Riding side-saddle

As stupid as it is, we are judging this through western eyes - they probably think we are unholy savages who need saving. I guess its their choice, no matter how ridiculous it seems to us.

 

how do women ride a push bike only using one leg on the pedals, or are they banned from push bikes because that could be immoral.

 

You'll probably find that's a no no as well.

 

Sorry we are not; we are viewing prejudice and control through open eyes. Some would have this rule in the UK as well as across Europe. Unless you live in a dark deep jungle region of the Andes etc everyone is westernised to some extent, the whole world.

This has nothing at all to do with religion. Personally, I would rather our govt acted on stuff like his than who is restricting oil...

 

It's probably time we followed Dawkins' and Hitchens' advice and stopped trying to find excuses for idiot societies living in the middle ages.

Suppose they said that Puff the Magic Dragon had said that women shouldn't ride side-saddle? We'd all call them nutcases. In fact God, Puff - it amounts to exactly (EXACTLY) the same thing.

Islamic society has all this shit about treating women differently because it seems Islamic men can't be trusted to act normally towards women. The temptation for them would be too much if women dressed normally, shared mosques and swimming pools with them and weren't chaperoned everywhere by male members of their family. It's just baloney.

BTW - imagine having a GF sitting side saddle on your 1098 while you did some enthusiastic cornering. A total recipe for disaster.

 

This is the sort of mentality that starts wars. It's a different way of living, and we have no right to intervene on things like this.

 

I've ridden side saddle on a horse - its fekin hard but glad we dropped the need back in the 14th century

I work with a muslim bloke who's in his 20's that is just about to embark on an arranged marriage - new wife in India who he's never met and he lives and works in UK

Bonkers

 

I don't think we should intervene at all. I just think that we shouldn't take a blind bit of notice when you draw a funny cartoon that shows Mohammed and you get a pack of ravers saying how offended they are. The correct answer to this is "Get over it".

It is a different way of living. It's also a way of living that seems to require aid from all the other countries who don't like live that.

Still, sure, each to his own balmy culture (and ours is pretty odd in all sorts of ways). I just think that time is running out for organised religion. Science and education will see it off eventually.

 

Leaving aside the madness and offensiveness of so called 'sharia law', the safety aspect of this is such that a motorcycle's stability is significantly effected when the passenger sits side saddle.

I have seen the consequences of this on numerous occasions in India where this practice is common. I was once following a small bike, there was a guy riding, probably his daughter sitting in the middle, and his rather 'plump' wife sitting sidesaddle on the rear of the seat. He braked as a consequence of something happening in front of him, the front wheel tucked on some loose gravel and I watched as his wife shot off the side of the bike and went face first into the road at about 15-20mph. I wont go into details of the carnage, you can probably imagine them!

 

So because it's different to our 'Normal' standards it's ok to turn a blind eye and let them get on with it? Times change and things once acceptable are now prohibited. Maybe (extreme examples coming up) we should re-introduce burning witches at the stake if they fail the ducking stool test? Or how about slavery, and while we're at it making homosexuality illegal again?
I've spent quite a lot of time in the Gulf/Middle East. They are a very interesting group of countries, but they still have some pretty barbaric ways which we in the West find abhorrent.
It's not an easy one to answer, where do you draw the line? We all have views on what is acceptable, we still have plenty of people who enjoy hunting foxes with a pack of dogs!

 

I hope you are right but on this particular point I suspect that eventually could be a very long time.

I am currently working my way (very slowly) through Dawkins - The God Delusion and he makes some interesting observations on the way religions can rapidly change and evolve in a Darwinian way. The ruthless way in which certain religions are passed on to the next generation leaves little room for deviation.

 

So what do we have the right to intervene with? Nothing at all? Mass genocide? Slavery? Nope you're right, all those go on in African countries every day but we do nothing....except sell them arms

Intervention shouldn't be about right or wrong,it should be about justice and injustice

 

I agree phil.

However Liberal multiculturalism in this country where we defend the rights of people from other cultures even when they are counter to our own beliefs is seen as a weakness to be exploited. We need to say these are our beliefs and we are prepared to defend them, if they are contrary to your beliefs then we shouldn't appologise for them.

But what are 'our' beliefs these days and who are 'we' ??

 

Sad to say, imho there are no beliefs or values in that contaxt related to the English any more. Cant speak for the rest of the UK...not that I can speak for every Englishman either but what do we stand for?

 

What do they propose if the woman is the rider and the pillion is a male? Perhaps he should sit facing rearward to avoid inadvertent knob contact!:biggrin:

 

Doesn't matter who is controlling the machine - the woman should sit side-saddle.

It's pretty obvious that women shouldn't actually be riding the bike - heaven forbid!

 

I truly hope so, as we understand more and more you have to have your head deeper and deeper in the sand to follow a religion

 

What???? Can't hear you!!