Gov. Snyder just signed the optional motorcycle helmet bill into law this morning

**gnome** · April-13-12, 01:36 PM

I would think the right to go helmet-less should have been tied to signing up as an organ donor.

**antongast** · April-13-12, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Other than idiots, who is the constituency for this?

That's a pretty big constituency, actually. How else do you think Dave Agema got elected?

**detroittrader** · April-13-12, 02:06 PM

I've always said, if I see one of these crotch rocket a-holes who blew past me at over 100mph in a crash a few miles ahead I would not stop to help. Even less likely too if they don't have a helmet on.

Occurrence · April-13-12, 02:14 PM

Finally something Snyder does right.

It's kind of sad there are actually people here who feel the government should be able to force people to wear helmets. Nanny-state anyone?

**poobert** · April-13-12, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Finally something Snyder does right.

It's kind of sad there are actually people here who feel the government should be able to force people to wear helmets. Nanny-state anyone?

Yeah! Down with the nanny-state! Except of course when it involves the intensely private issues of marriage, contraception, and abortion. Then let's get the government in other peoples' bedrooms!

You guys are a fucking riot.

**Scottathew** · April-13-12, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by andyguard

I still don't understand why making riders where helmets is considered an infringement of their liberties, but making drivers and passengers wear seat belts is not.

Both are infringements. Kids should be required to, but adults should be free to do what they want.

**Hypestyles** · April-13-12, 03:27 PM

what about minors? hopefully minors will still be forced to have headwear [[and hopefully a jacket of some kind)..

**szla** · April-13-12, 04:06 PM

Driving is a privilege is the first thing you learned in drivers Ed. It is not a right. My biggest concern is having all these new wards of the state especially if the unlimited medical coverage is reduced like some bills in the legislature are trying to do.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · April-13-12, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by dmike76

I'm still a Snyder supporter, but this law is a waste of time. Plus, the insurance costs are going to affect us. Helmets saved the lives of people I love multiple times that are stupid enough to ride motorcycles. Now, if they outlawed motorcycles altogether, I'd say that Snyder is infringing on people's personal rights, but helmets should be a requirement. I will personally hand out Darwin awards to people who ride without helmets.

Don't see how anyone can support this clown. He's made some very unpopular decisions since he's been in office. I hope he's a one-term governor.

Occurrence · April-13-12, 05:02 PM

We might as well just have the goverment make it a law requiring people to wear knee pads and safety harnesses all day every day. It wouldn't surprise me if some people supported that. Can't anyone come up with something better than this being about "insurance reasons" while we are at it?

**Patrick** · April-13-12, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

Pandering. On facebook, some idiot community-college-dropout blowhard I went to elementary school with is all gung-ho over his right to increase our insurance costs. To give you a more detailed profile of the a target audience, he doesn't have any favorite books and is a fan of Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh. To me it seems this is a political move to gain favor of the completely-fucking-stupid.

Did he ride the short bus to school?

**canuck** · April-13-12, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Finally something Snyder does right.

It's kind of sad there are actually people here who feel the government should be able to force people to wear helmets. Nanny-state anyone?

You get thrown off without a helmet, and the state you end up in will require a nanny to help you suck out of a straw...

**compn** · April-13-12, 05:28 PM

i cant believe there are any motorcycles the way people run red lights and swerve around here. i think we need a mandatory helmet law inside the car too!

**compn** · April-13-12, 05:30 PM

did anyone bring up the mandatory seatbelt law? why not just get rid of that too? and airbag requirements? who needs em? crumple zones? bah! bah i say!

**313WX** · April-13-12, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

Can't anyone come up with something better than this being about "insurance reasons" while we are at it?

Why should I be forced to pay higher insurance rates because some idiots chooses to ride without a helmet?

**douglasm** · April-13-12, 05:56 PM

Stupid idea. My wife walks with a small limp, but I'm grateful she waks at all. We were moving along at bicycle speed when a large dog came out of a driveway and blindsided her motorcycle. If she didn't have a helmet on [[a Snell Foundation approved one BTW, not some cheap little thing) I'd be a widower.

A week in the hospital was the outcome. Trust me. $20,000 of insurance would come no where close to covering the cost.

Occurrence · April-13-12, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

You get thrown off without a helmet, and the state you end up in will require a nanny to help you suck out of a straw...

Well people should fight to change that. Passing laws that force grown adults to wear helmets and wear seat belts is bad.

Occurrence · April-13-12, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Why should I be forced to pay higher insurance rates because some idiots chooses to ride without a helmet?

You don't. Tell the insurance company you won't pay more for people who don't wear a helmet. If they say "too bad", go with a different insurance provider.

**313WX** · April-13-12, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by Occurrence

You don't. Tell the insurance company you won't pay more for people who don't wear a helmet. If they say "too bad", go with a different insurance provider.

That may work in whatever fantasy world you live in.

Where I live, in reality, it doesn't.

I WISH I can tell my health care provider BCBS "You better not make me pay for that idiot's medical expenses through higher premiums because he chose not to have health insurance or else I'm switching over to HAP!!!" They would laugh in your face, because they're well aware every health care provider does this.

If that truly worked in reality, there wouldn't be any need for health care reform.

**Scottathew** · April-13-12, 06:44 PM

I'm tired of seeing us wasting time on all these victimless crimes. Helmet laws. Seatbelt laws [[for adults). Prostitution laws [[between consenting adults). Marijuana laws [[for adults).

Let people be free.

**313WX** · April-13-12, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by 48091

Let people be free.

A long as their freedom isn't that the expense of other people's freedom, I'm fine with that.

Am I a bad person for feeling that way?

**Scottathew** · April-13-12, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

A long as their freedom isn't that the expense of other people's freedom, I'm fine with that.

Am I a bad person for feeling that way?

Not at all. That's your opinion and it most certainly has merit.

I don't ride a motorcycle, I never have and never will. I think anyone that does so without a helmet is an idiot and hopefully an organ donor in good health.

However, if they want to be stupid, ride a motorcycle without a helmet on their way to bang a hooker with plans to go home and waste their time and money smoking a doobie, they should be allowed to do so.

**313WX** · April-13-12, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by 48091

Not at all. That's your opinion and it most certainly has merit.

I don't ride a motorcycle, I never have and never will. I think anyone that does so without a helmet is an idiot and hopefully an organ donor in good health.

However, if they want to be stupid, ride a motorcycle without a helmet on their way to bang a hooker with plans to go home and waste their time and money smoking a doobie, they should be allowed to do so.

Fair enough. You and several others in this thread are also entitled to your opinions, which also have merit.

However, the fact of the matter is we're not all islands unto ourselves. The stupid decisions of one person will, more or less, affect other innocent people who had no part in the stupid decision. Why should they be punished because that person is an idiot? If that's how some define freedom, then I'd rather be enslaved.

That said, I do agree with you with regards to MArijuana laws. The War on Drugs is a waste of money and that money can be spent on much better things. However, the freedom to smoke Marijuana should only apply to the weed smoker's private space. It's when others are impacted by their weed smoking that I have a problem with.

[[BTW, I am not a weed smoker. In fact, I LOATHE weed and people when they're high, but they have a right to smoke it and there's nothing I can do about that, and I can't imagine spending billions upon billions to arrest them and lining the pockets of prison contractors when my city is headed into bankruptcy).

**Baselinepunk** · April-13-12, 07:12 PM

"Yeah! Down with the nanny-state! Except of course when it involves the intensely private issues of marriage, contraception, and abortion. Then let's get the government in other peoples' bedrooms!

You guys are a fucking riot"

Let's not forget the attempt to require insurance companies to cover care for Autistic children.

While I agree with the legislation, I disagree with the fact that the Republicans in charge pick and choose what they want "small government" to do.

Government for their causes = good.

Government for everyone else = go fuck yourself.

Occurrence · April-13-12, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

A long as their freedom isn't that the expense of other people's freedom, I'm fine with that.

Am I a bad person for feeling that way?

Why should the insurance companies policies restrict our freedoms? It's not the people's choice they decide to charge you more because some people don't wear helmets.