... and then you win

David Martin said:

The government have effectively killed off the Bone headed bill..

http://bikebiz.com/news/29186/Government-puts-brake-on-MPs-helmet-com...

..d

yes that does seem rather closed down, doesn't it.

rogwe

roger merriman said:

David Martin said:

The government have effectively killed off the Bone headed bill..

http://bikebiz.com/news/29186/Government-puts-brake-on-MPs-helmet-com...

..d

yes that does seem rather closed down, doesn't it.

Up to a point. That point being when TPTB think that enforcing it won't
be a problem, because despite RSR30 being a traditional "if the facts
don't conform to the theory we'll ignore them and pretend they won't
matter" piece of policy based evidence making as far as the *provable*
benefits of lids are concerned, the DfT is still quite convinced it's a
good piece of work.
An MHL may be off the immediate agenda, but it still appears to be very
much on the long term one :-(

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

David Martin said:

The government have effectively killed off the Bone headed bill..

http://bikebiz.com/news/29186/Government-puts-brake-on-MPs-helmet-com...

..d

So helmets aren't going to be compulsory... does that mean we can
start wearing them again? Excellent ;-)

Quoted message said:

So helmets aren't going to be compulsory... does that mean we can
start wearing them again? Excellent ;-)

It means they won't be trying to make them compulsory until they think
they can enforce it. Which is when the wearing rate is significantly
higher, which is what happens when more people start wearing them... :-(

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

roger merriman said the following on 29/10/2007 13:36:

Quoted message said:

yes that does seem rather closed down, doesn't it.

It does actually say "We have no proposals to bring forward legislation
on compulsory cycle helmet wearing".

Not that it's been abandoned, just that it won't be brought forward.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Peter Clinch said:

Quoted message said:

So helmets aren't going to be compulsory... does that mean we can
start wearing them again? Excellent ;-)

It means they won't be trying to make them compulsory until they think
they can enforce it. Which is when the wearing rate is significantly
higher, which is what happens when more people start wearing them... :-(

I get the feeling that when they do have a serious attempt at bringing
in MHLs, they will phase them in. Initially for 0-14 year olds, then 3
years later for up to 17 year olds, then a few years later for adults.

The government have been phasing in seat belts and the like for the last
20 years, and could use a similar plan.

Martin Dann said:

Peter Clinch said:

Quoted message said:

So helmets aren't going to be compulsory... does that mean we can
start wearing them again? Excellent ;-)

It means they won't be trying to make them compulsory until they think
they can enforce it. Which is when the wearing rate is significantly
higher, which is what happens when more people start wearing them... :-(

I get the feeling that when they do have a serious attempt at bringing
in MHLs, they will phase them in. Initially for 0-14 year olds, then 3
years later for up to 17 year olds, then a few years later for adults.

The government have been phasing in seat belts and the like for the last
20 years, and could use a similar plan.

That is how they have been doing it in a number of states in the US.

Paul Boyd usenet.is.worse@plusnet said:

roger merriman said the following on 29/10/2007 13:36:

Quoted message said:

yes that does seem rather closed down, doesn't it.

It does actually say "We have no proposals to bring forward legislation
on compulsory cycle helmet wearing".

Not that it's been abandoned, just that it won't be brought forward.

yup, well it's as dead as any poltics can be, after all there is no
final nail etc. but for time being it doesn't seem likely.

roger
--
www.rogermerriman.com

Martin Dann said:

The government have been phasing in seat belts and the like for the last
20 years, and could use a similar plan.

It's interesting that seat belts were phased in beginning with adults
(front seat passengers) and ending with kids (usually to be found in the
back).

Cheers,
Luke

--
Red Rose Ramblings, the diary of an Essex boy in
exile in Lancashire <http://www.shrimper.org.uk>

Peter Clinch said:

An MHL may be off the immediate agenda, but it still appears to be very
much on the long term one :-(

A member of Parliament enters the commons.

Mr. Bonehead: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint.

(The Under-Secretary does not respond.)

Mr. Bonehead: 'Ello, Miss?

Under-Secretary: What do you mean "miss"?

Mr. Bonehead: I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!

Under-Secretary: We're closin' for lunch.

Mr. Bonehead: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this
bill what I proposed not half an hour ago from this very room.

Under-Secretary: Oh yes, the, uh, the MHL...What's,uh...What's wrong
with it?

Mr. Bonehead: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead,
that's what's wrong with it!

Under-Secretary: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.

Mr. Bonehead: Look, matey, I know a dead bill when I see one, and I'm
looking at one right now.

Under-Secretary: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable
bill, the MHL, idn'it, ay? Beautiful statistics!

Mr. Bonehead: The statistics don't enter into it. It's stone dead.

Under-Secretary: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!

Mr. Bonehead: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up!

(shouting at the parchment) 'Ello, Mister Billy [censored]! I've got a
lovely fresh head for you if you show...

(Under-Secretary hits the parchment)

Under-Secretary: There, he moved!

Mr. Bonehead: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the parchment!

Under-Secretary: I never!!

Mr. Bonehead: Yes, you did!

Under-Secretary: I never, never did anything...

Mr. Bonehead: (yelling and hitting the parchemnt repeatedly) 'ELLO
BILL!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine
o'clock alarm call!

(Takes bill out of the envelope and thumps it against the mace. Throws
it up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)

Mr. Bonehead: Now that's what I call a dead bill.

Under-Secretary: No, no.....No, 'e's delayed!

Mr. Bonehead: DELAYED?!?

Under-Secretary: Yeah! You delayed him, just as he was wakin' up! MHL
bills stun easily, major.

Mr. Bonehead: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad
enough of this. That bill is definitely deceased, and when I proposed
it not 'alf an hour ago, you assured me that its total lack of
progress was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a
pointless debate.

Under-Secretary: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the hi
vis.

Mr. Bonehead: PININ' for the HI VIS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?,
look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?

Under-Secretary: The MHL prefers keepin' on it's back! Remarkable
bill, id'nit, squire? Lovely stats!

Mr. Bonehead: Look, I took the liberty of examining that bill when I
got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been allowed
10 minutes in the first place was that it had been IMPOSED there.

(pause)

Under-Secretary: Well, o'course it was imposed there! If I hadn't
imposed that bill, it would have nuzzled up to those MPs, bent 'em
apart with its lies, and VOOM! Feeweeweewee!

Mr. Bonehead: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this bill wouldn't "voom" if you put
four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!

Under-Secretary: No no! 'E's pining!

Mr. Bonehead: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This bill is no more!
He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a
stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't imposed 'im to
the MPs 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are
now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled
off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin'
choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-BILL!!

(pause)

Under-Secretary: Well, I'd better replace it, then. (he takes a quick
peek behind the counter) Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back
of the shop, and uh, we're right out of bills.

Mr. Bonehead: I see. I see, I get the picture.

Under-Secretary: I got a select committee.

(pause)

Mr. Bonehead: Pray, does it give false statistics?

Under-Secretary: Nnnnot really.

Mr. Bonehead: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!???!!?

Under-Secretary: N-no, I guess not. (gets ashamed, looks at his feet)

Mr. Bonehead: Well.

(pause)

Under-Secretary: (quietly) D'you.... d'you want to come back to my
place?

Mr. Bonehead: (looks around) Yeah, all right, sure.

Paul Boyd said:

It does actually say "We have no proposals to bring forward legislation
on compulsory cycle helmet wearing".

It also says:
"compulsion remains an option that we will review from time to time"

Still, good news for the time being.

Quoted message said:

Not that it's been abandoned, just that it won't be brought forward.

BTW Tom, LOL.

--
Danny Colyer <http://www.redpedals.co.uk>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"The plural of anecdote is not data" - Frank Kotsonis