Helmet? What's a helmet?

[prometheus578]

"...as pretty as a picture"

Mike,
Always considered that first photo of you as a classic. As for the second one... we're laughing with you, not at you. (You are laughing, aren't you?)
Ya need to smile more.[IMG][/IMG]

[xs650mike]

Smile? What, and ruin my street cred?

I realized what was causing the open mouthed expression in that first pic...you've all heard of jaw-dropping acceleration, haven't you?

Dunno what got into me back then but there was about a 3 year period when I violated every safety rule known to man, think it ws because my girlfriend left me. My friends and I indulged in that highly entertaining sport known as Tavern Racing. Rules were simple: as we went from bar to bar the last man bought the round. The goal wasn't to win, just not to be last. You didn't want to be next-to-last either since the last man might be low on funds or too drunk and tired and decide to go home. Late at night sometimes 2 or 3 would peel off and go home. I was a mid-pack kind of guy. I can't recall ever paying for a round. At some point I came to my senses and quit drinking and riding. I always wore my helmet and leathers for this stuff but I never crashed. Additionally I knew the location of every manhole cover and drain grate in town. We all must have been pretty good riders (and drinkers) since none of the old gang has died from motorcycle crashes though they are starting to die off from cirrhosis of the liver.

Disclaimer: Riders depicted in this story were professional beer drinkers on San Francisco streets. Don't try this at home!

[mro]

Time...Time..Time...

was on our side
yes it was


There were actual days here when there were no crashes.
It didn't take two hours to get outa the city on a Friday afternoon.
Early mornings you could ride through the city and there would be but a few cages and most of the traffic lights flashed yellow so you didn't have to stop.

Seeing your photos brings back a lot a memories.



mro
btw
like your "tan" in last pic

[MAXIMAN]

I started this thread several months ago and now I'm gonna end it.

After having posted the true original story I never revisted this thread until tonight.

The only reason I posted the prescribed story was to simply slap us all in the face with reality. WE CAN NOT be reminded to often to be "uber" safe. It is not just my opinion that helmets are safer than no helmet at all. That is irrefutable ...but anyone with more than **** between their ears knows this from simple common sense.

However I am NOT in favor helmet laws. I get so sick of the government "micro-managing" my life....treating me like a child...so in the respect I have no use for forcing people to be "smart" and wearing a helmet. I say if they kill themselves from stupidity then Darwin was right!

Lastly...someone mentioned that helmetless riders should have to pay a premium. Honestly I don't care what they pay. But I do care what I PAY! AND it's not fair for me to pay for their stupidity. It's not fair for John Q. Public to have to pick up a HUGE medical tab because someone did not carry medical insurance...then had the unmitigated audacity to exarcerbate the situation by NOT wearing a hat!

My personal opinion is NO HELMET LAWS! But if you choose not to wear a helmet then you should have to PROVE that you carry sufficient medical insurance so I don't have to pay for your million dollar head injury.

Yes yes you could still suffer a million dollar head shot even wearing a helmet. But if you do while wearing a hat at least I knew you were trying your best to mitigate damage.

Thanks for listening to my XSive rant.

Love ya brothers, be safe, and please please wear a hat.

[webbcraft2150]

Tisk, Tisk. This one sure lit some fires. I am gonna throw in my 2 cents. In 1973 I was broadsided by a car going 'bout 40mph. The elderley lady blew a red light. 6 weeks in the hospital, a totaled Suzuki 200 and a cracked Bell helmet. In '78 rearended by a VW bus while I sat at a red light. Damage, a 2 week old Laverda 1000 ended up being totaled and and the helmet was throughly beat. (I hit two other cars after the VW launched me). I can't count (or remember ) the number of get offs I suffered during my desert racing days where the helmet keep me from going home on a back board. I do not condone the govt telling me to wear a helmet, I just do. Its a personal choice just like the risk we all take when we get on a bike. Should we get started on the seat belt laws?

[MAXIMAN]

Well concerning the seat belt laws...ya got my vote.

However I have heard an argument that a study once proved that belted drivers were able to sustain control over their car (being secured and not bouncing around inside) in a wreck thus mitigating damage to others. Who knows. You can design a study to "find" anything. They do it all the time nowadays.

However...regarding the helmet issue...I too have smacked my helmet off everything under the sun at speeds of 10 to 60 since I was about 10 years old. No doubt it saved me to some of your dismay. However trying to encourage people to wear a hat I am convinced we are...

[DiverRay]

Cody,
You do that soo welll....
Ray

[fredintoon]

Who pays?

Hi Maximan,
you said:-

"- - - Lastly...someone mentioned that helmetless riders should have to pay a premium. Honestly I don't care what they pay. But I do care what I PAY! AND it's not fair for me to pay for their stupidity. It's not fair for John Q. Public to have to pick up a HUGE medical tab because someone did not carry medical insurance...then had the unmitigated audacity to exarcerbate the situation by NOT wearing a hat!- - - "

J.Q.Public pays for all sorts of stuff that is in place to help those who have high risk hobbies.
Mountain rescue teams for climbers & skiers, search and rescue teams for downed hobby fliers, coastguards to save sailboaters, on and on.
As far as I know, nobody who gets saved by any of these outfits gets billed for being rescued. Even if they used the wrong rope or mis-read their fuel gauge or disregarded the avalanche or small boat warnings.
So what you are proposing is that helmet laws be repealed but medical insurance should be mandatory?
Fred Hill, (wearing his helmet & covered by Canada Health in) S'toon.

[DiverRay]

Fred,
In California, if you are stupid and need to be rescuded, you pay for it. It's been that way for over 10 years. The Coast guard usually does not charge, but if the local police or search and rescue are called in, and you needed the help because you didn't use prudent caution, you pay for the rescue.
I know this is a fact, as I know someone who was charged for the seach time, and helicopter ride when they got trapped in the snow. They DID NOT heed the weather forcast, and did pay for their own rescue. The $5K charged probably didn't cover everything, but it did teach the person to pay attention.
Ray

[Jerry]

Coming in at the end of this. Here is part of an article dated 5-29-06 about the motorcycle death rate in Colorado:

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (May 29, 2006).

DENVER - Colorado has the eighth-worst rate
of motorcycle deaths in the nation and is the only
state in the top 10 that does not require helmets,
government statistics show.

Colorado's death rate was 1.77 per 100,000
people, the Rocky Mountain News reported
Monday, citing statistics from the National
Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

The figures show Colorado motorcycle deaths
rose to 4,008 in 2004, up from 2,116 in 1997.
At the same time, the number of registered
motorcycles rose 40 percent but miles driven
declined slightly.

Now the point that everyone seems to miss. The 7 states ranked higher in death rates require helmets. If there was a direct corellation between mortality (not injury) rates, then Colorado and the few other states that do not have mandatory helmet laws would lead the list. Instead, 9 of the top 10 highest mortality rates come from states with mandatory helmet laws.

I wear a helmet 99.5 percent of the time, but respect the right to make your own choice and therefore oppose mandatory helmet laws.

The author of the article clearly wants Colorado to adopt mandatory helmet laws; you can read the complete article at this link:
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/2...NEWS/105290041

[jetmechmarty]

Maybe I should stay in the house. Motorcycle riding is very dangerous.

[MAXIMAN]

Re: Who pays?

Originally posted by fredintoon
So what you are proposing is that helmet laws be repealed but medical insurance should be mandatory?
Fred Hill, (wearing his helmet & covered by Canada Health in) S'toon.

Why not? We require mandantory insurance for automobiles...liability...it forces people who would otherwise carry no insurnce to pay for monetary damages they cause to others.

Why stop there? People can cause all sort of fiscal damage to me as a taxpayer from their actions ...be they careless or simply an accident.

At least if you are wearing a helmet it is obvious you are trying to mitigate damage to your self and to taxpayers if you are not medically insured.

What I have a problem with is people who can not afford medical insurance...but they can somehow afford a $20,000 Harley sitting in their driveway...and a new Chevy Tahoe....and an 18 foot Bass Boat. Still they insist medical insurance is out of their price range.

These very same guys ( two to be exact I know personally) refuse to wear helmets. Now I dunno about you Fred...but somehow that doesn't add up to me. These guys have their priorites all all of order. Then when they bounce their head off ashphalt at Main and 6th...I have to foot the bill.

Thing is this not confined to simply these two men. It is a widespread problem in the USA. People here have any uncanny ability to get their ass in crack...then expect some one else to come to the rescue.

I don't mind helping people that need help and helping people that help themselves (ie wearing a helmet). What we ar doing here is "paying" people to engage in risky behavior. We're are essentially paying them with taxpayer provided medical care.

Just the ranting of a lunatic...

Cg

[Jerry]

If the medical profession wanted to lower costs, they would insist that motorcyclist not wear helmets. Funerals are cheaper than doctors.

The idea that motorcycle injuries drive up the cost of health care has not been proven to my satisfaction. Several studies have suggested many accidents are caused by distractions of cell phones and car stereos. Ban cells and stereos in cars; that would lower health care costs! You bet...cold day in Hell before that happens. Then we can address the issue of Soccer Moms, and I do mean those minivans are some of the biggest hazzards on the road. Finally there is outright stupidity (You can't fix Stupid!); 2 night ago I saw what remained of a car after he stopped in the middle of an interstate lane in a 75MPH zone. Whacked in the rear by an 18-wheeler, they had to cut the cage driver (dead) out of the car. For the short term they just through a tarp over the wreck and removed the body after rush hour was over.

http://www.postindependent.com/artic...29/0/FRONTPAGE

No doubt there is a cost associated with motorcycle injuries. However, no one has ever shown me how or how much they affect health care costs. Show me the money! Ban cell phones use in cars; that will do more to drive down health care costs than mandating helmets.

[MAXIMAN]

Originally posted by Jerry
If the medical profession wanted to lower costs, they would insist that motorcyclist not wear helmets. Funerals are cheaper than doctors.

Hehehehe...Jerry I love your dry humor!