclist Sue Abbott - Polidicks

if anything bike seats are sexist those things are ballbusters

You can either have safety or your overly fussed over rat nest. Short hair looks better anyway. Feels better too.

[QUOTE=Chopstick;44938941]Helmets don't help that much, you're much more prone to injuring your legs or hands when cycling I'd say. Still doesn't mean helmets are completely useless though, [b]protects twigs and bugs from getting stuck in your hair which is a bonus I guess.[/b][/QUOTE] Yeah, and you know, that pesky ol' friend called head trauma. But that's no biggie compared to bugs and twigs, right?

[QUOTE=gudman;44942049]That's not the point. Thing is, police promised not to fine them. Because fuck you, for no reason but because stupid people are "protesting". What kind of a protest is it if you're suddenly exempt from the very thing you're protesting against anyway?[/QUOTE] Protests don't just arbitrarily happen, you have to inform the authorities of it well ahead of time and I assume do paperwork. It isn't just a 'oh these people are calling it a protest, so nevermind no laws today.' The kind that sends the statement that the law isn't necessary? Admittedly it falls apart for higher level issues, - you couldn't use the same method to protest murder laws - but if a hundred or so cyclists show up with no helmets on and show that they can ride safely without helmets, their statement against the law gets sent.

[QUOTE=Purple Robot;44942114]if anything bike seats are sexist those things are ballbusters[/QUOTE] I actually replaced the banana seat on my bike because riding long distances was terrible.

Surely she's being more sexist by continuing the concept that a woman's appearance is more important than her own bloody safety?

[QUOTE=Lijitsu;44942148]Protests don't just arbitrarily happen, you have to inform the authorities of it well ahead of time and I assume do paperwork. It isn't just a 'oh these people are calling it a protest, so nevermind no laws today.' The kind that sends the statement that the law isn't necessary? Admittedly it falls apart for higher level issues, - you couldn't use the same method to protest murder laws - but if a hundred or so cyclists show up with no helmets on and show that they can ride safely without helmets, their statement against the law gets sent.[/QUOTE] I wouldn't say that a hundred or so cyclists showing up and managing to not die during their protest (which would be completely cleared of stuff that could hurt them, obviously, by city powers) sends any message to be honest, but that's, again, beside the point. The laws should not be arbitrarily lifted for some chosen individuals because "oh those people are protesting, let them". The notion of someone being exempt from consequences of breaking the law, no matter how miniscule and stupid that might be, for absolutely no reason what so ever, is disgusting. If wearing helmet is mandatory while riding a bicycle, then police has to make sure everyone who fails to do that is fined appropriately, regardless of circumstances. That's kinda their job.

[QUOTE=woolio1;44938693]That's actually a really neat thing... I mean, it looks ridiculous when deployed, but it seems really practical for the people who can't lug a helmet around everywhere, especially on college campuses. Doesn't look bad when it's not deployed either, and it seems like it'd fit pretty well in a backpack. How much are these things again? EDIT: Oh. Expensive. Well, nuts to that, then. I'll just stick to my old matte black whatever.[/QUOTE] Plus, once it's deployed you have to buy another one.

[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;44939169]If you try to blame somebody else after you stave your head in on the concrete without wearing a helmet later, you're going to look like the biggest fool in the world as well, assuming you survive the crash at all. The medical system has enough problems to deal with without pinheads making more trouble for it by not adhering to safety norms. I should know, coming from a country where people largely don't give a fuck for sensible rules.[/QUOTE] Who said anything about blaming other people? My point is that peoples actions or inactions should be up to themselves as long as it doesn't affect others. I agree with your point, but its hardly relevant to mine.

[QUOTE=3picFail;44947140]Who said anything about blaming other people? My point is that peoples actions or inactions should be up to themselves as long as it doesn't affect others. I agree with your point, but its hardly relevant to mine.[/QUOTE] The psychological trauma the driver in a car would receive knowing that they were in a collision with a cyclist that ended up splattering their entire head across a roadway sort of covers that "doesn't effect others" thing pretty well then? Oh wait.

[QUOTE=Funktastic Dog;44946210]Plus, once it's deployed you have to buy another one.[/QUOTE] To be entirely fair, you should be doing the same thing with helmets. Most bicycle helmets are built to crumple, and should always be replaced after a crash.

[QUOTE=V12US;44939235]How is the infrastructure, though? I once went on vacation in Italy, and they had no or very shitty biking lanes everywhere. People were riding bikes over parking space and would regularly swerve into car lanes to avoid parked cars. It was dangerous as fuck and I could understand why they'd make helmets mandatory.[/QUOTE] Historically it's never really been considered, but in the last decade or so there's been a focus on it. I live near a highway, and in the last 10 years it's gone from absolutely nothing to having dedicated fenced off bikeways on either side. Then you've got "low density" in built up areas roads that have specialised bike lanes, and then in suburban areas you have pathways for bikes that connect roads and such through parks.

I live in the second largest city in Denmark, and it's mostly populated by students and other young people who can't afford cars in general. Everybody rides a bike because of the short distance to the university, but so few people here actually wear helmets. My guess would be that only about 10-20% of cyclists wear a helmet on a daily basis. I know what blunt force trauma to the head can do to a person, so I started wearing a helmet half a year or so after I moved here. I honestly don't know why people simply doesn't bother with helmets, as a lot of people should know better. I even know a guy that studies medicine, and he doesn't even wear a helmet even though he has almost killed himself twice in the past, and have both suffered from a broken neck and a broken back from a skiing accident.

'round my part, pretty much everyone wears a helmet. I wear a helmet too. What do I do about muh hairstyles? I fuckin' bring my hairjizz along with me and make sure to be wherever I'm s'posed to be two minutes early, then use the bathroom there to fix the hair up. Bam, problem solved.

[QUOTE=Chopstick;44938941]Helmets don't help that much, you're much more prone to injuring your legs or hands when cycling I'd say. Still doesn't mean helmets are completely useless though, protects twigs and bugs from getting stuck in your hair which is a bonus I guess.[/QUOTE] You can lose a limb and still live a mostly normal life, but one good whack on the head from someone who doesn't give a fuck about speed limits and you're very easily dead or drinking out of a tube or a sippy cup for the rest of your life.[QUOTE=3picFail;44947140]Who said anything about blaming other people? My point is that peoples actions or inactions should be up to themselves as long as it doesn't affect others. I agree with your point, but its hardly relevant to mine.[/QUOTE] Someone with their head busted open in the middle of the road affects everyone in line of sight (crashes can be fucking [i]gruesome [/i], it's hard to believe how much blood that can come out of someone), it affects the ambulance crews, the clean up crews, the police and everyone who gets held up while they deal with crash and clean up. It doesn't affect others about same amount as jumping in front of a passenger train doesn't.

Lugging a helmet around isn't that bad at all, they arent particularly heavy or cumbersome. And if you're a woman you could hang it from the belt of your purse. It's worth the very mild inconvinience because one day it might just save you from brain damage, or even save your life. I am not so concerned about hairstyle though because my hair is very short.

[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;44949036]Lugging a helmet around isn't that bad at all, they arent particularly heavy or cumbersome. And if you're a woman you could hang it from the belt of your purse. It's worth the very mild inconvinience because one day it might just save you from brain damage, or even save your life. I am not so concerned about hairstyle though because my hair is very short.[/QUOTE] And if you really do care about your hair, and you don't want to wear a helmet, get one of those airbag collars on up the page. You've probably got more money than sense anyway.

[QUOTE=woolio1;44949119]And if you really do care about your hair, and you don't want to wear a helmet, get one of those airbag collars on up the page. You've probably got more money than sense anyway.[/QUOTE] Problem with those airbag helmets is that they can fail to deploy, I dunno exactly how they work, but a real helmet you dont have to worry about it not deploying or not since it's always there.

Not wearing a helmet because of your hair is like saying youve deactivated your airbag because it would ruin your makeup... Absolutely ridiculous, Although I still maintain that the majority of cyclists in cities without a proper cycling infrastructure, like London, get injured due to skipping red lights and generally not respecting road regulations. If your a cyclist you should behave as you would a motorcyclist and also be treated as such by other vehicles. Stay safe by being safe AND wearing a helmet.

[QUOTE=Comrade_Eko;44937280]I think the reason they're mandatory is because someone actually cares for the pants-on-head retarded people. Which isn't a bad thing.[/QUOTE] Caring for them, no. Forcing things on other people that'd do it anyway, yes. Not protecting yourself and yourself only? Time to pay a fine. Besides, people who [I]really[/I] don't want to wear this kind of stuff, in all likeliness, wont. In all honesty, I don't really care. None of this applies to me. I would never even ride a motorcycle just out of fear of falling over at high speeds, and I already wear a seatbelt because I mean shit why wouldn't you? It's there and takes less than five seconds to put on. I'm just annoyed by people being condescending about it. [QUOTE=matt000024;44937289]So people who hit them can feel terrible for the rest of their lives knowing they severely injured or killed another human being?[/QUOTE] Because wearing a helmet is going to protect you from a broken spine, yep.

Is she seriously trying to use feminism as essentially the sex/gender equivalent of a race card that gets pulled out because you don't like something?

[QUOTE=gk99;44952002]Caring for them, no. Forcing things on other people that'd do it anyway, yes. Not protecting yourself and yourself only? Time to pay a fine. Besides, people who [I]really[/I] don't want to wear this kind of stuff, in all likeliness, wont. Because wearing a helmet is going to protect you from a broken spine, yep.[/QUOTE] Well if it's between being seriously injured and being dead...

It's funny that bicycling helmets aren't mandatory in the Netherlands at all (the vast majority of people don't use them), and we have the largest amount of [url=http://top10hell.com/top-10-countries-with-most-bicycles-per-capita/]bicycles per capita in the world[/url] :v: It seems having a good bicycle infrastructure saves a lot more lives by preventing people from falling in the first place.

I was once talking to someone who said something to the effect of "if people want to be stupid and ride without a helmet, let them," except there are those people who will let their kids ride on back without one either.

[QUOTE=woolio1;44947337]To be entirely fair, you should be doing the same thing with helmets. Most bicycle helmets are built to crumple, and should always be replaced after a crash.[/QUOTE] Yeah, but it doesn't cost $400 dollars to replace them. They should give you like, a free replacement if you get in an accident.

How is it [b]not[/b] sexist to demand different rules for women?

[QUOTE=Funktastic Dog;44953153]Yeah, but it doesn't cost $400 dollars to replace them. They should give you like, a free replacement if you get in an accident.[/QUOTE] Or, get this. You can cut your fucking hair and take advantage of cheaper and more comfortable helmets that don't look like they were rejected from Jodorowsky's Dune.

[QUOTE=Grimhound;44954247]Or, get this. You can cut your fucking hair and take advantage of cheaper and more comfortable helmets that don't look like they were rejected from Jodorowsky's Dune.[/QUOTE] I'm just saying, it's bad business.

[QUOTE=Grimhound;44954247]Or, get this. You can cut your fucking hair and take advantage of cheaper and more comfortable helmets that don't look like they were rejected from Jodorowsky's Dune.[/QUOTE] No, no... If it were rejected from Jodorowsky's anything, it'd look like a penis.

[QUOTE=geel9;44953304]How is it [b]not[/b] sexist to demand different rules for women?[/QUOTE] More to the point guys with gelled hair encounter this same issue anyways This is a problem you encounter with everything in life if you have a high maintenance hairstyle, that"s why it"s a high maintenance hairstyle