My only responsibility as a licensed driver (or rider) is to operate my vehicle to level of either an 16 year old who's only been behind the wheel a half dozen hours (I run the driver education program at a local high school, so I know the rules) or an 85 year old, 5'4" tall blue-haired great grandmother in a Coupe de Ville.

Any time - and in any condition - I am operating at a higher level than that, I should be applauded - because I have gone beyond the expectation of the state of North Carolina and your life is in that much LESS jeopardy.

The feds, being blackmailed by the MADD bunch, have forced the states (in violation of the tenth amendment) to ratchet us all down to .08. I've yet to see the news story where the guy driving at .10 kills a car load of nuns. If you've got the link, please post it.

If we subscribe to the theory that we need to legislate .08 because it's safer than .10, then, in order to be true to ourselves, we need to push a full .00 tolerance level. Afterall, if .08's good, .04 would be better, and .02 would be great, but.00, now that would make us all that much safer! (Just remember to avoid the Coupe de Ville!)

That being said, we should not only push for stricter helmet laws, we should also require those cool riding suits with all the plastic in them so that, if we do fall down, we'll be less likely to break anything. Oh, hell, let's outlaw the things all the way. I mean, no one would die on one if there weren't any around to ride.

One thing I do know is this - a drunk on a bike is whole helluva lot LESS dangerous to me than a drunk in a Hummer. The drunk may be safer in the Hummer, but the rest of us are taking our lives in our hands.

That's why I try to stay off the roads on New Years. July 4th, etc. - too many amateurs!!!