Freedom Riders (How motorcyclists won the right to feel the wind in their hair, etc.)

Reason ^ | November 2005 | Jacob Sullum

[adam_az]

I always have and will wear a seatbeltm but I'm opposed to it being mandatory. (except -maybe- for children)

I don't ride a motorcycle either, but if someone wants to smash their head on a curb, they should be free to do it in the manner of their choosing.

[thulldud]

How motorcyclists won the right to feel the wind in their hair

Lots of them these days would have to ride without a shirt to do that. (And let go of the handlebars.)

[neverdem]

ping

[jwpjr]

I don't care if they wear a helmet or not, as long as they are not insured by the same company that I am. What really bugs me is when they have NO insurance and my tax dollar go to pay for their care as indigents.

Someone else's liberty to be foolish stops where my financial responsibility for their foolishness starts.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Lots of them these days would have to ride without a shirt to do that.

Not if they keep their nostrils to the wind.

[Paleo Conservative]

“Motorcyclists Believe in Freedom”

No, they just believe in a free ride.

[Only1choice____Freedom]

Hospitals have a word for them: - Donorbikes.

Head injuries are the leading cause of motorcyclist deaths. If you ride a bike without a helmet, be sure you have that card filled out. A wiser person may benefit.

Mandatory is one thing, stupidity is something else altogether.

[Ichneumon]

“Motorcyclists believe in freedom, and we attack anything that is attacking our freedom,”

You're a lot more free wearing a helmet than you are wearing one of these:

Actually, I'm against mandatory helmet or seatbelt laws too. But it's stupid not to wear them.

And while people should be free to do stupid things if they choose, they have no right to do so at my expense, which is what they do when they run up everyone's insurance and medical costs by getting themselves maimed by not wearing appropriate safety gear. I'm against laws requiring wearing such gear, but I'm all for insurance companies refusing to pay coverage for anyone who has an accident while unbuckled or unhelmeted. Have a separate insurance pool for them, and let them pay their own way without dumping it off onto everyone else. Let the market handle it.

[shooter223]

helmets restrict both vision and hearing ........i am in a state that requires helmets (michigan) so i wear it,but i often ride in ohio (no helmet law)...... i can see and hear other traffic much better without the helmet .........if i ride without a helmet,it is about my life only,unlike abortion (which is about another life) ..........my life,my choice

[Arizona Carolyn]

Not wearing a helmet or using a seat belt or thinking it's okay to jump off multi-story cliffs, etc., all lead to increased health insurance costs -- plus in essence we all pay when someone chooses to be stupid because IF they live most insurance will not cover the cost of lifetime care and they end up on Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security.

[Blood of Tyrants]

If you want to go there let me ask you a few questions.

Are you overwieght? Do you excercise regularly? Do you wear proper hearing and eye protection when you mow the lawn? Do you always bend your knees when you lift? Is your cholesterol too high? Have you ever smoked? Ever engaged in casual sex with someone you just met?

ALL of those are "risky" activities and have the potential to cause me financial harm, so therefore I DEMAND that you keep yourself healthier.

See how that can go?

[Welsh Rabbit]

I've lived in a couple of states that didn't have helmet laws. Nothing makes me cringe like seeing someone riding without a helmet, wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. But it's their right to be foolish, I suppose.

[jwpjr]

Points well taken. I'm not sure I would equate the examples provided with riding a motorcycle without a helmet though, but I still see where you are going and I agree it deserves careful consideration.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Helmet use should be between the rider and his insurance company.

[samm1148]

"What really bugs me is when they have NO insurance and my tax dollar go to pay for their care as indigents."


That's not the fault of the fool bouncing his head off of the pavement. That is the fault of voters who want a safety net for everything. Let some people fall on their a**es for a chance. Demand full medical payment with no taxpayer forced charity. You'll see a return to individual responsibility then.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

I ride and I'll never get on my bike without a helmet..I spent a year in Arizona (no helmet law) and never went out without mine..but that's my choice..be honest, when someone turns left in front of you with no warning and you're moving at 65 mph, whether or not you're wearing a helmet almost becomes a moot point..

[SWAMPSNIPER]

We are a Republic, not a democracy, screw the opinion of the majority!
Sorry, if I just gored your ox!
If I choose to test my head against a power pole, it is, after all, my head, and your power pole will clean up fine, next rainy season!