Dear Editor:
What do police, lawyers and bicycle helmets have in common? Most are treated with disdain until you actually need one. The best bike helmet is the one you put on 10 minutes before your head hits the curb. The worst bike helmet is the one back in the garage while your head hits the curb. Vancouver has the most infuriating drivers in Canada, if not North America.
I myself have been hit with brain flatulence while driving and ask myself afterwards how I could be so stupid. Into the middle of this throw in cyclists (forget comparisons to Amsterdam and cycling along a canal, try East Hastings on your way to work) and longboarders coming down our steep hills, which kind of looks like fun. But every time I move my six-foot-six body faster than walking, I injure myself. I have the scars and metal pieces to prove it. My wife could sell tickets.
The best advice to anyone on a bicycle or board in this city is wear full body armor, and have extended medical insurance. It would also help to have a friend who is a lawyer or police officer.
Barry Miles North Vancouver
