inteligent riders

freq · 09-04-2003, 3:55 PM

helmetless in pennsylvania

okay so i can't spell, but, i will continue to wear my helmet.

fivestar · 09-04-2003, 4:13 PM

The last paragraph says it all!

thrl-skr · 09-04-2003, 4:55 PM

Why in the HELL would you not want to wear a helmet. At least wear a skull cap, hell or a bicycle helmet if you are going to be stupid enough not to wear one.

2OHOH2 · 09-04-2003, 5:07 PM

Quote:

thrl-skr : Why in the HELL would you not want to wear a helmet. At least wear a skull cap, hell or a bicycle helmet if you are going to be stupid enough not to wear one.

The answer to your question has nothing to do with logic, or sense, but it's nevertheless pretty compelling. Why? Because it feels pretty damn good (until the crash, in the case of bikes).

Related questions:
- why would anyone not wear a rubber during while having sex?
- why would anyone ride a motorcycle period?
- why would anyone run a triathlon?
- why... (ad nauseum, ad infinitum)

thrl-skr · 09-04-2003, 5:15 PM

Quote:

2OHOH2954 : Quote (thrl-skr @ Sep. 04 2003, 4:55pm)Why in the HELL would you not want to wear a helmet. At least wear a skull cap, hell or a bicycle helmet if you are going to be stupid enough not to wear one.

The answer to your question has nothing to do with logic, or sense, but it's nevertheless pretty compelling. Why? Because it feels pretty damn good (until the crash, in the case of bikes).

Related questions:
- why would anyone not wear a rubber during while having sex?
- why would anyone ride a motorcycle period?
- why would anyone run a triathlon?
- why... (ad nauseum, ad infinitum)
I guess you're right. So I guess I'll stop calling everyone that I see, not wearing a helmet, a dumbass.

Holeshot · 09-04-2003, 5:20 PM

Quote:

thrl-skr : I guess you're right. So I guess I'll stop calling everyone that I see, not wearing a helmet, a dumbass.

I won't.

ND4SPD · 09-04-2003, 6:25 PM

I've done my share of riding without a helmet and just being hit by bugs/random debree is enough reason for me to wear one. I have an HJC helmet with a nice mark from a good sized rock, courtesy of a lawnmower in action. I nearly fell off the bike when it hit me, I'd surely be dead had I not been wearing a helmet

thrl-skr · 09-04-2003, 7:16 PM

Quote:

Holeshot : Quote (thrl-skr @ Sep. 04 2003, 2:15pm)I guess you're right. So I guess I'll stop calling everyone that I see, not wearing a helmet, a dumbass.

I won't.
I'll stop calling them a dumbass but not a f#@king idiot.

Chain · 09-04-2003, 7:22 PM

Quote:

Holeshot : Quote (thrl-skr @ Sep. 04 2003, 2:15pm)I guess you're right. So I guess I'll stop calling everyone that I see, not wearing a helmet, a dumbass.

I won't.
Neither will I.

And OHOH, I'll disagree that riding sans lid feels good. Something about catching bugs in your face at speed and not being able to hear after the ride's over turns me off, and that's assuming I don't hit the deck and turn myself into a veritable vegetable who eats his meals through a straw.

2OHOH2 · 09-04-2003, 7:45 PM

Quote:

Chain : And OHOH, I'll disagree that riding sans lid feels good. Something about catching bugs in your face at speed and not being able to hear after the ride's over turns me off, and that's assuming I don't hit the deck and turn myself into a veritable vegetable who eats his meals through a straw.

M'kay... well, most who ride without gear are on cruisers, doing an average of 35mph, not enough to go deaf or really get hurt by bugs, but more than enough to split the melon wide open. Besides, if I was really wrong, and if riding without a helmet was such an unpleasant experience, would people be doing it en-masse (where it's legal, and even where it's not)? Didn't think so

Me, I'd ride without a helmet at lower speeds (say, 45mph and below) if the downside wasn't so horrific. Our evolution made us capable of likely surviving, what, a 10mph head impact, maybe a little more. Anyone that rides above that physiological limit either needs technology (helmet) to extend our natural limitations, or does so risking their quality of/life (I will, however concede that many of those play the odds not fully realizing the stakes).

I disagree with the choice that so many people make when they don't wear helmets, as I disagree with many other choices/things, but it still won't make me think that those I disagree with are dumbasses for choosing differently than I would (at least in the case of helmet wear; someone choosing to read a magazine in their moving SUV while they're driving it is, of course, a dumbass, and little will convince me otherwise )

Chain · 09-04-2003, 7:58 PM

Quote:

2OHOH2954 : ... someone choosing to read a magazine in their moving SUV while they're driving it is, of course, a dumbass, and little will convince me otherwise )

Why's it always gotta go anti-SUV? There are legion more 'distracted drivers' who aren't driving Hummers than who are.

2OHOH2 · 09-04-2003, 8:06 PM

Quote:

Chain : Quote (2OHOH2954 @ Sep. 04 2003, 7:45pm)... someone choosing to read a magazine in their moving SUV while they're driving it is, of course, a dumbass, and little will convince me otherwise )

Why's it always gotta go anti-SUV? There are legion more 'distracted drivers' who aren't driving Hummers than who are.

Did I inadvertently pull your, umm, chain with that blurb?

...and is that little gem the only thing you could pull out of my spiel that was disagreeable? If so, thank you for agreeing with everything else

Chain · 09-04-2003, 8:09 PM

Quote:

2OHOH2954 : Did I inadvertently pull your, umm, chain with that blurb?

Maybe a teensey weensey bit.

But it's all good. I typically don't drive my monster truck over Car People like you if I'm friends with 'em.

CBRjack · 09-04-2003, 8:10 PM

I have logged many miles helmetless and have crashed a couple of times. The last time really woke me up and I haven't ridden without gear since. To those who haven't been close to death it seems as though it could never happen to you. I guess that's why they call them accidents. Some learn from others mistakes and some learn the hard way. I happen to be one who only learns the hard way.

2OHOH2 · 09-04-2003, 8:25 PM

Quote:

Chain : Maybe a teensey weensey bit.

Actually, I was going to write something like this, but thought the other one would be more universally understandable/acceptable/amusing:

people that come to a complete stop towards the end of highway on-ramps, even when there is no/light traffic on the highway, are dumbasses

fumbducker · 09-05-2003, 12:43 AM

FWIW,
When I was 18(a hundred and ten years ago) I went out and started my bike to warm it up. I came back out and started to get on...and for some reason went back in the house and grabbed my lid(I almost never wore it around town...only on the open road...I got on the bike(almost typed I mounted the bike...you preverts) three houses down the street some chick(parked illegally) pulled out, and I swerved(the road had been freshly seal coated and graveled),,,I lowsided into the car and flipped over the hood...the bike was a totaledl(I was going 15-20mph, my helmet was deeply scratched, and I shattered L2,L3,L4...I'm still walking(albeit a bit more crooked and slower) but I WEAR MY FREAKING HELMET ALL THETIME...rant over...

J

freq · 09-07-2003, 11:19 AM

i'll start another thread later, short article

Motopilot · 09-08-2003, 11:12 AM

Man . . . is The Morning Call a newspaper or someone's personal gripe page. If it is a newspaper, that must have been an editorial because it was too biased to be considered an article. What a rag. While I think it wise to wear a helmet, I think people should be given the choice. There are enough laws on the books governing people's behavior, and I don't need another mother telling me I have to wear a helmet.

freq · 09-08-2003, 11:29 AM

the Morning Call is most definitely a newspaper and yes the writer does seem biased, and he gives an example.

CBRVFR · 09-08-2003, 3:13 PM

Quote:

Motopilot : . *While I think it wise to wear a helmet, I think people should be given the choice. *There are enough laws on the books governing people's behavior, and I don't need another mother telling me I have to wear a helmet.

Motopilot -

I've basically agreed with this sentiment all of my life, but now let me try this argument out on ya.

It isn't the case that these guys are operating in a vacuum. In other words, Their behavior ( splattering the contents of their skulls all over the public roads) potentially has a restrictive effect on OUR ( the helmeted people) ability to ride. It certainly affects the price we pay for insurance, it certainly affects the way we are perceived and therefore treated by the public and law enforcement community, and it could create an outcry that would result in restrictions that would affect our choices.

So since the people who are doing the helmetless splattering are, for the most part, conformist dumbasses, and in many cases, Drunk conformist dumbasses, I say screw 'em.

How's that ?

I'd like to hear a dedicated libertarian to answer that argument.. I think it has some validity.

freq · 09-08-2003, 3:32 PM

in that article, the helmetless rider was indeed drinking (alchohol). talk about taking risks.................

Motopilot · 09-08-2003, 3:40 PM

Well . . . my reply is this:

Before we assume that helmetless riders are imposing this great social cost on the rest of us (i.e. higher insurance costs), I need to see some facts and figures. For example, what percentage of health care costs are made up of helmetless motorcycle riders? You see, that's the real issue. If that figure is high enough, then, yes, you may have a point regarding why insurance companies hike up our rates. Frankly, as insurance companies are merely investment houses, I think they are just greedy and are happy to use an unsubstantiated claim to justify hiking up insurance rates.

ps - I once read that total motorcycle related health care costs were something like .001% of total health costs. I'll try and find that source for you.

Motopilot · 09-08-2003, 3:49 PM

Here you go.

CBRVFR · 09-08-2003, 5:19 PM

Quote:

Motopilot : Well . . . my reply is this:

Before we assume that helmetless riders are imposing this great social cost on the rest of us (i.e. higher insurance costs), I need to see some facts and figures. *For example, what percentage of health care costs are made up of helmetless motorcycle riders? *You see, that's the real issue. *If that figure is high enough, then, yes, you may have a point regarding why insurance companies hike up our rates. *Frankly, as insurance companies are merely investment houses, I think they are just greedy and are happy to use an unsubstantiated claim to justify hiking up insurance rates. *

ps - I once read that total motorcycle related health care costs were something like .001% of total health costs. *I'll try and find that source for you.

Thanks for the link, MP, but that just reinforces my point. I agree with you that insurance companies have a license to steal, and if the Uninformed Public spoken of in the article accepts their contention that we're a bunch of, uh, unhelmeted dumbasses, then we get 'redlined' as a high risk group, and no one thinks it's wrong.

So then all we need is for some crusading populist protector of the public good, running for ofice to make an issue of ( say 'frinstance, FORIEGN) bikes being too fast and dangerous, and we're screwed.

I'll give you the point that the rates are unsupportable actuarily, but they're raping us anyway, and we're a small population, so they're getting away with it.

Edit: lots of '' 's.