I’m sure you might’ve thought this when you need something from a store, ‘should I just walk right in wearing my helmet, or take it off?’ It’ll take only a minute, right?
The simplest answer is it’s a good idea to take the motorcycle helmet off; even if it takes only a few minutes in the store. The store can certainly give you a hard time for wearing a motorcycle helmet in stores.
Can you wear a motorcycle helmet in stores?
So, can you wear a motorcycle helmet in stores? Well, you can wear a motorcycle helmet in stores but it’s wiser to take it off before entering stores. It’s one of the things that you can doesn’t always mean you should. Sometimes it can be chill, especially if the store knows who you are. But stores and security guards often don’t like it when a dude with a helmet and all the riding gear walks around the store. At the very least you’ll get a vibe of, ‘Just get your stuff, and leave’.
As a rule of thumb, take off your motorcycle helmet when entering a store, shopping mall, or bank. It’s better to put it in a helmet-carrying bag or leave it locked with the motorcycle if you are out for more than a few minutes.
Is it illegal to wear a motorcycle helmet in the store?
No, it’s not “technically” illegal to wear a motorcycle helmet in a store. But not wearing the helmet in a store will potentially save you from arguments, harassment, and even the store calling the cops on you. Most of the time, store employees or security guards will ask you to take it off because your face can’t be seen by the security cameras.
The reason stores hate it when you enter the store wearing a motorcycle helmet is related to shoplifting and even robbery. There have been some cases where people enter stores or banks wearing motorcycle helmets and try to rob them at gunpoint. If you do reverse psychology, the store doesn’t know if you are a friendly neighborhood rider or a cracked dude trying to rob them.
In extreme cases, you can be charged with criminal trespassing if the store owner asks you to leave and you refuse.
Reasons not to wear a motorcycle helmet in a store
There are so many reasons why you should not wear a motorcycle helmet in a store. And if you are chilling listening to your music while wearing a helmet like this dude who got the cops called on him, then you’re just asking for trouble.
- It’s awkward and rude sometimes
- People might stare at you intensely
- People might avoid interaction
- Stores might have the notice to remove anything that prevents the camera to capture the face
- Security cameras can’t record your face
- Store employees or guards might get pissed at you
- You might be charged for shoplifting
- You might be charged with criminal trespassing
Need more? Just don’t do it, my man! It’s not a big deal until it is and your day is ruined for it.
What to do with a motorcycle helmet when you go to a store
So, what to do with a helmet if you need to go to the store? Can’t just leave a few hundred dollars worth of a helmet on your bike and hope no one steals it, right?
Well, you can take care of this quite effectively, we even have a dedicated post about it.
As a rule of thumb, put the helmet off when entering a store, at least open the face shield if it’s a full-face helmet. And leave it locked on the bike if you are out for some time.
Helmet laws by state
Whether you are required to wear a motorcycle helmet while riding varies from state to state. In some states, it’s completely fine if you ride your motorcycle without wearing a helmet. For example, in Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire there’s no particular law for wearing motorcycle helmets. However, in others, there is some sort of rules and regulations. Here’s the list of helmet laws by state.
City of Mississauga website recently publish an infomative post on safety, rules and etiquette before you ride. You can take look here. We also checked social media posts about it and found a few interesting post on reddit.
cheddarsox on reddit says, “Gas station I go to 3x a week? I just flip up my visor, they know me..anywhere else, helmet comes off. I build habits and relationships on purpose.”
SciFiPi says, “I pull the chin portion above my forehead and do my shopping.”
ethompson1 says, “I take mine off because it feels weird to walk around with a helmet on. Also it’s not hard to take off and on.”
PristineSpirit6405 says “I have a modular helmet and think it’s look goofy AF when I pull up the chin. I only pull it up if I need to put on my glasses, or take a drink or eat something. Otherwise I wouldn’t be caught dead shopping inside a store with the chin up.”
Conclusion
It’s always a good idea to leave your helmet with the motorcycle locked if are planning to go to a store and take your time. It might save you from potential arguments or harassment. People might even freak out, seeing a dude walking around wearing a black helmet in the middle of the store. Just don’t give the store a hard time and they won’t either.
If you are interested in this, you might also know about how you can carry a motorcycle helmet.
Dumb post, if it’s legal, the store better have a policy or I’m wearing my motorcycle helmet, learn how laws and policies work before you write a long retarded article
The store owner/manager still has the right to kick you out the store because you are disturbing to him and his other shoppers. It doesn’t have to be a policy. A business can always refuse service and ask you to leave and if you don’t leave you’re now trespassing and can be arrested. So you’re basically safe to wear it in the store up until you’re asked to leave and at that point even if you take it off they still might kick you anyways just for giving them a hard time. Don’t cause a scene just because you want to be a hard ass, you can still end up in cuffs.
As far as I know, there are no specific law about wearing a helmet in store. but if a store makes a policy that everyone in the store establishment must remove helmet or anything that cover’s the person’s face, he is required to remove it when asked by the authority, the store can call the cops on him if he refuses. If you find any law details about it be sure to let me know, I’d love to know more about it and update if needed. Thanks.
There is never going to be a specific policy for everything so if a manager or owner asks you to remove your helmet and you refuse then you’re technically not doing anything illegal but you will be starting a disturbance in the store. Now they can ask you to leave and if you continue and argue back and refuse to leave then you’re trespassing which is illegal and you can be arrested for that.