[wplug] OT: Risk management (helmet laws)

[Michael Semcheski]

O'Connor, Michael P. wrote:
> Well Billings some good may yet come of this (boy am I going to get
> flamed)  But it is possible that after this drivers of cars might be
> aware of bikers. 

Now you could have written a modern day magna carta following that.  I
don't know, because I absolutely won't let my eyes stray further down
the screen.  I've been on this Earth too long and am far too jaded to
think that anything (except for possibly the two things I suggest below)
could get drivers attention _and_ keep it.

Most drivers are shameful examples of why $8 per gallon gas would be a
good thing.  If drivers are putting more of their attention on the road,
it won't last until the end of the week.  Old habits are hard to break. 
At least with $8 gas, people are more judicious about when they drive,
and probably have to bike it here or there.  Nothing improves your
driving attitude like riding a bike.  That's my first idea.  The second
follows...

Now, this may sound crazy, but bear with me.  What if we put a different
Congressmen on a Hayabusa each week, and sent him careening through high
traffic areas.  To maximize the impact this would have, they could have
it on Fox (even better, CSPAN - no commercials.)  It would be a valuable
lesson for our drivers, and it might bring CSPAN ratings up. 

> In the past I have noticed that car drivers are to
> busy eating, reading news papers, watching TV what ever to car about
> who else is on the road, but today (the day after the accident) was a
> much more pleasant ride in, I had no close calls the drivers seemed
> to have seen me today, I think it is because they are still thinking
> about the accident of yesterday, I just hope this will leave a
> lasting impression and not be over in one day.
>
> Michael P. O'Connor US&S Office: 412-688-2491 Cell: 412-498-0667
> mpoconnor at switch.com
>
> -----Original Message----- From:
> wplug-bounces+mpoconnor=switch.com at wplug.org
> [mailto:wplug-bounces+mpoconnor=switch.com at wplug.org] On Behalf Of
> Jonathan S. Billings Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 8:51 AM To: General
> user list Subject: Re: [wplug] OT: Risk management (helmet laws)
>
> On Tue, 2006-06-13 at 08:37 -0400, Burt E Reany wrote:
>> It turned out that many of the new head injuries that occurred to
> troops
>> who were wearing these metal helmets would have previously been
>> fatal.
> Many
>> lives were, indeed, saved - but treating those who were now
>> upgraded
> to
>> "survivors" cost more.
>
> More evidence that economics rarely justifies safety.  I really
> doubted it would.
>
> Now, I wouldn't mind letting natural selection take its role, and
> "weed" out the idiots who think they're too cool to wear a helmet.  I
> just hate having to wash blood and bone fragments from the grill of
> my SUV*.  At least, this spectacular example of selection might
> actually allow the idea of safety to sink into the soft foamy brains
> of the football-watching, bare-headed biking community.  Ideas are
> much easier to wash off the hood than brains.
>
>
> * NOTE: I don't own a car.
>