A shot at motorcyclists ...

[rboe]

It would be a good thing if they made motorcyclists (and car drivers if they don't make auto drivers mandatory) take a lot more training. I see too many examples trying way too hard to reduce the gene pool. sigh.

 

[Henrik_imp]

This caught my attention in the op-ed:
Quote:The country’s largest trauma centre (at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre) found that motorcycle crashes cost the Ontario health care system six times more than car crashes do
I've always thought that's one of the primary dangers of publicly-funded medicine. Once the government is in control of health care expenditures, they can write rules and regulations that the recipients must abide by. It's only a matter of time until motorcycles are deemed a public health hazard like smoking or alcoholism.

Meh. Already got the talk, not from my mom, but from my mother in law. A shut-in who also is upset when I climb a ladder to fix her roof, get under their car to fix it, or get on an airplane to do my job. Because to her, as it is with some people, everything is a threat.

And to her old country way of thinking, the man is the provider in the family and if something bad happened to me, my wife would be penniless. My wife is a doctor, I am a glorified roady and warehouseman.

Basically I don’t ride to her house, and we don’t talk about motorcycles.

My mom? I showed her a picture of my CB when I bought it and she said it looked very neat and pretty. Recently, I took her to lunch, and on the way, I asked if she would mind if I stopped at a motorcycle shop to pick up a part that I had ordered. She wanted to come in with me to browse. She picked up a jacket and felt the armor, and looked at all of the helmets. “You wear all of this safety stuff, right?”

Yes, Mom.

Ok then.

Wow, that's an arresting insight regarding human nature. Some people are risk-averse to the point that it interferes with the enjoyment of all that life has to offer.

I've always thought that's one of the primary dangers of publicly-funded medicine. Once the government is in control of health care expenditures, they can write rules and regulations that the recipients must abide by. It's only a matter of time until motorcycles are deemed a public health hazard like smoking or alcoholism.

Meh. Already got the talk, not from my mom, but from my mother in law. A shut-in who also is upset when I climb a ladder to fix her roof, get under their car to fix it, or get on an airplane to do my job. Because to her, as it is with some people, everything is a threat.

And to her old country way of thinking, the man is the provider in the family and if something bad happened to me, my wife would be penniless. My wife is a doctor, I am a glorified roady and warehouseman.

Basically I don’t ride to her house, and we don’t talk about motorcycles.

My mom? I showed her a picture of my CB when I bought it and she said it looked very neat and pretty. Recently, I took her to lunch, and on the way, I asked if she would mind if I stopped at a motorcycle shop to pick up a part that I had ordered. She wanted to come in with me to browse. She picked up a jacket and felt the armor, and looked at all of the helmets. “You wear all of this safety stuff, right?”

Yes, Mom.

Ok then.

This seems to be a general fear in the US, and perhaps it would come true there should you move to a social healthcare system. Nevertheless, you will find that in Europe where social healthcare is the standard nothing of the sort has ever happened. We can look at Spain as a perfect example where motorcycles are extremely popular as a means of transport. For most of Europe, scooters and motorcycles are far more common as a means of transportation than what it has ever been in the US, in spite of social healthcare.

So, if looking at how things work out elsewhere, it does not seem as if this fear is actually realistic.

Wow, that's an arresting insight regarding human nature. Some people are risk-averse to the point that it interferes with the enjoyment of all that life has to offer.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but you also have helmet laws with much higher standards than ours, much more detailed and extensive mandatory motorcycle operation training, trial periods, tiered licenses, and all that jazz, right?

that's likely why the social healthcare does not interfere with motorcycling, because when you actually operate a motorcycle correctly with the proper training, it isn't nearly as dangerous as it is here in the US.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but you also have helmet laws with much higher standards than ours, much more detailed and extensive mandatory motorcycle operation training, trial periods, tiered licenses, and all that jazz, right?

that's likely why the social healthcare does not interfere with motorcycling, because when you actually operate a motorcycle correctly with the proper training, it isn't nearly as dangerous as it is here in the US.
It is true that we do have helmet laws, and generally require proper training in order to ride a motorcycle. That said, I'm not sure that is what makes the difference. We have similar statistics here as in the US with motorcycle riders being far more prone to serious injuries than car drivers. AT the end of the day, even with a helmet and full protective gear, we are still much more exposed than with a car around us. Also, although they do have helmet laws in Spain, with the climate they have you do not see many people in the cities riding smaller bikes and scooters wearing protective gear.

There have been some strange attempts done over the years to try and reduce the danger. France had a law for the longest time limiting the maximum power on motorcycles to 100hp for example. So you would buy say a Hayabusa and it would be limited to 100hp...

 

[Cormanus]

The same is true of Australia where we have a national health scheme. There has not yet been an attempt to ban motorcycles. There are never-ending attempts to make getting a motorcycle license more difficult, but they are driven by the road safety folks rather than the public health lobby.

In reality, although the cost of motorcycle accidents can be significant, the aggregate cost is not great when compared to the total cost of motor car accidents.

Rboe, I’ve thought for some time that it’s a great pity the modern world has become so fixated on trying to prevent idiots from improving the quality of the gene pool.

 

[the Ferret]

The same is true of Australia where we have a national health scheme. There has not yet been an attempt to ban motorcycles. There are never-ending attempts to make getting a motorcycle license more difficult, but they are driven by the road safety folks rather than the public health lobby.

In reality, although the cost of motorcycle accidents can be significant, the aggregate cost is not great when compared to the total cost of motor car accidents.

Rboe, I’ve thought for some time that it’s a great pity the modern world has become so fixated on trying to prevent idiots from improving the quality of the gene pool.

:rofl:

 

[Stichill]

The same is true of Australia where we have a national health scheme. There has not yet been an attempt to ban motorcycles. There are never-ending attempts to make getting a motorcycle license more difficult, but they are driven by the road safety folks rather than the public health lobby.

In reality, although the cost of motorcycle accidents can be significant, the aggregate cost is not great when compared to the total cost of motor car accidents.

Rboe, I’ve thought for some time that it’s a great pity the modern world has become so fixated on trying to prevent idiots from improving the quality of the gene pool.

Politicians want to protect their constituents so they can continue to supply votes. Although in many precincts, even dead idiots still vote!

 

[Cormanus]

Does that suggest that idiots are in a majority?

 

[Stichill]

Well, the problem is there are two or more idiot factions in each country, who disagree on which idiots they want to elect to represent their idiotic viewpoints.

 

[the Ferret]

every 4 or 8 years there are 51% idiots in this country depending on your view point.

 

[peterbaron]

Same here

 

[Cormanus]

Thanks all for the help in understanding intercontinental idiocy.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Anybody here of the 49% feel the urge to run for leadership?

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

A new potential road hazard cometh' our way ...

 

[michael1954]

Shrug. Like David said in the second article, “mama tried.”

I’m still a new rider (not quite a year) but I know that despite every precaution I take there’s some idiot in a car not paying attention that could take me out. I accept it. Perhaps it’s the healthy respect of death we have that makes non motorcycle-riders so anxious?

Memento Mori and all that.

Hi, do not know how old you are, but I have always considered every car on the road an enemy that does not see me or care to see me. Been riding for 51 years, and this philosophy has kept me from having any car-bike accidents a long time. I NEVER think they see me at an intersection. I am teaching my granddaughter the same philosophy now at 19, and I hope and pray she follows it and stays alive.

This annoying perceptive of motorcycling was published in June 2019:

[url=https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/braun-put-your-motorcycle-in-the-garage-never-take-it-out-again]BRAUN: Put your motorcycle in the garage & never take it out again

I thought it would be useful to, um, appreciate others' opinions so we can be aware of the perspective.

" ... Just leave the bike at home. Everyone who loves you will be grateful. "

Yeah.

Fortunately, this article responds frankly:

[url=https://driving.ca/features/feature-story/motor-mouth-more-ignorance-about-motorcycling]Motor Mouth: More ignorant grandstanding about motorcycling

Remain aware and alert.

Read the article, and got a little annoyed. Do bozos like this think we do not know the hobby we love is more dangerous than riding in a car. So is skydiving, people will do what they love to do. For me, at 14 I wanted a mini-bike so badly, I dreamt
about them. Then I told myself, I will just a small motorcycle, pay for it myself so dad cannot say know, he did not thank God, and join a hobby I wanted to for several years. I actually do think about the dangers, maybe that is part of why I am still here. But we all must or we are just fooling ourselves. Has anyone out there in Forum land ever read an article like this one about cars, that say, more people die in car wrecks each year than died in all the years of the Vietnam war. Anyone going to park your car and quit because 50K+ people a year die in cars? Nope. Is any Forum member going to quit now? I do not know. We have had some here on the Forum get hit, and almost quit, and bless their hearts, maybe some have and some have continued. New riding lady, please just be so careful, your family never has to hear bad news. Please all of us, take a moment to to thank God we are okay, and pray we stay that way. Sorry to get so long-winded, I just really love our lifestyle.

 

[Labrador12_imp]

I've been riding motorcycles since 1968. I worked above the Arctic Circle banding peregrine falcons. I've bebobted around Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, BC and Alberta for decades. I fish with bears on a regular basis. My body is going bad on me big time. Cataract surgery next week. Not going to be riding a lot this year. Heading to Alaska to fly fish for three months in July. Tell that mofo to get a life. I've got one that I like.

 

[peterbaron]

Lab12, good luck with your eye surgery and speedy recovery !!!
Would like to see a pic: you eating fish with bears
:beerchug:

 

[Offroad]

I had Cataract surgery on both eyes.... actually ended up being a blessing in disguise just like having built in glasses lol
I did have one I set for distance and one I set for near it actually works out really well and I don't have to have glasses to drive or to read

 

[Lord Popgun]

Offroad, I might have to have one done. Does it hurt? Cause I’m not a fan of sharp things near my eyes.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Lab12, good luck with your eye surgery and speedy recovery !!!
Would like to see a pic: you eating fish with bears
:beerchug:

:rofl:

Offroad, I might have to have one done. Does it hurt? Cause I’m not a fan of sharp things near my eyes.

Once I had an eye tumor that was really starting to bother me (think agitation and pain), so I scheduled a session with an eye specialist who deals in these matters. After about a five month wait I finally got in. I was nervous, but also stoked that this was finally going to change, hopefully for the better. This guy was like the top two expert in Peel County, Ontario (home to over 1.5 million people today). So basically his job was to penetrate the tumor and discharge the matter. Dude wouldn't do it! I said do it. After a long talk he prepared to do it. His equipment was top notch, but he was going to do it manually. Basically, insert a syringe needle into my eye and suck the tumor fluid out. You know? Dude's hand with the syringe was shaking!!! I was thinking, crap, there goes my riding career. Long story short: He completed the task. It already felt better. The physical pressure subsided.

A few weeks later the tumor refilled! I said, crap ... okay, let's see dude again. He said he wouldn't do it again. I thought, "Wha?". So I took matters into my own hands and at home I used the sharp end of a safety pin and in the bathroom mirror punctured the eyeball every week until the issue permanently went away. Yeah, sure there was a bit of blood, but the issue has been gone now for about a decade.

Medical pros. Sheesh. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

 

[Cormanus]

Here's Labrador12 fishing with a bear ...

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Here's Labrador12 fishing with a bear ...

Ha ha - an oldie but a goodie.