Fines wiped if biker buys 'dorky' helmet

**Grub** · 1st December 2007, 21:46

By MARTY SHARPE - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 01 December 2007

Nomination for the Darwin Awards?

A Napier man with 11 unpaid fines for refusing to wear a bike helmet has been told some will be swapped for community work if he buys a helmet and brings it to court.

The problem is Shane Boyce, 21, has sold his bike - but reckons he will buy a cheap helmet anyway, to save a bit of money. He has refused to wear one because he says "they look dorky". Getting fined $185 for not wearing a bike helmet would persuade most people to start wearing one. But 11 fines later - the first in 2002 and the most recent in July - he still does not have a helmet. Nor has he paid a cent of the fines.

He was arrested on Thursday for having outstanding fines of $4320 - of which $2035 were for not wearing his helmet. The others were for various driving offences and disorderly behaviour. Boyce appeared before a bewildered Judge Bridget Mackintosh in Napier District Court yesterday.

"Mr Boyce, why would you not wear a cycle helmet?

"Do you have a problem with that?" she asked, failing to elicit a response.

"I tell you what, you'd have a big problem if you were involved in an accident without a helmet. You know that?"

"Um, yeah," Boyce responded.

"This is ridiculous," said the judge, ordering him to buy a helmet and bring it back to the court in two weeks. She said if he showed her the helmet on that day she would remit some of the fines in return for a sentence of community work.

Talking to The Dominion Post later, Boyce said he had sold his bike not long after his last offence and now walked. He said he was happy to do community work rather than pay the fine money and he planned to buy a cheap helmet before going to court next time.

"I'll never use it, but it'll save me heaps."

**Forest** · 2nd December 2007, 02:15

Oh well. That's cyclists for you.

**Bob** · 2nd December 2007, 05:45

A New Zealand biker – fined 11 times for refusing to wear a bike helmet – has been told that some of his fines will be converted into community service if he buys a helmet and brings it to court.

Shane Boyce, 21, has sold his bike, but will buy a cheap helmet “to save a bit of money”. Boyce has refused to wear one because "they look dorky".

Boyce was arrested for having outstanding fines of NZD 4320 - of which 2035 were for not wearing his helmet.

Judge Bridget Mackintosh said "This is ridiculous", ordering Boyce to buy a helmet and bring it back to the court, at which time she would remit some of the fines in return for a sentence of community work.

**AllanB** · 2nd December 2007, 06:55

See this is the problem with youth and courts -

1. that 21 year old dork should f-off and buy a helmet like the rest of us

2. that judge should tell him to f-off and throw his young arse in jail for a month in a cell with the biggest hairiest homo they can find.

3. and make the dork pay his fines.

BRING BACK JUDGE JUDY, she would sort him out.

Now that young wanker has pissed me off on my nice Sunday morning

**Boob Johnson** · 2nd December 2007, 08:47

The kids got balls ill give him that much. But if it were me in the judges seat id have not budged an inch, all she did was gave him a minor victory, how did that teach him a lesson?

**Big Dave** · 2nd December 2007, 10:51

Wearing a helmet pootling around on a push bike completely shits me too.

**Swoop** · 2nd December 2007, 10:59

A friend still has his original "dorky"... in pieces but retained in the thin fabric cover.
Saved his pedal-powered ass.(and his skull)

Could this be another way for the police to generate revenue for Unkle Heilen?
Red light runners and psyclist non-hat wearers. Could be done at the same time.

Oops. Both have something to do with safety, so that'll never happen.

**homer** · 2nd December 2007, 11:02

cant say id blame him ....id never wear one on a pushy either, not that id be riding one but i used to .
yes they look stupid and no i dont believe they save you much either.dont care what any one says .

Like seatbelts in a cage
Guy wouldnt have drowned in the car upside down in the ditch if he didnt wear one ....would he

**Boob Johnson** · 2nd December 2007, 11:15

Originally Posted by homer

Like seatbelts in a cage
Guy wouldn't have drowned in the car upside down in the ditch if he didn't wear one ....would he

Plus 1 vote for moronic statement of 2007

**xwhatsit** · 2nd December 2007, 11:24

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Wearing a helmet pootling around on a push bike completely shits me too.

Wasn't there some study or something that somebody posted on KB that push-bike helmets do diddly shit -- or even worse? Can't remember. Too early in the day to think yet.

I hate them as well. They certainly don't feel very useful. Watching myriad lycragoons can it on Le Tour sans helmutts at 50-odd-kph -- then pick themselves up and carry on going, well... Perhaps it's just the drugs.

**homer** · 2nd December 2007, 11:27

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

Wasn't there some study or something that somebody posted on KB that push-bike helmets do diddly shit -- or even worse? Can't remember. Too early in the day to think yet.

I hate them as well. They certainly don't feel very useful.

Yes ...there actually dangerous as well ...how you may be thinking?
Well in a fall if your head goes back the back edge of some helmets can touch your neck which then leads to a broken neck ...And i do know this for a fact.

**homer** · 2nd December 2007, 11:30

By the way does anyone remember the tv ad that the white station wagon wobbles then goes off the road ,cause the driver is eating a mince pie and the hot mince is burning his thumb ......

Well its a so true fact , It does actually happen

**crashe** · 2nd December 2007, 12:45

Pushbike helmets do save lives if worn correctly.

My daughter was riding her BMX to school (a newish bike and not trashed) and she was on the downward slope of a hill when the brakes failed.... well the end result was she hit a curb and flew over the handlebars when she crashed.

The helmet did its job and saved her head. The helmet was cracked and badly damaged. Both her knees were badly injured. ACC paid out for a new helmet back then........

**Big Dave** · 2nd December 2007, 13:05

Originally Posted by crashe

Pushbike helmets do save lives if worn correctly.

My daughter was riding her BMX to school (a newish bike and not trashed) and she was on the downward slope of a hill when the brakes failed.... well the end result was she hit a curb and flew over the handlebars when she crashed.

The helmet did its job and saved her head. The helmet was cracked and badly damaged. Both her knees were badly injured. ACC paid out for a new helmet back then........

Yeah - that was your daughter.

I'm quite skillful, expert and pretty ferkin' smart.
Quite capable of making my decisions about risk without being nanna'd into wearing a stupid hat to save me from something I've been successfully doing for 46 years.

**dmouse** · 2nd December 2007, 13:22

that idiot should have it welded to his head as he does not have the inteligence, he could be put under the mental health act im serious. also his fines should not be cut for communty service they should be doubled and he should still get com service and be made to wear the helmet while he does such service