Overlawyered: Chronicling The High Cost Of Our Legal System

“Helmets could also detract from the surfing experience”

Gee, do you think? After successful campaigns for bicycle helmets, here comes pressure for helmets for pole vaulting, soccer and, yes, maybe even surfboard riding (Hugo Martin, “Today, helmets for all”, Los Angeles Times, Jul. 24).

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6 Comments

  • Helmuts for surfing sounds like overkill but surfers do get hit by surfbroads. Sonny Bono would have been injured from his accident but he might be alive if he had been wearing a helmut. (Then we wouldn’t have the stupid “Sonny Bono Copyright Act”.)

    Colin P. Varga

  • People also get hit by chunks of falling aircraft flotsam.

    I personally think we should encapuslate everyone in bubble wrap.

    • By Erica

  • “I personally think we should encapuslate everyone in bubble wrap.”

    Please don’t give lawyers and politicians ideas…

    After they tried to ban people from having loose items in their cars “because they could hit someone in an accident” I was sorely tempted to write a letter to our minister of transportation asking for everyone to be mandated to wear full impact armour and fireproof suits (pretty similar to what race drivers wear) 24/7.
    Didn’t send it out of fear they’d take it seriously and actually make such a law.

  • I’m a little confused by Mr. Varga’s comment; unless there’s a major media conspiracy to cover it up, Sonny Bono was killed skiing, not surfing.

    (Not that skiing won’t be included on the Nanny Staters list next.)

  • Sonny Bono knew the risks and took his chances, same as you or I do merely by driving down the street.

    The real q is who decides? Why not just ban skiing and surfing, since you can never make them 100% safe? Ditto for sex.

    • By me

  • To follow up on David Nieporent’s comment. One of the issues that came up after Rep. Bono’s death was that he should have been wearing a helmet. People do wear helmets skiing. As to the editor’s comment; yes, we take a chance getting in the car but we have those chances for injury reduced by bumpers, safety glass, seat belts, reenforced doors, headrests, & airbags. I always wear a helmet cycling and fortunately when I was hit by a car I was also wearing elbow pads & knee pads. All of which I needed. I don’t think it makes me safer but it gives me an edge if I hit the ground.
    Colin