No wimps, please

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Saturday, June 21, 2003 | editorial

[Willie Green]

Crack open a coconut. That's the sound of a skull bouncing off the pavement.

Sickening, isn't it?

Motorcyclists without helmets who relish easy-riding "freedom" are a Darwinian argument for improving the species through natural selection.

After considerable lobbying, the state Senate passed legislation lifting the mandatory helmet law for riders 21 and older who have been motorcycle-licensed for at least two years or passed a state-approved safety course. Passengers 21 and older of a qualified driver also could be exempt.

[Willie Green]

They ought do away with the law mandating bicycle helmets for youngsters as well.
All that one did was create an instant market for expensive, designer-styled styrofoam coffee cups that the kids had to wear on their heads. I never could see out how those things actually protect the kids from anything.

[Willie Green]

FYI

[mountaineer]

Should they crack their coconuts, however, members of this staunchly self-reliant bunch shouldn't want to milk the public dole.

Exactly!

[EggsAckley]

"this staunchly self-reliant bunch shouldn't want to milk the public dole."

Don't count on it.

[backhoe]

Willie, I don't think I still have a link to it, but I did some web research of helmets a few years ago, and it seems like the conclusion was it was a kind of crap shoot- sometimes they help, sometimes they cause worse injuries.

FWIW, I rode big bikes on the street for years, and never cracked my head. But in truth, an old riding buddy of mine used to say the same thing- until he whacked his hemeted head on the pavement one day.

What I really think is ( that like with seatbelts ) that the rider/driver should be given the information about wrecks & injuries, and allowed to make their own choice- it's their head.

[lelio]

Motorcyclists without helmets who relish easy-riding "freedom" are a Darwinian argument for improving the species through natural selection.
Instead we're rallying against Darwin and keeping the morons of our culture around to breed when they should of been killed off. What's the result? A stupidier society!

[tdadams]

Boo hoo. The state should not be in the nanny business. Let adults make their own decisions and pay the consequences. Anything that cleans the idiots from the gene pool is OK by me.

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Motorcyclists without helmets who relish easy-riding "freedom" are a Darwinian argument for improving the species through natural selection.

Been riding a motorcycle for better than 30 years with no helmet im not about to start now !If you drive defensively your well safe enough.

By the way a cocoanut is a heck of alot harder than someones head ive seen alot of bike wrecks over the years and alot of them were biker error never trust a 4 wheeler because they pay no attention to a biker !

[prisoner6]

They ought do away with the law mandating bicycle helmets for youngsters as well.

HERE HERE! I'll wear a motorcycle helmet if I'm doing some serious riding because I "feel" safer. But as far as I'm concerned it a "personal choice" thing. The same with bicycle helmets - (notice how fewer kids and adults are riding?) - and even seatbelts for that matter.

Do you know the status of SEGWAY in PA? FWIW I'd love to have one and would use it a lot. But so far I think they still come under PA's antiquated traffic laws so you have to have a license, insurance and a helmet.

I'd like to see electric or under 50cc (maybe even 100cc or horsepower limit) bikes and scooters exempted from PA's regulations!

I've spoken with tom Petrone about this and basically it ain't gonna happen.

prisoner6 - still on board Maglev BTW

[lelio]

I've had 3 motorcycle wrecks and in all of them the helmet didn't come into play.
What did save me was:

Motorcycle jacket with hard pads inside
Blue jeans
Boots that covered my ankle
Gloves with pads and that held my wrist in place

Without those I would of left a lot of skin on the pavement, or a snapped ankle, or a broken wrist.
I can't count the number of people I've seen riding around with just a helmet on with a tee shirt and shorts. What are these people thinking? They'll wreck and slide on their helmet like an eraser on the top of a pencil?
I would hate to be an EMT that picks up one of these people. The thought of seeing someone's skin torn off just gives me the willies (no offense Willie Green).

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

I never could see out how those things actually protect the kids from anything.

I bounced my head off the pavement a few months back, and I was glad I was wearing a helmet.

[radioman]

Riders wearing helmets are 73 percent less likely to die in a crash. They are 85 percent less likely to suffer serious injury

Where do they get these numbers?
I've been searching, but can't find any evidence that states with no helmet laws have higher death and injury rates than states with helmet laws.

[Imal]

Should they crack their coconuts, however, members of this staunchly self-reliant bunch shouldn't want to milk the public dole.

This is the crux of the argument for mandating everything such as helmets, seatbelts, etc.

The solution, however, is not more legislation restricting civil liberties, but the elimination of the public dole.

[Rudder]

In serious wrecks they just bury the rider in his (her) helmet.

[Panzerfaust]

I'm not concerned with the safety of those who do not want to wear a helmet. It's their choice. The problem is that when adults make bad choices and they get hurt, they expect the nanny state to bail them out.

When they are facing catastrophic head injuries and a lifetime of disability or expensive medical care, these free-choosing adults turn into little kids who want mommy and daddy taxpayer (as a PA resident, that would be me) to pay for their health care costs.

Suddenly, "their chocie" becomes my bigger tax bill, when I have to pay towards their health care. I'm all for free chocie when it comes to helmets.

In addition to the age and experience requirements for riders, those who wish to ride helmetless should have to carry extra insurance and waive any claim to public support for their medical bills, should they suffer an injury.

After all, if these rough, tough rebels of the open road want to have freedom, they surely know that freedom is not free.

[goodnesswins]

What I don't understand, here, in Washington, the State...is that we are ticketed if we do NOT wear a seat belt (in cars) but motorcyclists don't have to wear seatbelts......????

[backhoe]

Roger everything you mentioned- with the rare exception of running to the corner store, I always wore leathers, gloves, goggles, etc., and took a lot of ribbing for doing it- but I didn't leave my skin on the pavement or hot parts of the bike, either...

[martin_fierro]

	FReeper Motorcycle Hooligan
Send FReepmail if you want on/off FMH list

[radioman]

What I don't understand, here, in Washington, the State...is that we are ticketed if we do NOT wear a seat belt (in cars) but motorcyclists don't have to wear seatbelts......????

Simple. Seatbelt laws are about money, not safety. There are many more cars on the road than motorcycles.

[Mr Rogers]

Here's a possible solution - allow folks to ride without helmets, but exempt both the state and insurance companies from paying their medical bills if injured without a helmet.

That way, the only one they will hurt is themselves...and their families.