Stupid Is is What Stupid Does

A guy who regularly posts on "Boots on Line" posted this picture with the subject, "Awesome bike -- cool dude." The writer initially posted the pic saying that the rider of this motorcycle was very proud of his machine, a 2000 Millennium Indian, and talked to the writer at every stoplight about his pride in his ride.

What's wrong with this picture? Well, besides the obvious (no helmet, wearing shorts, and some sort of soft footwear), he's holding to the handlebar with ONE HAND! How incredibly stupid, on all accounts.

Several people wrote a reply commenting on the lack of protective gear, and I'll add my voice to that. They referred to him as a "donor". Meaning that when he is involved in a crash (usually caused by someone claiming not to see a motorcycle and turning in front of him), he likely will suffer a traumatic brain injury. If the rest of his internal organs are not spread to smithereens all over the road from the crash, then the organs may be eligible to be used as donor organs for people on transplant lists. (I am just very glad that they don't transplant brains yet).

I am an organ donor. I know what that process involves, the emotions, and the long-term impact on the families of donors and recipients of organs. However, to avoid repetition of that story, just read my May 3 "Happy Kidney Day" post here.

What further adds to the misery of this story is that the writer said this picture was taken in Florida. It's sad but true -- Florida has more elderly drivers than any other state. NHTSA studies have indicated that older drivers have slower response than younger drivers, and we all know that milliseconds in decision-making count when determining how to avoid a crash. Motorcycle Safety Foundation studies have corroborated that when older drivers are involved in a crash with a motorcycle, the majority said to first responders, "I didn't see him." Their peripheral vision and visual acuity is just not as sharp. So riding without a helmet, in shorts, sneakers, and with one hand, IN FLORIDA, is particularly dumb.

Having served as a rescue technician for several years in my home county in Maryland, I got really sick of scraping guys like this up off the road. It was so very sad, and so preventable. What the writer also failed to recognize is that the cost of caring for someone who incurs a head injury from a motorcycle crash adds significantly to the cost of health insurance premiums as well as taxes we all have to pay that go to health care provided by public hospitals (if the guy were not insured.) If the guy isn't killed in the crash, his health care treatment and recovery costs will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. And that doesn't begin to measure the emotional cost on him, his family, and those who will become long-term caregivers.

I don't give a hoot about whether the law says a DOT-approved helmet is or is not required. Getting in gear is just common sense. This guy ain't got any. Period. End of story.