RhadamYgg wrote:Some jobs have healthcare that limits motorcycling and some don't. But this isn't saying you can't do it - just saying you won't be covered by your default health insurance.
It is however, the bad reputation that motorcycling has rather than any reality in making it more dangerous than say... any other activity.
Snip
I think though, that allowing this sort of regulation by our employers is a gross invasion of privacy. This sets a precedent that based on your employers (prospective, not even actual) health costs they have the right to restrict your personal activities. There is no reason why they can't go further and mandate that you must not eat unhealthy foods (which is highly subjective), that you must exercise every week (and who determines what is healthy exercise and what is unhealthy? After all you could hurt yourself...), and who knows - why not allow them to hire private investigators and determine if you are cheating on your SO - and deny you health coverage (or continued employment) because of risky behavior and the chances of getting AIDS(?) and the end result will be our lives being controlled by our employers. Oh, hell, if you are single they may not be able to hire you because prospectively - you are promiscuous(!).
And hell, since some people are newly married - and might increase everyone's health insurance cost because they might get pregnant and have a high risk child (like one of my twins) and add 3/4 of a million in dollars in charges in a single year - they should require me to get snipped so there won't be any children and excessive cost involved.
But given that you aren't a superstar like the singer for Metallica - and as respectable as your skills may be - there are other people that fit your skillset, restricting your activities because they might miss you - is excessive at the least. And realistically, risk mitigation is done with insurance - not with restriction of activities.
I mean, let's say - should they restrict doctors from flying personal planes because they have a risk of crashing?
RhadamYgg
Okay, this is how it came down.
I graduated very high in my class while still working as a Paramediic. My performance reviews as a Paramendic were exemplary and there were no complaints form any of the ER doctors in town as to the quality of my work. I have some social issues but that by the consitution, I can't be mistreated or segregated because of them. However, they stated that if I wanted the job then I would have t accept certain things. One of them was not embarrising the corperate management. Kind of on the edge but the last few years of goverment have allowed this kind of heavy handedness by corperations and it is expected in some areas. Then came the big sticking point. I was a made a team leader and as such I have to put forth a good rolemodel for my team. To do this, I must prove my worthyness to lead my team and the one to judge this is management.
They decided that certain things were considered not to be promoting of this image. My motorcycling was considered to be unlady like and not proffesional, there for not putting forth a good image. Up to now, I've been a patch wearer so I could see at least partly where they were coming from. Okay, I resign and things will be better. The club accepted that but won't abandon me. So I may not publicly wear colors but I'm not alone. Okay, cool all the way around.
Then Management decided that I was too valuable to be risked by unhealthy and dangerous actions. They have this right. On another thread, Dean talked of a Golden State Warrior who sprained his ankle in a scooter or moped accident and found himself released without pay for a time bercause he had a similar clause in his contract and this clause specifically said no motorcycles. The hospitals defense was that there is only one Trama center in town and I'm a team leader. I was too valuable to risk with acts of dangerous behaviour. So they decided to say I couldn't ride motorcycles whether I was going or coming from work. Hey they even felt strong enough to say that I couldn't ride them at all, even on my off duty time.
Well, it took direct intervention by my lawyer to quash this. So they retracted this and made it pretty much my fault if I got into trouble or an accident. That I would be depriving the hospital of my services and while they couldn't charge me a fine or other retribution in this case, they could make it a point for them not to renew my contract. So a soccer mom turns in front of me and I lose my job. My lawyer questioned this and once again we prevailed. However, I have had to accept that I must ride in a car or similiar vehicle back and forth to work. They have accepted that I am free to do what I want to do on my time off but I must wear a helmet as one of the stipulations. Another is that I must not do any illicet drugs or commit a felony.
I have worked 4 years to get where I am now and it's been my dream for longer than that. I'm also just starting out so I need to do exceptionally well at this job to further my career. As for now, there is no hard feelings of the management towards me for I agreed to at least some of their stipulations. The job is everything I want and there is fear that I will anger management if I'm too hard to work with.
So as of now, I can still ride motorcycles and I can do what I want as long as I don't drag the hospital corperation into it.
As for healthy food, Congress determined to make up some of its finacial short fall by increasing the price of alcohol and cigarettes. But they also included soda and unhealthy or junk foods to tax at a higher rate so people would eat or dring less of these items. They almost got a way with it. And as for Canada, I hear constantly from computer friends of mine, that your not so well off yourself. Things aren't as free as they should be and you don't have the bill of rights so there isn't even that safety net. Just an observation.
So, yes, I'll keep collecting bikes and such but a lot of the fun has gone out of it. Even there I may let a bike or two go so I can find an interesting car to drive. I'm not ready for my walker yet but I wonder if they are going to say that my ST is unsafe because ot doesn't have air bags.
I don't feel like it but...
