# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/21 "2011-07-03T22:44:01Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > how many of people end up dying while doing what they love? I’ve loved riding motorcycles for years. During that time, I’ve never loved crashing. ---
**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, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/22 "2011-07-03T22:58:51Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > how many of people end up dying while doing what they love? This is about people doing something they love _wrong_. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/23 "2011-07-03T23:01:15Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > This is about people doing something they love _wrong_. If loving wrong is wrong, I don’t want to be wrong! YMMV ---
**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, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/24 "2011-07-03T23:03:31Z")
> [@echo6160](#): > > Nope. Those dumb bastards will blame it on some other factor. It’s blind arrogance and wilfull ignorance that motivates people like that. [Indeed](http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/07/death_of_motorcyclist_during_h.html). > [@](#): > > [Christinea Rathbun, the president of the Syracuse ABATE chapter, and her] members do not believe the government has any business telling bikers whether to wear a helmet. > > Contos’ death will not change that, Rathbun said on Sunday. > > “Absolutely not,” she said. “It’s not going to stop us protesting our right to wear a helmet or not wear a helmet. It’s your own risk.” You know, she’d have a valid point, if this debate took place in the context of a libertarian or anarchist dystopia. Lady, it’s _not_ your own risk, because other people will undoubtedly pay for the consequences of your failure to use reasonable safety measures in innumerable ways, and your asinine group will _also_ protest any attempt to compromise by allowing you to choose that risk without unfairly requiring people who _aren’t_ morons to subsidize it. “Well, we’ve put the data into an actuarial table and this is how much it’s going to cost if we spread the projected risk out among the ratepayers who want to have the option to go helmet-less.” “We can’t possibly pay that, that’s impossible!” “Yeah, okay - how about you agree to carry $20,000 personal injury insurance? Still nowhere near fair to everyone else, but it’s a pretty attractive compromise.” “Fascist! Let the rider decide!” You know, I have no great love of stupid people (and there is a very strong correlation between vocal objection to traffic safety legislation and being approximately as smart as a rock) and I would be _all_ for allowing them the freedom to dash their brains out on the pavement if that’s what they really want to do - if I wasn’t going to have to subsidize it and it wasn’t going to affect anyone else in any way. Here in BC, our medical services deal with about 5,000 brain injuries a year. If any of those are preventable, they should effing well be _prevented_. I don’t want to have to wait longer for rehab to accomodate some idiot that wouldn’t be there at all if he didn’t worry that wearing a helmet made him look a little bit dorky. (“Hey, that drool on your chin looks pretty badass - you’re _such_ a rebel!”) ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/25 "2011-07-03T23:09:04Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Wearing helmets would only disgrace the memory of this great man who died defending his beliefs. This. But it does open the possibility of nasty accident during the funeral cortege becoming a Darwinian autocalytic reaction. Freedom is another word for doesn’t have a clue. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/26 "2011-07-03T23:21:02Z")
When ARE the next Darwin Awards? Cuz this guy’s a shoe-in. ---
**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, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/27 "2011-07-03T23:27:19Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > When ARE the next Darwin Awards? Cuz this guy’s a shoe-in. Yeah, someone needs to give them a heads-up. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/28 "2011-07-03T23:46:16Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Lady, it’s _not_ your own risk, because other people will undoubtedly pay for the consequences of your failure to use reasonable safety measures… But aren’t motorcycles, statistically, vastly more dangerous to begin with? Isn’t riding a bike at all essentially working the same dynamic with respect to publicly-funded emergency services and all the rest? I’ve seen a couple gruesome motorcycle accidents in which the riders _were_ wearing helmets. For that matter, some such cases may ultimately cost taxpayers more than if the rider was killed promptly. Yes, overall I’m sure we’d be better off if all riders wore helmets than if none did. But I’m not sure the line is _quite_ as bright as we seem to be assuming here. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/29 "2011-07-04T00:02:41Z")
while I’m opposed to the helmet laws I wouldn’t ride a motorcycle without one. We don’t have the law in my state and I regularly see riders wearing nothing but shorts, t-shirt, and sandals. Even the least accident on a motorcycle is G O I N G - T O - H U R T. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/30 "2011-07-04T00:40:10Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > I wonder if his buddies in the protest ride who watched his sorry ass die will now embrace sanity and wear helmets. Judging by the locals around here, they’ll suck down a few beers at the local biker bar and loudly proclaim that he lived and died the way he wanted to. In other words, no change. ---
**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 4, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/31 "2011-07-04T02:09:19Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > When ARE the next Darwin Awards? Cuz this guy’s a shoe-in. End of the year. It’s basically a “year in review” kind of award. This guy will probably win some kind of “killed in the most ironic way” award. Was this technically irony, though? Or what is the term for it otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/32 "2011-07-04T02:52:17Z")
People who don like helmets probably don know someone who has experienced a head injury. The normal thought is if I get in an accident it will be over any way so why worry. I was doing about 20 MPH when a car pulled out in fromt of me and I slammed in to the right fender flew into the air landed on the hood head first and fell onto the ground. I split my head open. Did not crack my skull but had over 20 stiches in the skin covering my scalp and move under the skin. I was not hurt bad released from the hospital that day. But now I have memory problems. One of the reasons I have problem spelling so many words I can nor remember how to spell. For over 5 years when ordering at a restraunt I had a hard time and my wife would have to help me. I could not remember what the earlier entry was that I read about to I had nothing to go back to to make a choice. I have made some dangerous mistakes at work because I forgot a setp. the accident occured over 30 years ago and I was only ridding a bicycle and only doing about 20 mph. And my injury was only minor for a head injury. Before anyone tells me I was an idiot for not wearing a helmet, you are right. But 30 years ago they were not common. Now I really do believe in them and believe in either helmet laws or those with out helmets agree that the expence for their care after an injury be only the families responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/33 "2011-07-04T04:25:14Z")
I started riding a scooter this year. A 2007 Honda Metropolitan, it’s a cute little scooter. I’m 5’3" and weigh 120 lbs and I certainly don’t look very menacing coming down the road like a huge 1 ton truck does but I don’t believe that I am F\*\*\*ing invisible! I’ve had a number of close calls already. If my state didn’t have a helmet law I would still wear one. I like my brain, and I’d like for it to stay where it belongs. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/34 "2011-07-04T10:52:36Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Was this technically irony, though? Or what is the term for it otherwise? Give it the Alanis test: Passionate Angel, on his bike, Contos was strong, believed in his right To ride without a protective device. As he lost control, flipped over and died The Trooper’s said, ‘would’ve saved his life’ So isn’t it ironic, don’t you think…? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/35 "2011-07-04T14:07:28Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > how many of people end up dying while doing what they love? Yeah, like how about skydiving? At least those people are considerate enough to engage in an activity where major accidents typically are fatal and don’t require the public to pay for expensive trauma repairs and years of rehab. And my own hobby, gardening - lemme tell you, digging around in the soil without gloves this weekend has left me with a couple painful little finger lacerations. And a big fat groundhog raced across my path. You gotta have body armor out here. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/36 "2011-07-04T15:06:23Z")
Unhelmeted motorcyclists=organ donors “on the hoof” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/37 "2011-07-04T18:00:58Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Yeah, like how about skydiving? At least those people are considerate enough to engage in an activity where major accidents typically are fatal and don’t require the public to pay for expensive trauma repairs and years of rehab. > > And my own hobby, gardening - lemme tell you, digging around in the soil without gloves this weekend has left me with a couple painful little finger lacerations. And a big fat groundhog raced across my path. You gotta have body armor out here. ☹ Growing your own food? You should be shot. Instead of supporting the world economy, you revert back to the stone age and grow your own. Think of the farmer in South America, the truckers who drive blue berries all the way to your local market, murdering prostitutes along the way, but nooOOOOOOOOOooo. You’re too good for that. I hope you choke on your own sweet corn. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/38 "2011-07-05T03:21:20Z")
That cyclist… man. There’s no irony like lethal irony. ---
**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 5, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/39 "2011-07-05T03:56:18Z")
“I’m a cowboy… on an iron-y horse I ride… and I’m wanted…” ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729/40 "2011-07-05T04:04:41Z")
It reminds me of the BASE jumper, Jan Davis, who died BASE jumping off El Capitan in a protest on the ban on BASE jumping off El Capitan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-dies-in-motorcycle-accident-while-protesting-helmet-law/587729.md?page=3)