No Helmet For Obama [Archive] - Sean Hannity Discussion

Gabby

August 28th, 2009, 1:32 am

CID_0687

August 28th, 2009, 1:46 am

A few years ago I saw a kid (about 13 years old) hit the curb with his bike and fall over. I went to help him. He had a huge gash on his head that was bleeding all over the place. He got up and was walking around but was confused and having trouble talking. i called 911.

He had actually crack his skull.

Too bad he was not wearing a helmet at the time. He it would have saved him from a very bad injury.
I guess it's all in how you land.

I was the same age as the child you just mentioned when I was on a bike and got hit by a van. My face went through the windshield, flipped over the van, skidded down the pavement and crushed my leg on the guardrail. My face was pretty beat up...and I had a concussion...but that was it as far as head injuries...and I wasn't wearing a helmet.

I don't remember any of this...I just know what the gentleman that owned the store where it happened at told me.

MrShotShot

August 28th, 2009, 8:11 am

I would imagine that it's Commonwealth law for children their age to wear helmets.

And, once again, another bad judgement call by the President. He needs to really remember that he's a role model for many children around the world.

WhiteHatBobby

August 28th, 2009, 8:19 am

How is wearing a helmet bad? If football players can wear them, why can't bicycle riders wear them? Following a few fatalities at United States Cycling Federation member club events in 1985, USCF adopted a mandatory helmet rule for all USCF events. Also for time trials, a helmet could be used as an aerodynamic advantage.

Only in the past five years as the International Cycling Union (UCI) mandated helmets at all UCI events at all times. That took place after deaths at Paris-Nice in 2003 and a few at Le Tour. Next year will mark the 25th year that helmets are mandatory at American cycling events.

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=3235

(The rider injured eventually died, leading to the UCI's mandate starting with the 2004 Giro d'Italia.)

SFC(R)L

August 28th, 2009, 8:50 am

head injuries kill.

so does stupidity.

jeepers

August 28th, 2009, 9:00 am

Two stories:

Years ago when my oldest nieces were in the 10 year old range, one of them came to visit. Two of her cousins were there with their bikes and helmets. Child wanted to ride her cousin's bike. My brother said 'you can ride, but you have to wear the helmet'. This started a five minute argument from her about why she shoudln't have to. He looked at her and said 'no helmet, no bike'.

****ed off, she slammed the helmet on her head and went outside to ride.

Minutes later she came into the house sobbing, holding the helmet that was literally in two pieces. Turns out she made it about half of a block, hit a small rock, went down and slammed her head into the curb. The helmet did it's job, and she had no injury at all.

My brother looked her in the eye and said 'that could have been your head'.

This was in a very urban area, relatively flat terrain.

Second story: In my nursing school preceptorship at a trauma center, I took care of a girl that had gotten a tiny motor scooter for her 16th birthday. She tried it out without a helmet. Immediately ran into the back of a parked car and slammed her head into it.

She ended up on a ventilator. She had a rocky time. She coded at least once.

I started my kids on helmets when they were on toddler tricycles to get them used to the idea. No helmet? No bike, no scooter. If I catch you doing it anyway, I'm putting that thing up until you get the point.

There are a lot of things in life that may not have do overs. Head injuries are one of them.

ThrowCop

August 28th, 2009, 9:46 am

...

There are a lot of things in life that may not have do overs. Head injuries are one of them.Very, very true.

I had two incidents that could have seen me dead or wishing for it.

I was an avid cyclist for many years and was once sideswiped by a car that sent me careening into a steel-railed bridge head first. My front wheel was taco'd and my helmet was cracked from stem to stern. I had a sore neck for a couple of days but walked (couldn't ride) away.

I also had a sportbike and had a lady pull right out in front of me in very heavy traffic. I had no escape route so I had to drop the bike & hope for the best. I slid for over 30 feet on my back, trying to kick the bike away from me. I ended up slamming the back of my head into this apparently blind woman's rear door. It left a bowling ball sized depression there but I got up without injury. Thankfully I had my Armadillo jacket with a spine protector as my leathers had worn down into the plastic plates.

My backside was not so fortunate. :(

I am actually glad that helmets have become less, "uncool".

My kids will wear them or they won't ride.

LouC

August 28th, 2009, 10:01 am

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2009/08/obama-bike-helmet.html

The wussification of America is something else. I'm dissapointed to see the girls wearing helmets quite frankly

:rolleyes:

...wussification of America...

Not hardly.

Safety head gear use is not wussification, it is using ones head. :dance:

Dr. Funkenstein

August 28th, 2009, 10:45 am

...wussification of America...

Not hardly.

Safety head gear use is not wussification, it is using ones head. :dance:
It's using one's head in the good way, not in the "as a battering ram through a brick wall" kind of way.

Gabby

August 28th, 2009, 10:48 am

I guess it's all in how you land.

I was the same age as the child you just mentioned when I was on a bike and got hit by a van. My face went through the windshield, flipped over the van, skidded down the pavement and crushed my leg on the guardrail. My face was pretty beat up...and I had a concussion...but that was it as far as head injuries...and I wasn't wearing a helmet.

I don't remember any of this...I just know what the gentleman that owned the store where it happened at told me.

You were lucky to not end up with any head injuries. Though a crushed leg does not sound very lucky. Hope you healed alright from all of that and have no lasting complications.

Gabby

August 28th, 2009, 10:54 am

There are two other incidents that I recall....

One was a physician who worked in the same clinic as my ex-husband years ago. This was a young man with a promissing career who liked to ride his bike off trains. He was ridding in a canyon on a dirt path, he and the bike fell. He hit his head on a rock. He died instantly. He left a wife and children behind.

Another case was my ex-husband, who I was married to at the time. One evening while riding his bike he hit come sand on the road, his bike skidded and he went down in traffic. His head hit the curb... his helmet split in two. A car stopped inched from him, just in time to avoid running him over. The helmet saved his head. And an awake driver saved him from a crushed body. It was obviously his lucky day.

super cool ski instructor

August 28th, 2009, 11:14 am

Helmut...meh okay. But I will be damned if my kids are gonne wear those stupid knee and elbow guards. They are going to fall off and get cut up just like I did.

Dr. Funkenstein

August 28th, 2009, 11:16 am

Helmut...meh okay. But I will be damned if my kids are gonne wear those stupid knee and elbow guards. They are going to fall off and get cut up just like I did.
<putting DFS on speed dial>

;)

super cool ski instructor

August 28th, 2009, 11:27 am

:))

Apatriot

August 28th, 2009, 11:30 am

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2009/08/obama-bike-helmet.html

The wussification of America is something else. I'm dissapointed to see the girls wearing helmets quite frankly

:rolleyes:

MA requires helmets for all manually powered vehicles for all kids under 16. That includes skateboards, scooters, bikes and inline skates.

It makes sense to me. I make my kids wear helmets when riding their bikes outside of the neighborhood.

stodr

August 28th, 2009, 12:00 pm

I agree kids should wear helmets. A kid tipping over on their bike and striking a curb with their head is dangerous.

Personal experience: I was at Barksdale AFB TDY in the mid 90's. I was walking to work and this lady started screaming. We went running over and she was holding her child that had just passed out. We gave the child CPR but it passed away. It turns out the child had fallen on her bike the day before and had a few bumps and bruises that the mom took care of, unaware the child had struck the concrete with her head and she died from that injury.

MrShotShot

August 28th, 2009, 12:15 pm

Given that most young kids tend to fall down quite frequently going about their business on a daily basis, who in their right mind wouldn't want them wearing a helmet while traveling 20-30 mph on a bicycle?

I NEVER get on my mountain bike without a helmet. And while I am very confident in my own abilities to handle my bike, I am not at all confident in the abilities of all of the other yahoos around me.

Extricator

August 28th, 2009, 12:40 pm

Those who choose not to wear a helmet while riding a bike, will eventually look back on the days when they had a wheel in the front,and a wheel in the back, instead of a wheel on the left,and a wheel on the right.

WhiteHatBobby

August 28th, 2009, 6:48 pm

Lost control of a ten-speed in February during a post-marathon bike ride the day after I ran my fastest 42,195, and ended up in the bushes. I was unscathed except for a few scratches and tossed my newly purchased helmet away because of the impact to the brushes after the 10-mile ride. No way I was going to use it again in light of the contact.

Plus, it's proven now that aero helmets aren't just safer, they're an advantage in riding a bike in events where aerodynamic advantages are a must. The US adopted the rule 18 years before anyone else did. European riders actually forced UCI to remove a mandatory helmet rule before the start of Paris-Nice in 1991 (the same race where a Kazak rider died 12 years later).

And of course when star riders die in international cycling events because of no helmet, it continues the push.

AeroEngineer

August 28th, 2009, 8:21 pm

DLaw911

August 28th, 2009, 9:54 pm

head injuries kill.

so does stupidity.I think there's some credibility to the theory that kids think they're invulnerable and take chances on bikes, whereas adults know the dangers and ride safer.

Just think about Natasha Richardson's ski accident. A relatively minor head injury while skiing that resulted in her death at a young age. I do wear a helmet when I bike along the beach bike paths. People there are bat crazy! Skaters on cell phones (really) head directly into your path. Joggers intentionally cut off bikers. And the only place to fall is on the cement. The beach patrol takes away more bikers hurt on bike paths than water accident victims.

jeepers

August 29th, 2009, 1:07 am

I think there's some credibility to the theory that kids think they're invulnerable and take chances on bikes, whereas adults know the dangers and ride safer.

But kids are more agile, and have a faster reaction time.

Truth is, it comes down to the fact that **** happens and it can happen fast. Man's body wasn't built to withstand impact that isn't from their own mobility alone. Add a machine and speed and the risk goes up exponentially.

I can still see that girl in four point restraints on the ventilator. I can still see my niece sobbing holding that helmet in two pieces.

I also know motorcycle cops with hairier stories. We're talking professional riders. One of which broke his neck and they literally threw a tarp over him because they thought he was gone. He couldn't move, couldn't speak...and his helmet was literally worn down paper thing from skidding on asphalt.

He lived. He healed. And nope, NO HEAD INJURY. Walking, talking, thinking, just fine. Now his back is a different story, but he's functional.

Part of the "I shoulda been dead', club.

If the big guys can go down, like the professional bicyclists, we are much more at risk.

Clintville

August 29th, 2009, 2:39 am

What is the point of this thread?

And come on, he is riding with his daughters, I don't think he is going that fast.

Sinister Rouge

August 29th, 2009, 2:48 am

When I was 12, one of my neighborhood friends road his bike down a suicide turn in our neighborhood (downhill into a T intersection) and ran head on into his ex-girlfriend's dad's Tahoe. He wasn't wearing a helmet. He was lifeflighted to Jacksonville, where he had brain surgery. He was in a coma for several months, and had to wear a helmet for every day activities for over a year afterwards. He was fundamentally changed as a person--he went from being athletic and popular to the annoying guy on our street we hung out with because he had a playstation.
I'm a firm believer in kids having to wear helmets.

However, I believe that adults should be allowed to make that decision for themselves. The world needs more organ donors.

drylok

August 29th, 2009, 3:17 am

Wow, I don't think anyone in this thread agrees with you.

Ok I'll seperate the kids from the adults. I'm sure my attitude will change about kids when we have our first. But isn't amazing how many millions and millions of us grew up as kids riding bikes w/o helmets and survived?

Sinister Rouge

August 29th, 2009, 3:33 am

Ok I'll seperate the kids from the adults. I'm sure my attitude will change about kids when we have our first. But isn't amazing how many millions and millions of us grew up as kids riding bikes w/o helmets and survived?

A lot of pilots lived very long lives before the invention of the ejection seat. That doesn't make the ejection seat a wimpy invention.

There are a lot of activities in which kids can get hurt. Most of them happen to be a lot of fun. Taking the necessary precautions to make sure a minor injury doesn't turn into a major one is common sense. Broken arms heal, skull fractures don't.
I see nothing wrong with having kids wear helmets. As I've said, I know a guy who had his life forever changed because he didn't wear one.

RedStatePaPa

August 29th, 2009, 4:14 am

Nothing wrong with the kids wearing helmets.

You don't walk around with a gun loaded and cocked, it's just a matter of safety.

Gabby

August 29th, 2009, 5:03 am

Ok I'll seperate the kids from the adults. I'm sure my attitude will change about kids when we have our first. But isn't amazing how many millions and millions of us grew up as kids riding bikes w/o helmets and survived?

When I was a kid I don't even think that helmets for bike riding existed. We are the ones who survived. Apparently we don't know too much about the ones who died or has brain injuries because they are... well gone. So you are right.. the ones who survived did not need helmets. Too bad the other ones did not know in advance that they needed the helmets... they might still be with us. The brain injured might still be functioning members of society.

---- Quote-----
Each year, nearly 1,000 persons die from injuries caused by bicycle crashes, and 550,000 persons are treated in emergency departments for injuries related to bicycle riding. Approximately 6% of the bicycle riders treated in emergency departments require hospitalization. Head injuries account for 62% of bicycle-related deaths, for 33% of bicycle-related emergency department visits, and for 67% of bicycle-related hospital admissions.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-grpj&p=head%20injuries%20from%20bicycle&type=
---- End Quote-----

Skateboarding is even worse

---- Quote-----
In 2007, an estimated number of 18,542 head injuries due to powered skateboards and an estimated 16,477 head injuries due to skateboards were treated in hospital emergency rooms. Of these, an estimated 11,848 head injuries due to powered skateboards and an estimated 10,256 head injuries due to skateboards occurred in children aged 14 years and under.

http://www.scumdoctor.com/first-aid/concussion/Statistics-On-Head-Injuries-From-Skateboarding.html
---- End Quote-----

CaughtInTheMiddle

August 29th, 2009, 8:06 am

I can't wait for the "you got to be a wuss if you wear a cup to play softball" thread.

GregMartin

August 29th, 2009, 2:31 pm

Look what happens when you don't wear your helmet.

CID_0687

August 29th, 2009, 2:34 pm

You were lucky to not end up with any head injuries. Though a crushed leg does not sound very lucky. Hope you healed alright from all of that and have no lasting complications.
I'm missing a fairly good size chunk of my left calf muscle...but other than that it's all just scars.

Thanks for asking. :)

FidelisAdMortem

August 29th, 2009, 2:40 pm

Last I checked helmet laws were geared towards minors, has this changed?

Panhead0422

August 29th, 2009, 11:17 pm

...wussification of America...

Not hardly.

Safety head gear use is not wussification, it is using ones head. :dance:

In the case of children, the wearing or not wearing of a helmet or other safety equipment should be the province of the parents, not the province of the government. In the case of adults, who's business is it, except the adults?

Panhead0422

August 29th, 2009, 11:21 pm

Most probable response from the white house to this idiot reporter and her quote: "What kind of fool doesn't wear a helmet while biking?" wondered Tribune photo editor Maggie Walker, who was so aghast after spotting the images that she emailed the White House. She's waiting to hear back.

From the White House, (not even Obama because it is beneath the dignity of the messiah): Here is your half peace sign.
Hint: it probably is not the index finger.

Panhead0422

August 29th, 2009, 11:23 pm

Last I checked helmet laws were geared towards minors, has this changed?

Depends on the state. Brace your feet that is the next freedom to die.

Voxpopuli

August 30th, 2009, 3:34 am

We didn't wear helmets as kids when riding bikes like children do now. I can remember two incidents where a trip to the hospital would have been avoided had a helmet been worn. One of which resulted in my good friend who was a very talented athlete having to refrain from contact sports due to the damage done to his skull. There is nothing wimpy about wearing a helmet.

LouC

August 30th, 2009, 9:14 am

In the case of children, the wearing or not wearing of a helmet or other safety equipment should be the province of the parents, not the province of the government. In the case of adults, who's business is it, except the adults?

You know that might work for me if it wasn't for the adults and parents of children making the injuries resulting from bicycle accidents the province of public EMT's, public ER's, public attorneys, and public courts.