What really bugs the shit out of me are people who strongly support something that applies to everyone but them.
I have read many articles by/about Robert “Evel” Knievel and he rants about how there should be mandatory helmet laws in all 50 states via federal legislation. He’s really hard core on the issue, and he insults anyone who doesn’t agree with him, and refers to anyone who doesn’t wear a helmet, even occasionally, as a fucking idiot.
This is not a rant about his actual position. I disagree with it, but he has a right to his view and politics. I don’t want this to be a debate on helment laws.
What pisses me off to hell is, I’ve just seen a couple of RECENT videos of him, one of them played on television tonight, and he’s out on public roads, tearing around on a big Harley and guess what…!
I fucking hate people who do shit like this. Want to cram rules down our throat, but then don’t even want to set an example by following them theirselves.
What next? Sarah Brady buying a sniper rifle?
And then society ends up paying when the rider is a vegetable after suffering a major head injury. And society will end up paying either directly (general increase in medical costs) or indirectly (increase in medical insurance premiums).
Of course, if people over the age of 18 could sign a legal waiver to medical care (beyond a certain level) if injured due to accident and they weren’t wearing a helmet or wearing a seatbelt, then by all means they should be able to do what they want. Sort of an “Organ Donor Card Preferred Level”.
And of course, I did what the OP requested we not do - turn this in a helmet law debate.
As for the OP, I agree. If you are going spout off about something (like helmet use), then you should use them. This is something that pissed me off about Lance Armstrong. He did the same regarding helmets while cycling but in almost all pictures of him during the Tour de France, he was helmetless. Enough of this “Do as I say, not as I do” shit.
I don’t argue that not wearing a helmet is stupid, but I don’t want the government telling me, an adult, that I have to under penalty of law. I defend Knievels right to hold views that the government should do that, but then he should practice what he preaches! And he preaches nasty sometimes.
Oh, and I was being sarcastic about the Sarah Brady remark. She actually DID buy a sniper rifle, and may have even broken the law while doing so!
Color me sceptical but, um… :dubious: you know… cite?
How much of the increase in medical costs are directly attributed to un-helmuted comatose freeloaders? How many actually happen?
What about those that die immediately with no will and heirs and their estate passes to the state?
What about those who get injured in other accidents? Couple of famous people have died in recent years colliding with trees while skiing, should they wear helmuts too? Where’s the outcry?
I have no cites (but I could probably find some if I looked - which I won’t since I think it is irrelevant).
I didn’t say (nor meant to imply) that the rising costs of health care are solely based on helmetless motorcycle riders becoming vegetables. I don’t think anybody would argue that the existence of helmetless motorcycle riders that have become vegetables have added to the increase in medical costs and that if they didn’t exist, medical costs would be lower (how much, I have no idea). And “freeloaders” doesn’t apply. I have medical insurance, while my insurance pays, others’ rates go up (again, to what extent, I don’t know)
As for those that die immediately with no will or heirs, I don’t know how many times this happens (how many people are so estranged from their extended family, I don’t know)
I think that those skiing (or other “dangerous” recreations) should wear helmets. Before this gets into GD material (and way off the OP), I wonder…in a given year, how many motorcyclists crash and what is the breakout of the types of crashes (i.e. simple slide, pretty banged up, vegetable, dead, etc.) and how many skiers crash and what is the breakout of the types of crashes (i.e. simple nose plant, broken bones, vegetable, dead, etc.). If there are more serious skiing accidents than serious motorcycling accidents, I think there should be an outcry about helmetless skiiers.
BTW, when I got my life insurance, I was asked about possible “activities” - motorcycling, scuba diving, hang gliding, sky diving, etc. Any one of these would either increase my rates or cause me to be denied coverage.
Sorry, no dice. The government is perfectly right to tell you to wear one. If the government can enforce certain manditory safety levels upon cars on the road, they are perfectly right to do so to bike riders.
It is for your own safety that you do so, and to not wear a helmet while on a bike just because you don’t like “the big bad gubmint” telling you to is idiotic.
The “it’s for your own good” arguement pisses me off more than just about anything in the world. It is not anyones fucking right to tell me what is for my own good!!! That stupid fucked up arguement could be used for ANYTHING: "we’re forcing these vitamins down your throat at gun point because it’s for your own good" Where do you get off deciding what’s best for people?
I already wear a helmet, but it’s my decision to make! Not yours or anyone elses! And there are no helmet laws in my state!
But this thread isn’t even about that, is it? It’s about people who want to force rules upon us (any rule) then don’t live by those standards themselves!
I’ve been wondering this for weeks now…what is the name of Evel’s son? Apparently he also does crazy stunts, and it’s been driving me up the wall. Do tell! One of you must know.
As regards the OP - Evel’s an idiot and not a role model. He’s had a liver transplant after years of alcohol abuse, he’s been arrested on felony weapons charges . . .
Litening to Evel on helmet laws would be like having David Crosby do an anti-drug, weapons and alcohol ad.
Whistlepig
BTW, at last year’s Evel Knievel days in Butte, America, he made a big deal about everyone going 55 mph on a run down the highway. Four minutes later, he was three miles behind the rest of the pack.
