Main > Everything Else

Protest fail

<< < (3/5) > >>

CheffoJeffo:

SavannahLion:
This is something that I'm torn on.

Part of it has to do with Sonny Bono and his death. Because of it, lobbyists are pushing for helmets on the slopes. I competed for years and only wore a full helmet during competition. During most training or casual skiing, I rarely wore my helmet. My father was even tougher, competed at a professional level without a helmet until he busted a rib. I treat bicycling and skating the same way. Riding the luge, I tended to wear the helmet.

My wife, on the other hand, is terrified of these sports and insists on a helmet even on the kids in the jogging stroller. :\

Motorcycle helmets are one of those things where I would draw the line at a reasonable age (eg 18) to require helmets. Adults, as reasonable adults go, are just that, adults. How far are we willing to baby adults?

To complicate matters, I know how the motorcycle helmet law in CA was successfully passed. An initial attempt was made to pass the law about oh....30 or 40 years ago and it was handily voted down by voters. A few years later a "leverage" law was passed requiring those under 18(?) to wear helmets. It passed with little protest. What parent doesn't want their children protected? Fast forward about twenty years and the writer re-introduced a similar law that law attempted before. Again it was protested but the law passed anyways. What happened? Those kids who were required to wear helmets are now adults themselves and outnumbered the people who did not wear helmets. Couple that with the general populace who have no qualms about passing about about any "control" law and you can get just about any law passed.

Strictly speaking, I'm indecisive on the helmet law here in CA. My beef lies with the process. There are a ton of laws that pass this way and they all erode some portion of our freedoms as adults.

TOK:

--- Quote from: Ed_McCarron on July 05, 2011, 03:14:13 pm ---Meh, if I gotta wear a seatbelt, you gotta wear a helmet.

Or at least sign a mandatory organ donor card to ride without one.

--- End quote ---

You shouldn't have to wear a seatbelt. That's the whole problem with succumbing to the nanny mentality. Once it starts, it just keeps getting worse.

The guy in the protest made a bad choice and died from it. That's totally on him, and exactly how it should be.

Cakemeister:

--- Quote from: TOK on July 05, 2011, 08:12:39 pm ---
The guy in the protest made a bad choice and died from it. That's totally on him, and exactly how it should be.


--- End quote ---

+1. You won't ever see me riding without one but they should not be mandatory. Now we have to wear seat belts in the back seat. We should not have to wear those, either.

Corbo:
It's mandatory here in the UK, and really isn't an issue.

I do believe in freedom of choice however, and given that wearing a helmet is only for the benefit of the rider, i.e it won't save anyone else's life if you come off without one, only your own, then I agree with both laws.  USA for freedom of choice, UK for enforced safety.

Either way, it's a bit dumb not to wear one.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page

Go to full version