does that feel better?
If it matters, which it doesn’t, maybe this lengthy debate is all because we care?
Surely this is a simple outlet for the general consensus of opinion, and the natural instinct to preserve some sense of protection from the unforeseen imbalance or momentary misjudgment.
Its the same on a motorbike, surely. I always become concerned and annoyed when I see someone riding a 1000cc sports bike in flipflops!
I know they have the right to make that choice, and they may never fall off, and I hope they don’t. But the more that do, will eventually have a cumulative effect upon the rest of us.
It’s already happening. How many new trail sites are disappearing due to liabilities becoming prime cause to refuse entry to private land. With the potential for vast areas of forests becoming privately owned, this should occupy our thoughts more often. When has a single action not been a trigger for a further event? Everything is interconnected.
If you ride in protective clothing in the inherently random environment we all seemingly enjoy, sending out (apparently unsubstantiated) safety concious visual messages tells all the other users of the land that you take your own, and potentially their safety seriously.