Helmets...

by **Smocking Rock** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 2:31 pm

From April 1st, our government is imposing a new law. It\'s going to be compulsory to wear a helmet. I feel that\'s disgusting. Our protection, our wish. They can\'t force us to wear a helmet. Let\'s see what they do...

by **Smocking Rock** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 8:21 pm

I should have created this board after this rule actually came into effect...

by **Kishore** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 8:35 pm

This is how this thing works: Some big politician/police officer is bribed by helmet manufacturing companies to make the rule. They\'ll implement it for a month or two, when everyone is forced to buy helmets. Then they\'ll repeal it bowing to \"public pressure\", so the elections aren\'t affected, either - khel khatam, paisa hajam. Cool, huh!

by **Srinu** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 9:29 pm

Who knows... On April 1st, the govt. may go \"April Fool... no helmet rule!\"

) But seriously, I understand the concern about driving without helmets. But I am not sure how effective they are in reducing deaths. Are there any statistics which show how many ppl who were wearing helmets suffered accidents (similar to the accidents that caused deaths to non-helmet wearing individuals) and recovered? There are very few riders who use helmets... so obviously if you go by plain stats, the non-helmet \"community\" will have more causualities as they are more in number. And yeah, finally, I think it\'s the right of an individual to decide what is good/bad for him... What are they going to think of next? Ban fast foods bcos they are not good for health??? How about banning TV? I am sure it\'s causing more damage to human brain??

by **vivek of themavericks** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 11:15 pm

The Real Reason to make Helmet Compulsory You see, it\'s not because driving in Hyderabad would become safer and those horrible accidents would be reduced. It\'s because you can save your head from those people who spit pan from the buses. All that yuck would eventually land on your helmet and not on you hair, plus passengers in our autos would be able to spit without any worry of where that trajectory would find its destination. Plus, all those \'vrinda certified\' bad flirts of Hyderabad can finally stare at our good-looking Hyderabadi ladies at the wrong places without feeling guilty! See, there are advantages for wearing helmets! So did you buy one today?

by **Smocking Rock** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 7:21 pm

Yeah Kishore, you are right - see this was once done in the regime of NTR (Sr). My dad always remembers those days. Yeah, as you said, all people bought helmets then and used them for max 2 months... But can you suggest how to overcome this?

by **Smocking Rock** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 7:32 pm

Hey Srinu, I think the ultimate rule should be, don\'t use automobiles as you can have accidents by riding - instead, you should all walk...

by **Srinu** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 9:53 pm

SR, whoever said walking is safe? First, you got open manholes which are put for \"comic effect\" (like in the movies... ur friend just disappears - one fine day, it might be ur turn). Then, the govt. decided to use the \"foot paths\" for planting trees (which is good)... so we have no choice but to walk on the road. And that leaves our friendly neighbourhood RTC bus driver, who wants to live out his Formula-1 fantasy on our Hyderabad roads, free to use us for speed breakers (YUCK!!). So come to think of it, walking isn\'t safe either!

by **Srinu** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 10:03 pm

And by the way, if you ban all automotives, we are going to have bandhs and rasto rokos by all RTC/Auto unions and who not... And as you were asking for a solution, the solution is to use the helmet your dad bought durings NTR\'s rule (make sure you paint a small ISI mark if it\'s absent)... and bear it for a couple of months. And hopefully this rule will go away like a bad dream.

by **Purushothama** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 10:26 pm

Hey, all of you are nuts. I thought that all of you are educated. but I am changing my belief. Many of you stayed out of the country, I hope. Don\'t think it is alright to ignore the laws of the land. The Supreme Court decided his sometime ago and this law is being implemented now. Don\'t take it easy. Buy proper helmets for yourself and also the pillion rider (who may be your girl friend!). Save your life and that of other road users.
I strongly support this.

by **Srinu** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 11:17 am

thanx purushothama for enlightening us...

! do u mind enlightening us further and give us the stats (facts/figures) that caused the supreme court to give that judgement? and no... i am very much in hyderabad. and as you can see this helmet rule affects me. i feel wearing/not wearing a helmet is my prerogative. and i am sure someone or the other is going to file a petition in court and the court is going to give a \"stay\" on the order. let\'s wait and watch... meanwhile, let\'s have some fun.

by **neeraja** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 1:17 pm

Hi, if you have been to USA or Europe, you need to wear the seat belt while in your car, you can\'t carry your child in the passenger seat (you need a special seat for a child below 9 yrs, who can\'t sit in the front next to driver). Why do you accept all the rules imposed there? Why can\'t you turn back and tell the Bobby or US sergeant that it\'s up to you to wear and why the hell is he forcing you?

When someone who really thinks of implementing a rule for a good cause after analysing the accident victims, especially head injury, you all want to defy and blame the cops for bribes etc... Come on man, wake up. Try to be true to the motherland... Can you do this in the USA? You don\'t even have the right to eat with your hands in US restaurants, and there you nicely nod your head and keep your mouth shut. Why? The green paper is puppeting you...

God bless these people who are so narrow-minded and consider them to be the cleanest and saints in their hearts...

by **Kishore** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 1:46 pm

Hi there. There are two assumptions in your argument here: 

1. That whatever people in the US accept we should also accept, and 
2. That foreigners have the right to question the law in the US. 

Why should I think of what happens in the US or in any other country when I talk of some law violating my rights in my country? I think something is wrong, I say it. Something being a law in the US does not necessarily make it right. And Indians in the US will not be comfortable questioning laws there because they are in another country. Your rights are in YOUR country. So much for that argument about us being puppets there. 

Then, a helmet and a seat belt are different things - a helmet is much more inconvenient than a seat belt. Several people develop headaches wearing a helmet, it causes your head to sweat excessively and both your head and the helmet start to stink after long drives in warm/hot climatic conditions like in Hyderabad, you can\'t \"wash\" or \"clean\" a helmet like you can anything else, and a seat belt comes along with the car, while a helmet costs upwards of Rs. 500 (and you have to get two if you want to be able to take pillion riders).

by **Cowboy** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 4:22 pm

d00d,
if u feel your safety is your wish, you don\'t have the right to blame the govt. or police if something goes wrong.
Like, if a colony goes down for fire, people just don\'t say \"our safety, our fire, our fate\". Grow up man. Police and people got to do their jobs. BTW, why r u soooo freaked out? A helmet on the head makes no difference man. I see soo many gals wearing helmets while driving and I try to imagine a beautiful face behind every female helmatist

by **Purushothama** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 10:42 pm

Hi! Some of you say that it\'s your life and you want to behave as you want on the roads. Please understand that you don\'t own these roads, but share them with other users. In Hyd, you have diff types of users including pedestrians. So if you hit someone not only do you get injured, but the other guy will be fatally injured, too. It is essential to follow the rules of the road. If the red light is there, don\'t jump it because at that time no other traffic is there! I have driven in the US, Africa and the Middle East. Those guys follow the rules in letter and in spirit. They wear helmets and fasten their seat belts. The fines are heavy and I pray that the Hyd Police implement these rules strictly. So my advice is to wear a helmet and save your head. If you drive cars, fasten the seat belt - and don\'t talk on your cell while driving.

by **Smocking Rock** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 3:26 pm

Srinu, thanks for your kind advise! Well, my dad was smart enough - he bought a low cost helmet, bcos he was sure that nobody would care for them after some days... And this is what will happen in the coming days. And mind u buddy, just don\'t advice such things like use ur dad\'s helmet - I have enough money... wish you best of luck!

by **Smocking Rock** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 4:22 pm

Atlast I bought one!!!

by **pillion** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 5:22 pm

Only one? You don\'t want to give a lift to a beautiful girl? Just in case, buy one more!

by **El Diabolo** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 5:26 pm

Helmets are a good thing, especially since most accidents aren\'t your fault. They\'re because the other chap\'s an idiot. I\'ve been knocked off my bike, and had my head bounce off the road. I\'m glad my helmet was in between

\"Your helmet: never leave home without it!!\"

by **Smocking Rock** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 5:38 pm

Hey ur correct buddy, I almost forgot it, will buy immediately.

by **Smocking Rock** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 8:18 pm

I was actaully wondering, are people really looking forward to buy the helmets for their \"safety\". I don\'t think so...yeah bcos if people are really bothered of their safety, then why are they buying those helmets which are from footpath. I bought one bcos i dont want to get notice to a cop (a fine of Rs. 300 remember), and if by mistake we were caught (may be it bcos of not wearing helmet), thanks to our traffic police department that they by any means collect more money apart from Rs. 300 fine.

by **pavan** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 8:40 pm

Hi Hydss,

Inseted of wasting time why dont u suggest some good places where we can buy fancy helmets.

Looking for quick responses.....

by **Smocking Rock** » Wed Apr 30, 2003 9:04 pm

In Abids u can find very good shops. We are not wasting time Pavan, this may also happen to you, u can also get caught for some reason or so, suppose if we forgot ur helmet and caught by a cop, just imagine how much trouble ur in. This rule is \"Made by the police for the police\" - naturally more corruption increases. Beware...Watch for it!!!

by **Bikerider** » Thu May 01, 2003 1:34 am

This is to all my \"helmet brigade” friends. Here is a number game for you... if u count the number of ppl who died bcos of not wearing a helmet and the number of ppl who died bcos of smoking and other tobacco related causes... I am ABSOLUTELY sure the latter comes out on top. Now why not have a rule for that first. Ban smoking, forget public places and what not... BAN IT ALTOGETHER.
And the kind hearted police (so as not to leave loopholes) have decided to make it compulsory for pillion riders too. So, I am going on the road and I find a friend in the bus stop, and I cant even offer him a lift bcos…… I don’t have a spare helmet. And not to mention I got to buy a helmet for every person of my house (if they got any probs using helmets worn by others). I find a lot of families going on two wheelers with the kid sitting in between. Now what happens to him? He wear a helmet too? If he does, I am sure then they wont fit on the bike/scooter. Take an auto everytime? Too expensive. Finally, I am NOT against wearing helmets. But I am NOT in favor or rules prescribing the same. Cheers and good luck with ur new helmet rule.

by **Wellwisher** » Thu May 01, 2003 3:34 am

Guys, I think wearing helmets in Hyd does more harm than good. Imagine the situation of sales guys. Think how it would be if you have an important appointment and by the time you reach there your face is like a flat pan with your hair full of sweat... And over and above such things, you have hair loss with daily use of helmets... And another most thing is that your girlfriend has to talk loudly in a high pitch for you to listen with your helmet on... End result: either you have to buy a car or she will look for a guy who has a car...

So, more harm... Guys, get rid of such pathetic situations. Write emails to Naidu on a daily basis not to implement this.

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