I expect they'll ban motorcycles one of these days as being too dangerous. They don't have air bags, seat belts, crumple zones, and other safety features. People have to make sure they don't crash and that people don't crash into them. They made crash helmets compulsory decades ago.
Maurice,
Here in Arizona, somehow it is still perfectly legal for motorcyclists to ride without a helmet, and by far most do(ride w/o helmet). However there is a law requiring drivers of motor vehicles to wear their seat belts, and it is very much enforced.
It is also legal at this time to build one's own house, which I am doing at the moment. The local officials frown upon it though, giving you the look of "what are you thinking?". Having last been through the process 16 years ago, I see how things are winding their way towards the day when the person behind the counter will smile, and then say, "You can't do that!". I've heard that in the UK one cannot do their own wiring (electrical), nor gas plumbing. Not safe for other people you know. And if we can't trust a person to safely wire or plumb a house which will be occupied by others, how can we trust them to actually build the structure itself? After all, it could fall down upon the heads of others, and so we would rather not allow it.
Along these lines, one of the most irritating changes I've seen in recent years is the appearance of traffic light filters here, which provide for left turns. At first they were smart; allowing a line of cars to turn left, avoiding a backup in the turn lane. Over time they have evolved to the current situation where you cannot turn unless the filter shows green. You can see ahead for a quarter mile, and even though no one is coming from the opposite direction, you are not allowed to proceed. MADDENING!
Government has really stepped up to the plate in making laws to protect us from ourselves. We simply have to wonder how we ever managed in the old days. |
