The Hobbit Hole IV – The Road Goes Ever On…

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

The Road Goes Ever On…

• First thread: New Zealander builds Hobbit hole
• Second thread: The New Hobbit Hole
• Third thread: The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads! (Congratulations, we filled it up!)

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

[Wneighbor]

I've never seen a bike wreck where somebody was killed that the helmut or no helmut was the issue. Well, not seen but known personally. Know it happens. But, haven't had it in my personal life. Did know a guy in Austin who died from the paramedic removing his helmut and making the broken neck move. The helmut was stabilizing or something - didn't understand quite what but he died. Might have died anyway but that was a bad case.

For me, I don't wear helmuts unless I'm riding in crazy in town traffic. Trouble is, the helmut messes up the vision. When I turn my head to try to see traffic, glasses are caught on helmut and I really can't see well. Don't have that problem without a helmut. Kinda scary at times. And the more head coverage the helmut provides the worse the problem. Also, can't see other riders on either side of me with peripheral vision. When I ride in formation I never have a helmut - just too dangerous for people not to be able to see each other.

[Wneighbor]

I would never, ever ride without a helmet. Heck, i don't bike without a helmet.

That's your choice though. The real question is, do you support legislation to force people who don't want to wear helmuts to wear them? Can everybody decide for themselves?

Myranda wears a helmut. I don't.

Not trying to be argumentative.... just making you think. :-)

[JenB]

Hmm. Well, I see your point. But, until insurance companies penalize riders who don't wear helmets, everyone else is going to have to pay for them. And your freedoms should go only as far as my wallet.

Take this in the spirit of debate, please, and don't think I'm criticizing you personally.

[Wneighbor]

No. I have had this debate for years and I'm comfortable as long as you are. I too want to not be perceived bad by you! :-)

In Texas now, in order to not wear a helmut we are required to have either medical insurance coverage of at least $100,000 or have had the state Motorcycle Training Course. Personally, I have the insurance. The insurance makes more sense to me anyway - because if I am in a crash, I want to be covered!

I don't understand why the cops who pull me over always make a big deal about the course though - it seems to me the insurance is the smarter alternative. Although, we do teach the course at the campus of the college where I work. I have been there and watched the thing. I've been riding since I was 14. I can do the stuf they teach. It is geared for people who have just bought a bike and never ridden. While I'm sure I would learn something from it - because I like being a student and absorbing stuff - I think 30 years riding and appropriate insurance will be a lot better for me if I get in a crash.

A lot of the ABATE members here have differing opinions on this. Some think there should be no laws. Some think insurance is okay - after all we have to have liability insurance on our cars. And some people think we've got a good set of laws here. Personally, I think fewer laws are better in most issues. So, I'll go for that. I think also, it's smart to have insurance for oneself and don't really mind that.

Trouble is, helmuts aren't the only safety issue. And other issues are usually not dealt with because legislators think they can cover all motorcycle safety problems with helmuts!

[ecurbh]

...Pay no attention - just lurking...

[Wneighbor]

...must be at work. Hi there! Getting excited about your vacation?...

[JenB]

I think the insurance is a good idea, too. If everyone who rode without protection had insurance to cover themselves, I'd be all for repealing the laws. It's the idea of paying for idiots - well, that goes for a lot of things so let's not get started there.

Yay! Another piece of homework down!

[ecurbh]

...YES!!...

[Wneighbor]

See then there's this other issue. One of my close friends was just killed 3 years ago because an 80 year old man pulled out on the highway from a side street in front of him. My friend broadsided his Suburban going 70 MPH. The old man said he never saw him coming. But, he couldn't pass a vision test either. He'd had his driver's license renewed by mail the last time so it had been 7 years since he'd actually passed the vision test for driving.

Then, a couple of years before that I went down on my lunch hour in downtown Waco because a very old woman with blue hair did not see me. I was on a street going toward an intersection where there was no stop sign on my side but the cross street had to stop. I slowed because I saw her coming and wasn't sure she was going to stop. She came to a full stop so I continued on through the intersection. She pulled out right in front of me turning left onto the street in the direction I was going. I went down in the middle of the intersection to avoid hitting her car. She never stopped. A guy on the sidewalk in front of one of the local businesses got her license number and came and helped me back up. She was in total denial that anything had ever happened when they found her. She didn't see or know anything. She was in her 80's. Didn't need to be driving either. She did not lose her license because nothing could be done about it.

ABATE also attempts to address issues like that.

[Wneighbor]

...LOL!!! ...

[300winmag]

I became a firm believer in seatbelts one wintry day in 1967. It was my first car, a 1960 Dodge Dart (318 V8, pushbutton automatic transmission). I was driving down a side street after a HUGH snowstorm (the biggest in my memory) shut down Detroit a week earlier with 36 inches in a single day.

The snow had melted a bit, then it sleeted, and now there were foot-deep icy ruts in the street. It was almost like going down a railroad track, or across one. I was creeping across these frozen ruts in the Dart, and it was bouncing around. It bounced so hard, I hit my head on the roof.

That's when I swore I'd always wear a seat belt. Not to protect me in an accident, but just to keep me in my seat. It's something I depend on even today, with my sedate GMC Jimmy.

[Wneighbor]

Dang I wish I had that Dart! Would make a sweet little play toy! 318! That's what I got in my pickup now. Indestructable if you take care of 'em!!!

[JenB]

Yeah, old people should have to prove they can still drive safely. Too many horror stories of grandparents who just didn't see the other car....

Heck, let's computerize all cars and forget the manual driving.

[JenB]

The first winter I had my license I was merging onto a divided road. Hit a patch of ice and spun right around - did a 180, ended up on the shoulder pointed back down the ramp. Only thing that saved me was that there was no other traffic anywhere.

Since then I merge a bit more carefully...

[Wneighbor]

Heck, let's computerize all cars and forget the manual driving.

OH Jen! That would be no fun at all!!! I like to drive! It's part of my adventures!

But, yeah, I worried about my Grama a lot. After she was declared legally blind she still managed to have a license and drive for several years. She was very angry when she lost her license and I could understand her loss of independence. But, it was a relief to know she was not out driving. She now has 2 brothers still living who have no business driving. They are a danger to EVERYONE on the road or near it!

[JenB]

I love driving, myself. As long as I'm alone, or have decent company, which isn't often. I can just drive for hours, stopping only when I have to, changing the cd now and then....

There! I did all the homework I had to do tonight! Hurrah!

[Darksheare]

Don't tell anyone I am here.
I am in hiding.
Incognito.
Completely invisible and inconspicuous.

[300winmag]

Dang I wish I had that Dart! Would make a sweet little play toy! 318! That's what I got in my pickup now. Indestructable if you take care of 'em!!!

I think about the cars I had, that I thought were "nothing special" at the time. 1960 Dart, 1968 Chevelle, 1970 Camero. Then there were the "spcial" cars, the 1972 Cutlass W31 and the 1976 Corvette L82. But by then, I couldn't devote enough of my life to hot cars, so it's been a progression of Chevy Blazers and GMC Jimmies since then. [sigh]

Today I saw somebody in a 1957 Ford Ranchero. That reminded me that "Monster Garage" destroyed a semi-cherry 1969 El Camino SS 402 big-block last week. [double sigh]

[SuziQ]

Don't tell anyone I am here

Your secret is safe with us!

[Darksheare]

Okay, thanks!