What's the meaning behind your Avatar ?

[Mr Oldschool]

My avatar, for what its worth, is an image of me looking on with dismay and disapproval. As usual.

Love the classic styling btw.

My avatar is from the Vettriano painting "Road To Nowhere", a favorite of mine. Title notwithstanding, it symbolizes to me myself and my wife, walking as partners. I used the solo close-up because I couldn't fit the two shot in the size limit and didn't feel like resizing the image...

 

[Foxer55]

Nothing in particular. It was just a whim.

 

[Shangas]

What is dangerous about cannonballing into a pool?

Or doing a handstand without a helmet?

When I went to school we were encouraged to do these things to get out our wild energy. I highly doubt our teachers wanted us all to suffer horrific injury. I always though cannonballs were prohibited in many pools because they splashed people and it was rude.

I can kind of understand the not wearing knee pads while skateboarding one because I've seen some bad skateboarding accidents- but still- its a drawing! How do you know the kneepads aren't underneath the pants? The bad skateboarding accidents were normally the kids doing something stupid as far as tricks and were bad because the kids weren't wearing helmets. (Trying to go down a railing of a full flight of stairs with a bend and wall at the end without a helmet and knee pads is a bad idea.)

When I was a kid, I used to love cycling (I still do, but I don't have a bicycle anymore).

I once went cycling in the park. My bicycle hit a stone and I was ejected off the seat. I was literally thrown over the handlebars and hit the ground on my hands and knees. I shredded my left knee and right elbow.

I still have a scar on my elbow.

By sheer good fortune, I was cycling with one of my friends and his parents. And his dad happens to be (and still is) my family doctor!

The doc helped me up and took me straight to his surgery for treatment. I was limping for a week because of the pain, but I lived.

This was...God. Almost 20 years ago. I imagine if such a thing happened today, parents and whatnot, would be screaming for kids to go cycling in suits of armour.

 

[HudsonHawk]

When I was a kid, I used to love cycling (I still do, but I don't have a bicycle anymore).

I once went cycling in the park. My bicycle hit a stone and I was ejected off the seat. I was literally thrown over the handlebars and hit the ground on my hands and knees. I shredded my left knee and right elbow.

I still have a scar on my elbow.

By sheer good fortune, I was cycling with one of my friends and his parents. And his dad happens to be (and still is) my family doctor!

The doc helped me up and took me straight to his surgery for treatment. I was limping for a week because of the pain, but I lived.

This was...God. Almost 20 years ago. I imagine if such a thing happened today, parents and whatnot, would be screaming for kids to go cycling in suits of armour.

Growing up in the time before helmets, I knew two kids my age who fell off their bikes and suffered major head injuries. One ended up brain damaged basically instituationalized, the other a quadraplegic. I dont' know if a helmet would have made a difference, but let's not suggest that kids simply never suffered traumatic head injuries back in the "good old days" and the call for helmets is unfounded.

 

[Zombie_61]

...I imagine if such a thing happened today, parents and whatnot, would be screaming for kids to go cycling in suits of armour.

And some of those parents would try to sue the city for not keeping the park stone-free. :eusa_doh:

 

[sheeplady]

Growing up in the time before helmets, I knew two kids my age who fell off their bikes and suffered major head injuries. One ended up brain damaged basically instituationalized, the other a quadraplegic. I dont' know if a helmet would have made a difference, but let's not suggest that kids simply never suffered traumatic head injuries back in the "good old days" and the call for helmets is unfounded.

Bicycle helmets/and seat belts are two modern inventions I am so thankful for. When my daughter starts riding a trike she will wear a helmet- not because I am afraid she will fall and hurt her head, but because I want her to always wear a helmet when riding a bike when she is older. I grew up with seatbelts and I automatically buckle mine when I get in the car. I did not grow up with a bike helmet (didn't get one until college) and I find I often forget it- in places it could save my life, like road biking. I want my daughter's helmet to be like my seatbelt.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I have scars all down the left side of my body from falling off my bike in a gravel parking lot while wearing a bathing suit when I was eleven years old. A helmet wouldn't have protected me from that. A boy I knew was rammed head-on by a car while riding his bike, thrown twenty feet down the road, and shattered an arm so badly the bones were sticking out. Another boy I knew was hit the same way and had his leg smashed. Helmets wouldn't have protected them, either.

I'm not anti-helmet, but they aren't going to protect the bike rider from every possible injury. You're far more likely to shatter a limb or cut yourself up really bad than you are to suffer a head injury on a bicycle. Perhaps Kevlar suits are the answer.

 

[imoldfashioned]

Just a 'little black dress' number from earlier this year. No more...No less

 

[Mr Oldschool]

My cousin's husband was a bicycle racer. In a race, he was powering down the homestretch for the finish line, head down to focus all his effort into his sprint. He ran headlong into a concrete pylon and was killed instantly. He was wearing a helmet, but the impact split it in two. Very uncommon tragedy in bicycle racing, but very convincing proof that helmets can not save you from everything.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I have scars all down the left side of my body from falling off my bike in a gravel parking lot while wearing a bathing suit when I was eleven years old. A helmet wouldn't have protected me from that. A boy I knew was rammed head-on by a car while riding his bike, thrown twenty feet down the road, and shattered an arm so badly the bones were sticking out. Another boy I knew was hit the same way and had his leg smashed. Helmets wouldn't have protected them, either.

I'm not anti-helmet, but they aren't going to protect the bike rider from every possible injury. You're far more likely to shatter a limb or cut yourself up really bad than you are to suffer a head injury on a bicycle. Perhaps Kevlar suits are the answer.

No one has suggested they're a panacea. Only that they in fact *do* help protect against traumatic head injuries.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Very uncommon tragedy in bicycle racing, but very convincing proof that helmets can not save you from everything.

That doesn't mean they can't help at all.

 

[LizzieMaine]

No one has suggested they're a panacea. Only that they in fact *do* help protect against traumatic head injuries.

What I don't like to see is a helmeted, spandexed, funny-shoed road-biker zooming thru stoplights, making turns without signalling, and generally ignoring the rules of the road. You can armor up all you want, but nothing can protect a rider from his own stupidity.

 

[PADDY]

Ladies and Gents. Might be best to take this 'interesting discussion' further in the cycling thread in The Great Outdoors, or I'm sure it's worthy of it's own thread.

Thankyou for your cooperation.

Regards, Paddy.

 

[CRH]

The significance of mine is of such a very deep and personal nature that it would be much too emotionally taxing to divulge at this time. Sorry.

Oh, yah! Put 'em up!

 

[HudsonHawk]

What I don't like to see is a helmeted, spandexed, funny-shoed road-biker zooming thru stoplights, making turns without signalling, and generally ignoring the rules of the road. You can armor up all you want, but nothing can protect a rider from his own stupidity.

Of course. All the armor in the world is no protection against willfull disregard. Just like seatbelts...it's a good idea to buckle up, but that doesn't give you a free pass to drive like an idiot.

 

[PADDY]

With regard to AVATARS...As I was saying...

I found an old 1930's cocktail book buried under a stash of books in a charity shop. The recipes were great, but the 'graphics' were even better!! With my being a 'bartender' in 'here' I felt it was an appropriate avatar to have.

 

[HudsonHawk]

As I was saying...

I found an old 1930's cocktail book buried under a stash of books in a charity shop. The recipes were great, but the 'graphics' were even better!! With my being a 'bartender' in 'here' I felt it was an appropriate avatar to have.

I got it. I responded to Lizzie's post before I got to yours. My apologies. I think we all see your badge.

 

[Tarwater]

My avatar (clearly sporting proper safety equipment, by the way) is from an old British motorcycle movie Psychomania. It's not a great movie but I love it anyway.

 

[Mr Oldschool]

With regard to AVATARS...As I was saying...

I found an old 1930's cocktail book buried under a stash of books in a charity shop. The recipes were great, but the 'graphics' were even better!! With my being a 'bartender' in 'here' I felt it was an appropriate avatar to have.

It's perfect! :thumb:

My avatar (clearly sporting proper safety equipment, by the way) is from an old British motorcycle movie Psychomania. It's not a great movie but I love it anyway.

Haven't seen the movie, but it fits the title and looks hillarious!

 

[Hercule]

Re Avatar -

Shortly after I started wearing a fedora I was twice in one week addressed by strangers as "Mr. Welles". When I asked what it meant I was told that I resembled a young Orson Welles. News to me, go figure. So I went with it. Interestingly enough, my dad, who I see more and more when I look in the mirror, was quit often said to resemble Johnathan Winters. And as for screen name, way back when as an undergrad I had a French class with a sabbatical replacement (very odd guy who wore a very pronounced and even worse looking toupee) who gave us all french pseudonyms and I was Hercule.