The American Culture of Motorcycle Safety

Hi Guys,

I totally agree about helmets, safety gear mandated by a government, and especially about encroachments on the 2nd Amendment....however. (You knew there's a "however", didn't you?)

However, if we are Americans, we have no business lecturing Australians about how to run their country, any more than they would have the right to tell us how to run ours. (As if we got to run ours....)

Nor, I believe, is it polite to call fellow riders "stupid" simply because they disagree with us. "Stupid" is subjective: people call me stupid because I'm a grandmother and ride bikes. I think privately that they are stupid because they *don't* ride bikes...

Anyway, I think we have plenty to worry about right here at home....I guess that's my point. (Other than the top of my head, and if I fix my hair differently, you won't see that....)

I didn't call him stupid. I called their government stupid, as a collective. I did not mean him personally. I did it because when 'common sense' laws start appearing, it IS stupid. People only like laws they personally agree with, and never figure out that the wonderful Gov will get around to making laws you don't agree with.

Agreed. *All* governments are stupid. A classic example of a good idea ruined by a bureaucracy who's only agenda is to grow larger. Thanks for the clarification.

longride said:

I didn't call him stupid. I called their government stupid, as a collective. I did not mean him personally. I did it because when 'common sense' laws start appearing, it IS stupid. People only like laws they personally agree with, and never figure out that the wonderful Gov will get around to making laws you don't agree with.

Click to expand...

I stand by Bertrand Russell. "Friendly" tyranny is still tyranny. The nannies never stop until they regulate everything. But apparently you aren't allowed to call someone a tyrant when they put on a big public show of doing it for your own good. It's considered impolite.

Since the govt can walk into your house and take your kids from you without provable cause or warrant we have already gone waaaay past the point of "common sense" laws. I am not making this up. The Child Agencies of almost all US States have the power to take your kids from you at the whim of a case worker. No evidence or warrant needed. Is this "common sense"?

Go back to sleep, slaves. Or watch "American Idol". Or vote republicrat. There is no difference between those three conditions.

"The Child Agencies of almost all US States have the power to take your kids from you at the whim of a case worker. No evidence or warrant needed. Is this "common sense"?"

You are correct on this. I know someone it happened to!

Again---agreed. The only other thing is that when they *should* remove a child from an abusive home, they don't. Seems to be a case of always getting it wrong.....

Yet another reason I'm a Libertarian....

In 2010 I was riding highway 20 in eastern Washington at a spirited clip, when a deer jumped a fence and collided with the side of my bike in mid-air. I saw it for perhaps 1/2 a second before impact, as there was thick forest on the other side of the fence. Wasn't even sure it was a deer. I was knocked to the ground hard at 60ish, and slid about a hundred feet. 1/4" was gouged out of my helmet, had I not been wearing it and full gear I wouldn't have been able to duct tape my bike back together and ride 550 miles home. Not saying it anything about the law, am saying that there are accidents you can't avoid, and wearing full gear can make them much better.

Memories.

Quite the trip down memory lane with this post. A lot of gone but not forgotten contributors. Where have they all gone?

Especially that Kenneth Moore guy ..

Barbara quit because she could no-longer logon to her account. She may even still lurk-about here now, I have not heard from her in a few years.

Hope you're doin' OK Barb, if you're reading this!