Belligerence and Buses

Many people ride bikes in Oxford. Among these are a group of elderly women who regularly ride their bikes around the place. I have no objection to this phenomenon and merely observe that it is not usually the case to have many women in this age group ride bikes.

What does disturb me, however is that they rarely wear helmets.

I've encountered a few of these women as I've been at the shops and in other contexts, and frequently they appear to be unimpressed by the world around them. Often they are heard to complain loudly as to why something or other Should Not Be Done. I have heard that they have mostly lived here their whole lives and I expect the changes of the last 20 or so years are difficult to countenance, so I can't say it particularly bothers me. Besides, the English are not comfortable with casual conversation, and as many of these women probably live alone (being widows of Oxford dons apparently), it gives them some kind of social interaction.

But this kind of belligerence just doesn't work with bike riding. These very frail looking women simply can't protect themselves from other cars and buses through sheer belligerence. They need something hardier, like a good solid helmet. Yet, it would not surprise me slightly to discover that they refuse to wear said helmet out of this stubborn desire not to follow these new fangled modern customs. And besides, it's their town; why should they be obliged to wear something as undignified as a helmet?

Still, I wish they would. They look so vulnerable. JMB