View Poll Results: Helmet wearing habits?
I've never worn a bike helmet
178
10.66%
I used to wear a helmet, but have stopped
94
5.63%
I've always worn a helmet
648
38.80%
I didn't wear a helmet, but now do
408
24.43%
I sometimes wear a helmet depending on the conditions
342
20.48%
Voters: 1670. You may not vote on this poll
The helmet thread
01-18-14, 09:13 PM
#6751
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Thank you for confirming my hypothesis... You zeroed onto the 0.5% and concluded, that the chance of needing a helmet is low enough to not wear one. I zeroed in on the 500 people who certainly could have used a helmet, thus deciding that I should wear a helmet as a last resort/line of defence.... That, I suspect is the major difference between people who decide not to wear helmets and people who decide to wear a helmet... JMO 
01-18-14, 09:55 PM
#6753
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I addressed your point directly, explicitly, and repeatedly, in plain English. I simply cannot imagine what they are teaching in Canadian schools at this point.
01-19-14, 12:31 AM
#6754
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Jeez, I haven't been here long at all, but this topic has been discussed ad nauseum! Playing devil's advocate here--why is it so important to argue about this over and over again? No one is changing anyone's mind. No one is really introducing anything new. There are much more effective ways to stand for a cause, and internet forums have to be the most ineffective way.
Why not just wear them or not wear them and be done with it?
Why not just wear them or not wear them and be done with it?
Hindsight being 20/20, I'd like to officially declare shawmutt the Thread Winner!
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A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
01-19-14, 11:52 AM
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"Why not just wear them or not wear them and be done with it" is the ultimate goal of the "anti-helmet" cadre. The tough part is getting the "You're an idiot and deserve to die if you don't wear one!!!" crowd to go along with it.
01-19-14, 11:58 AM
#6756
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Or the you should be paraded in front of assemblies when you are disabled due to head injuries crowd.
01-19-14, 01:47 PM
#6757
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01-20-14, 05:33 PM
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This thread should just be deleted. Nobody is changing anybody's mind. People will make the decision for themselves. And the fact that someone will still disagree with this is further proof of the futility of this discussion.
01-20-14, 06:06 PM
#6760
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01-20-14, 08:56 PM
#6761
Senior Member
Abortion isn't an especially good comparison because it arguably involves the rights of an innocent third party.
There are parallels, of course. For example, both abortion and bicycle helmets seem to attract shrill and unreasoned arguments from nutcases on both sides.
I do note that the helmet debate is starting to look kind of like the global warming debate, in that one side claims to have all the science on their side and wants to shut down the discussion entirely.
There are parallels, of course. For example, both abortion and bicycle helmets seem to attract shrill and unreasoned arguments from nutcases on both sides.
I do note that the helmet debate is starting to look kind of like the global warming debate, in that one side claims to have all the science on their side and wants to shut down the discussion entirely.
Last edited by 350htrr; 01-21-14 at 10:01 AM. Reason: corect numbers
01-21-14, 08:02 AM
#6762
Senior Member
No, this thread is awesome, a perfect example of why we can't all just get along. As below, so above; microcosm of the greater political macrocosm.
Can't even get people to agree on bicycle helmet use, what chance do we have for peace in the middle east, sane healthcare in the USA, and temperate rule by sane people? None.
01-21-14, 11:32 AM
#6763
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I did some clean up. Discussing abortion is strictly off-limits, even in the P&R forum, and especially when trying to compare here it to wearing or not wearing a helmet.
This thread will not get deleted because a new one will just get started again to take its place. This is about the fifth or sixth version of this thread, the others were closed because they got too big to load. So the topic is not going away. And trying to derail the thread in an effort to get it closed is not going to work, either.
If you are tired of the endless circle of arguments about the pros and cons of helmet wear, feel free to just ignore the thread and not post in it anymore.
CbadRider
Forum Admin
This thread will not get deleted because a new one will just get started again to take its place. This is about the fifth or sixth version of this thread, the others were closed because they got too big to load. So the topic is not going away. And trying to derail the thread in an effort to get it closed is not going to work, either.
If you are tired of the endless circle of arguments about the pros and cons of helmet wear, feel free to just ignore the thread and not post in it anymore.
CbadRider
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Now get on your cheap bike and give me a double century. You walking can of Crisco!!
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01-21-14, 04:19 PM
#6764
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...I am genuinely apologetic, CCRider. I forgot the level of crazy in here in referencing my example.
While I know it is not obvious, I am not here to make your life more complicated. Sorry for the extra work.
While I know it is not obvious, I am not here to make your life more complicated. Sorry for the extra work.
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01-21-14, 04:21 PM
#6765
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01-21-14, 04:36 PM
#6766
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In short, how and where do we draw the line?
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WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
01-21-14, 06:27 PM
#6767
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..of course it is. In the USofA, it's pretty well established legal principle that
laws restricting personal freedoms are to be judged by whether the government
has a compelling interest in doing so.
I don't think anyone can make a viable argument that that is the case for bicycle
helment use..............yet. But if and as ridership increases, and statistics continue
to accumulate, there might certainly come a time when that case will be argued.
In the places we all envy in Europe where ridership is much more significant, it would
appear that they have not felt the need for mandatory helment laws thus far.
laws restricting personal freedoms are to be judged by whether the government
has a compelling interest in doing so.
I don't think anyone can make a viable argument that that is the case for bicycle
helment use..............yet. But if and as ridership increases, and statistics continue
to accumulate, there might certainly come a time when that case will be argued.
In the places we all envy in Europe where ridership is much more significant, it would
appear that they have not felt the need for mandatory helment laws thus far.
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01-21-14, 09:30 PM
#6768
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https://www.helmets.org/stats.htm I wonder how many innocent 3rd party people were effected with these statistics? 1994 to 2010 11,186 people died not wearing helmets and 786 people died while wearing helmets... We have the bare numbers of how many died but how many did that effect other than the people who died I wonder...
Seriously, WTF is up with Canadians?
Last edited by Six jours; 01-21-14 at 10:14 PM.
01-21-14, 10:18 PM
#6769
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I honestly do not see what the big deal is here...
https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/na.../20/235205.htm
...this is the current status of various states in terms of mandatory helment laws. ^^^^
Note that there are exactly none of them which require helments for adults over the age of 17 riding bikes.
So it would appear that the state legislatures are in agreement with me that the government has no
compelling need to mandate the use of helments for adults, I think. Why are the no-helment guys
so incredibly vociferous here in their insistence that every helment wearing advocate is out to pass
a law that will put hats on their heads ? I don't see that happening, am I missing something ?
If you live and ride in a municipality like Seattle or Vancouver that has a mandatory helment law,
my own opinion is that you ought to gather a constituency and file a class action suit that challenges
that law. It will do considerably more to affect the real world than grousing about it here.
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01-21-14, 11:51 PM
#6770
Senior Member
..of course it is. In the USofA, it's pretty well established legal principle that
laws restricting personal freedoms are to be judged by whether the government
has a compelling interest in doing so.
I don't think anyone can make a viable argument that that is the case for bicycle
helment use..............yet. But if and as ridership increases, and statistics continue
to accumulate, there might certainly come a time when that case will be argued.
In the places we all envy in Europe where ridership is much more significant, it would
appear that they have not felt the need for mandatory helment laws thus far.
laws restricting personal freedoms are to be judged by whether the government
has a compelling interest in doing so.
I don't think anyone can make a viable argument that that is the case for bicycle
helment use..............yet. But if and as ridership increases, and statistics continue
to accumulate, there might certainly come a time when that case will be argued.
In the places we all envy in Europe where ridership is much more significant, it would
appear that they have not felt the need for mandatory helment laws thus far.
For example at least some (can be just Berlin) states in Germany have a suggestionary law (as does Finland) which suggests that cyclists should wear a helmet. There is no punishment for not wearing a helmet.
However the German Supreme Court has decided that a cyclist who was not wearing a helmet was at least in part responsible for the damage received in the accident due to not wearing proper protection. (victim blaming anyone?)
Might seem understandable and it genuinely might that the law somehow dictates responsibility issues or they are mentioned in the prior documents (we civil law countries give great weight for the intent of the decreer)
Then again the Finnish law luckily quite clearly states that it is very much a recommendation and the intent of the decreer states that no responsibility issues are to come of said law.
01-22-14, 07:59 AM
#6771
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Maybe the anti helmet gang should take a page out of Thumper's mothers book. If you cant say anything good about helmets, dont say anything at all.
01-22-14, 09:23 AM
#6772
Senior Member
So in your opinion all who disagree should be silenced? That's pretty... communist of you :/
01-22-14, 10:25 AM
#6773
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elecruxio
YOU are so wrong about me. I am at the opposite end of the political spectrum.
YOU are so wrong about me. I am at the opposite end of the political spectrum.
01-22-14, 12:12 PM
#6774
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well that story was an anti hunting radical story with man being portrayed as evil while the animals were given enduring human traits that man is not portrayed to have? a weird story that I can take nothing from nor is worthwhile quoting from.
01-22-14, 12:18 PM
#6775
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As far as I know, there as no such thing as an anti helmet gang, only people who don't feel they want to wear one, or feel that the benefits of helmets are over rated.
Maybe, the Pro helmet crowd (those who chose to wear helmets) should take your advice and stop telling others that they're suicidal fools for not wearing a helmet..
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FB
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An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
“Never argue with an idiot. He will only bring you down to his level and beat you with experience.”, George Carlin
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.
