Safety & the Law

I have had to do some biking since my return and I have come to appreciate our concept of safety vs laws. The seat belt and helmet laws are meant to ensure you are conscious of your safety but it appears that my countrymen are keener on keeping the laws and avoiding LASTMA trouble than their personal safety. In the movies bikers would usually put on the helmet, pass one to their passenger have them put it on and strap up before embarking on the journey. The biking scenario is far removed from such perfect world scenarios.

The bike man parks in front of you, you tell him where you want to go as you are climbing on. You ask the price, do a bit of haggle if necessary and then he is off. Two minutes after you have taken off he might recall that you are supposed to wear a helmet. Or somewhere along the journey his compatriot bikers either through repeated horning or gestures get him to know that his passenger has no helmet. In mid ride you are given a helmet to put on. The straps of the helmet seemed to be designed not to go under your chin and it is usually already strapped up. I don’t know if you are expected to figure out the straps while in motion but I have never tried because I found it doesn’t help the balance much.

Then the helmets are something else. I don’t have a big head but some hardly stay on. Lots of the helmet seems improvised. One I wore recently had packing foam in it, which made it want to slip off. So I had to ride practically holding the helmet like it was some wig I was afraid was going to be blown off. All my notions of the helmet as a protective device was put to rest when I saw one lying on the road smashed. I don’t know if a car ran over it but it certainly didn’t look like it could really protect. So the helmet thing seems to be more about keeping the law than protecting ones self. Same way the seat belt in some taxis are more for show, with the driver usually using his hand to hold down the buckling end because the buckle had long since gone with the fourth owner of the taxi.

One thing for certain is that the helmets weren’t designed with the hairstyles our women carry considered at all. I have seen helmets sit on some female head like the Gele with the helmet being more at risk of harm than the carrier. Others just hold the helmet on their lap because there is just no way it can sit on their head. Given that the total landmass up there was far in excess of the circumference of the helmet. I have since taken to walking unless absolutely necessary. At least on my feet I am totally responsible for my own safety and it’s the most cost effective way to kip fit.