[Closed] Helmets must be removed.

In over 30 years of riding motorbikes I've only once been refused fuel unless I remove my lid. At the nearest petrol station to my house, and in the last year.

I lobbed the filler to the ground like a petulant teenager and rode off, never to return. I faced endless predujice* in the 80's for the heinous crime of choosing to ride a motorcycle, and to say it p*sses me off is an understatement.

* I realise I have made the choice to ride a bike, and therefore it on no way compares to prejudice against skin colour, sex, accent etc, but it's mindless prejudice nonetheless and hence unacceptable.

Why are helmets banned and not hoodies?
Why do you think?

Because there's more chance of motorcyclists being reasonable people who will conform to the request where as they think a hoodie wearer with be a violent yoof and they fear conflict?

(-:

Unless they're armed robbers, of course.

Why are you dodging the question?

I dealt with it 20-something minutes ago. Why would you rather argue with me than think about it, and answer it, yourself? What's up? Short on confidence?

Just wear a turban, Cougar. Legal on a bike and no-one will ever ask you to take it off. They might ask for papers showing your religious belonging though.

Edit to add: 💡

I dealt with it 20-something minutes ago.

Well, I replied to your post from 20 minutes ago and asked for clarification on a couple of your points. You ignored that and chose to go all ad hominem instead, so I thought you had something else.

Just wear a turban, Cougar.

(-: That's a great idea. Can I carry one of those big swords as well?

I'm concerned that some on here are suggesting that because someone makes a choice, it's okay to treat them differently because of that choice but it's wrong to do the same if someone can't choose sexual orientation or skin colour.

So, I choose to ride a bike. Are we suggesting that it's okay for other road users to discriminate against me because I choose to ride a bike. Does riding a bike need to be a compulsion I have no control of before I get any respect on the road?

Not exactly the same as what's being discussed here, but not a million mile away either.

Just wear a turban, Cougar

How are you expected to fit a helmet over a turban? 😈

IanMunro,

You're being flippant. Have I really got to explain this?

An individual wearing a CH who enters a Tesco automatically & immediately invites attention. This is not what the majority of armed robbers want - funny enough. This would not be the case if they didn't have this policy & multiple persons were wandering around wearing them.

We're an hour into he "religious" thread, for that's really what it's turned into..

Same arguments really, nothing new uncovered (cough) and yet there are many folks that quite legitimately walk into Tesco's not wearing a helmet, far more than walk in wearing one.

Suggest if you are really, really that bothered about it perrrraps you shop in there without a lid on so's not to single yourself out for ridicule/correction or none admittance.

That'll solve it.

Shirley wearing a bike lid in said store is singling yourself out as some lefty sandal knitting, warp your own jumpers, lentil scoffing teacher..

Phah

😛

Am I being "unreasonable" in wondering why is it acceptable to ban helmets but not hoodies?

Are you lot wearing your hoodies wrong ?

If you wear them correctly they don't cover your face.

They cover the back of your head and your ears

(The zip should be at the front, if it's at the back and you can't see anything, you've got it on wrong)

An individual wearing a CH who enters a Tesco automatically & immediately invites attention.

And why is this acceptable? What if I had a leather jacket, or a beard and a rucksack?

Anyway, the message is clear. Want to stage an armed robbery at Tesco's, wear a scarf and a hoodie.

We're an hour into he "religious" thread, for that's really what it's turned into..

Except, it really hasn't. I quickly realised that mentioning religious trappings was a mistake and have been trying to steer it back on track ever since.

If you wear them correctly they don't cover your face.

But they could do, if you so choose, easily as much if not more than a flip-front lid with the front open.

Suggest if you are really, really that bothered about it

I'm not really bothered about it, as I said earlier. I just thought it'd make for an interesting discussion. Seems from the comments that a couple of people are really bothered that I even mentioned it though, which I don't really get.

That said, it would be an inconvenience to try to juggle a shopping basket, a scan-as-you-shop gun, groceries [i]and[/i] a helmet though. You'd need three hands.

A helmet wearer earlier.

But they could do, if you so choose, easily as much if not more than [b]a flip-front lid with the front open[/b]

That's just staff applying the rules wrong I would imagine.

Well, I replied to your post from 20 minutes ago and asked for clarification on a couple of your points. You ignored that and chose to go all ad hominem [sic] instead, so I thought you had something else.

I said that I believed you to be being willfully ignorant. I asserted that, if you actually thought about it, you'd be able to understand why shops might want to stop people coming onto their premises wearing a motorcycle helmet. I do not believe for one minute that you can not see their perspective - so quit making dim-witted comparisons with hooded tops, religious headgear and whatever else and just deal with the actual question of why shops might want this rule. I get it; I don't need to go over it all again. If I was going into a shop, I'd automatically take my helmet off - not just because it might make staff uncomfortable, but because there's bugger all point in keeping it on.

Just wear your burqa over your helmet.

That said, it would be an inconvenience to try to juggle a shopping basket, a scan-as-you-shop gun, groceries and a helmet though. You'd need three hands.

Or use a trolley.

I said that I believed you to be being willfully ignorant.

So to recap,

I suggested that helmets may be banned banned because of CCTV.

You've suggested that it's because it's statistically popular with armed robberies (though you've failed to back up with any sort of evidence for this assertion), because it can be used as a weapon (and is obviously much safer when being swung around at arm's length), and because of staff prejudice.

I've questioned most of this because of reasons as just mentioned, and explained in passing why it's an inconvenience (as have others). Then you've followed up saying there's no reason not to. Um.

I don't have the stats (though this is apparently unimportant for arguing on the Internet so let's roll with it), but I'd be massively surprised if incidences of crime in supermarkets were higher for people in helmets than hoodies. Both could be used by people who wish to conceal their identity. This to me seems far more likely a reason to want to wear helmet than all this jazz about weaponry.

You know what, maybe I should just ask Tesco why their policy is the way it is.

<mod>
You've also failed to make a post on this thread that hasn't also included some sort of slight against me implying that I'm stupid. I've let it slide so far, but don't do it again.
</mod>

I wear hoodies and I'm neither violent nor a yoof!

Why did TJ get banned for constant tiresome arguing, but Cougar gets made a prefect?

Several times I've been asked to remove my hat when entering certain establishments

[tamps down tobacco]

Back in my day, a gentlemen didn't need to be told that it's rude to wear a hat indoors.

[lights pipe]

And there was a time when this would have morphed into a nice 15 page argument about helmets and rotational injuries. But no, it's all religion round here these days. [sighs]

Why did TJ get banned for constant tiresome arguing, but Cougar gets made a prefect?

Good point actually. Maybe I should ban myself for a couple of days.

Or invite TJ back, I don't mind which 🙂

Removing a motorbike helmet is a minor inconvenience, rather than against deeply held beliefs.

This just means that if I ever decided to rob a bank, I'd put fake tits on and a burqa. Hence the exercise is rather futile and also rather offensive if we want to live in a secular and equal society.

As usual I rather suspect (though am prepared to be wrong) that those strongly protesting that removing ones helmet is a totally acceptable request in all circumstances are those who will not have to modify their behavior because they either don't ride or don't ride for a living/commute

As any biker knows, sometimes removing a helmet is a massive PITA and sometimes its no bother at all. Its nice to have the choice though. Any trawl through bike forums will bring up a thread on this with all the various reasons for and against.

Pretty much the only thing that irritates me on this forum is people getting all shouty about things that other people have to do and not them - whatever the reason behind it.

I for one don't use a garage if it asks me to remove my helmet because you don't need to in a garage and would always take it off in a supermarket for comfort reasons and because I know that the staff will have kittens, are not responsible for the policy but are for its enforcement and couldn't generally quantify risk if it bit them on the arse. However I've been in plenty of smaller shops for a quick chocolate bar etc and would walk out if asked to remove it.

Pretty much the only thing that irritates me on this forum is people getting all shouty about things that other people have to do and not them

To be fair, I think three_fish mentioned his own helmet at some point.

So to speak.

Personally I'd rather take it off rather than walk round a supermarket looking a low rent stig.

What if ride a DH bike to the shops and wear a FF helmet.......

Or

What if i'm going all Enduro to Tescos and wear goggles with my bike helmet do I have to take them off as well?!?!

There is nothing low rent about my helmet baby!

[img] [/img]

Back in my day, a gentlemen didn't need to be told that it's rude to wear a hat indoors.

Who's to say that someone wearing a motorbike helmet is not wearing it for a deeply held belief? What if you were a female motorcycle riding Muslim who would normally cover their face when not riding their bike and still wants their face to remain covered? People can choose what they decide to believe and the fact it might be a recognised religion doesn't and shouldn't justify it any more than any other non-religious belief.

We can go round in circles with this argument, there is no real justification either way, the reality is someone somewhere is picking and choosing what sort of face covering is acceptable and what sort isn't. At the end of the day all that really matters is if it is for security reasons, is your face is visible or not, and therefore a consistent rule should apply. So either nobody covers their face or anybody can.

You know what, maybe I should just ask Tesco why their policy is the way it is.

Bingo!!

You've also failed to make a post on this thread that hasn't also included some sort of slight against me implying that I'm stupid. I've let it slide so far, but don't do it again.

If you want to be above criticism, measure your opinions accordingly, or just learn to deal with criticism. And don't go waving your mod stick at me just because I'm contrary to your view. It's not like I've been calling you a knob, I'm just refusing to go along with you and that's got your breeks in a knot. I've been perfectly polite with you...well, OK, maybe the 'bobbins' remark was a little pugnacious; but apart from that all I've done is called you out for being what I, and others, perceive as unreasonable. It's no slight on you at all to say that you have been willfully ignorant, because it's patently bloody obvious why shops might decide to not want helmet-clad people coming into their stores. Everyone knows that not everyone who wears a helmet is considered to be intent on burglary, but that's not what anyone besides you thinks Tesco (or anyone) is saying. They're mitigating risk and you know it. If you don't like it, shop somewhere else. Maybe ditch faceless behemoths like Tesco and support smaller local business, where you could get to know them personally and they won't care if you come in with your lid on because they'll recognise you some other way. It's not all that great a stretch of the imagination; is it?

If you want to be above criticism, measure your opinions accordingly, or just learn to deal with criticism. And don't go waving your mod stick at me just because I'm contrary to your view.

I don't want to be above criticism, I want you to stop calling me names. Is that such a tall order? You can be contrary all you like.

I want you to stop calling me names

Like what, exactly?

To be fair when I last held up a supermarket I wore my lid and used my bike to get away, so they may have a point.

Like what, exactly?

So far I've been ignorant, unreasonable, short on confidence, wilfully ignorant, dim-witted, and probably others, all in the space of three pages.

And for all your claim of me "waving my mod stick", the only reason I haven't given you a formal warning for your aggressive attitude yet is precisely because I'm the one on the receiving end and I didn't want to be accused of bias or hiding behind a badge. So, knock it off and keep it civil.

[s]

What's up? Short on confidence?

then the post after that you said

I believed you to be being willfully ignorant. I asserted that, if you actually thought about it, you'd be able to understand why shops might want to stop people coming onto their premises wearing a motorcycle helmet. I do not believe for one minute that you can not see their perspective - so quit making dim-witted comparisons with hooded tops, religious headgear and whatever else and just deal with the actual question of why shops might want this rule.

I got bored then and only did some of page 2 the bits after the one you said you were a bit "pugnacious"

HTH[/s]

Ah **** it

[img] [/img]

Can we all join in with a bit of Cougar-bashing? I've always thought he's a stupid knob too.

Cougar, you big stupid knob. 😮

Don't make me get the hammer (-:

It's the true feelings thread. It's like the STW version of that film, [i]The Purge[/i].

I've only skimmed the thread, but I can't help notice that nobody has pointed out that if you are going to rob a shop you are highly unlikely to abide by a no helmet rule... So what is the point. Honest law-abiding shoppers are going to take their helmets off. Robbers aren't.