Why mesh? (And other plot questions)

[Danny McG]

The book Day of the triffids.

A character in it is suddenly blinded like most other people.
He realises there's a danger from loose triffids so he spends a lot of time and effort constructing a triffid helmet.
These are typically a fine mesh but he only has large, he does overlapping layers to alleviate this problem, fastening them with loose wire and using pliers, working blind it's a very impressive feat.

My question is why?
Why all that effort?

He's blind so he doesn't need the visibility afforded by the mesh, all he needs is protection from the triffid stings, so why doesn't he just put a bucket over his head?

 

[Swank]

To hear and breath? So he was recognizable?

 

[Danny McG]

Well I have played about before with my grandkids - I was the robot monster so basically a bucket over my head and walking robotically around the garden trying to catch them. I could breathe easily and my hearing wasn't much affected, things sounded slightly hollow.

In a world where most have gone blind it's a bit pointless wanting to be recognized IMO

 

[Foxbat]

Maybe he suffers from halitosis and didn’t fancy being trapped in a bucket with it.

 

[Ursa major]

Perhaps he didn't want to lose his tan and thus become... well, you know....

 

[Danny McG]

Perhaps he didn't want to lose his tan and thus become... well, you know....

Groan

 

[Vladd67]

Sometimes I feel we need a groan smiley just for Ursa. The Ursa smiley.