How's this for irony?

[WolfeMacleod]

NY motorcyclist dies on ride protesting helmet law - Yahoo! News


ONONDAGA, N.Y. (AP) — Police say a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride against helmet laws in upstate New York died after he flipped over the bike's handlebars and hit his head on the pavement.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon in the town of Onondaga, in central New York near Syracuse.

State troopers tell The Post-Standard of Syracuse that 55-year-old Philip A. Contos of Parish, N.Y., was driving a 1983 Harley Davidson with a group of bikers who were protesting helmet laws by not wearing helmets.

Troopers say Contos hit his brakes and the motorcycle fishtailed. The bike spun out of control, and Contos toppled over the handlebars. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Troopers say Contos would have likely survived if he had been wearing a helmet.

[sc_rufctr]

oh... not good. But I can understand someone's desire to choose for themselves.

I wish his family well and hope he rests in peace.

On a similar note: Indian Larry died doing a stunt in a car park. Again no helmet.
He was standing on the seat of his chopper and things didn't go well.

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Just for info. When I was a nurse we used to call motorcycle riders "temporary citizens".
It wasn't meant to be derogatory but it did help us deal with Friday and Saturday nights in Casualty.

[Geronimo '74]

Darwin in action. Gotta love the irony. (too bad a human life was lost though)

I understand the will to choose freely. I do not understand the choice not to wear a helmet when riding a bike. It's like wearing a seatbelt or eyeprotection or a life jacket, do you really want to make excuses not to use them AND pretend to be intelligent??

[DanielDudley]

No one forces off road riders to wear helmets, but they ALL do. Taught from kids, most of them, and never chose to quit.

But you make it a law, and people have to step out. Dang these people who force us to be safe !!! It is my right !!!

Driving on public roads is not a right. It is a privilege, and since you are riding on public roads, I guess it isn't a personal choice. I have seen my share of nasty motorcycle accidents, and I am not going to fight for someone's right to spill his brains out on the road in front of me.

However, I will fight for your right to own and run a motorcycle on the road.

[URY914]

I wonder if his children, wife and maybe grandchildren would want him to make the same decision. Death effects more that just the dead guy.

[azasadny]

I have to wear a seatbelt in my car. How is the helmet law any different?

[on2wheels52]

Art, wouldn't you be even safer driving a car with a helmet also?
Jim

[Rick V]

I wear my seatbelt, not because it is the law but because I chose to, I don't agree with it being a law, just like a helmet.

[Rick Lee]

I am vehemently against seatbelt and helmet laws, but I always wear both, even though there is no helmet law in AZ. Not the state's problem if I want to be an organ donor. What next? Ban smoking?

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

What next? Ban smoking?

Now there is a way for a lot of people to die very fast. Can you picture a few million people all having raging nic-fits at the same time?

[Leland Pate]

Sounds like a protester gave his life for his cause.

What a brave man.

I'm with Rick; I don't condone the act but don't support the monopoly of force.

[techweenie]

He died doing what he loved: slamming his head against pavement.

If the state had zero liability for any injury caused by voluntary helmet avoidance or by the cheap helmets people buy to comply without real protection, I'd be against mandatory helmet laws. But unfortunately, lots of riders put themselves into long term comas and suffer brain damage from accidents like this and ultimately everyone pays for it via government money to hospitals, higher insurance premiums and inflated hospital charges.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by techweenie

If the state had zero liability for any injury caused by voluntary helmet avoidance or by the cheap helmets people buy to comply without real protection, I'd be against mandatory helmet laws. But unfortunately, lots of riders put themselves into long term comas and suffer brain damage from accidents like this and ultimately everyone pays for it via government money to hospitals, higher insurance premiums and inflated hospital charges.

Yes, as long as Big Brother decides to take care of us, he can then tell us how to live. F that. I don't want anyone else to be responsible for me, never asked it of anyone else and, if they force that upon me, tough sheet. Hospitals do actually get a good supply of organ donors from helmetless bikers.

[Seahawk]

I wrecked in 1974. Had I not been wearing a Bell full face helmet, I would have been toast. As it is, I'm a bit dodgy.

The Libertarian in me says fight regulation, the practical side of me wonders why anyone would not wear a helmet...this is one of the few times when the science, the physics, is settled.

I bet there is no such beast as, "no helmet insurance".

[techweenie]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Yes, as long as Big Brother decides to take care of us, he can then tell us how to live. F that. I don't want anyone else to be responsible for me, never asked it of anyone else and, if they force that upon me, tough sheet. Hospitals do actually get a good supply of organ donors from helmetless bikers.

Hospitals are hardly "big brother." They and the ambulance companies have an obligation to try to save lives, and if your brain is bashed in, you're not going to be declining the service. Your wife, kids and other dependents may also need help from the state/feds afterwards. Just a simple fetch/attempt to resuscitate can run to five figures.

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I am vehemently against seatbelt and helmet laws, but I always wear both, even though there is no helmet law in AZ.

This is really simple Rick. You are smart enough to always wear a helmet. Many are not. That's why you need the helmet law.

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

I wrecked in 1974. Had I not been wearing a Bell full face helmet, I would have been toast. As it is, I'm a bit dodgy.

.

Ditto. And also in 1974. And also a Bell full-face. Spooky or what?

And I still have that helmet somewhere with a huge crease in one side where it scraped along some curbstone. That would have been my head.

[MFAFF]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Yes, as long as Big Brother decides to take care of us, he can then tell us how to live. F that. I don't want anyone else to be responsible for me, never asked it of anyone else and, if they force that upon me, tough sheet. Hospitals do actually get a good supply of organ donors from helmetless bikers.

An interesting approach. You are right nobody should be responsible for you...and hence your choice of not wearing a helmet should only act on you.

But does it only affect you? If yes then great. But if your choice (and potential death) does affect others where do they stand in terms of your rights?
Perhaps your most important 'right' is that to act in your interests and those around you upon whom you depend and who depend upon you....

Just a thought.....

[masraum]

The problem as I see it is two-fold. People are stupid. Everyone ends up paying for the stupid people.

If there's a way for us to reduce the cost of the stupid people, and it isn't impacting me adversely, then I'm OK with it. We just have to watch "the line" and make sure that it isn't crossed.

[GH85Carrera]

That idiot just proved he was dead wrong.