'Organ donors' without helmets

purethick · 04-03-2011 11:35AM #1

This was in today's IT letters page

Madam, – The photograph accompanying the article on “safe cycling” (HEALTHplus, March 1st) shows a cyclist and a cycling instructor neither of whom are wearing a helmet. Surely wearing a helmet while cycling is a basic safety requirement? A friend of mine who works in the ambulance services calls cyclists who don’t wear helmets “organ donors”. This might be a bit shocking, but it is based on his experience. – Yours, etc,

MAUREEN FALLON,
Bushfield Terrace,
Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

It seems there are lot of cyclists dying on the roads and becoming organ donors, what should we do about this? Oh hang on, there isn't... However there are a lot of car drivers and passengers dying from head injuries, should they not not be wearing helmets?

What is it with well meaning, but misinformed, people preaching about things which they simply don't know enough about <sheesh>

Lumen · 04-03-2011 11:37AM

You can't expect a balanced view on helmets from a paramedic. They're the very definition of biased.

kenmc · 04-03-2011 11:38AM

I

fridays.

Idleater · 04-03-2011 11:39AM

I used to hear the same story about "organ donors" but the Health services professional involved was referring to motorcyclists.

Obviously motorcycles are now deemed safe or dwindling in numbers compared to bicycles, so there is a new category for organ donation.

Chips Lovell · 04-03-2011 11:40AM

It's a rule of thumb. If cyclists are pictured in a newspaper, you can be assured someone will write to the editor complaining that they're not wearing helmets.

purethick · 04-03-2011 11:42AM

Lumen wrote: »

You can't expect a balanced view on helmets from a paramedic. They're the very definition of biased.

I've never heard of cyclists being referred to as organ donors...that term was coined by paramedics/doctors for motorcyclists I believe.

macnab · 04-03-2011 11:43AM

A friend of mine who works as a nurse told me years ago that they called Motorcyclists "Organ Donors", sympathy is always trumped by opinion....er....in my opinion.

goldencleric · 04-03-2011 11:45AM

When people ask what I'd do if I won the lotto I will from now on reply: "Take a full page ad out in a broadsheet newspaper solely featuring a picture of me descending the shay elliot sans helmet, with the caption 'Helmets are gay, are you?'

Can't bate a friday helmet debate

quad_red · 04-03-2011 11:46AM

Any excuse...

Lumen · 04-03-2011 11:49AM

Car occupants and pedestrians are the major organ donors.

Idleater · 04-03-2011 11:52AM

Lumen wrote: »

Car occupants and pedestrians are the major organ donors.

It's your duty to opinionise that fact in a national broadsheet as a "shocking" fact based upon your own experience.

c0rk3r · 04-03-2011 11:58AM

Just sent a request to www.ika.ie for an organ donor card. I've been meaning to do it for awhile so thanks to that Helen Lovejoy character for pushing me in the right direction.

Why are the Irish Kidney Association in charge or organ donation. How they went from a niche market to the entire body i dont know. They have a rubbish site too, they should put out an ad seeking a volunteer to redo it.

Harrybelafonte · 04-03-2011 11:59AM

Idleater wrote: »

It's your duty to opinionise that fact in a national broadsheet as a "shocking" fact based upon your own experience.

Disagree, it should be based on a "friends" experience.

Cookie_Monster · 04-03-2011 12:02PM

goldencleric wrote: »

When people ask what I'd do if I won the lotto I will from now on reply: "Take a full page ad out in a broadsheet newspaper solely featuring a picture of me descending the shay elliot sans helmet, with the caption 'Helmets are gay, are you?'

let me know if you ever do win the lotto, I'll happily be in that photo with you :pac:

Idleater · 04-03-2011 12:07PM

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

Disagree, it should be based on a "friends" experience.

But cyclists are a law unto themselves. They display scant regard to the rules of the road, and moreso, they infiltrate the media to express their disregard for commonly accepted D4 car user safety standards. In short they have no friends.

Iwannahurl · 04-03-2011 12:08PM

Perhaps the likes of Headway and ABII are sharpening their pencils also, with a view to a bit of finger-wagging and publicity generation.

EDIT: Just found this ABII press release from a year ago. ABII wants us to wear helmets "while taking part in everyday activities". Perhaps a photo of MHR wearing a helmet in his bathroom or in the local pub might have addressed a much larger risk group in public health terms.

purethick · 04-03-2011 12:13PM

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Perhaps the likes of Headway and ABII are sharpening their pencils also, with a view to a bit of finger-wagging and publicity generation.

Looks like it's part of a Headway drive

Cookie_Monster · 04-03-2011 12:13PM

maybe Maureen would like to see us wear knee and elbow pads to and full body armour since its so terribly dangerous :rolleyes:

Idleater wrote: »

But cyclists are a law unto themselves. They display scant regard to the rules of the road, and moreso, they infiltrate the media to express their disregard for commonly accepted D4 car user safety standards. In short they have no friends.

generalise much?

07Lapierre · 04-03-2011 12:18PM

purethick wrote: »

This was in today's IT letters page

It seems there are lot of cyclists dying on the roads and becoming organ donors, what should we do about this? Oh hang on, there isn't... However there are a lot of car drivers and passengers dying from head injuries, should they not not be wearing helmets?

What is it with well meaning, but misinformed, people preaching about things which they simply don't know enough about <sheesh>

I Hope she doesn't get todays indo!!

Idleater · 04-03-2011 12:20PM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

generalise much?

On average, no. Your sarcasmometer need calibrating?
Here's the smiley to show that I really don't take this thread too seriously nor do I take the letter author's opinion too seriously

Besides, it's Friday and I haven't cycled today and I probably should have.

Aka Ishur · 04-03-2011 12:23PM

While I'm all for a friday helmets thread and all, a thought just crossed my mind. If you sign the little box on the back of the driving licence does that cover all organs and is it legally binding. (Parents are a bit on the religious side. Think alive magazine religious. Dont want them stealing my heart, putting it in a box to bury underground.)

Iwannahurl · 04-03-2011 12:24PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

I Hope she doesn't get todays indo!!

What's in the Indo? Another SHOCK HORROR PROBE cyclist with a shamefully bare head and normal clothing pedalling peacefully on their way to work?

Harrybelafonte · 04-03-2011 12:30PM

Idleater wrote: »

But cyclists are a law unto themselves. They display scant regard to the rules of the road, and moreso, they infiltrate the media to express their disregard for commonly accepted D4 car user safety standards. In short they have no friends.

That's what I mean though. You can't reply to this kinda guff and let on you're a cyclist. You have to pretend to be a "normal" member of society like the letter writer, otherwise your opinions are instantly labelled as the "crackpot ramblings of a loony aggressive cyclist". (my quote marks)

doozerie · 04-03-2011 12:31PM

Surely wearing a helmet while cycling is a basic safety requirement?

"Dear Irish Times - Surely a shred of common sense is a basic requirement of any letter published in your paper? Apparently not. Please embellish this with some hysteria before publishing. - Yours, etc.

B. MUSED"

Cookie_Monster · 04-03-2011 12:32PM

Idleater wrote: »

On average, no. Your sarcasmometer need calibrating?
Here's the smiley to show that I really don't take this thread too seriously nor do I take the letter author's opinion too seriously

Besides, it's Friday and I haven't cycled today and I probably should have.

yeah I think it does, it's been a long week. I've missed a lot of things today...:o

07Lapierre · 04-03-2011 12:34PM

Iwannahurl wrote: »

What's in the Indo? Another SHOCK HORROR PROBE cyclist with a shamefully bare head and normal clothing pedalling peacefully on their way to work?

Front page...Giovanni Trappatoni on a Dublin bike...NO HELMET...OMG!! :eek:

http://www.independent.ie/todays-paper/

Iwannahurl · 04-03-2011 12:36PM

07Lapierre wrote: »

Front page...Giovanni Trappatoni on a Dublin bike...NO HELMET...OMG!! :eek:

http://www.independent.ie/todays-paper/

I should have known.

Spotted that on RTE news and immediately thought of the finger-waggers.

blorg · 04-03-2011 12:58PM

Aka Ishur wrote: »

While I'm all for a friday helmets thread and all, a thought just crossed my mind. If you sign the little box on the back of the driving licence does that cover all organs and is it legally binding. (Parents are a bit on the religious side. Think alive magazine religious. Dont want them stealing my heart, putting it in a box to bury underground.)

No, it is not; next of kin can disregard an organ donor card and insist you are buried complete. It is why it is so important to discuss your intentions with your next of kin, not just carrying a card.

citizensinformation.ie (emphasis original) wrote:

Signing an organ donor card or a driving licence donation option indicates your willingness to have your organs used for transplant. It does not necessarily mean that they will be used. There are various medical criteria and other conditions that must be met. To ensure safe transplantation, the death must take place in a hospital. Your next-of-kin should know of your wish to be an organ donor, but they are not bound to abide by your wishes and their consent is always required.

In all cases, the medical team requests the next-of-kin to donate the organs of a deceased person. In practice, the consent of the next-of-kin is accepted as valid and a refusal by the next-of-kin is not contested.

Beasty · 04-03-2011 01:06PM

Surely this is a "good news" story, highlighting yet another way cyclists contribute to society.

Our "green" credentials are enhanced if our body parts can be re-cycled.

Personally I'd rather be given the heart of a healthy and fit cyclist than someone who sits around all day piling on the pounds ...

Cookie_Monster · 04-03-2011 01:08PM

Beasty wrote: »

Surely this is a "good news" story, highlighting yet another way cyclists contribute to society.

Our "green" credentials are enhanced if our body parts can be re-cycled.

Personally I'd rather be given the heart of a healthy and fit cyclist than someone who sits around all day piling on the pounds ...

organs that are splattered all over the side of a bus aren't much use to most people though :pac:

doozerie · 04-03-2011 01:21PM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

organs that are splattered all over the side of a bus aren't much use to most people though :pac:

Which is why we must all wear helmets, so that we can pool our organs in the helmet in the event of the crash. Modern helmets are rubbish though, as your organs will just dribble out through the vents. We should all wear saucepans on our heads instead, far more practical.

'Organ donors' without helmets

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