[wplug] OT: Risk management (helmet laws)

[Doug Green]

> I think it's interesting that communities built around free software attract
> people who are both philosophically libertarian and philosophically leftward
> leaning; it seems that there is a nice intersection between the two where
> individual control of software is concerned.  I think the different opinions
> on the helmet issue (and a few of the other non-technical discussions that
> have 
> popped up here) demonstrates that very neatly.

> 
>> On Mon, 2006-06-12 at 18:42 -0400, Ben Beige wrote:
>>> I really trhink it's nto the governmet's place to require me to think
>>> of my own safty, or owe them money if they catch me being  recklace.
>>> it's my neck not thiers. also helmets reduce visibility,a dn make for
>>> poor perrifral vision.
>> 


Hey- I'm a member here too, and I definitely do NOT consider myself left
leaning, nor do I like to affiliate myself with any particular political
party. Nevertheless...

The idea that helmets reduce visibility and peripheral vision is complete
and total BS! I ride (a motorcycle). I wear a helmet (full face). There is
NO loss of peripheral vision, and no reduced visibility. I don't know a
SINGLE rider who complains of this. It's a fabricated excuse.

Still, I can't support the creation of laws for this kind of thing, because
I think it's impossible to govern common sense. The further we delve into
the subject of personal safety, the more we mico-manage people's lives. I
guess I consider it a "slippery slope" issue.

My problem with Big Ben is that he is mismanaging his celebrity. Do you
think anyone would send a news crew if I decided to ride without a helmet?
No. Do you think some adolescent would feel "less cool" because I don't wear
a helmet? Very unlikely. But when Ben Roethlisberger refuses to wear a
helmet, and it's big TV/frontpage news, it reaches out to a lot more people
with a much more substantial message: riding with a helmet isn't cool.

As I said before, the REASON he rides without a helmet is so that he can be
recognized by his adoring fans, and look "cool" on his Hayabusa. There is no
justification for it. He chose a career that puts him in the limelight, and
he seems to love it there. Now he'd better fulfill the rest of the social
contract and stop acting like a moron.