Yeah, I was quiet til now.
If anyone searches Matt or Jimmy, etc, I'm sure you'll see pics from trail rides from the beginning of their wheeling lives without all the safety stuff. We all learn. I started in an old cab truck in the creeks with no belts.
Then a lap belt in the blacksheep with a skate helmet. Still not good enough. I built that cage to take a roll and it took plenty, but I still had a skate helmet on. Now I wheel in full harnesses but that came after lots of rolls and being around people that led by example and wore theirs. It wasn't people calling me stupid that made me do it. At the same time I don't feel that now that I'm up on my high horse wearing a helmet and harness that I need to look down and tell everyone that is currently where I used to be (harness and helmetless) that they are stupid. I don't feel that is a way to motivation. Belittlement and condescention are not motivators, they are fight starters.
Jimmy feels like trying to impose his will on everyone and does it in an abrasive manner. If you get used to that its not bad being around him
This is a sport of getting away and enjoying being in the woods, and being with others that like the same. I don't feel it is anything to fight about in general.
I also feel a helmet is a good idea just from the cage bruises my head has sustained laughing1 I cheap out with a little skater helmet but now the cage bruises are on it not my skull. It doesn't hinder your hearing or sight or peripheral vision like other helmets can. All of those can even be gotten used to. When racing we wear full DOT helmets. When wheeling, its the little skull cap. light and non intrusive.
That said, I'm not going to judge you for not wearing one, but I think it's not a bad idea. You could be the trendsetter

Hope to see you guys in teh woods, alive even
Kelly
(sorry for the rambling nature of this post)