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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 23rd August 2010 20:19
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Yes, what is this airbag business? My wife called me into the room to watch the TV news, saying that airbag suits were to become compulsory any time now. I was a bit puzzled, as I hadn't heard anything about them in the bike press, or on the many boards I frequent on the interweb. It turns out the article was about one that had been invented and tested (cue shot of man falling off a commuterbike at 15 mph, and lots of guff about how "dangerous" motorcycles are), and that the DoT was interested in looking into it further, with perhaps making them compulsory in the future. In other words, a load of journalistic hype. Those of us who are old enough will remember the 'compulsory' leg-protectors that we were all going to have in 1987, the European anti-tampering legislation of 1992, and even Martin Bangemenn's 100bhp limit that was 'definitely' coming in 1991. I don't think it will happen, and I for one will not be buying one. My girth in motorcycle clothing is bad enough as it is. In fact, you could say I have my own built-in airbag system.
By the way, I haven't been around the forum much recently. Mrs Dog went to the doctor a while ago with chest pains, and this week went to the Big Hospital for an angiogram, to rule out heart problems. Instead, the kept her in (wouldn't let her out of the ward, even) and she had a triple bypass operation yesterday. Apparently, she could have keeled over at any time, despite the fact that she is slim and active, and had no idea there might be anything wrong - just the occasional pain in her chest, made worse by exercise. It's been a pretty stressful few days, but she's through it now, and it all seems to have gone well. One thing I have learned - women do tend to come out with some strong language when they are coming round from anaesthetic! The birthday present plans of a full textile suit for our planned French jaunt this summer have been put on hold, but she is still determined to come along.
--
2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 16th May 2010 15:09
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| Hell, BD, that's pretty rough old news - glad to hear they caught it in time and hope Mrs D makes a full recovery. Mind you, the medics are pretty slick on that front these days: my old man (ironically, a 40-year serving doctor himself) had a quad bypass back in the days when the typical prognosis was for 5-10 year post-op survival...and he's still going nearly 20 years on. I gather bypasses now don't have a finite survival rate, so that's encouraging...anyhow, best wishes an' all. For what it's worth, I tend to agree: airbag suits are just soundbite technology at the moment - and likely to stay that way. Low friction slides are great on racetracks, but the roads don't have that kind of run-off, and I bet they don't help if you go under a truck/through the armco/wrap round a lamppost etc etc. Remember well the leg protectors (discredited when it was proved anything other than a 90 degree collision hugely increased the chance of having your legs amputated), anti-tampering (discredited when the TUV stats failed to show any noticeable increase in safety as a result of the harshest construction & use regs in the civilised world) and, of course, dear old Martin (discredited when it was proved he was an unelected ignorant lying crook, that power had no causal relationship to accidents and Triumph went ahead and stuck two fingers up at voluntary limits anyway). In fact, aside from increased test strictness, we've been quite lucky in that the only mandatory safety measure enforced on us has been helmets. And, quite honestly, it's pretty cold and painful (insects, gravel, rain etc) riding without one, so I'm not that fussed that it's the law. Long may it continue.
>> ex silens nox noctis <<
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 21st November 2010 21:17
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| BD, I too wish Mrs BD all the best too. My Dad had a tripple and saddly lost his sight when after the op they had to take him down too quickly too remedy a clot in the leg and this led to a starvation of oxygen to the retina. He did however go on to live a further 27 years! On the subject of airsuits I am sure I would be forever getting off and walking away without unpluging the thing and therefore allways having to replace my charges! I would also be tempted to blow it up just for the hell of it so I could tackle the nearest hill in a roll down dangerous sort of sports way! As for the lids with airbags? What the hell is that about?
Don't slide unless you mean too. Be sure, ride safe and enjoy 
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 1st October 2010 17:26
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| I hope Mrs DB makes a quick recovery.
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 23rd August 2010 20:19
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| Thanks for the good wishes, guys. She had a couple of rough days after the op (nothing is ever simple or straightforward with this honey) but yesterday she was back to her old self, with her proper colour and sense of humour. No-one mentioned survival rates at all, so I assume that these days they don't put a limit on it - which is fine by me, thanks very much. The NHS really came through with the goods on this one - we have been treated like the only ones that mattered, from the senior consultants to the nursing support staff, and it has been a pretty humbling experience when you consider that even 20 years ago, the diagnosis would have been bed-rest, "taking it easy", and waiting for the inevitable. On the airbag issue, I tend to agree. It's one of those things that look superficially sensible and a Good Thing That No-one Sensible Would Object To, but in practice it will be less clear cut, just like the leg-protectors issue. If you're going down in traffic, the last thing you want to be doing is bouncing merrily between the cars and trucks like a Cordura-wrapped pinball. I'm with you on the helmets, mind. If the helmet law were repealed tomorrow, I would carry on wearing one, for comfort as well as safety. As Woody Allen said: "The brain? That's my second favourite organ!"
--
2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 16th May 2010 15:09
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Plus (this is only a personal opinion, of course and womenfolk everywhere may flock to disagree) - the outside of my lid is a lot cooler looking than the outside of my face, and far less likely to scare small children and old people...
>> ex silens nox noctis <<
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 23rd August 2010 20:19
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Plus, you can't get cool graphics on your face. Well, you can, but only at the expense of looking like an extra from 'Night of the Zombies'.
The only trouble with helmets is that they make the handsomest face (mine, for example) look like a chipmunk.
--
2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 23rd August 2010 20:19
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Oh, and by the way, Mrs Dog is home again. They called and asked me to pick her up by 1 pm as they needed the bed That's only 5 days after the operation - a few years ago, you were in hospital for weeks after something like this. Anyway, she is ordering me about, so she must be improving. The dog went utterly mental when I brought her home. During the week, I had to take the cat to be put down, and I think he imagined something similar had happened to Di. Anyone who has had a Labrador will know exactly what I mean - eleven years old, with a mental age of six months.
--
2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 21st November 2010 21:17
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Must be the season for heart trouble! My brother-in-law just had a bypass the day before yesterday, he's doing well and has had to give up his 20-a-day cigar habit and his bottle of red-a-day too! (But he has not returned home yet from hospital so you never know).
Don't slide unless you mean too.Be sure, ride safe and enjoy
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 16th May 2010 15:09
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| The only dog we ever had was a Lab cross, when I were a wee lad. Sadly for all concerned, he only made it to a couple of years old before trying to eat my little brother's face. Whilst I can have some sympathy with that, in principle, it was a rather offputting experience (and a fatal one for Willis the dog). Only do cats now. Lots of cats. Sorry to hear about yours, BD. It's good to hear Mrs D's home and recovering, though - hospitals have never been great places to spend time, even before they were knee-deep in superbugs. I paid my way through polytechnic working in the local hospital kitchens and I have to say - speaking of offputting experiences - well, let's just say I wouldn't relish a stay long enough to involve eating a meal...
>> ex silens nox noctis <<
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