Sucking the Fun out of Life
I'm reading one of my Woman's World magazines and come across this article "Do your kids bike? Read this!"
One of their tips was this:
Stash phones and iPods. Having a phone with you is smart, but keep it on vibrate so you won't be startled by its ring. And iPods can overpower the sound of a car's horn.
I don't know about you, but the sudden vibration in my pocket startles me much more than the ring of my phone. And there is such a thing as volume control.
Another tip they offered:
Insist on gloves! If you fall, bike gloves protect your hands from cuts and abrasions. They also absorb vibrations, giving you a better grip on the handlebars, so you stay steady on the road.
Sheesh. Why not recommend long sleeves and pants every time you ride a bike? I'm all for safety, but there comes a time when you have to look at the balance between risk and fun, and personally, I think insisting my kid wear a helmet is worth it. But making them wear gloves to prevent a scraped hands? Give me a break.
I don't believe in protecting against every bad thing in life. Prevention is all well and good, but so often these days I think people go overboard. Agree with me? Disagree?
One of their tips was this:
Stash phones and iPods. Having a phone with you is smart, but keep it on vibrate so you won't be startled by its ring. And iPods can overpower the sound of a car's horn.
I don't know about you, but the sudden vibration in my pocket startles me much more than the ring of my phone. And there is such a thing as volume control.
Another tip they offered:
Insist on gloves! If you fall, bike gloves protect your hands from cuts and abrasions. They also absorb vibrations, giving you a better grip on the handlebars, so you stay steady on the road.
Sheesh. Why not recommend long sleeves and pants every time you ride a bike? I'm all for safety, but there comes a time when you have to look at the balance between risk and fun, and personally, I think insisting my kid wear a helmet is worth it. But making them wear gloves to prevent a scraped hands? Give me a break.
I don't believe in protecting against every bad thing in life. Prevention is all well and good, but so often these days I think people go overboard. Agree with me? Disagree?
Labels: Rants
posted by Kate Willoughby at 8/07/2007
5 Comments:
Agree. It kinda makes you wonder how we survived growing up, what with riding bikes all over town wearing just swim trunks, drinking directly out of water hoses, throwing rocks at each other, riding in the back of station wagons with no seat belts - or seats, for that matter - climbing trees...
I could go on and on.
I know. It's a miracle we survived. I insist on bike helmets...but that is about it.
A friend has her boys wear knee and elbow pads...then last year her boy ran into a tree as they do, but he somehow twisted the handlebars and took one in the gut. Internal bleeding. Crazy stuff. I think all the extra protection makes kids feel indestructable.
Yeah, I remember drinking from the garden hose, too. My kids would die of thirst before doing that!
And Jenna, interesting idea, that kids feel indestructable. Actually, kids think they're invincible even without the protection, I think. :)
Actually, gloves are useful because they are padded and if you lean too heavily on your handlebars, you'll lean on a nerve. Gloves help prevent that nerve from being pinched and, thus, your fingers from going numb. (I don't wear mine nearly enough)
I DO try to remember my cell phone, not so I can answer it if it rings (sorry. Not going to try talking while pedaling at 15 mph) but just in case I fall off and need help.
Again, not what that author intended, but there ya go...
Oh, Susan, I semi-agree. My husband used to do very long rides on his road bike (the kind where the handle bars require you to lean way forward), and the gloves were a necessity, but kids generally don'd ride those types of bikes anymore. (At least not the kids in my neighborhood.)
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