Alternative to the Helmet debate

[Tiberius]

Here's something much better than the helmet debate. Its got all the usual suspects - misuse of statistics, appeals to emotion rather than logic, entrenched positions, etc, etc. We can have just as much fun with this one and, because its not about cycling, we can all be friends as we do it.

A leading scientist points out that the death rate from taking ecstasy is lower than from horse riding.

Nick

 

[Phil the drill]

Here's something much better than the helmet debate. Its got all the usual suspects - misuse of statistics, appeals to emotion rather than logic, entrenched positions, etc, etc. We can have just as much fun with this one and, because its not about cycling, we can all be friends as we do it.

A leading scientist points out that the death rate from taking ecstasy is lower than from horse riding.

Nick

OK, I'm with you here NIck. I've just noticed a few more 'H' posts going up, so I'm trying hard to avoid them and frankly I like the diversion....
Interesting article, but it looks a little like 'Nutt by name, nut by nature.... '
Incidentally, given the large number of accidents on horses, I think they should make helmet wearing compulsory..... . Oh no. can't believe I just said that, think I need to go and play some loud music, take a few... no, I mean lie down with a wet flannel in the dark...
Life is so confusing sometimes, I need the government to think for me (that's what they're there for isn't it?)

Help, Phil.

 

[flecc]

Perhaps some of the horse riders who lose control and get killed are on ecstasy.

What would that do to the figures?
.

 

[Phil the drill]

Perhaps we should get those who lurk in the bastions of power, to make an INFORMED judgement. Why not force the 'house' to all take an ecstasy tablet 30mins before prime minsters questions whilst playing some Led Zep. loudly in the background. The session should be televised of course.... What's the worst that could happen? A few may collapse whilst dancing on the benches and waving their order papers (so not much different from normal...), but hey who cares there's over 600 of them, so plenty of 'spares' (sic) available. At least we'd get to find out the effects on a decent sized sample (I just thought of a flaw in that; it would need a 3-line whip for a sample of that size ) and in a reasonably scientific way.*
It would at least make good reality TV .

Phil

* It assumes that one can classify our politicians as 'representative' (sic -again) of the normal population! I'm afraid the jury will have to deliberate long and hard on that one .

 

[Phil the drill]

Of course if those that collapsed had worn helmets.....Perhaps they should be made compulsory at dances (in case anyone falls over whilst under the influence..)

 

[Tim]

Perhaps we should get those who lurk in the bastions of power, to make an INFORMED judgement. Why not force the 'house' to all take an ecstasy tablet 30mins before prime minsters questions whilst playing some Led Zep. loudly in the background. The session should be televised of course.... What's the worst that could happen? A few may collapse whilst dancing on the benches and waving their order papers (so not much different from normal...), but hey who cares there's over 600 of them, so plenty of 'spares' (sic) available. At least we'd get to find out the effects on a decent sized sample (I just thought of a flaw in that; it would need a 3-line whip for a sample of that size ) and in a reasonably scientific way.*
It would at least make good reality TV .

Phil

* It assumes that one can classify our politicians as 'representative' (sic -again) of the normal population! I'm afraid the jury will have to deliberate long and hard on that one .

After murky beginnings in one or other German war machine 3,4 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine re-emerged into the mainstream via marriage counselling and PTSD clinics in the States, before finding its way into the party scene in the 1980s and 1990s, so use in the Mother of Parliaments might bring some interesting outcomes.

Much of the apparent toxicity results from hypo- or hypernatremia brought about by drinking too much (e.g. Leah Betts) or too little water, or, thanks to a lack of pharmaceutical standards and controls in production, from being something other than pure MDMA.

It would be helpful if the harms of people taking MDMA were weighed against the all-too obvious dangers and expense of millions of everyday idiots getting pissed and fighting, falling over and driving into each other.

 

[flecc]

It would be helpful if the harms of people taking MDMA were weighed against the all-too obvious dangers and expense of millions of everyday idiots getting pissed and fighting, falling over and driving into each other.

As someone who doesn't drink anything alcoholic, I'll second that.
.

 

[Phil the drill]

It would be helpful if the harms of people taking MDMA were weighed against the all-too obvious dangers and expense of millions of everyday idiots getting pissed and fighting, falling over and driving into each other.

It would indeed Tim. In fact weighed up in those terms, I expect cycling (helmeted or not) would also be seen as a positively safe and cosy pastime (which, in reality, it is for most).
In fact I feel a bout of PTSD coming on every time we get into the 'H' debate. Bring on the drugs.........
As for the 'idiots getting pissed and fighting' I wonder if taking the camers out of Westminster would have any effect on reducing the incidence of this . I'm not convinced it's cheap alcohol that's the problem, perhap it's a reaction to the examples of our esteemed peers (pun intended)

Phil

 

[Tiberius]

Well, that's illuminating. So far no-one has come forward expressing any knowledge about horse riding.

There has been recent work published, and even a TV programme, trying to rank things in order of harm done. Leaving aside that they fudged the question of whether that meant harm done to the individual or to society, it was pretty clear that alcohol and tobacco came out at the very harmful end and ecstasy was at the other end of the list.

I think horse riding was somewhere in the middle.

Nick

 

[flecc]

So far no-one has come forward expressing any knowledge about horse riding

Nick

On that subject, it's the opinion of the horses that I'd be more interested in.
.

 

[Tiberius]

On that subject, it's the opinion of the horses that I'd be more interested in.
.

Very good point. But opinions would differ as to which end to consult for reliable information.

Nick

 

[flecc]

Very good point. But opinions would differ as to which end to consult for reliable information.

Nick

One end would probably only lead to a messy conclusion, it could be more clear cut at the other.
.

 

[Phil the drill]

Very good point. But opinions would differ as to which end to consult for reliable information.

Nick

Or for a more intelligible, but less well informed view, one might consult the attached parasite, often found precariously mounted over the centre.....

Phil

 

[keithhazel]

Here's something much better than the helmet debate. Its got all the usual suspects - misuse of statistics, appeals to emotion rather than logic, entrenched positions, etc, etc. We can have just as much fun with this one and, because its not about cycling, we can all be friends as we do it.

A leading scientist points out that the death rate from taking ecstasy is lower than from horse riding.

Nick

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Falling Coconuts Kill More People Than Shark Attacks

"Falling coconuts kill 150 people worldwide each year, 15 times the number of fatalities attributable to sharks," said George Burgess, Director of the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File and a noted shark researcher.
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"falling coconuts also kill 150 times more people then 36 volt e-bikes falling from tree's do"..said keithhazel,a noted useless information researcher...
statistics on 24 volt e-bikes is yet to be released...

 

[WALKERMAN]

I've only ridden a horse twice but at a walking pace and I must say that once you get used to it, it is just as enjoyable as ebiking apart from the regular exhaust noises which the animal emits.

Mr Nutt was on TV last night trying to explain himself but not doing a very good job of it.

 

[Tiberius]

I didn't see that, but if he is trying to make the point that society gets into a moral panic about the wrong things, then he's absolutely right.

The other thing that is clear whenever subjects like this come up is the way the media aggravate the situation.

Nick

 

[Mussels]

Well, that's illuminating. So far no-one has come forward expressing any knowledge about horse riding.

I know if a pony wants a slash then you should put your weight on the stirrups rather than the saddle, and no amount of booting it with your heels will get it to move. I also know that horses are a fairly good substitute for kryptonite and one that Lex Luther should have discovered before.
Then I'm stumped.

 

[Phil the drill]

And of course some of the exhaust is apparently good for your roses ....

(and very bad for road adhesion when you hit it on your bike...)