I have been puzzled over the years at the remarks made by bikers who don't wear safety gear when I show up in my full dress ATGATT. And why does it seem to be such a big deal to them? I pondered this until it dawned on me it is because the very sight of me in my armor laden cordura and snell rated composite actually makes them uncomfortable, makes them face the inevitability they were otherwise able to suppress. Grown men succumb to what I can only describe as adolescent peer pressure strong enough to suspend self-preservation and it boggles my mind. They ride to look cool and it doesn't occur to them that I could care less how other people think I look. I ride because I love to ride and wear the gear mainly to minimize down time so I can hopefully get back in the saddle in less time after a get off. They usually start with some slightly snide query about how hot I must be.
Here are some of my more creative answers:
I'd rather sweat than bleed
sweat doesn't have to grow back
it's mesh, cooler than jeans - I'm standing here in my underwear
yes I'm hot - but you're not my type :whistling:
not near as hot as the pavement (they don't like that word)
Others rationalize by asking me if I'm on a cross country trip or something and that they are only a few miles from home,
to which I reply:
it's always a short trip to the pavement
So, what to you say when they point and snicker at you? :confused1:
After 55 years and 800,000 miles on two wheels, I wear gear less for crashing, which thankfully represents a vanishingly small percentage of my riding, and more for comfort and suitability for the weather. That I'm not preoccupied with suffering from hypothermia or terminal windburn and deafness frees up considerable attention to what's going on around me in order to avoid an accident rather than dealing with an aftermath. That it does not pander to someone else's opinions of what constitutes a proper biker's attire is irrelevant.
Besides, I stopped being affected by what others think a looooong time ago, and considering the fact that I have no chance of changing their so called minds regardless of what I say, just as they have exactly zero effect on what I do, the best thing to say is nothing. I do not have to defend my decisions to anyone but myself, so what's the point? They are the ones who are slaves to other's opinions and stereotypes, not me.
The best thing to do? Just walk away.
Rob
PS: A response to "I hope you crash!" just came to me. How about "And I pray you don't!".
Gear is cheaper than a hospital stay and far, far, far, far more comfortable than hospital wound debridement of road rash.
Old style debridement: Sterilized stainless steel brushes dipped in antiseptic are used to clean the wounds.
New style debridement: They dump you in a whirlpool full of something that may as well be old-style rubbing alcohol. Yes, with exposed wounds.
Both take place in soundproofed rooms for a reason and neither is particularly fun for any participant in the activity. I have no interest in partaking of either, given a choice.
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