Ridecamp: [RC] Helmets -- repost #2

Ack...new mail program.  Sorry to send this with HTML formatting -- I'm
still figuring out the program and know to watch my posts from now on.
Here it is again without the html garbage attached.  (Discovered this
when Ridecamp rejected my first post as too large.)  

If this comes thru with HTML, would someone PLEASE tell me how to get
ride of it since I've clicked plain text before sending it.

---------------------------

This is another post I wrote at the same time...and don't know who the
person is who wrote the comments I'm responding to...doesn't make any
difference anyway. <g> The comments are exemplary of many that were
posted at that time.   Since then I've noticed more and more riders with
helmets on - or maybe it's just wishful thinking and relative to this
part of the country.  

The worst scene I've noted since then was at one of the local town fairs
where they were running a "playday" schedule.  There are a lot of horses
in this part of the company so you see just about everything
imaginable...this, however, takes the cake.

Little kid (girl around age 5) riding a pony doing little keyhole
patterns.  I guess the folks were worried she'd fall off so they duct
taped her feet to the stirrups!!  Apparently weren't worried about her
head since she didn't have a helmet on!

Sue


> >I have far greater respect for people who are aware of the
> >other, very real, costs associated with wearing a helmet and
> >have decided to take their chances with wearing a helmet because
> >they think the benefits outweigh the risks than I do for those
> >people who blindly assume that there are no risks.
> >
 
I have snipped pages of unsubstantiated diatribe defending an
indefensible subject.  I have yet to see *any* of these horrid "costs"
associated with WEARING a helmet that you have stated exist.  Exactly
what are these terrible consequences that I should be weighing?  Please
enlighten me.  I'll be sure to let my family friend and fellow
co-worker, a neurosurgeon, know since he'd be most interested!
 
If you check out the AMEA (who does, BTW, actually keep statistics on
horse related injuries...that's their whole reason for existence), you
can find out more actual real facts about this subject.  I might be more
interested in your pontificating if it were at all based in fact.
Sorry, but you could write a book with so many pages of superfluous
verbiage but it won't hold up without something real in content.
 
Sheesh...I'm starting to sound like Tom! ;-)
 
> >
> > p.s.  As a completely separate issue, the fact that some other
> > people, and maybe even society, may volunteer to undertake the
> > consequences of what they consider to be foolish actions on my
> > part is totally irrelevant.  I have never asked anybody to volunteer
that,
> > and volunteering to pay for what you perceive to
> > be other people's mistakes does not give you any right to then
> > tell people they aren't allowed to do things that you think are
> > mistakes.
 
I wish it could be a voluntary thing!  Unfortunately, the costs are
borne by those of us that have to pay for medical insurance (because,
even as a nurse, I can't get it totally paid for due to the fact that it
has to pay so much out to those with catastrophic emergencies and
subsequent long term care)...AND those of us who pay taxes.  Nobody has
asked me if I *wanted* to do this...I know what my answer would
be...they just take my money.  I hate the thought that I have to pay for
something that could have been prevented.  I'm more forgiving if the
person is truly ignorant of the consequences...but I have little
compassion for those that flagrantly refuse and then proceed to try to
talk others into believing their uncorroborated verbosity.
 
This is my last post on this subject unless someone has something
specific they would like to know.
 
And getting up and down off of this soapbox is more tiring than step
aerobics. <g>


********************************
Sue Brown
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.
suebrown1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx



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