Greater Tampa Bay Area XI 3/22/07

[AstroDad]

One little blurb in the paper and nothing on the news.

Now if it was a motorcyclist who died and wasn't wearing a helmet you'd never hear the end of it.

How odd.... There's an article in today's St. Pete Times about an accident involving one of these idiots (cycle with no helmet). One reason these types of stories are covered in more detail (vs dive accidents) is that there is much more information available to the reporter. There's not usually a lot of witnesses to most diving accidents, and, its almost never as bloody. If it bleeds, it leads....

 

[Missdirected]

I disagree on the motorcycles. We have kids all over here getting smashed up and we don't hear of it. I dunno, maybe this didn't get so much coverage as it was a Sunday? The reporter had no way out there? Found out to late? Who knows. The lady who died last year got loads and loads of coverage. Honestly, I am glad it didn't get a lot of coverage. I am terrified of people who know nothing of the sport yet want to jump on the wagon and make laws. The less those types know - the better.

Edited to respond to Astro's post. No Astro, not today. It just seems every time a diver death makes headlines people start talking about laws when they know nothing about diving. That is all

 

[AstroDad]

Is someone talking about a new law? I missed that part. I'm not for any new laws on most anything....

 

[eandiver]

How odd.... There's an article in today's St. Pete Times about an accident involving one of these idiots (cycle with no helmet). One reason these types of stories are covered in more detail (vs dive accidents) is that there is much more information available to the reporter. There's not usually a lot of witnesses to most diving accidents, and, its almost never as bloody. If it bleeds, it leads....

I wouldn't call him an idiot......unless he was doing something stupid on the bike resulting in the accident. Then he got what he deserved.

The state of Florida by law has given riders in this state the choice to wear or not to wear a helmet. That's the American way. A choice. Democracy. How you ride once you have made that choice is up to you. I can be wearing a full suit, boots, gloves and a helmet and that broadside into a left turning car will still have the same result'

I have no pity or sorrow for the squid on the sportbike who, while doing a standup wheelie on 275, rear ends a car and splatters his body on the road. My sorrow goes out to his family and the other innocent people involved but not him.

For the record I have over 27 years continuous on motorcycles all the way from my 79 SR500 first bike through cruisers, sportbikes and touring bikes to my last bike a CBR1100XX. I'm not even going to guess at the mileage.

I figured that selling the CBR and investing the money in cave diving classes and a dry suit were a better bet.

I think it was a good bet.

 

[K Mejean]

I sold my bike not long after I got into diving. Between that and the boat and the wife and kids I never had time for it any more. I miss it though. Unfortunately people don't look for bikes when they are on the road. Hell they don't look for anything most of the time. When there is an accident the bike rider always pays the bigger price.

 

[eandiver]

I found a temporary solution....sell the boat and do springs, buy the wife a bike and teach her to ride, take the daughter out on the back of the bike and do rides with her and the wife.

Worked great for several years until the close calls and thoughts of having something happen to them made me change my mind.

Priorities.

 

[1amphibian]

Not sure where the press has been going with the bike accidents lately, but there have been a ton of deaths reported in the papers and on the Tv and online. Not sure if they are trying to bring it to everyone's attention because they want to get the law changed to force riders to wear helmets again or what.

I also wonder if they just assume that diving is so dangerous that an occasional death is expected and not newsworthy.

The one last year made the news so much because there was foul play suspected, and as everyone knows, we love dirty laundry..

I just bought a bike last October, have been wanting one again for years, enjoying it for now, but the kids doing wheelies and burnouts make us all look bad..

May sell it in a few years for more dive gear...who knows


Chris

 

[truck1]

Unfortunately people don't look for bikes when they are on the road. Hell they don't look for anything most of the time. When there is an accident the bike rider always pays the bigger price.

This is also usually the rider doing something he should not be doing in the first place.I have picked up enough of those riders off the asphalt.

 

[Missdirected]

This is also usually the rider doing something he should not be doing in the first place.I have picked up enough of those riders off the asphalt.

Rico, u still workin' this weekend? :light: You are going to miss out, big time.

 

[eandiver]

only on the party it appears..........mother nature is becoming a PITA as far as gulf dives go.

N@rco$i$ is at this very moment smashing his boat to match sticks with a fire ax yelling words only a Marine knows......