Man escapes fine for no helmet due to religious turban.

[c2105026]

*meh* let him go. I dare say the turban and all the hair under it would be better than a helmet anyway?

 

[Troy711]

My religion says its never ok to cover your hair with anything under any circumstance. Would a cop believe this? No. It's bullshit, one rule for everyone NO EXCEPTIONS. Next thing you know a Muslim man will get off murdering his wife because under Sharia Law it's acceptable to do so if he suspects her of cheating. Get fked.

 

[auzzie_bradd]

i guess you could say this guy is fully.....sikh... Had to couldn't resist.

dead. Haha

 

[JMP]

The problem isn't whether he wears a helmet or not it's why the hell are there always 2 different rules for people in this country? One set for aussies and another for every other race. What happens when someone has sex with a ten year old girl and pleads his innocence on the fact that in their country and religious beliefs they are allowed to? You come to this country you live by our rules or don't come, we have to live by your rules if we go to your land.

 

[AlexVSII]

^^

No need for racism. Sikh aren't Muslim afaik.

They aren't. Sikh's get a raw deal for "looking like towelheads" but at the end of the day, they're decent people who just happen to hold different religious beliefs and have a different skin colour. It's worth noting more than a few Sikhs have died over the years defending the British Empire and by extention and association, Australia in several wars. They're hardly people to be viewed with suspicion about their desire to come here and tell us what to do, they just want to be allowed to come here live their lives and practice their faith peacefully. There's no comparison between this and a Muslim extremist trying to use sharia to justify violence and sex crimes, for one this man hasn't hurt anybody else.

 

[acarmody]

They aren't. Sikh's get a raw deal for "looking like towelheads" but at the end of the day, they're decent people who just happen to hold different religious beliefs and have a different skin colour. It's worth noting more than a few Sikhs have died over the years defending the British Empire and by extention and association, Australia in several wars. They're hardly people to be viewed with suspicion about their desire to come here and tell us what to do, they just want to be allowed to come here live their lives and practice their faith peacefully. There's no comparison between this and a Muslim extremist trying to use sharia to justify violence and sex crimes, for one this man hasn't hurt anybody else.

^ Agree.

I have a few mates who are from the Punjab region and are Sikhs, great everyday ordinary blokes. Now my mates don't wear anything identifying except the bracelet, but you couldn't pick they out from any other person.

Though I do think it is a bit unfair, the two different rules thing.

 

[Darren_L]

I don't get a lot of the responses in this thread, "us aussies", "eating a cow in his sorry native country" (WTF does that have to do with anything, much less a helmet?). More people buying right into tabloid media.

His nationality or religion shouldn't make a difference. What I see as the bigger problem is that nanny state says we have to wear a helmet, and that it will punish us if we don't. Adults can't think for themselves apparently.

If you want to wear a helmet, power to you, and if you don't, power to you too as long as you accept the possible consequences in a worst case scenario.

it's no different to the law enforcing motorbike helmets - no-one complains about that ?
but yeah, end of the day I don't really care if this guy wears one or not. Helmet laws are about preserving the riders head. If he doesn't wear a helmet, no loss to the rest of us if he smashes his head open on the bitumen.

 

[monkeys437]

I've worked and studied with quite a few Sikhs and they are really good decent people. There are some foreign religious cultures which don't seem to like western morals and way of life and try to change the way we all live. My experience is that Sikhs aren't at all like this. They respect the Australian culture and are very mild mannered tolerant people.

I'm glad the courts showed some common sense with this one. In reality Helmets are only needed for serious road riders and the XC and DH type riding. Your average rider who goes to and from the train station or corner shop at 20km/h on an ordinary bike has no benefit in wearing a helmet, which is why cities like Amsterdam where bikes are the preferred method of transport don't have compulsory helmets.

For a Sikh to wear a helmet they'd have to cut off their massive 1 meter long trail of hair which carries deep personal significance to them. Given the minute risk I don't think we really need to alienate these good people who do their best to live peacefully in our society. Maybe we should show some common sense and make helmets optional? The hardcore roadies would still wear them (they wear lycra after all) and they're the ones who really need them

BTW I'm not a Sikh I'm an Aussie Atheist

 

[Drawnnite]

I'm glad the courts showed some common sense with this one. In reality Helmets are only needed for serious road riders and the XC and DH type riding. Your average rider who goes to and from the train station or corner shop at 20km/h on an ordinary bike has no benefit in wearing a helmet, which is why cities like Amsterdam where bikes are the preferred method of transport don't have compulsory helmets.

i wouldnt say that is 100% true but its pretty fair.
lets be honest its a smart idea to wear a helmet, because they can save you. as ive said many a time before ive had many accidents/stacks.
One of these accidents was at home. riding around. thought id finished passing the pergola, stood up, straight into the beams at the edge. massive red mark on the helmet.
this would have been at no faster then probably 2kph in rolling speed, standing up and hitting the beam head on. i would say without the headgear probably a few stitches and a broken skull, especially with the markings left on the helmet.
had other crashes where the helmet has come apart in 2 pieces, again slow speeds.
then ive worn proper Full Face Helmets at some fast speeds and no injury whatsoever, just a sore head from big impacts

put it this way. wearing a helmet is the better option.
its basically like having insurance for your head when you're riding.
change the laws so it doesnt stop people from riding, and youll find out alot more people will take up the sport
that way there arent 2 seperate laws as such
just change the rulings so without wearing the helmet you have no insurance/comeback in the form of a crash

i would actually like to commend the guy in question.
good on ya for getting out there, removing a car from the road
and getting fit at the same time

but just putting it out there.
i know i certainly will not jump on a bike without wearing a Helmet
*except for riding to/from the start gates at the race tracks

i actually feel sorry for foreign visitors/backpackers etc who from their own countries have no helmet laws.
im sure if they didnt have to buy a helmet here they would certainly get around the city more on a bike.
even down to the whole bikeshare thing working as it was intended to, like it does in other countries

Edit:
Just to add.
doesnt matter if you are wearina helmet.
if it aint fitted correctly/worn properly then you may aswell not be wearing one.

 

[Big-Al]

That turban might have more impact absorbtion than a helmet anyway!