Anyone who wants to wear a helmet can. So what's the problem with those who do not?

Please get back on topic folks. I know this is in the Off Topic sub-forum, but you all know discussions on anything that comes up here should be in separate threads.

Thanks folks!

Rikkitic:

 

Anyone who wants to wear a helmet can. So what's the problem with those who do not?

 

 

 

Law. The end.

Stu:

 

Please get back on topic folks. I know this is in the Off Topic sub-forum, but you all know discussions on anything that comes up here should be in separate threads.

 

Thanks folks!

 

Roger that

Laws can be changed. Assuming they are engraved in stone can be annoying in a small way.

MikeB4:

 

Stu:

 

Please get back on topic folks. I know this is in the Off Topic sub-forum, but you all know discussions on anything that comes up here should be in separate threads.

 

Thanks folks!

 

 

 Roger that

 

What's something small that really?

My cycle helmet (but I wear it anyway).

MikeB4:

 

Fred99: 

 

 

 

How in the name of granny's front garden could you ask that question - when I never said it would prevent you ... ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"If anything, recent research on the role of physical exercise in moderating inflammation, and the role of inflammation in not just chronic physical disease, but mental health, perhaps even alzheimers etc, strengthens the case against compulsory helmet laws."

 

 

 

AFAIK, what I've said there is perfectly true.  In fact I'd extend that to say that the type of exercise that people would get from "ordinary" cycling (to work and back etc - as opposed to "serious" or "competition" cycling for the sake of it as a "sport" etc) say perhaps 1/2 hour total regular daily aerobic exercise, would - if more people did it - reverse the trend for increase in metabolic disease - and would have a far greater impact than banning McDonalds and fizzy drinks, force-feeding people pomegranates or avocadoes or whatever the latest trend may be. 

There's good evidence that the correlation between reduction in cycling is linked to implementation of compulsory helmet laws.  The correlation (and please don't try to give me a science lesson about causation on that) is absolutely inarguable.  I left Chch in the early 1980s - before compulsory helmet laws. It was very very common for ordinary folks to ride to work, kids to ride to school.  I returned in the '90s - after the laws were implemented, and cyclists were almost completely absent, just the start perhaps of more "serious" recreational cycling.  There's a new cycleway a few hundred metres from where I live, it cost Council and ratepayers millions.  It's seldom used - except by "recreational cyclists" on the weekend.  Very few "commuter" cyclists use it.

Follow-on effects compound, hence reduction in cyclists / increased car numbers = war, with horrendous disregard for the safety of those few cyclists left brave enough to commute by many ignorant motorists. (and I say "ignorant not in a malicious way - but ignorant as they've never experienced the thrill of having a 70 km/h wing mirror clip your arm etc - so don't know any better)

It'd be great if I could catch a bus to the city, then swipe my card at the bike-hire stand and pedal my way around, but compulsory helmets commercially sabotage anybody considering the setting up of such a business.

Edit - I've posted that before I read comments about OT above.  Sure - I agree.

If you like - I'll start a separate topic - should it be in the OT forum, Health and fitness ?

No more discussion on the wearing of helmets.

frankv:

 

Geektastic:

 

I bought a Soda Stream last Xmas.

 

I drink sparkling water rather than alcohol or pop and get through a litre a day or so usually.

 

The SS has saved me approximately 350 plastic bottles going to landfill and $2.50/bottle less whatever the CO2 cost per bottle is - around 50 cents or so I think.

 

 

If you drank SS instead of champagne, you could save hundreds of dollars per bottle!

 

 

 

Noel Coward was once asked why he drank champagne at breakfast. 

His reply? "Doesn't everybody?"

MikeB4:
Cycle helmets save lives.

*Nothing* saves lives. At best, it extends them.

1eStar: A small thing that annoys me is that it's impossible to block out irritating posters in this forum. I've asked for it before, and funnily enough it still annoys me.

It'd be nice to skim down threads without having to endure the endless trumpet blowing.

This is a forum about annoyances. If you don't want to be annoyed, just unsubscribe.

1eStar: A small thing that annoys me is that it's impossible to block out irritating posters in this forum. I've asked for it before, and funnily enough it still annoys me.

It'd be nice to skim down threads without having to endure the endless trumpet blowing.

It's a moderated forum - not unmoderated usenet etc where a killfile had uses.
If you've got problems with how other posters behave, I presume a quick note to one of the mods may verify if the problem is yours or theirs.

I assume I've annoyed you.  My intent is not to annoy, so I apologise if I've done that unintentionally.  

A small thing which annoys me is that many people these days seem to be only wishing to read or hear opinions which verify things they already believe. 
IMO liberals would be doing themselves a favour if they read conservative newspapers at least occasionally, and vice versa.

Few things are ever as black and white as we'd like them to be - nor as black and white as we're told they are.

Rikkitic:

 

Could not agree more. After Holland, which does quite well without the helmet nonsense, I haven't been on a bike at all. I will not wear one of those things just to tool around our quiet country roads. There are so many things that can kill you. I don't want a nanny state managing my risk assessment for me. Children are another matter, but adults should be treated as such and allowed to make their own choices.

 

They also make any citibike type short term rental scheme pretty useless since people dont tend to carry helmets just incase they want to rent a bike to get across town.