All week a series of meetings re the bike event at Town Hall on October 6 (“How New Yorkers Ride Bikes”). Meetings with guys from Transportation Alternatives, Flavorpill, The New Yorker (producers of the event) and conference calls with Dept of Transportation and Dept of Health and Yves Behar, a designer who we hope will create a new helmet. It’s coming together nicely, but whew.
In the discussion with the TA folks I realized that the helmet might be an interim thing. Although they might always be a good idea, the wearing of helmets implies that cycling is dangerous — which is often is in cities like NY and London. In other cities — Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Berlin and Reggio Emilio — the bike paths and lanes are secure, so the riders don’t fell the need to protect themselves. They tend to ride upright, erect and appear elegant, well dressed and sexy. When a car would no more violate a bike lane than drive up on the sidewalk, and where even pedestrians stay out of the bike lanes, then the danger aspect goes away. Maybe some thrills do too. But that might be the price to pay. Living in NY used to be a lot more dangerous in general, but that’s hardly something to get all nostalgic about. So, while we might need a cool stylish helmet for all to be available now, in a more perfect world it will be optional.
