Date: Sat, 9 May 1998 11:48:23 -0600
Reply-To: Scott McDonell <scott@KONNECTIONS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Scott McDonell <scott@KONNECTIONS.COM>
Subject: Re: Dorking, Was:Re: Daytime running lights for US Vanagons
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Don't any of you remember those, dare I say, "dorky" automatic seatbelts
that manufacturers installed to satisfy, no, make that, skirt the law?
Well, this was dorky nonsense enough that they went away when air bags
became economically viable. And now we're seeing air bag switches installed
and instructions being published on how to disable your steering wheel air
bag. We're returning responsibility to the operator and passengers of the
vehicle. Those who die due to not wearing seat belts lend credibility to
Darwin's hypothesis.
Since I'm the moron who originally stated that I no longer dork around with
full-time running lights, let me make it clear that I always wear my seat
belt, as do my kids and others riding with me. I signal my turns, I yield
to merging vehicles, I stay out of the left lane unless passing, I don't
turn right at a crosswalk that has pedestrians in it and I never drive after
drinking. What a guy. I also don't ride any bandwagon that's hooked on
pointing out ludicrous vehicle legislation, but the daytime light thing
bothers me for a reason that goes back 25 years.....
In the 70's, motorcyclists started their own movement to make ourselves more
visible and provide ourselves a small amount more of protection by running
our headlights during daytime hours. This even got picked up by the
manufacturers and became de rigueur. I am tuned to headlights during the
day signifying a motorcycle, a funeral or some dork who came out of a fog
bank and forgot to turn off his lights. Well, thanks to GM and VW and
others -- with no legislation to even coerce them -- motorcyclists have lost
a unique and ver significant safety feature. And, speaking of motorcycles,
feel free to ride without a helmet here in beautiful Utah. Don't get me
wrong -- I always wear mine, but freedom to indicate your place in the food
chain is alive and well here.
Scott
Ogden, Utah
'86 Syncro (worth well more than $4500, I'd like to think)
-----Original Message-----
From: Steven X. Schwenk <sxs@Schwenk-Law.com>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Friday, May 08, 1998 5:36 PM
Subject: Re: Dorking, Was:Re: Daytime running lights for US Vanagons
>The seat belt law more or less achieves voluntary seat-belting and is
>modifing behavior so that people automatically buckle up out of habit
>and common sense, not because of the coercion of the law. I've never
>seen the law enforced. If you don't want to wear one, don't. Because
>the law is generally not abused by the police and because it saves
>millions in insurance premiums (mine too) not to mention lives.... I say
>leave it alone. Now if you're willing to pay mandatory higherr
>insurance premium to cover the extra costs and risks of being a
>non-seatbelted driver, then the argument to abolish the laws might be a
>little more persuasive to me.
>
>Fred Porter wrote:
>
>> Kelly,
>> I dont think you are a dork for using your seatbelts or for thinking
>> that DLRLSRS are a good idea (the lights are a good idea) and I don't
>> have a problem with using seatbelts or using my own brain to command
>> my
>> fingers to turn on my headlights eventhough the sun hasn't set (i
>> don't
>> have DRLS). The problem i have is that every small interest group has
>> a
>> problem they want fixed through legislation rather than taking it upon
>>
>> themselves to educate people and let them choose for them selves (i
>> imagine i could set off an atom bomb right now if i brought up
>> abortion). If we were really concerned with health and dollars wasted
>>
>> fixing people that get hurt by not doing something responsibly, then
>> there would be legislation against fat merchants such as McDonalds,
>> burger king, etc and taxes on fat people because circulatory disease
>> is
>> the biggest killer in the USA (much more so than in other countries)
>> and
>> HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars are spent taking care of these fat
>> people who aren't responsible enough to take care of themselves.
>> Common
>> sense and personal responsiblity should be enough to take care of
>> simple
>> things like seat belts and lights and to know that the 300 lbs
>> indicated
>> on the bathroom scales says something is wrong. Guess you can tell i
>> have a problem with obesity and america's growing trend of greatness
>> and
>> what it indicates about a person (health/genetic problems aside).
>>
>> it just bugs the living *&%$# out of me when i can't turn something
>> off. Have you ever heard all the warning beeps, bloops and bongs that
>> a
>> ford explorer produces for every senseless possible consideration to
>> remind a forgetful, carefree (ha, ha) american that he didn't put his
>> underwear on right side out?
>>
>> geeze, it's happy hour!
>> thanks,
>> fred
>>
>> Kelly Bauman wrote:
>> >
>> > At 12:29 08-05-98 -0600, Fred Porter wrote:
>> > >Eventhough DLRs have been statistically shown to reduce accidents,
>> they
>> > >are still just another piece of unnecessary legislation, reducing
>> > >personal responsibility.
>> >
>> > If enough people were personally responsible with helmets, seat
>> belts, use
>> > of headlights, etc. then you wouldn't need "unnecessary legislation"
>> in the
>> > first place. Sadly, there are too many people who aren't "dorking
>> around"
>> > with their safety equipment in use and you end up having to
>> legislate it.
>> > The system also needs legislation for the car makers to develop and
>> provide
>> > the safety options at a reasonable price.
>> >
>> > Kelly - Apparently a "dork" since I use my seatbelt and my DRLs
>> >
>> > Kelly Bauman
>> > Delta, BC
>> > '91 Westy
>>
>> --
>> remove NOSPAM to reply
>
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