I get made fun of for wearing a helmet.

[MarkF]

15? My daughter cycles along an A road, a very busy one, to school, every day. She is 13 and doesn't wear a helmet. Man up.

 

[buggi]

This reminds me of a time my mate used a brill put down to shut some lads up. We were doing a charity fundraiser dressed as firefighters and some drunk blokes starting chanting...
Get ya kit off...
Get ya kit off...
Get ya kit off for the lads...

Quick as a flash my mate finished their song by adding...

... Bet your helmet's not as big as mine!


You could try that?

 

[jack smith]

Best advice has been saod already just ignore them and they will get bored with the lack of a reaction, maybe get a cooler looking helmet if it looks abit iffy, they can be had for not much more than a tenner on ebay from the uk

 

[jonny jeez]

Would you wear a woolen jumper to feel more like a sheep?

Er....what.

Why would anyone want to feel more like a sheep. I guess if, for some reason I did want to feel more like a sheep then yes I would probably wear a nice thick woolly jumper....
Advising a 15 year old ...who is already beginning to separate from society through rage, violence and anger and is planning to continue the journey by setting up a web site full of videos for his tormentors to judge and separate him still further...to be less conformist is a little like offering to put his fire out with petrol.

Now that's a simile

 

[jonny jeez]

I'm only fifteen - and the main time I use my bicycle is the commute to school. I cycle on the roads and on the path during my commute, I understand it's not a legal requirement, but I feel more comfortable wearing a helmet and I feel more like a cyclist. I'm one of the very few people seen wearing a helmet - I wouldn't be surprised if I was the only one in my year - I've had people smacking me on the head and calling me out on wearing a helmet. m.

For the most part, I ignore them - I think it would make an interesting thread where maybe we could generate some funny things to say back to them?

Good for you for posting up asking for advice, clearly this illustrates a real desire not to just revert to violence to deal with this.
You know far better than most on here how difficult it is to deal with this type of behaviour whilst at school. Any reaction can result in the situation escalating...not just in the moment but for a good long time...perhaps your entire school career.
I think the best advice I have seen in this thread is to simply ignore it ( as you say you mostly do), with a smile, they will eventually get bored and until they do the situation won't escalate. Perhaps even go along with the joke, without ridiculing yourself (a tricky thing for a person with only 15 years of life experience to achieve, so take caution in this route).

But don't make it into a game, otherwise stepping out in front of you will become a local challenge .

Ignoring a threat is not a cowardly act, it's a judgement, measured against potential outcome and success. Unless you are a very intimidating person and are feared in the school, then physical intimidation is not the answer ...I would say that it never is but unfortunately there are people in the world who trade very successfully in their ability to intimidate...most of them either end up living in sink estates or go on to run companies like RBS, F1 or Mclaren.

Good luck.

 

[jonny jeez]

that's an idea, a camera and maybe a youtube channel with a sticker with a link on my frame so they know it really is being uploaded!
Cheers Ed

Sorry but this is a VERY BAD IDEA for the OP

@heavens, Please don't take measure to isolate yourself still further. Trust your own instincts,you have already solved the problem yourself, you already know what's best.

Be mindful of taking advice from people that don't have to live with the outcome

 

[Mugshot]

Er....what.

Why would anyone want to feel more like a sheep.

I certainly wouldn't living where I do, however there may be some in my neck of the woods that wouldn't mind, not my bag though.......anyway, carry on.

 

[Mugshot]

Sorry but this is a VERY BAD IDEA for the OP

@heavens, Please don't take measure to isolate yourself still further. Trust your own instincts,you have already solved the problem yourself, you already know what's best.

Be mindful of taking advice from people that don't have to live with the outcome

Actually @jonny jeez you may remember there was a young man that used to regularly post the videos here that he'd made on his rides, they were entertaining and educational and always welcomed by the CC crew and critiqued in an even handed way, I think the young man in question learnt an awful lot from those threads and has become a more rounded individual as a result. We were all able to learn something from them and I feel sure that the taxi drivers, bus drivers, other motorists and even the general population of the area where he lives were all the better for his youtube channel.
Actually, scrap that I've just realised it's total bollocks, you're right.

 

[young Ed]

Sorry but this is a VERY BAD IDEA for the OP

@heavens, Please don't take measure to isolate yourself still further. Trust your own instincts,you have already solved the problem yourself, you already know what's best.

Be mindful of taking advice from people that don't have to live with the outcome

sorry, i meant it in a bit of a light hearted and almost sarcastic way but i apologise if it was not taken in this this way
Cheers Ed

 

[heavens]

15? My daughter cycles along an A road, a very busy one, to school, every day. She is 13 and doesn't wear a helmet. Man up.

That's your daughter's decision, and I respect that, so why can't you respect my decision?

 

[heavens]

Good for you for posting up asking for advice, clearly this illustrates a real desire not to just revert to violence to deal with this.
You know far better than most on here how difficult it is to deal with this type of behaviour whilst at school. Any reaction can result in the situation escalating...not just in the moment but for a good long time...perhaps your entire school career.
I think the best advice I have seen in this thread is to simply ignore it ( as you say you mostly do), with a smile, they will eventually get bored and until they do the situation won't escalate. Perhaps even go along with the joke, without ridiculing yourself (a tricky thing for a person with only 15 years of life experience to achieve, so take caution in this route).

But don't make it into a game, otherwise stepping out in front of you will become a local challenge .

Ignoring a threat is not a cowardly act, it's a judgement, measured against potential outcome and success. Unless you are a very intimidating person and are feared in the school, then physical intimidation is not the answer ...I would say that it never is but unfortunately there are people in the world who trade very successfully in their ability to intimidate...most of them either end up living in sink estates or go on to run companies like RBS, F1 or Mclaren.

Good luck.

Thanks. I started this thread to get a little advice and reassurance - and then also because I knew that there were going to be some funny little comments and things posted up as well. I thought it'd make an interesting thread! Thanks for your kind words!

 

[Mrs M]

Treat them to a "dance off", in the style of Vicky Pollard or The Stiffler, you will leave them speechless!

 

[crazyjoe101]

Yeah I'd also like to clarify that my comments about cameras were of course sarcastic.

 

[jack smith]

15? My daughter cycles along an A road, a very busy one, to school, every day. She is 13 and doesn't wear a helmet. Man up.

I hope thats a joke.

 

[MarkF]

I hope thats a joke.

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