Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site pucc-i Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!CS-Mordred!Pucc-H:Pucc-I:agz From: agz@pucc-i (Andrew Banta) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Re: PISSED OFF Message-ID: <818@pucc-i> Date: Mon, 14-Jan-85 22:42:06 EST Article-I.D.: pucc-i.818 Posted: Mon Jan 14 22:42:06 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 15-Jan-85 05:44:08 EST References:<236@calmasd.UUCP> <245@calmasd.UUCP> Organization: Dept. of Mental Instability, Purdue University Lines: 49 [] Now look, there are people that get paid for cleaning bodies up off the street, etc. This doesn't even scratch the surface as to why seat belt laws are being considered. Now, a few years back, Fred, the federal gov't decided that too many people were dying in car accidents. he looked around to see what he could do. Well, about this same time, a friend of Fred's came up with something called an "airbag". This was a bag that placed in the middle of the steering wheel so if you happened to get in an accident, you couldn't see what was going on in front of you. Fred said "Hey, in most accidents, you'r hitting something in front of you, and since the populace usually can't stomach seeing an accident, this seems like a pretty keen idea." About this time, Henry, representative of the auto industry, came to Fred and said "Hey, these things, whatever they're called, are gonna cost megabucks!" Fred looked at airbags again, and despite their less than 60% success rate and the fact that it allowed drivers to see accidents that occurred other than in front of them, decided it was time to blackmail Stan, the state gov't. Fred told Stan that if he didn't make sure 2/3 of his people were strapped in thier car by law by 1989, Fred was going to require airbags be put in. Now Henry realized that you needed only 16 of Stan's 50 partitions to get 2/3 of all the people. Henry started pressuring Stan to get these laws passed. Now, Stan realized that there are lots of gullible people out there. They can be told that being strapped in a car will keep you safe from drunk drivers, those terrible things that are like lethal gas or something that just wipe out people. So, "In the people's best interests", Stan decides to make everybody wear seat belts. Now, I hope this wasn't taken the wrong way. I personally wouldn't leave home without a seat belt. I used to feel that that was my option, and that I shouldn't force other people to do it. This opinion changed (somewhat) when I was in an accident in which all the people in my car were wearing safety belts, and got out of the car, no problems. The girl I hit (yes, it was my fault) was taken to the hospital strapped to a board. She is presently suing me over this accident. I often wonder how hurt she would have been if she had been wearing her seat belt. It's still something that I haven't entirely made up my mind about, but I thought I'd mention why the seat belt laws are coming around and a possible viewpoint to keep in mind. Drive carefully. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Andy Banta {decvax!allegra!ihnp4}!pur-ee!pucc-k!agz Dept. of Mental Instability, Purdue University --- "I'm OK, You're a CS Major" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------