Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site burl.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!prls!amdimage!amdcad!amd!vecpyr!lll-crg!gymble!umcp-cs!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!harpo!whuxlm!whuxl!houxm!mhuxt!mhuxr!ulysses!burl!rcj From: rcj@burl.UUCP (Curtis Jackson) Newsgroups: net.legal Subject: Re: Seat Belts and Big Brother Message-ID: <804@burl.UUCP> Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 19:43:23 EDT Article-I.D.: burl.804 Posted: Wed Aug 14 19:43:23 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 02:33:33 EDT References: <316@baylor.UUCP> <145@batman.UUCP> <2193@amdcad.UUCP> Reply-To: rcj@burl.UUCP (Curtis Jackson) Organization: AT&T Technologies, Burlington NC Lines: 46 In article <2106@iddic.UUCP> dhs@iddic.UUCP (David H. Straayer) writes: >for my actions." Perhaps some day an overly safety-paranoid >society will decide that riding motorcycles is "dangerous" in the >same sense as not wearing seat belts (I hope not). If so, better >that you should be able to accept the risk (this may involve no >more than paying higher insurance premiums) and continue to ride >motorcycles. If I own a building in a town (the whole building), it is illegal for me to climb it; even with proper mountaineering gear. If I own a hangglider, it is illegal for me to fly it off even a tiny mountain unless I have obtained a Hang-3 rating (many many hours). In many states, it is illegal for me to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. (Cheers to South Carolina for repealing their helmet law.) In the plant here in Burlington, I work in a large building that is totally offices (for the nonce, anyway). When we order out for a pizza from Domino's, we have to tell them not to bring any Pepsi's because they only have them in bottles, and no glass is allowed in the plant for safety reasons. Period. If I come in to work on a Saturday or Sunday, I cannot wear shorts. We cannot (technically) have a coffeepot, for Pete's sake!! They sound silly, but start adding them up. These are risks that affect ME, not other people; or are so ludicrous (the things here in the plant, for example) as to not affect anyone. Society decides that motorcycles are "dangerous" and raises insurance? Maybe you should worry about society deciding that motorcycles are "dangerous" and BANNING them. Ah, you are laughing at me and my concern for personal freedoms (probably). Well, consider that here in North Carolina in a small community the drive-in theatre was recently banned from showing X-rated films. No big deal. Except that the judge in his statement said that (paraphrasing): "This sets the precedent for local communities to set their own legal guidelines in the area of pornography." Playboy and Penthouse are certainly subversive. So are almost all Harlequin romance novels, those steamy devils!! And the local TV station shouldn't be showin' them sex-polluted thangs like Shogun and the Thornbirds, now should it, Martha? -- The MAD Programmer -- 919-228-3313 (Cornet 291) alias: Curtis Jackson ...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd mgnetp ]!burl!rcj ...![ ihnp4 cbosgd akgua masscomp ]!clyde!rcj