traingang

I bike commute almost everyday, I'm tired of people in the office asking "where's my helmet" then followed by a snide comment that it is dangerous and I should protect my brain.

Here are my reasoning for not wearing helmet:

1. I need my noise-cancelling headphone. The loud sound of cars is giving me more brain damage.

2. I've been cycling since I was 4, and I've never got hit by a car. I know road rules and not an aggressive cyclist when commuting.

3. I wear helmet when cycling for exercise, mountain-biking, when I could be distracted by either maintaining my rpm or cycling on difficult terrain. I don't cycle that fast when commuting.

4. Helmet-checking is victim blaming. Cars are predominantly at fault in car-cyclist crash, it is almost always car who is not paying attention, texting, had eyes going elsewhere, dozing off, going off lanes. You cannot doze off when on a bike. Cyclist had everything to lose in a crash and tend to ride conservatively, regardless of what you believe. The only exception to this rule is gig economy delivery driver who are always in a rush, and it is always the fault of delivery company to impose such ridiculous time rule that endanger their workers.

5. The cycling lane is for everyone. Wearing helmet creates an image that cycling on shared public road as method of transportation is inherently dangerous, and as a result, especially in North America you only see young adults cycling to commute. People go into debt to maintain their car, just because they perceive cycling as inherently dangerous. Having only fit young adult cycle also gives an excuse for your local municipality for not upgrading the public cycling infrastructure and make it safer.

6. Finally, it's not your business. It is considered rude to tell people they shouldn't smoke, drink alcohol, eat meat, eat ultraprocessed food. Everyone knows they are bad for you, but people still do it. Driving cars kill the planet, it is bad for every living being, but people don't get scolded everyday for car-commuting. Sure, after everything I mentioned, it is still safer to wear helmet, but it is rude to scold me on my bad habit.