Is "All the Gear, All the Time" a minority?

[bigwonton]

After spending a good deal of time this holiday weekend riding around town, I've noticed that the "All The Gear, All The Time" group of riders is definitely in the minority.

I do realize riding is all about how much risk you are willing to accept and I'm not here to tell anybody how to ride, but I've been noticing alot of stuff that just seems downright foolhardy and/or dangerous.

There was one instance of a couple where the passenger was sitting on top of a jacket. The arms of the jacket were just flapping around. I shudder to think what would happen if that jacket got sucked into the spokes.

Then there was the family that was riding down the highway at 65+MPH. Mom and Dad on their HD's with the kids. No face protection/goggles on mom. She had her head cranked at an angle, but how she could see clearly at 65 MPH is beyond me. Kids were wearing helmets, but that was about it. Short sleeves, shorts and sandals completed the rest of their riding outfit.

After having seen severe road rash, I don't think that's a risk I'm willing to take...