—Campus Connection, October 2006
Lee Berman, Man About Town:
Not wearing helmets is one way to thin out the gene pool—of Brown students.
Leo Dash, Dash Delivery:
From the look of the way this article is put together, it’s clearly someone saying something without thinking about it. That’s what a lot of these spot stories are like anyway. Besides, someone who rides a bike would have nothing negative to say about wearing a helmet. So, obviously whoever wrote it doesn’t ride a bike. And, uh, I didn’t even know this thing [Campus Connection] existed.
Dave Quinn, Campus Connection Editor:
Campus Connection is a spin off of Providence Monthly and East Side Monthly. Providence Monthly [in October] was a huge fashion issue and we wanted to do a fashion issue as well, but we wanted to take a different spin on it. Instead of telling people what to wear, we wanted to tell them what not to wear. So we talked about writing in the style of Vice Magazine—making it sarcastic and bitchy and making fun of the fact that we were even doing it in the first place. Whether people actually perceived that or got the point is really debatable.
The statement we were trying to make was “maybe we should, as a society, be a little more careful about what we say [in the media].” There are two ways to do that. One way is to write about how what is going on in media is really screwed up, and the other way to do it is to make a big joke out of it.
Chris Bull, Proprietrix, Circle-A-Cycles:
As a bike rider, what do you think is responsible for this misconception of a helmet as a fashion accessory when bike helmets are similar in safety precaution to that of a seat belt?
Well, let’s face it, you’ve got a big colorful thing on your head. It’s hard to disguise. although there are some pretty fabulous crazy handmade hats around Craftland and such with spikes and pompoms—maybe you could fit one over your helmet.
Admittedly it’s hard to strike a convincing pose of hip nonchalance if you’re doing ANYTHING your mom would condone—but hey, your mom loves you. I guess that’s sort of the point. Nothing is less cool than blunt head trauma, and if you’re a vegetable then it’s up to your friends and family to dole out your organs. Do you really want that?
Like so many things—like riding a bike for transportation, for example—wearing a helmet is a matter of habit. Once you get used to it, it’s not even an issue.
How large, in your estimation, is the biking population in Providence?
Hmm... just based on what I see, there are many score daily commuters, but hundreds of folks who ride regularly, and it seems like more every day.
Have you seen a “share the road” sign in Providence? On that note, would you like to?
I haven’t, except as bumper stickers on cars that are usually cutting me off... I guess yes. It would be helpful to remind motorists that we are supposed to be riding in the street, not on the sidewalk.
Jack Madden, The HUB – Center of Bike Culture
As a bike rider, what do you think is responsible for this misconception of a helmet as a fashion accessory when bike helmets are similar in safety precaution to that of a seat belt?
A helmet is somewhat similar to the seat belt, but on a bike you are so much more exposed, both in a fashion way and in a physical way. In a car you are much more anonymous but on a bike you are presenting yourself right out front.
If you don’t feel “cool” on your bike, you won’t feel comfortable. People in cars like to feel cool too—they spend a lot of money on their cars, they spend a lot of time cleaning them, or fixing them up; transportation can be seen as an accessory.
Also, if people don’t feel cool in a helmet, for whatever reason—the helmets might look too sporty when the rider doesn’t have a sporty style—then the helmet manufacturer isn’t suiting their customers’ needs. People come into the bike shop all the time looking for a helmet that doesn’t fit the typical profile—sometimes we can help them out and sometimes we can’t.
How large, in your estimation, is the biking population in Providence?
It is definitely growing, but it is difficult to quantify. If you compare it to five years ago it is ten times the size. The reason for that is more people are sticking around after they graduate from school and plus, more young people are migrating to Providence.
Have you seen a “share the road” sign in Providence? On that note, would you like to?
I haven’t seen any “share the road” signs in Providence. These signs are a very important and subtle way of educating people. A lot of drivers and cyclists don’t really understand what the rules are—a street sign would be something to point to. It would be the city institutionally supporting cyclists rather than doing so in “spirit.”
