By Keith Hanson
Warning: the days are getting shorter and the Stealth Bikers are becoming more invisible. I recently had the experience of starting to drive my vehicle into an intersection for a left turn after the light changed to green. This occurred at dusk, as the light was fading. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed movement and slammed on my brakes and watched with astonishment as a cyclist blithely and unconsciously rode in front of my car, ignoring the light. This person was almost invisible: no headlight or reflectors on the bike, and dressed from top to bottom in black and dark gray, with a black helmet. I wasn’t sure if I was looking at a member of a SWAT team or a character from the movie “The Matrix.” But I’m sure that if I had hit the cyclist, it would have been considered my fault.
I frequently see cyclists dressed like this. Why do so many cyclists in Boulder select clothing and helmets that are dark and blend into the surroundings, especially when daylight is starting to become scarce? I have no desire to hit a cyclist, and these people bewilder me. Cyclists in Boulder frequently complain about ignorant drivers who “pay no attention to cyclists.” Such drivers exist, and that’s one reason I no longer bike around Boulder: I’ve lived in Boulder for decades and know personally, or know of, too many people who have been injured or killed in collisions with cars. Whereas I used to bike to CU and around Boulder, I now only mountain bike on trails. I don’t play the odds anymore: I’ve experienced and seen enough violence and tragedy in my life.
Many cars in Boulder are SUVs or pickup trucks. A helmet worn by a cyclist will appear at eye level to the driver: The helmet is immediately visible in their line of sight, almost the same height as a STOP sign. Therefore, it’s in the cyclist’s best interest (if they like staying alive) to wear a BRIGHT yellow, white or orange helmet during the day or night with reflective stickers on it, not to mention also wearing a bright vest or jacket, especially at night.
I understand that many college students think they are exempt from harm and will live forever (I was once a college student at CU), and so I’m not surprised when I see college students without a helmet, clothed in dark clothes, zooming around Boulder day and night, running stop signs and red lights. Nowadays, some zoom around on electric bikes at high speed. Helmets also mess up your hair, which for many people is unacceptable. But I’ve struggled to understand supposedly mature adults doing this.
I’ve finally reached the conclusion that it’s all about narcissism. It’s all about appearance. It’s all about ego. People want to look cool. Dark helmets and clothes are cool. Bright helmets and clothing are not. Apparently, they are only for nerds.
It’s commonplace knowledge that we live in a culture of narcissism where one’s appearance and self-presentation are everything. And part of the culture of narcissism in Boulder is the desire to appear to others to be living life effortlessly and successfully without restrictions, just gliding masterfully through life, exempt from fear, looking good. It’s this same desire that results in motorcyclists (“organ doners,” as professional truckers call them) riding without helmets. I have a friend who spent a summer during college working in a clinic for people with head injuries. They were all men, and a high portion were motorcyclists. He said that after that experience, you could not pay him to ride a motorcycle.
I know this will never happen, but if we were a society with a genuine dedication to reality and concern for public safety, we in Boulder would enact a city law that all cyclists wear, at the very least, bright white, yellow or orange helmets while riding. This will never happen because it would impede the expression of individuality (narcissism) by Boulder residents. And, it would not be fashionable at all.
It’s that time of the year again. Please watch out for Stealth Bikers.
Keith Hanson lives in Boulder.