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No bike helmet? Lose your wheels
Boston Globe ^ | September 11, 2008 | Brian R. Ballou

Posted on 09/11/2008 9:19:43 PM PDT by DakotaRed

HOLLISTON - If you're young and ride a bicycle through town without a helmet, you may end up walking back home. Police here are looking for scofflaws and will snatch the pedals from your feet if you've been warned numerous times but still forgo headgear.

Holliston police, frustrated in trying to drive home the point that riding without a helmet is dangerous and illegal, are hoping the tactic will finally get the attention of young riders.

"We're not looking to take bikes away from the kids who forget their helmets," School Resource Officer David Gatchell said yesterday. "This isn't something where we're looking to collect a hundred bikes. We don't want to seize bikes, but for the kids who repeatedly ignore the warnings, it will happen."

Riding a bike - or scooter or in-line skates - without a helmet is illegal for anyone younger than 17 in Massachusetts. But Gatchell said he's noticed crowds of youngsters riding in his town without head protection. Bradford Jackson, Holliston school superintendent, said that outside the schools, he's seen an increase in bike riders, given the warm weather.

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bicycle; bigbrother; bikehelmet; hollistonmass; loseyourbike; nannystate
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To: Paleo Conservative
"...Regardless of whether it is legal or not, riding without a helmet is a great way to destroy the higher functions of your brain..."

No. Actually, the best that can be said to that statement is that crashing without a helmet is a way to potentially destroy the higher functions of your brain.

BTW, More people suffer serious/fatal head injuries in auto accidents than on bicycles (yes, even proportionally, per the "Hurt Report"). Why aren't you clamoring for laws to compel us to wear helmets in our cars?
21 posted on 09/11/2008 10:04:13 PM PDT by conservativeharleyguy (Technically, we are all Republicans!)
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To: Paleo Conservative

I’m amazed I grew to an adult covering thousands of miles on a bicycle - without once wearing a helmet. Heck, they didn’t even MAKE bike helmets back then!

You might want to temper your remark to include location, sport, etc. Not everyone riding a bike does tricks, although I once tried to ride a Schwinn 3-speed road bike off a 5 foot drop. And yep! It sure went down!


22 posted on 09/11/2008 10:09:33 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (Mav & the Barracuda vs. Messiah and the Mouth)
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To: Paleo Conservative

Crap!

Just how did so many millions of kids survive riding bikes ever since the invention of the bicycle without Big Brother guiding the way/s


23 posted on 09/11/2008 10:13:15 PM PDT by RedMonqey
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To: Paleo Conservative
Regardless of whether it is legal or not, riding without a helmet is a great way to destroy the higher functions of your brain.

I always thought it was doing something careless like riding into the path of a truck and getting slammed into the pavement.

What causes the damage. Sitting on your brain?
24 posted on 09/11/2008 10:18:22 PM PDT by RedMonqey
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To: dalereed
Gee whiz, how'd ya'll all survive without a government safety official hovering a hand away?
25 posted on 09/11/2008 10:18:28 PM PDT by redstateconfidential ("Go to the mattresses")
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To: Paleo Conservative

Perhaps you should wrap yourself in bubble wrap, lock yourself inside, and leave the living to the rest of us.


26 posted on 09/11/2008 10:21:48 PM PDT by thecabal (Conservatives who don't live up to the liberal caricature are now hypocrites.)
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To: Paleo Conservative
Thanks for your input. Rode a bike from 1963 through 1988 in a suburban area, no helmet. Worst thing ever happened was scraped knees.

Also, played hockey, collegiate and senior men's, 13 years, never had my head injured when the helmet got knocked off (it do happen in hockey, y'know).

Took a slapshot in the face once...but the helmet didn't help that of course.

As to idiots, m'friend, I'll take the same IQ test as you, right across the table from you, spot you 20 pts, and play you for $1000 a point. Anytime. Anywhere. Game on, nanny-stater? Let me know...well, let me know IF you've the guts AND the scratch.

27 posted on 09/11/2008 10:22:29 PM PDT by SAJ
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To: redstateconfidential

Mine was red, 4” dropped front axel and started out with a 7/16x1/2 flathead but 2 years later I retroed it with a big Olds and went 134 at the drags and only got beat on the street and that was by a 3 window 32 with a blown hemi.

It was pretty quick for 1953!


28 posted on 09/11/2008 10:25:31 PM PDT by dalereed (both)
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To: dalereed
Heres a 303 with a BOP adapter for a late model auto.Post some pics of that Red 40 sumtime!
29 posted on 09/11/2008 10:36:12 PM PDT by redstateconfidential ("Go to the mattresses")
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To: Paleo Conservative
My car and truck don't have airbags, should I be forced to retrofit them? I'm going to walk to the store around the corner to buy some state mandated ethanol blend gasoline for my generator, there's a hurricane that's going to hit tomorrow. What kind of shoes am I required to wear so I don't stub my toe? I guess since it may start raining soon, I should wear a life jacket too.

Thanks, but I don't need a nanny state telling me what to wear to be "safe".

30 posted on 09/11/2008 10:38:28 PM PDT by theymakemesick (Hey Rats, no need to bash her, if she's such a bad pick Americans won't vote for her)
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To: dalereed

I wish you foreigners would learn to speak English.

:)


31 posted on 09/11/2008 10:40:00 PM PDT by Politicalmom (President McCain: "Ok, Ted, I want your list of supreme court nominees on my desk by Monday.")
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To: Politicalmom

I’m a 5th generation So. Californian and my family came here from Pennsylvania in 1847.

I don’t correct spelling or puncuation and if you don’t like it TS!


32 posted on 09/11/2008 10:43:51 PM PDT by dalereed (both)
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To: Paleo Conservative
Only an idiot would ride a bike without a helmet.

Dang it!

33 posted on 09/11/2008 10:52:13 PM PDT by period end of story (Goodness inside)
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To: redstateconfidential

Never took any, in fact I didn’t own a camera unril about 8 years ago.

In fact I don’t have any pictures of our 32 D fuel roadster that held the SCTA record in 54, the 57 Corvette we won every SCCA race we entered in 57, the 58 Corvette that we won the Guadalahara State Fair RR in 58 or the AC/Coba that we built for Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys to go drag racing, or for that matter my Piper Saratoga that I crashed in Mexico.

Guess I just never got into taking or having pictures.

I do have a picture of the totaled airplane in a Mexicn!newspaper


34 posted on 09/11/2008 10:57:48 PM PDT by dalereed (both)
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To: DakotaRed

Back in the days when there was no such thing as a bike helmet, all us kids rode bicycles like they were extensions of our body. Sometimes we would hit a rut and go over the handle bars. Never did I hear of any kid hitting their head. Like cats we always learned how to land on our feet. If we wore a helmet, we would have been less nimble.

A helmet hinders the rider’s head to move in fast action to look at ones surroundings for trouble. A helmet can cause ones head to overheat which can affect mental alertness. The sound of the wind hissing through the helmet holes also interferes with hearing.

Helmets are just a sneaky way to limit the number of kids riding bicycles. A kid on a bicycle makes the motorist too nervous. Put helmets on the kids and you take the kids off the bicycles.


35 posted on 09/11/2008 10:59:58 PM PDT by jonrick46
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To: DakotaRed

Bicycle helmets, seat belts... our government truly has nothing better to do? You dial 911 and are put on hold, but damn it if those kids don’t wear their helmets, they’re there to put and end to that for sure.

Those who don’t respect the citizens rights to be left alone, are destroying the very respect they will want count on some day.

The government has no business enforcing this nonsense.


36 posted on 09/11/2008 11:52:30 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (McCain, the Ipecac President.)
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To: Paleo Conservative
Only an idiot would ride a bike without a helmet.

Being a little judgmental, aren't you? I not only ride my bike without a helmet (in fact, I don't even own one) but I also ride my Harley without a helmet. My right, my choice.

37 posted on 09/11/2008 11:53:59 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (I served and protected my country for 31 years. Democrats spent that time trying to destroy it.)
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To: DieHard the Hunter

I wear full pads while I do martial arts and rugby is starting to adopt helmets. Although this nanny state B.S. is intrusive, it’s always a good idea to wear a helmet for any activity you do where brain injury is feared. I have 4 helmets for the activities I do. (TKD, Mountain Biking, Road Biking and Hockey). Every time I get rocked on my head, I’m glad I have those helmets.


38 posted on 09/12/2008 2:37:54 AM PDT by TypeZoNegative (" ." - Barack Obama.)
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To: conservativeharleyguy

> BTW, I’m not opposed to helmet use, just to the concept of people sitting around and accepting the “authorities” forcing supposedly free people to wear them under the threat of property confiscation.

AMEN! Well said!


39 posted on 09/12/2008 2:41:26 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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To: TypeZoNegative

> I wear full pads while I do martial arts

Problem is that you are unlikely to be wearing your pads if you ever need to use your martial arts for anything other than physical fitness. I’m of the view that you should always train as you intend to fight. In my case, in my boots and street clothes on concrete.

Yes, I get hurt doing that, but it’s realistic. I won’t be kidding myself during training: concrete isn’t very forgiving, and getting hit in the head smarts. If I stop one with my head accidentally, I’m not going to be able to respond the same way as if I am wearing a helmet.

In that way, *not* wearing a helmet is safer: you focus on your blocking and avoidance techniques more.

> and rugby is starting to adopt helmets.

You’re right on that score, and I think it’s an undignified disgrace to The Rugby. Next we’ll see pads being worn, and soon there will be no difference between The Rugby and American football.

> Although this nanny state B.S. is intrusive, it’s always a good idea to wear a helmet for any activity you do where brain injury is feared.

Only if your primary concern is avoiding injury. In which case I’d argue that the activity probably isn’t worth doing in the first place.


40 posted on 09/12/2008 2:56:46 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghéill mi do dhuine. Fàg am bealach.)
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