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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.

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!

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.