11-26-2007, 02:06 PM
G.Irish Wrote:Well if the concern is family members having to support you in the event of significant injury that requires prolonged recovery why not just get supplemental insurance? You can get insurance that will cover your salary, pay for physical therapy, and pay for extended hospital stays.
As far as the risk:reward ratio, I have to think that the chances of actually ending up on life support for a prolonged period are not that high. Something like 1 in 100,000 motorcyclists [2003] will get killed in an accident, I seriously doubt that significantly more end up vegetables.
If supplemental insurance is cost prohibitive or doesn't allay the fear that someone else would have to take care of you then I guess one shouldn't ride.
You apparently are just thinking of money? Thats a small part of the burden you place on your family members by doing high-risk activities. Theres a balance where you have to decide wether the activity is worth that chance of a burden on your family, MOST OF ALL EMOTIONALLY. Just because you have insurance you think you can take care of yourself? You think they wont drop everything to see you in the hospital and all the emotions they have to go through that you could have possibly died? Money is definitely NOT the biggest factor here, and if you think that you can possibly ever free yourself from burdening your family when you get hurt, your dead wrong. When my father died, everything financially was taken care of, but that was not even close to my mind the burden he placed on my family. And we dont view it as a burden but it was, to this day it still hurts and is a lasting memory.
So before you can be selfish about yourself and think that you can somehow not burden your family in a large way by taking care of finances or telling them not to come or make decisions, think about how they feel towards you. They are family, wether or not you made all the preparation in the world, something happens to you wether fatal or not, the emotional impact it will have on them is more than you could ever imagine.
Edit: If Ginger decides that it isnt worth the risks wether financially, emotionally or any other reasons, who are you to give him shit about it? Ginger, at least you can put it past yourself that your not the only one impacted wether or not you prepare everything in the world.