JNYVEGAS

IMHO this is just another way of the "Man" telling me what to do where the stats don't justify the action. If you think it helps go buy one and wear it. The study last month showed that kids wearing bicycle helps does nothing to prevent deep brain injuries. If parents want their kids to wear them....have at it. I have no problem with personal choice. To me it's just like anything else. If you believe in something it's true regardless of the data sets. If I am outside doing a walk around, I keep my head on a swivel. 14 years and no tugs have run me over.....with no vest anywhere but STN and CGN. Thank You Lord! If you looked at the stats they would be staggering for no need for them. Not sure if this was started because of the tragic loss of the young man in Memphis but his was not an accident caused by a moving vehicle. To each his own, but forcing something on people......I have had enough of that.

Jetjok

Yup. You'll show those bastards. No vest for you. A very smart idea, which will probably catch on. And besides, if you have to wear one in France or England, you gotta know that it can't be the thing to do.

MD11Drvr

Here is what does the trick for me. No vest required.


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aSPzfUbYrUQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Radio Shack Fire Chief's helmet - YouTube

tomgoodman

I tried using that helmet, but rampers chocked my feet and plugged in external power!

MD11Drvr

I hope they had the decency to apply
lube first. Oops! This is the aviation, never mind.

Spike from flyi

At about 10:50 into this video, you'll see the guy I most admire in aviation:

Birth of the Bell Helicopter.mpg - YouTube

He's an executive at Bell and a pilot. He proclaims that he's the one to do the first test flight of the new prototype helicopter. He's too good a pilot to use his safety belt, though.

If you don't need your vest on the ramp, all I can say is that I hope you're senior to me.

Deuce130

Military guys have been wearing these belts for so many years now that it most likely won't raise an eyebrow on anyone under age 50 who came up that way.

FlyJSH

It wasn't on the ramp, and it wasn't a vest, but....

When I was in college, I drove a pizza delivery truck. One Sunday night around 11, I was driving through a rich neighborhood that had no side walks (side note, why is it that most high end neighborhoods don't have side walks?). I was doing the speed limit (the cops in that area were quite strict when it came to the speeding) when I saw something shiny not too far ahead. I broke hard and stopped well in front of TWO people who were walking towards me. Both were wearing dark clothes, but one had a big, shiny belt buckle. Were it not for that buckle, I might have seen them too late and hit them. True, they could have jumped out of the way preventing being struck, but then they might have had preventable bumps and bruises. Certainly they would have thought I was an idiot or a-hole (similar feelings we have towards some of the rampers).

Another story....

I was stopped at a red light coming home from work about 2:30am on a motorcycle (specifically a Honda PC 800 which has a wide rear end with a light bar that covers the entire width: shown here with the trunk open http://www.motorcycle.com/gallery/vi...2/pc800-12.jpg ) when I was struck from behind. The driver ran so there is no way of knowing his/her condition, but figuring he was running a red light, he/she was likely drunk or just not paying attention.

The moral of these two stories.....

If the driver is not paying attention or is impaired, reflective material won't help.

IF the driver IS being diligent, reflective material will help him see and avoid.

Head on a swivel is great. But for that 1 percent of the time you are not looking around and there is a diligent driver, reflective material could make a difference.

Jetjok

So I guess you're saying we should be hiring more pilots from Texas?

FlyJSH

Actually Dallas. That's where the rhinestone cowboys are.