Euro transport authority questions need for “Motorcycle toys”

[yungatart]

Good for you!
What have you done since? Apart from preaching on here, I mean.

[davereid]

Right, as many motorcyclists like to see themselves as nonconforming modern-day cowboys, what you say is quite true.

Yet everyone here is acting surprised and shocked when the authorities say things like...

"the IIHS had a far simpler solution to the “problem” of motorcycle safety. Its senior vice president, Ben Kelley, suggested that one answer would be to just ban motorcycles outright. There—problem solved."

No. Quite the reverse.

No one is surprised ! We expect it !

You just can't seem to accept the idea that governments ENJOY governing.

The process of making rules for others to follow is something that some people enjoy.

You assume that lawmaking is done to make our lives better. History would suggest that there is a problem with that.

You see, "Ben Kelley" sees motorcycling as a problem, ie accidents, that need solving. If you assume that government aka "the public good" is the defining motive for human endeavor then you are right.

But I don't.

I think MY LIFE has precedence over the public good, as long as I don't endanger others.

(And by the way, telling me I'm going to join ACC, will pay for it regardless of my own views, and therefore need to be good in case I cost "society" money, doesn't count.)

You assume that if you just do everything that Helen has invented by 2008, that the problem ends.

Sorry Dipshit, they will be there again. And they will find things to ban.

[swbarnett]

I think MY LIFE has precedence over the public good, as long as I don't endanger others.

Even better than that, you running your own life as you see fit (with respect for other's right to do the same) is in the public interest. All lives are enriched by it.

[Pixie]

They actually think they're doing you a favour. The trouble is they are missing the two most important truths about life:

1. My life is exactly that MINE!

2. To "Live" and to "Survive" are not the same thing. They think that just because someone shows all the physiological signs they're alive.

In earlier times that type would become missionaries and go off to spoil the fun of some happy natives:

Q'Toktok: Are you enjoying your ox testicle?
Homer: Oh, yes -- very much so.
Q'Toktok: Really? You sure you wouldn't rather have a
coconut? [chuckles] They're delicious.
Homer: No, I'm good. [slurps happily. Q'Toktok and Ak
look at each other and shrug]
[Homer sees two attractive sarong-wearing women walk
by]
Hey, what happened to all the shirtless girls you
see in all the geographical magazines?
Q'Toktok: Craig and Amy gave us the gift of shame. All the
naked women are on that island. [points to a
distant island]
Ak: Yeah, anything goes over there. Bouncy, bouncy!
Homer: Aw.

[Pixie]

Governments don't care so much about what we do with our lives... they care about budgets. They are always looking at ways to reduce costs as taxpayers do not have bottomless pockets.

Bullshit
Two words: Budget surplus

How many billion?

[Pixie]

No, it would be nice if it were that simple.

Then we could have just stopped worrying about losing our motocycles when we got helmets forced on us.

The reality is that once a rule becomes accepted, then the next tightening of the noose can be proposed.

Same with the smoking thing.
1907.
Tobacco, Pot and Opium were legal anywere, any time.
Opium restricted.
Pot restricted.
Tobacco age restricted.
Tobacco banned in Governmemt Buildings.
Tobacco banned in the workplace.
Tobacco Banned in Privately owned buildings is alcohol or food served.
2007
Tobacco banned in cars next.
Tobacco banned in any public place next.
Tobacco banned in private homes if children live in the same house.
Tobacco banned.

Didn't happen because people smoked carelessly, smoked too fast or didn't use filters.

Happened because smoking, (Like Motor-Cycling) has inherent dangers.
Its the old story repeating itself.

The reality is, that even using all the safety gear, and following the manufacturers instructions to the letter, the enjoyment gained by smoking comes with a good degree of risk to the user, and others.

Same with motorcycles.

An interesting observation by some social anthropologists is that the more society tries to make life 100% safe,the more extreme sports gain popularity.
Risk taking is what caused modern humans to evolve.

[RDJ]

Get over yourselves. Nobody could give a fuck if you live or die... what they are concerned about is taxpayers money being spent to support your lifestyle.

Nobody needs to climb a mountain. They do it for fun at their own risk. They also don't expect the taxpayer to pay for search and rescue to save their butts from the predicaments they put themselves in.

Boaties and mountaineers can be sent the bill for search and rescue. So yes, they can take the risk but they also pay the price.

Ah - that does not happen. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of costs to the New Zealand taxpayer (and taxpayers around the world) are spent and never recovered when lone yachties call for help at sea - or when groups of them get into trouble during ocean races. And yes, mountain climbers do expect search and rescue.

Furthermore, since bikers have no choice about our tax money being spent to support various other lifestyles, bikers are fairly reasonably concerned when other people decide to single out motorcyclists as people who do not "deserve" to consume any of the taxes we paid.