Militant motorcyclists and automobile drivers believe it is their inalienable right not to wear helmets or use seatbelts.

After all, they argue, they--not society--suffer the injuries and sometimes deaths in accidents. Why should they obey laws that infringe on their rights to endanger only themselves?

Hey, let them maim or kill themselves if they first post $3-million bonds to cover their medical and rehabilitation expenses and subsistence payments to their families.

Without those guarantees, however, the taxpayers are stuck with the catastrophic expenses after insurance and personal resources are quickly depleted.

Taxpayers also have inalienable rights not to pay for the reckless acts of idiots.(4 JUNE 2000)

E-mail: higgens@aol.com