AikiDale Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Just because something is a good idea does not mean we should make it a crime to not do it. For example, how about we make it a crime to not brush your teeth twice a day and have the taxpayers foot the bill for all the dental work for those who don't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Med bills at this point are in excess of $850,000 and the projections for her lifetime care are multimillion. Of course she was uninsured so either those bills will be paid as part of the judgement or it will be passed onto the general public the next time we need medical care. That's the problem right there. People aren't held accountable for their actions. If you're an idiot bicyclist that runs a red light, you should get a ticket. If you're a cyclist/motorcyclist/inline skater and you get hurt because you don't have a helmet on and don't have insurance, you should get the level of treatment you can afford out of pocket. I shouldn't be forced to help pay for your stupidity, ignorance or mistakes....and right now that's how it works. My healthcare costs go up because other people are irresponsible. If bicyclist want to take the risk on a narrow, winding road, that's their choice, but they should at least try to stay out of the way and let the other folks on the road go about their business. I have seen bike riders go out of their way to make cars slow down, stop, etc and it frosts me because all they're doing is antagonizing people for no reason. It's the "neener, neener, you can't do anything about it" mindset. If I ever rode with someone like that and they pulled that crap I'd chew their @ss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Well, we (in Oregon) found that KIDS were the ones taking all the chances and goofing off on bikes/skateboards/inline skates, so the law--more specifically--is that helmets are mandatory for youth UNDER 16. Folks OVER 16 simply go helmetless at their own risk. But from what I've seen and what seems to be the concensus, the helmet persuasion HAS saved lives and lessened the severity of injuries overall, and I've seen no one of any age without a helmet while riding a bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neomet Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Just because something is a good idea does not mean we should make it a crime to not do it. For example, how about we make it a crime to not brush your teeth twice a day and have the taxpayers foot the bill for all the dental work for those who don't? Valid point, but to me the answer, as in most things, is the middle path. Society's exposure to having to pay for a new set of choppers is at best minimal. To not however do something easy and basic and in so doing expose other individuals to having to finance potentially millions of dollars in bills is just wrong IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Just because something is a good idea does not mean we should make it a crime to not do it. For example, how about we make it a crime to not brush your teeth twice a day and have the taxpayers foot the bill for all the dental work for those who don't? Valid point, but to me the answer, as in most things, is the middle path. Society's exposure to having to pay for a new set of choppers is at best minimal. To not however do something easy and basic and in so doing expose other individuals to having to finance potentially millions of dollars in bills is just wrong IMHO. The terms "middle path or easy and basic" are so quickly redefined by each following lawyer/politician/interested party/ power group/ political party/mafia - all of a sudden a nation has everything defined and ruled and regulated and taxed and any choice there might have been at some legendary time in the past has been choked out of existence. Man, this is sounding just too familiar. Funny thing, I know no one personally who had a head injury from a bicycle accident although there were a lot of broken, wrists, arms, collar bones, scraped bodies and such. Nobody wore helmets. Not that I think helmets are bad, just way over rated. A real fine book is The Art of Urban Cycling by Robert Hurst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsaxdog Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 (edited) oh, yeah....this one just hit a nerve, so here goes.....been riding road bikes alot longer than i been shooting. all the shooter/gamers i know in all the shooting diciplines, love to be riding with them 50 miles into a hard, fast century. it's always calming for me to think of that.....won't ever happen, but i can dream...if it did, they wouldn't be shooter/gamers!! talk about the zen, physical one-ness thing....it resides everywhere, not just in the shooting thing. don't do the road anymore, since this lovely lady saw fit to launch me at 30mph from behind just as i pulled out of a parking lot in the N. Georgia mountains, Helen specifically. never really saw the lovely woman as the paramedics were loading me on the body board for the 45 minute ride to the hospital. the cop was such a great help, coming to the hospital ER to inform me he wasn't gonna charge me, and didn't charge the lady cause' she really didn't mean it!!! did i mention i'm not from Ga., so you do the math. how she didn't see my 6'1" 190lb frame when the other drivers saw me was really never answered. do i seem bitter??? imagine one of your GM friends having their strong hand badly injured by a careless bicyclist, never able to regain form because of physical problems.....there are definitely inconsiderate cyclists on the road, no argument there. some of them are too dumb to even know any better. but after just driving 1100+ miles back and forth to a match, i saw some serious idiots a 80+mph for 3 days. road rage is everywhere, and it's pretty cheesy to get agressive w/ a person on a 20lb. bicycle when you're in your 3000lb. car. i ride alot still, have a great ex-rail trail a mile from my house, but no more roads for me. i still get cut off at crossroads alot.... Edited April 14, 2008 by bigsaxdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Anderson Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 (edited) Wow from bike riders to goverment intrusion on civil liberties all in one day. As far as the helmet law, I fully agree with it. I've seen too many soft headed kids with head injuries. I see kids and folks around here without helmets all the time. I just saw 10 or so in my neighborhood this morning. As far as the kid who got killed by the idiot going 65 in a 35. It's pretty obvious who is at fault. If your riding and the speed zone is 20-35 mph, I would expect traffic to be going that speed and have time to stop, evade or just generally not kill me. If I'm on a roadway where the speed limit is 55 mph, and there are blind corners with NO opportunity for drivers obeying all laws to see me, I'm an idiot. My biggest issues are the guys that specifically pass up roadways with bike lanes in favor of the skinniest, curviest death trap they can find. If it was just them they were putting at risk, I would have less of a problem. But I see drivers on the wrong side of the road all the time trying to pass the bike rider. Is it illegal for the driver, yep. Can I blame the driver or expect them to drive 5-10 mph up a hill? Nope. I'm sure that I'm seeing, and being annoyed by, a small minority of bike riders. I'm sure there are a lot of bike riders that are thoughtful and intelligent folks. It's the minority screwing it up for the majority, kind of like gun owners. Edited April 13, 2008 by Lawman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 It's a tough call, sometimes, this bicycle vs. vehicle issue. There are good points taken on both sides. And no total, 100% resolution. Each community is different. (Stupidity is kinda universal, however. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 It's a tough call, sometimes, this bicycle vs. vehicle issue. There are good points taken on both sides. And no total, 100% resolution. Each community is different. (Stupidity is kinda universal, however. ) Check out my new sig line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 I think there's been enough debate and drift here for one day ---- so: Closed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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