Forget vanity
Mar. 18th, 2009 08:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pecuniumNatasha Richardson is dead. It was, probably, preventable.
1:Wear a helmet. Right there, she probably walks away from it. You may think helmets make you look silly. You may think they make you look scared. You may think they make you look less than completely competent.
Who cares? Really, why should you care?
I ride horses. I wear a helmet. I ride a bicycle. I wear a helmet. When I ride in a military vehicle, I wear a helmet. When I do technical climbing on live rock, I wear a helmet. When I rappel, I wear a helmet.
When I've fallen off of horses, and bicycles, and rocks... I've been lucky enough to only need to replace the helmet. It's pretty cruel of me. My friends and family miss out on the chance to visit me in hospital. I don't get to become an activist for those who are paralyzed; going before Congress to argue for more research.
You know what else they miss out on? My early death.
All I do is stimulate the economy by spending the money for another helmet; and providing more data to the manufacturers, so they can improve them (if your helmet maker does a deal, where they sell you a replacement at a reduced rate for returns of damaged helmets, do it. If they don't, send it to them anyway).
The second thing which was done wrong was to refuse medical attention.
Head injuries are deceptive. One can feel fine, and have a depressed fracture. The blood build pressure on the brain until, all of a sudden one falls down and dies. A concussion can be similarly fatal, hours after the injury. If you see stars, think about seeing a doctor. If you were traveling faster than your legs can propel, don't think about it, do it.
1:Wear a helmet. Right there, she probably walks away from it. You may think helmets make you look silly. You may think they make you look scared. You may think they make you look less than completely competent.
Who cares? Really, why should you care?
I ride horses. I wear a helmet. I ride a bicycle. I wear a helmet. When I ride in a military vehicle, I wear a helmet. When I do technical climbing on live rock, I wear a helmet. When I rappel, I wear a helmet.
When I've fallen off of horses, and bicycles, and rocks... I've been lucky enough to only need to replace the helmet. It's pretty cruel of me. My friends and family miss out on the chance to visit me in hospital. I don't get to become an activist for those who are paralyzed; going before Congress to argue for more research.
You know what else they miss out on? My early death.
All I do is stimulate the economy by spending the money for another helmet; and providing more data to the manufacturers, so they can improve them (if your helmet maker does a deal, where they sell you a replacement at a reduced rate for returns of damaged helmets, do it. If they don't, send it to them anyway).
The second thing which was done wrong was to refuse medical attention.
Head injuries are deceptive. One can feel fine, and have a depressed fracture. The blood build pressure on the brain until, all of a sudden one falls down and dies. A concussion can be similarly fatal, hours after the injury. If you see stars, think about seeing a doctor. If you were traveling faster than your legs can propel, don't think about it, do it.
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-19 03:47 pm (UTC)Psychologically, I don't understand the objection to helmets. I get that it is real, but I just can't see what motivates the disinclination ... unless it is nothing but "this requires effort that, emotionally, feels unnecessary". Which doesn't explain the similar resistance to seat belts, where the effort is all but negligible.
I just don't know.