Cycling in Brisbane Australia
Accidentally Lidless Again!
I was trying to do a myriad of things on the way out of the house this morning - get the bike out, check the tyres and brakes, put the world’s fiercest parrot out, feed the world’s fiercest parrot, pack the pannier, rush, rush some more, run out of time, go, go, go ...
So I take the bike down to the road - I live on a hill above the road you see - and off I ride. I’ve got jeans and a shirt on (my now standard winter haute couture when commuting), but no need for gloving up as it’s a bit warmer today. Anyway, down the road, 'alley-cat' around the traffic at the local shopping centre, under the bridge and onto the bike path and it just felt good today. About a third of the way into the city, enjoying a fabulous day and thinking “this is nice, big blue sky, only me on the path out of the traffic and rolling beside the creek, light breeze, not enough to make pedalling an effort, but keeping me cool and feels really good flowing over my head” .... hey, that’s not right ... I’m not supposed to feel the breeze on my partially bald head - no helmet! For the second time in the last few years I am accidentally lidless.
I’m fairly neutral about the whole mandatory helmet issue, but I have a few sacred rules of thumb regarding cycling - one being I obey the rules when I am on heavily trafficked roads, so back home I head to get a lid for my half bald head. And when I got home, I find I am now sniffing and spluttering - maybe now I have the flu that’s going around at work :(
I have a theory that posts with pictures are more interesting, so here’s a one I took of the new ‘rat-runner-foiling-traffic-calming’ roundabout near a place where I get off the bike path for a while. It slows them down enough for me to get onto the road - that’s about all though, as the number of rats and their determination to run has not decreased one iota. In fact, if you look closely, you can see a trio of rats running towards the roundabout in the picture.
Comment
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Comment by Travis Franklin on July 6, 2012 at 5:54pm -
I’ve done it a couple of times. I’m actually pro-helmet but anti MHL. Anyway’s I leave for work at 4am(ish) and not being a morning person I’d get a fair distance towards work and think Damn my head is cold. Once I realise I haven’t got my lucky tailsman in the form of helmet I get a little panicky thinking that there’s been a call placed to the Police about my crime spree. That’s fair dinkum, well, the bit about being worried about getting caught by the Cops.
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Comment by Doc Embrey on July 6, 2012 at 1:24pm -
Yes, I've seen that happen right in front of me on the road too.
I reckon since your mate wasn't endangering anyone else, the correct response would be "What business is it of yours what I wear on my head?"
The correct answer to that is of course "Absolutely none of anyone else's business", unless it happens to be your job to police the law.
Though, I think if someone said it "to" me my response would be somewhat more expansive and of language more florid :)
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Comment by Gary MacDonald on July 6, 2012 at 12:08pm
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I actually have a mate who was very pro-MHL's and did the same as you. His wife got him a bandana for the colder mornings and he accidentally took off without his helmet but didn't notice because of the bandana.
While he was stopped at a set of lights minding his own business some MAMIL pulled up along side him and started yelling abuse about where's your F...ing helmet etc. My mate was so shocked by the treatment he received that he has completely changed his stance and is now anti-MHL's.
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Comment by Geoff Tewierik on July 6, 2012 at 10:10am -
i've only managed to do the no helmet thing once. Guilt ensued. Stupid Catholic upbringing.
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