It'll have to wait a month

[Fimble]

I had all my ducks in a row to buy the beta A10C, I had the money reasonably isolated from spousal detection and funding was to be a result of a recent expense reimbursement check I received from work. Sneaky bastard I am, I know.

 

Then in the course of two days I received two violations for not wearing a seatbelt. That's right, two, in two days. That's $103 USD x 2.

 

You see recently my state has passed a law making seat belt use mandatory. In addition they made it what they call a "Primary Offense", meaning they can pull you over for that and that alone. They kicked off this exciting new law by setting up checkpoints manned by 6+ squad cars, 12+ well paid salaried officers going door to door at busy intersections.

 

I managed to drive through two of these seatbelt checkpoints (stings so to speak). One on my way to work Tuesday morning in the city I work in and the other on my way home from work in the city I live in. Not having ever seen a damn seatbelt sting before I didn't have the presence of mind to quickly buckle up, thinking instead there was a big accident or something more nefarious ahead. :doh:

 

Why on earth the state of Minnesota feels the need to protect me from well... myself I'll never know. If the guy next to me isn't wearing his belt what the hell do I care? It isn't any of my business! What's next, fines for not wearing eye protection when you mow your lawn? Fines for not wearing sunscreen on a sunny, summer day?

 

Long story short, I'll have to live vicariously through you fine folks until next month when I can re-allocate Warthog funds.

[GGTharos]

Start wearing your seatbelt. It isn't just protecting you, it is getting you in the habit of protecting passengers.

 

In addition it isn't protecting you from JUST you. It isn't just you who can get you killed on the road and it has been already statistically determined that this little piece of equipment is likely to save your life if some jerk decides to swerve across your lane. What's the matter, the two extra seconds wearing on your life too much? :)

 

And for all that, you have to wait longer for the Hog! WEAR YOUR SEATBELT IN YOUR CARD AND STRAP IN SECURELY IN YOUR HOG! :D

[dane48]

If you would have worn the seat belt after the first violation, you could have had $103 and A10. I don't like the laws either, but its there. Guess its like why do I have to have a life jacket in a boat-though I don't have to wear it. Cause they don't want to spend days and weeks looking for your dead body on the bottom or waiting for it to surface.

[Fimble]

Start wearing your seatbelt. It isn't just protecting you, it is getting you in the habit of protecting passengers.

 

In addition it isn't protecting you from JUST you. It isn't just you who can get you killed on the road and it has been already statistically determined that this little piece of equipment is likely to save your life if some jerk decides to swerve across your lane. What's the matter, the two extra seconds wearing on your life too much? :)

 

And for all that, you have to wait longer for the Hog! WEAR YOUR SEATBELT IN YOUR CARD AND STRAP IN SECURELY IN YOUR HOG! :D

 

The only risk I face if someone else isn't wearing their belt is if they hit a bridge pylon at 50mph, get ejected from their car via the windshield, fly a laser beam-like trajectory through my windshield and into my lap. That's the risk.

 

One of my favorite parts of freedom was the freedom to be stupid if you so chose. I don't like bureaucrats defining stupid, enacting laws to prevent their idea of it and then forcing me to comply.

 

On a humorous side note bear in mind that it IS in fact LEGAL in Minnesota to operate a motorcycle without a helmet. But forget to buckle up in your 7000 pound SUV and the man shall write you the ticket, for your own safety of course. Government, gotta love it! sigh.

 

In any event, it's clearly too expensive for me to remain a concientous objector (is that how that's spelled?) to this law so I guess I'll be buckling up from here on out. ;)

[Steel Jaw]

I wear the seat belt anyhow. It's positively crazy not to.

 

Besides, if the joker beside you has his on , he may be able to keep control of his car in an accident and avoid broadsiding you.

[PhiXX]

A contestant for the Darwin Award? :D

[Tracer2k]

I was kind of annoyed when the law came here in finland, even tho i always use the seatbelt, but the principle that someone fining me for not protecting MYSELF got me annoyed.

Anyway it's only two seconds every time you go in the car. Have you not ever seen the crash test dummy videos what happens to them when not buckled up? it nasty! and it shouldn't happen to anyone, and if the car rolls over, you have about 80% chance to get flung out of the car, or what happens when someone in the back seat is not buckled up in a car crash, it will potentially kill the passenger/driver in the front seat.

 

well who am i to preach but just think about it :)

 

drive safe.

 

ill just leave this here and erm.. go.. :P

Edited October 20, 2010 by Tracer2k

[Fimble]

A contestant for the Darwin Award? :D

 

 

Those words literally went through my head the second time :doh:

[GGTharos]

The only risk I face if someone else isn't wearing their belt is if they hit a bridge pylon at 50mph, get ejected from their car via the windshield, fly a laser beam-like trajectory through my windshield and into my lap. That's the risk.

 

Actually the risk is yours if you're not wearing it and he HITS YOU. You have no control over that.

 

One of my favorite parts of freedom was the freedom to be stupid if you so chose. I don't like bureaucrats defining stupid, enacting laws to prevent their idea of it and then forcing me to comply.

 

And yet in the case of seatbelts it has actually done good things, despite the fact that you do not like it. Driving is not a right - it is a privilege and you earn the privilege to drive by promising to obey the rules (and showing some amount of skill at driving). You don't have the freedom to 'be stupid', that 'freedom' is not part of the deal. Get over it :D

 

On a humorous side note bear in mind that it IS in fact LEGAL in Minnesota to operate a motorcycle without a helmet. But forget to buckle up in your 7000 pound SUV and the man shall write you the ticket, for your own safety of course. Government, gotta love it! sigh.

 

In any event, it's clearly too expensive for me to remain a concientous objector (is that how that's spelled?) to this law so I guess I'll be buckling up from here on out. ;)

 

Hey, if people like being flytraps on the open road...but yes, it is stupid. All these devices help protect you in moderate speed collisions. High speed collisions - well ... that's another thing altogether.

[coolts]

You see recently my state has passed a law making seat belt use mandatory. In addition they made it what they call a "Primary Offense", meaning they can pull you over for that and that alone.

 

Bloody hell, we've had mandatory seatbelts since the '70's over here. Are you allowed to have loaded guns on the drivers seat? (looks for passport)

 

And we haven't been allowed to drink-drive since the Vikings were over here. Bloody Sweyn Forkbeard my arse! ;)

Edited October 20, 2010 by coolts

[Jg2001_Rasputin]

I´ve seen guys lying on their engine hood on the Autobahn. Believe me you don´t want to see or end like this. Poor people who have to clean the shit up.

[Cali]

A contestant for the Darwin Award? :D

 

Best post in here so far! :D

[Fimble]

Bloody hell, we've had mandatory seatbelts since the '70's over here. Are you allowed to have loaded guns on the drivers seat? (looks for passport)

 

Actually yes I have a permit to carry a handgun and there was at the time and currently is a loaded Walther PPK in my glove compartment. :smoke:

 

Cop noticed my permit as I was digging through my wallet for my drivers license, asked me if I was carrying at the time, I said yes, in my glove compartment he asked to see it, I showed him, he said "nice piece", then "have a good day."

 

There's still some freedom left I suppose ;)

[Greb]

Drove a wrecker for many years.....seat-belts and helmets work! I have cleaned up many a bloody mess on the road. Anyone that doesn't wear a seat-belt or helmet when riding, (I speak from the heart I own a Road King and ride almost everywhere I go), is just plain ignorant. That being said I believe you have a every right to exercise your freedom to be stupid. The government shouldn't be in the babysitting business. What get's me is they push the law in the name of safety, when it's really in the name of revenue!

[Succellus]

Don t like seatbelt ? buy a motorcycle....I got one and dont use any kind of seat belts with it. But in my car, always, i feel naked without it.

 

You don t wanna bump your head on the windshield and get out of your car vomiting blood and die of concussion a few painfull hours after, you dont wanna have your breast crushed on the whelldrive because some drunk jerk busted a red light and you slammed it, and feel your lung filling with your own blood by the minute. You dont wanna feel like a maverick, especially the stopping part, while your car is rolling after someone collided into you, or a front tire exploded at 50mph during a curve because something on the tarmac ripped it.

And as someone said, if your in the backseat, you don t want to have a real kill on your conscience because after a collision you weren t wearing your belt and you crushed the person that was on the front seat.

 

As someone sayd shearch for dummy tests and looks for statictics...you ll wear it gladly after.

Edited October 20, 2010 by Succellus

[GGTharos]

Again, driving is a privilege. You get that privilege in return for obeying current and future rules and laws of the road without any regard to any perceived right 'to be stupid'. The deal does not include any such right ... since once more, that driving license is a privilege and not a right.

 

Drove a wrecker for many years.....seat-belts and helmets work! I have cleaned up many a bloody mess on the road. Anyone that doesn't wear a seat-belt or helmet when riding, (I speak from the heart I own a Road King and ride almost everywhere I go), is just plain ignorant. That being said I believe you have a every right to exercise your freedom to be stupid. The government shouldn't be in the babysitting business. What get's me is they push the law in the name of safety, when it's really in the name of revenue!

[Steel Jaw]

Don t like seatbelt ? buy a motorcycle....

 

 

Street bikes are organ doner machines. :D

 

Now, dirt biking is much safer. That I do with my 6 year old son.

[Fimble]

Drove a wrecker for many years.....seat-belts and helmets work! I have cleaned up many a bloody mess on the road. Anyone that doesn't wear a seat-belt or helmet when riding, (I speak from the heart I own a Road King and ride almost everywhere I go), is just plain ignorant. That being said I believe you have a every right to exercise your freedom to be stupid. The government shouldn't be in the babysitting business. What get's me is they push the law in the name of safety, when it's really in the name of revenue!

 

I actually wear it fairly frequently, and always in inclement weather. I drive a little turbocharged miata, it's a 2 seat, rear wheel drive sports car for those that don't know what it is.

 

I've had it for years (finally paid it off 5 months ago, woohoo!) and the seatbelt while fairly worthless in that particular car in a serious crash (I'd simply be crushed to death) is actually quite comfortable. Also from a performance driving point of view, has some utility during hard cornering by keeping me firmly in position when flying around the clover-leaf entrance ramps onto the freeway at 55+ mph ;)

 

You're absolutely right though, I complain about the hypocrisy of it all when I know as well as you do that it's simply a revenue booster for the state. Nothing more and nothing less.

 

Oh well, government 98, Fimble 0. :)

[Steel Jaw]

Dirtbiking...my little girl I think wants in as well...

 

[Fimble]

Dirtbiking...my little girl I think wants in as well...

 

 

Cute picture, looks like fun too!

[Greb]

I actually wear it fairly frequently, and always in inclement weather. I drive a little turbocharged miata, it's a 2 seat, rear wheel drive sports car for those that don't know what it is.

 

I've had it for years (finally paid it off 5 months ago, woohoo!) and the seatbelt while fairly worthless in that particular car in a serious crash (I'd simply be crushed to death) is actually quite comfortable. Also from a performance driving point of view, has some utility during hard cornering by keeping me firmly in position when flying around the clover-leaf entrance ramps onto the freeway at 55+ mph ;)

 

You're absolutely right though, I complain about the hypocrisy of it all when I know as well as you do that it's simply a revenue booster for the state. Nothing more and nothing less.

 

Oh well, government 98, Fimble 0. :)

 

Miatas actually hold up pretty good Fimble. My cousin had a major head on driving one and both her and her son walked away. I was amazed how well it held up. To look at the wreck you would have thought someone died.

 

I have driven Commercially for over 20 years and laws written in the name of driver safety are in place for the most part to generate revenue for the State. Driving may be a privilege and I agree with you on speeding and anything that may cause harm to someone else. Yet not wearing a seatbelt or a helmet can only hurt yourself. That to me a nothing more then an infringement on your personal freedoms. Once again the Gov. shouldn't be in the babysitting business. It may be the law, but the law is an ass!

Edited October 20, 2010 by Greb

[sweinhart3]

Dirtbiking...my little girl I think wants in as well...

 

 

Man all this time I thought you would have looked like 007. Im disapointed.

[hassata]

WTF? Mower's human?

[egorter]

The main reason I wear my seatbelt is the airbag. it has the the power of a 12guage shotgun blast without the shot. Some people have been badly injured in a low speed bump when the airbag fired and they had no seat belt on and it snapped their neck.