"Helmet? I don't need no steenking helmet!"

[beppington]

Count me out on that one, money is not so important to me that I can abide human suffering to save a few bucks.

You might like to think not, but it really does make the world go around. Really can land you in jail. Really is required to lead any kind of fairly normal life at all. Really can enslave you, etc.

I think what you're implying is that you're willing to enter into slavery in order to try to end human suffering. It might not seem like slavery if the govt does require us to all buy health insurance, in the beginning, if the initial rates seem low. But eventually they will go up, up, up, with all the typical inefficiencies & corruption involved in govt. The rates certainly aren't going to go down.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I'm at a loss as to why some people who THINK they're well informed, intelligent adults, have such irresponsible, UNintelligent ideas......Ideas that their gross disregard for their own saftey should become the FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY of society as a whole....Ideas that some whack-o theory that riding a motorcycle without a helmet is just as safe, maybe even safer than not....The idea that quoting skewed opinions of a special interest group is "fact"....

Forrest Gump was right....Stupid is as stupid does......

As brilliant and progressive as these people THINK they are, they've become their own worst enemies....and the reason why personal saftey laws have to become a LAW in the first place.

Although.....There is now a strong case that some of these people don't have so much to lose in the event of a severe head injury.

Go ahead....paint that target on which ever foot you so desire....results are a given.....

 

[BlacknTan]

Unfortunately, we're a highly litigous society.
Blame greedy ambulance chasing lawyers and folks looking to cash in from someone with deep pockets. Look at McDonalds that serves coffee "too hot.."
Perhaps people should be forced by law to wear insulated pads on their laps so they can't spill while driving, or applying make-up, texting, smoking or just perusing the daily newspaper...
Good sense cannot, and should not be legislated!

But, what pleases me most, is the fact that I can tolerate opposing viewpoints without characterizing their purveyors as "STUPID..."

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Unfortunately, we're a highly litigous society.
Blame greedy ambulance chasing lawyers and folks looking to cash in from someone with deep pockets. Look at McDonalds that serves coffee "too hot.."
Perhaps people should be forced by law to wear insulated pads on their laps so they can't spill while driving, or applying make-up, texting, smoking or just perusing the daily newspaper...
Good sense cannot, and should not be legislated!

But, what pleases me most, is the fact that I can tolerate opposing viewpoints without characterizing their purveyors as "STUPID..."

As of this point in history, I haven't heard of anyone becoming an organ donor as the result of hot coffee.

No on placed on life support over hot coffee.

Apparently good sense cannot be instilled by simple logic and reasoning either.....

 

[studor]

Blame greedy ambulance chasing lawyers and folks looking to cash in from someone with deep pockets. Look at McDonalds that serves coffee "too hot.."

McDonalds did serve coffee too hot and burned the s**t out of an old lady who was just trying to get the top off to add cream. As a consequence of a very effective media campaign she became the poster child for "whats wrong" with the US legal system rather than what is right. McD deserved that settlement and more -- JMHO

 

[RedDawg]

I work for the state of Tennessee and have done studies on the potential impact of this state allowing freedom of choice with respect to helmets. These results were presented to the subcommittee studying the potential change in the law. Using Department of Safety data that tracks after accident information we were amazed to find that the average driver/passenger of an automobile injured in a crash uses more public money and spends longer in the hospital than the average biker in a crash. Conclusion: Bikers already have better private health insurance than the average driver/passenger of automobiles so if you are going to use the social burden argument the facts don't support you.

This study also found that Freedom of Choice States had a lower death and accident rate per 100,000 miles driven than Mandatory Helmet States according to the NHTSA. This was also supported by studies in Maryland and California.

Also, if you are going to use the social burden argument then there are far more dangerous things to outlaw first - pools, swimming of any kind, cars, horse riding....farming......

Additionally, to be DOT approved a helmet only has to withstand an impact speed of 13.4 mph. At 65 on the freeway as the old saying goes, they simply make for a good looking corpse.

Please stop arguing the device. It can be good. It can also kill (Dale Earnhardt) If YOU require a helmet on ME because you think it is your right to protect yourself financially I know I can come up with all kinds of things you do that should be stopped as well. It is a viscous war where only the government power brokers win. They get us fighting each other and meanwhile neither of us have any liberties and the power to control is theirs.

The question is, "Is it the government's authority to legislative behavior or to try to legislate all risk out of life?" Part of the cost of living in a 'free' society is allowing people to succeed or fail on their own. To be truly free people, all forms of forced redistribution of wealth (medicaid, medicare, social security, public support of hospitals for those who can't pay, ect...) would need to be ended. The only kind of insurance would be private insurance - and charitable contributions. Then, you truly would be only responsible for yourself in all actions. But since we've proceeded down the hybrid path of liberty (riding motorcycles of our choice) and socialism (yes, we've been socialist for 80 years) we will continue to have the argument between those who want liberty and those who want protection.

 

[Dargo]

It can also kill (Dale Earnhardt) If YOU require a helmet on ME because you think it is your right to protect yourself financially I know I can come up with all kinds of things you do that should be stopped as well.

Ewwww, very, very bad example. So bad that it makes me now question everything you previously stated. Dale Earnhardt Sr. died because he opted (his freedom at the time - not now) to not use a HANS device. The crash loads recovered from the data box in his car show that his crash impact does not rank in the top 500 hardest hits taken by drivers in the last 15 years. I assume that you would think the use of HANS devices should be optional in NASCAR as they were then??

I have many friends in the Carolinas in the heart of NASCAR and have read exhaustive studies of that particular crash because so much was studied about the crash due to the popularity of the driver. To use his death as a reason to not wear a helmet is not only completely wrong, but borders on unforgivable within the NASCAR community. Please come up with more appropriate examples and actual linkable studies to support your claims. I raced for many years and am an avid racing fan. If helmets caused injuries or death in races, they would be banned from use in such sports. If you want to check your facts, quite the contrary is the case; they are absolutely required in such sports.

 

[Dargo]

Ok, my turn to be shocked. I agree with you completely on each point you made.

I'm at a loss as to why some people who THINK they're well informed, intelligent adults, have such irresponsible, UNintelligent ideas......Ideas that their gross disregard for their own saftey should become the FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY of society as a whole....Ideas that some whack-o theory that riding a motorcycle without a helmet is just as safe, maybe even safer than not....The idea that quoting skewed opinions of a special interest group is "fact"....

Forrest Gump was right....Stupid is as stupid does......

As brilliant and progressive as these people THINK they are, they've become their own worst enemies....and the reason why personal saftey laws have to become a LAW in the first place.

Although.....There is now a strong case that some of these people don't have so much to lose in the event of a severe head injury.

Go ahead....paint that target on which ever foot you so desire....results are a given.....

 

[RedDawg]

Ewwww, very, very bad example. So bad that it makes me now question everything you previously stated. Dale Earnhardt Sr. died because he opted (his freedom at the time - not now) to not use a HANS device. The crash loads recovered from the data box in his car show that his crash impact does not rank in the top 500 hardest hits taken by drivers in the last 15 years. I assume that you would think the use of HANS devices should be optional in NASCAR as they were then??

I have many friends in the Carolinas in the heart of NASCAR and have read exhaustive studies of that particular crash because so much was studied about the crash due to the popularity of the driver. To use his death as a reason to not wear a helmet is not only completely wrong, but borders on unforgivable within the NASCAR community. Please come up with more appropriate examples and actual linkable studies to support your claims. I raced for many years and am an avid racing fan. If helmets caused injuries or death in races, they would be banned from use in such sports. If you want to check your facts, quite the contrary is the case; they are absolutely required in such sports.

And the back of his helmet broke his neck...I'm not saying he should or shouldn't have worn one. Once again, you're arguing the device. They can be good in some situations and bad in others.

 

[TripleR]

It's not the money I mind so much it's the fact that our government is not for profit. Good in some was but when the money means nothing to them (because they never worry about the bottom line) then it gets wasted. Our elected leaders spend it in places that will buy them the most votes. But I digress.

I can't argue with that.

You might like to think not, but it really does make the world go around. Really can land you in jail. Really is required to lead any kind of fairly normal life at all. Really can enslave you, etc.

I think what you're implying is that you're willing to enter into slavery in order to try to end human suffering. It might not seem like slavery if the govt does require us to all buy health insurance, in the beginning, if the initial rates seem low. But eventually they will go up, up, up, with all the typical inefficiencies & corruption involved in govt. The rates certainly aren't going to go down.

Not even close, my communication skills are either way off or you misread my post.