I used to ride motorcycles. This was quite a long time ago, when I was quite young, like 21 years old and had two years of experience in the Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller. I thought I was invincible and would never ever die. My confidence and ego were quite disgusting for one so young. Now, 28 years later, I know better. I'm a slow learner. I had a Honda 750, which could rip the wind, and the first day they repealed the helmet law in Arizona, where I happened to be stationed, I drove my wife to work in downtown Phoenix, and neither of us wore a helmet. After dropping her off at work, I headed back towards home, in city traffic down a three lane road, one way. I was in the left hand lane and a car was a little in front of me, in the center lane. Suddenly, the driver of this car, in the center lane, decided to make a 90 degree left hand turn to an intersecting street to their left. I just happened to be in their blind spot. It was happened so fast, I had no time to react. That was the last thing I remembered that particular morning. I woke up in the hospital, after being unconscious for about 4 hours. This isn't the first time I had been knocked out. I used to play football in high school, and since I only weight 115 lbs back then, I used to get knocked out all the time. I've lost count of how many concussions I've experienced in my lifetime. My guess is around 6 or so. I have a short in my switch; it doesn't take much to turn out my lights. When I woke up, my Squadron Commander was there, some Lieutenant Colonel, who had the decency to hang around to see if I was going to come out of this coma, or if I was going to die. My wife was, also, there (first wife, not Erica). I had a catheter up my you know what, and that affected my "we won't talk about such things here on Ridecamp" performance for quite a while after I left the hospital. I still remember all that and it was almost 30 years ago. I have several scars on the right back side of my head that have never seemed to heal properly. For years this part of my head used to ooze out liquid. This is probably why I'm more or less borderline insane, compared to most folks who don't ooze out liquid from their brains on a daily basis. I have never gotten on a motorcycle since then, and I really did love them way back when. But, cars are bigger than cycles, and I decided I wanted to live more than I wanted to live a fast life and die like James Dean. Drivers of cars who shouldn't be on the road will kill a biker quicker than anything else you've ever seen. I've lived in Daytona Beach for almost ten years now, and I see it twice a year down here. Each year it's a guess as to how many bikers will die during bike week. And, guess what? We recently repealed the helmet law down here in Florida, so the numbers are climbing. If you don't wear a helmet while riding endurance I won't be so rude as to call you a dumb ass. But, I won't ride with you; and I won't watch your back. You're on your own, as far as I'm concerned, and if you fall off your horse without a helmet, I'll stop to help you, but, if you're conscious, you won't like hearing what I'm going to say to your face. In fact, if that does happen, I will most likely tell you you are a dumb ass for riding in this sport without a helmet, and if you do another ride, after this, without wearing one, I won't stop to help you the next time. Suicide is something that should be experienced alone. cya, Howard (trying hard not to be the dumb ass he once was) ----- Original Message ----- From: Colleen Egleston Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2002 10:56 AM To: amber applegate Cc: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC] Helmets and risk tolerance If they don't wear a helmet and eat the silica in their new shoes, I guess, yes, I would have to say they are a DUMB ASS. By the way, best friend is an attorney who receives about one call a month from people who ask if they can sue Kelloggs because they got a paper cut opening a box of cereal, I'm totally serious on this one. We call lawsuits the 'White Trash Lottery Ticket.' C. ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 2:35 PM Subject: Re: [RC] Helmets and risk tolerance
> This is a protection for the
> dumb ass who decides to eat the silica pack in their shoes.
>
> This post is in no way implying that people who chose not to wear helmets
> are stupid.............Does it imply that they are a dumb ass?? :~)) amber
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