# Man dies in motorcycle accident - while protesting helmet law. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 3, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729 "2011-07-03T16:51:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/1 "2011-07-03T16:51:51Z")
Not quite a Darwin award candidate in my book, but a fine example of an unfortunate coincidence award. [Motorcyclist dies while riding to protest helmet law](http://news.yahoo.com/ny-motorcyclist-dies-ride-protesting-helmet-law-143217859.html) His head hit the pavement. > [@](#): > > Troopers say Contos would have likely survived if he had been wearing a helmet. I know they can’t know for sure, but if it was his head injury that was the fatal one, it seems quite possible he could have survived. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/2 "2011-07-03T16:56:30Z")
[Nelson Muntz] … [/NM] Never mind. I was wearing helmets before there were helmet laws. This is why. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/3 "2011-07-03T17:08:05Z")
I saw that story and emailed it to my regular group with the title “Justice?” Something about it reminds me of [John Sedgwick - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sedgwick#Death) ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/4 "2011-07-03T17:12:37Z")
Well, it was worth the risk to have a slightly better field of view and that wind-in-your-hair feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/5 "2011-07-03T17:19:36Z")
Unfortunately, the sort of people who have objections to helmet laws often aren’t very bright. I remember one genius I worked with (who was an “affiliate” of an outlaw motorcycle club and exactly as stupid as you need to be for that) who simultaneously argued that helmet laws compromised his safety by requiring that his ears be covered while riding, and that “loud pipes” were also _essential_ for his safety on the road. I feel for the poor schmuck’s family, but ABATE seems to be persuading some states to repeal helmet laws, and when they’re successful there they go on to try to topple requirements that helmetless riders carry appropriate medical insurance. The consequences of their aims are inevitable, and this is exactly the sort of press they need. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/6 "2011-07-03T17:20:24Z")
I wonder if his buddies in the protest ride who watched his sorry ass die will now embrace sanity and wear helmets. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/7 "2011-07-03T17:21:05Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Unfortunately, the sort of people who have objections to helmet laws often aren’t very bright. > > I remember one genius I worked with (who was an “affiliate” of an outlaw motorcycle club and exactly as stupid as you need to be for that) who simultaneously argued that helmet laws compromised his safety by requiring that his ears be covered while riding, and that “loud pipes” were also _essential_ for his safety on the road. > > I feel for the poor schmuck’s family, but ABATE seems to be persuading some states to repeal helmet laws, and when they’re successful there they go on to try to topple requirements that helmetless riders carry appropriate medical insurance. The consequences of their aims are inevitable, and this is exactly the sort of press they need. Amen to that. We call that sort of person a cornea donor. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/8 "2011-07-03T17:57:04Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > …wind-in-your-hair feeling. You misspelled ‘gravel’ there. > [@Shayna](#): > > I wonder if his buddies in the protest ride who watched his sorry ass die will now embrace sanity and wear helmets. Well, it worked for Gary Busey… ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/9 "2011-07-03T18:04:28Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > I wonder if his buddies in the protest ride who watched his sorry ass die will now embrace sanity and wear helmets. Of course not. Wearing helmets would only disgrace the memory of this great man who died defending his beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/10 "2011-07-03T18:08:30Z")
My mom and every other person in the medical field I’ve ever met refer to motorcyclists in general and those without helmets in particular as “donorcyclists”. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/11 "2011-07-03T19:19:41Z")
I’m disappointed in the total lack of puns relating to this man’s death. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/12 "2011-07-03T19:27:05Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I know they can’t know for sure, but if it was his head injury that was the fatal one, it seems quite possible he could have survived. I doubt it was the head injury that killed him; he clearly wasn’t keeping any vital organs up there… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/13 "2011-07-03T20:08:40Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > he clearly wasn’t keeping any vital organs up there… Obviously. He was driving a Harley. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/14 "2011-07-03T20:16:10Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I doubt it was the head injury that killed him; he clearly wasn’t keeping any vital organs up there… 1 brain for sale. Still in original packaging. Unused. Damaged during shipping. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/15 "2011-07-03T20:19:09Z")
Well, he showed _them_. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/16 "2011-07-03T20:20:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Well, he showed _them_. Yeah, the inside of his skull. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/17 "2011-07-03T21:10:48Z")
Zombie food. ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/18 "2011-07-03T21:52:22Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > I wonder if his buddies in the protest ride who watched his sorry ass die will now embrace sanity and wear helmets. Nope. Those dumb bastards will blame it on some other factor. It’s blind arrogance and wilfull ignorance that motivates people like that. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/19 "2011-07-03T22:38:54Z")
how many of people end up dying while doing what they love? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/20 "2011-07-03T22:39:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Nope. Those dumb bastards will blame it on some other factor. It’s blind arrogance and wilfull ignorance that motivates people like that. Why do you hate Freedom™? . [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729.md?page=2)