| Author | Message | ||
     Cringblast |
Went to get the the bike from a TPS reset this eve. Had to get it in Jacksonville. On the way there traffic was backed up more than normal. Found out why, Big,fat, bike layen in the middle of the road. Traffic was at a crawl. Passing by the scene, dude layen on the ground in the road with a pool of blood around his head. Fu&^, hope he makes it I think. First time I see something like this. 10' away. No helmet, gloves, jacket, or lower protective gear he had. To each his own,I think about all that. Then I had to ride by on the bike on the way home. 9 cop cars and state troopers there and only the bike!!!! Be careful, C. | ||
| Tdiddy |
I think riding with out any gear is stupid. I wear my jacket, gloves, helmet and boots even when I going the 3 miles to work. When I was 20 (12 years ago) I ate crap while racing BMX and slid on my face and chest for 40 feet into a corner. Back then, only the little kids wore full face helmets. I was knocked out, broken eye scocket, jaw and the left side of my face was ripped up. I had stiches around my left eye and upper lip. I'll never ride anything with out a full face lid. Whats that saying? "you gotta be dumb if you wanna look tough." | ||
| 4cammer |
"Hey man, ain't that jacket, helmet & gloves hot?" asked Mr. Gixxer to me last summer. Sweat washes off much easier than blood. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I like my skin on my body. I like my organs internal. I like my skeleton unfractured. If the bike leaves the driveway, the gear is on. All of it. | ||
| Redponcho |
Since I got my XB I have warn my gear almost all the time. After my wreck I never leave home without it. Luckily the day I crashed I had everything on. I admit when I had my R6's I was one of the guys with shorts and a t-shirt on. I guess I have gotten wiser in my old age. | ||
| Swordsman |
Sheeee-eeesh.  I do feel bad for the guy, but that's what happens when you mix "personal choice" with "stupid". If nothing else, a helmet is a must. I know a lot of people with hard heads, but none as hard as pavement. ~SM | ||
| Nevrenuf |
and it's never if your in an accident but when. just thinking about that last night with the kid next to me with no gear on at all, on a crotch rocket | ||
| Diablobrian |
My stomach does a barrel roll every time I see a rider on the road with minimal or no protection. I have been referred to (semi-affectionately) as the "gear nazi" because of my tendency to nag my riding buddies back in San Diego to wear their gear, even when it's hot. The need to encourage them to wear it evaporated after I had my accident. I know that it is a personal choice, in fact I am anti-helmet law because I dislike the government trying to impose regulations on what should be common sense. The bottom line: An accident can happen to anyone at any time, fate does not wait for you to go home and put your gear on before making an example out of you. I'd rather sweat than bleed. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I agree with no helmet law as well. Same with seat belts. I don't need th Nanny State to tell me what I should and shouldn't do. I think it's natures way of culling out the stupid. Ride without a lid, lose your ability to propagate. Only those with the most common sense survive. | ||
| Aesquire |
Last summer, the day I got back from vacation, I hear "crump" behind me as I was driving at work. I look back, there's a Sportster down, rider in road. I stop, jump out & do the triage thing. Lucky for me, I re-cert each year in First Aid, multiple forms of CPR etc. I do this on vacation. So my ink still fresh first responder course kicks in. I check out the rider, female, hurt, but conscious & talking. After I figure out she has, road rash, broken leg, possible pelvis & internal injuries, I get someone to shade her, move her bike for the ambulance, ( I was calling on the move to the scene ) and start my interaction with the cretin who hit her. He's on the cell phone, with 911, I walk up, tell him to shut up, update the dispatcher with a coherent explanation of the scene, while the phone is still in his hand, and go back to the downed rider. I should point out for those who have not had first responder level courses, they spend ( if it's a good course ) quite some time on psychological prep. Observing the scene, watching for hazards, and how to bark orders to get the sheeple to do what you need them to do. At an accident, heart attack, etc. folk are in TV mode. If you ask someone nice to call 911, they tend to back up 2 steps, reset, and go back to watching the show. Training tells you to point, give clear orders, and try to create the mild shock that breaks someone from spectator mode to action mode. So.... If an EMT, or ER doctor, seems to be in flaming a--hole mode, he is. On purpose. It's not personal, it's life saving. After checking the vitals, I hear the ambulance coming, survey the scene again, and ask, abrupt but polite, the cretin to move his car so the ambulance can get to the lady. He objects, and starts complaining that I am not treating him nice. I explain that it is not my intention to make him so mad that he takes a swing at me so I can then kick the living crap out of him, but if that's what he wants, do it now so I can move his car for him so the ambulance can get through. ( I had to report this conversation to work, later. ) He moved. I reported this to the police after the ambulance left, & was thanked for not making them do more paperwork. ( They were pretty p'o'ed at him by then too ) The lady spent a few weeks in the hospital, but is doing ok. She had on, jeans, tank top, and half helmet. With proper gear, I suspect she still would have broken the leg, but would have been saved road rash on arms & body. I will still mock 1/2 helmets, but they sure are better than bare head. Her's was scratched in a way that told me it saved her life & scalp. To quote Niven & Pournelle, "Think of it as evolution in action" | ||
| Terribletim |
Here's my opinion, 'cause I'm American! The choice to wear the right gear should be up to you the rider, not mandated by law. I wear my helmet, but I should not be forced to. The same goes for seatbelts in cars. The world does not need more laws to tell us how we should think, act or feel. The world does need more education to allow them to make the right choice. If you want to die because you didn't wear your helmet, hey man, you're call. Like I said, my opinion, I think I'm still allowed to have one. On another note, I was wearing FULL gear when I crashed both times. I'm beginning to think all that weight is what caused the problem!  | ||
| Cringblast |
To each his or her own on what they want to wear or do. Personal choice. I saw that up front and close, first hand on the way to my XB. Just wanted to YELL at ya to think about, the being aware thing. C. |
