Death Wish

[2wheels]

Riding home after an enjoyable coffee with Ally and Fishenough I came upon a traffic jam on Mae Jo road.
Ambulance across two lanes, police in attendance.

We've all seen it and many of us have commented on this scenario, but it is (for me) always numbing.

Dead body lying on road covered by a white sheet.
Well, red and white, especially where the head was.
Bare feet protruding from the blanket.
Bike a few metres away on its side.

Police directing traffic around the fatality.
i.e. directing helmet-less riders including schools kids around the body, many of whom stopped to gawk at the scene that they see so often.

How much is a helmet?
How much is a head?
How much is a life? :bash

 

[Lone Rider]

Ron,

Rant mode ON: Unfortunately some will never learn - see so often people on a bike with the helmet in the basket in the front or dangling from the bike somewhere. Every morning I pass them lining up at the traffic lights ready to roar off once they think the light will jump to green soon with the helmet-less people generally in front.

Still remember the demonstrations with very angry people when helmet use became compulsory. One of the guys threw a helmet on the ground with all his force and when it bounced back he jumped on it but the helmet survived. Someone should have asked the guy to do that same demonstration by jumping of a chair with his head down but I am not sure if he would have grasped the difference. Rant Mode OFF

 

[Ally]

Hey Ron thanks for bringing up the opportunity for a rant.

In no way do I wish to trivialise this awful incident but I am actually numb before the report of this, as when I travel around I see the volume of accidents about to happen.

Indeed after driving around town this afternoon I avoided no fewer than 30 near-miss accidents, the majority were students or labourer type riders, no helmets, weaving through traffic (I do it myself but not like their reckless way) and undertaking (pun intended) on left turn corners.

An accident scene is never a pleasant one but the image in my mind of the accident about to happen is more frightening.

Ally

 

[LivinLOS]

The world is over populated.. I am not sure why more of us is a good thing.

A good cull is what we need.

Maybe I am callous ?? But none of us live forever.

 

[Nightrider70]

Evolution at work.

 

[dellboy218]

Hi Ron
Dont see too many helmets here in Shanghai either although there are very few 'proper' bikes around. The vast majority are battery and ride on the road/pavement virtually anywhere there is a space. Lord knows why there isn't more accidents. Looking forward to being paroled in 2 weeks back to CNX and safer roads. (honestly!)