Do as I say, not as I did at your age
I was almost home this afternoon when I saw a couple of other cyclists ahead of me on a fairly busy street.
The bike riders were girls who might be sixth graders.
Both had helmets, but they were not wearing them. The helmets dangled from their handlebars as they approached an even busier street.
Even though I realized I had approximately zero chance of influencing their behavior, I started rehearsing what I might say to them if we ended up side-by-side.
That didn't happen. Still, I wonder what might have been the best thing to say.
A) "Girls, those helmets won't do you much good if you aren't wearing them." B) "Boys won't be able to admire your pretty hair if you're dead." C) "Maybe you could use your helmets as planters." D) "You two certainly are quite the rebels." E) "I recognize that some people are down on bike helmets because they think it makes cycling seem more dangerous than it is. But those people already have head-related problems." F) Say nothing and let the fact that I'm wearing a helmet speak for itself. G) Other.
