Doggles (Dog goggles)

This is Dodger.  Apparently he has lots of outfits.  He doesn’t have some huge "hunchback" — that’s his owner’s shirt subtly blending into Dodger’s shirt.  They match today.  That’s not why I took the picture, though.  I took the picture because it’s the first time I’ve seen a pair of "Doggles" in person.  Dodger’s dad says that he doesn’t really like to wear them that much, but he does like to stick his head out the car window a lot.  That makes it a safety thing instead of a fashion thing.  That’s the sort of thing I say when I want to add some gizmo to my motorcycle (louder horns, more lights, etc. "Sure it’s more chrome, but it’s really a safety thing.").

It’s a pretty good idea, though, when you think about it.  If you ever ride a motorcycle without eye protection, you’ll be stopping pretty quickly.  If you don’t have face protection you’ll be getting some next time.  They say that you can tell a happy motorcyclist by all the bugs in his teeth (smiling while riding).  When some bug leaves a quarter-size spot on my face-shield with a sound like a bursting pinata, I’m pretty glad it didn’t hit me in the eye.

Think of all the dogs you’ve seen with their head out in the breeze, not to mention the ones riding loose in the back of a truck (which is topic for a post in itself: dangerous lifestyle).   I’m amazed that I don’t see more eye injuries from that.  Maybe the airflow dynamics around the car move the bugs out of the way.  I hope so.