I'm shocked that you actually saw kids outside. The helmet thing is part of a larger trend:

Kids today are pussies.

They wear bike helmets. They sit in the back seat of their suburban parents' SUVs. They would rather play on the internet then go play with toy guns. They play soccer. When they do play football, it's touch. They aren't allowed to wrestle. They watch 6 hours of TV a day, that's more than I do.

I watched a kid that was probably 10 start crying in Target the other day because he was forced to leave a toy aisle. It wasn't even a good toy aisle, mind you, it was the one with the lame educational toys. This kid needs his ass kicked, instead he probably got a Smoothie from the Juice Stop and a new XBox game.

They basically are allowed to sit around and become Pepsi and Playstation fueled automatons who never have to experience a shred of real life until they are done with college.

We've reached the point where kdis are basically in the womb for 22 years after their birth date. And they're spoiled, and lazy, and crybabies, and pussies, and exposed to as much real life as someone who just dropped 10 hits of acid at one time.

I blame parents for sheltering their kids too much. Obviously no one wants to see Junior with a busted skull, but at some point there is such as thing as "over-cautious".

The bike helmets are just a metaphor for a larger phenomenon.

I guess I could be wrong.
 

the highlight of that rant for me....using soccer as an opposite of football.

and maybe kids are becoming pussies. i have no frame of reference, i avoid them as much as possible.
 

Whatever happened to "rub a little dirt on it," as medication to a skinned knee? I was in the suburbs a couple of weeks ago and saw the most disturbing image I can recall in some time. In the backyard was fully enclosed trampoline with a sign on it reading: "Only one person on the trampoline at a time." What a crock. I can guarantee that most of you racked yourselves or fell off of my trampoline. Sad day.
 

Pete, well done. Kids are most certainly pussies. DP's classroom is full of kids that, after the bell, turn on their cell phone and iPod and jump into the back of their parents BMW SUV.

I will say that a lot of the kids try to get away with playing tackle football at recess, so that is encouraging.
 

Let me start by saying kids are pussies.

However, if wearing a helmet makes you a pussy than I am sorry to say that I am a pussy too. Since I move to Chicago my bike has become my predominant mode of travel. And after a few months I decided a helmet was probably in order. First of all, the traffic and cabbies are crazy so wearing a helmet provides me with some sense of safety. Secondly, I use the lake shore drive trail to get downtown, which was fine in the winter when I was the only one out there, but now everyone and their dog is out there, and people are stupid. I nearly broke an old woman's hip the other day when she decided to take a 90 degree turn right into me as I attempted to pass her.

All that said I think I have earned the right to wear a helmet with my years of mountain biking and skateboarding without helmets or pads.

Back to the point though, I agree, kids are pussies.
 

If you are doing some hardcore urban biking, I've got no problem with helmets. It is a jungle out there. I've seen Lake Shore Drive and I would wear a helmet as well.

But these little fuckers with elbow pads and shit on to ride circles around their cul-de-sac, they can go f themselves. That's just uncalled for. Go back inside and suck your mom's teat.

Also: I have no idea in a million years why I feel so strongly about this, but it really struck a nerve.
 

Napa, wearing a helmet still makes you a pussy, but so does wearing a seat belt. So, I'm ok with your use of them. Also, you have to think of the future. I mean, you have a really good beard and if you fell and scarred your face, it could do bad things to it.