Life’s Tough. Get a Helmet!

One of my favorite curmudgeonly expressions is “Life’s Tough. Get a Helmet.”  When I first thought about this blog I wanted that for my title. Alas, it was taken (because life is tough), so I went with “You Need a Helmet.”

But do you really need a helmet?  In Maine you don’t need a helmet to operate a motorcycle if you are over 17. Unless the park or facility in which you’re riding requires one, you don’t need a helmet to skateboard.  However, since 1999 Maine has had this law on the books in Title 29 -

§2323. Bicycle helmet use; passenger seat use

1. Use of helmet.  A person under 16 years of age who is an operator or a passenger on a bicycle on a public roadway or a public bikeway shall wear a helmet of good fit, positioned properly and fastened securely upon the head by helmet straps.

2. Passenger seat.  A bicycle passenger must be seated properly in a bicycle passenger seat.

I can’t help but think back to an earlier time before seat belts and air bags when we kids got to ride in the open back of a pick-up truck so long as we didn’t stand up or make too much noise. My Dad taught me how to ride a bike without training wheels on a rutted, dirt road. There were no helmets. All I had for protection was his hand on the back of that seat. By the time I’d finished yelling, “Don’t let go, Daddy”, I was pedaling solo down the road with the wind in my hair, the sun on my face, and an exhilarating feeling of accomplishment. It was a great day!

Here’s a picture showing what would be three bike law violations today.

• No helmet for operator


• No helmet for passenger


• No passenger seat

Didn’t we have fun? Well, my baby sister looks a bit nervous, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Wouldn’t you, Sis?