It's not all about money

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

Thank God, not everyone thinks like Mr. Khalsa with regard to motorcyclists wearing helmets.  There are certainly many level-headed motorcycle riders who cherish life and will conform to wearing helmets to prevent injury, often fatal, to themselves. 

I ask Khalsa if he has ever seen a person with severe brain injury and the debilitating life those with injuries of that type are forced to live with.  Many motorcyclists are diligent about maneuvering the traffic patterns in Costa Rica, but there is also a population of risk takers who weave in and out with no regard for the safety of others. 

If every driver (motorcyclists and car drivers) became more aware of others on the roadways, perhaps the need for helmets wouldn't be a necessity.  Of course, bicycles should be included in the helmet requirement. 

I urge Mr. Hari Singh Khalsa to visit a brain injury unit and see what he thinks after listening to some of the stories of why the people are in that unit.  It is NOT all about the money!


There's little oil-based plastic

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

Had a real good laugh this morning, reading the tirade against motorcycle helmet laws.  I guess the writer simply doesn’t recognize the safety element.  As for his contention that oil = plastic = more money for big business, he is likewise unaware that there may well be other ingredients in the manufacture of these helmets, such as epoxy resins, various metals, polycarbonates, etc., with, in fact, little oil-based plastic used at all.  Maybe he would change his mind if he just one time had to scrape some unknown hero’s brains off the pavement, following a simple choque involving one of the aforementioned motorcycles.

Three-wheelers, too

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

Sir, In response to Mr. Hari Singh Khalsa comment on helmets! I have a Piaggio APE and am on my second Bajaj Torito. About a year and a half ago, I and another Tico were ticketed for not using helmets while driving our Toritos. We appealed the tickets (through a lawyer).

About 10 months later we got the answer that these vehicles are in a class not covered by the Ley de Transito! In other words, due to the fact that they have bodywork, front windshields, and tops, helmets are not required with these vehicles!

Of course on Feb. 16 last, I got another ticket for no helmet! The officers computer had the new law in it, so I got a ticket, even though the new law had not gone into effect (the old law did not cover three wheels) and the fact that I had a written answer saying that I did not need a helmet from transit officials. 

Of course, I filed an "impugnacion"! Since 1 March, of course, I have been using a helmet. Every one should be aware that Transito has the ability, under the new law to determine their own regulations concerning unique vehicles. I would like to suggest that everyone with the concerns of using helmets with these three-wheel vehicles, get ahold of transito to hopefully push for the new classification of these vehicles!


An insurance conspiracy

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

The helmet law in the U.S.A. was contrived by the insurance companies.  It is another example on how big corporations control how we live.  They bribe, oh I mean lobby, our elected officials to pass laws to favor them. 

Example: A corporation lobbies Washington spending $10 million on bribes. In return they make $40 million on savings from medical claims and not keeping people alive under comas, netting a hansom $30 million profit. 

This is a common practice in U.S.A. politics.  The helmet law added gross amounts of profits for the insurance companies. BUT my major complaint was why hasn't my insurance premiums gone down, if we were the ones saving all of that money for the insurance companies?

Now the dysfunction of all this, there is a lot less riders in comas.  These people were excellent donors for organs.  Lots of them young riders, with fresh organs.  The inexperience riders on crouch rockets. 

In retrospect there has been a shortage of organ donors since the helmet law in California and other states where the law exists.  Which opened up the arena of the organ black market. 

I have been a rider for over 35 years.  I live to ride and ride to live. With or without a helmet.