Sometimes I wish I have a device that I could point at someone that would tell me how likely they were to do something stupid that might cause me harm, like a thermograph except for “stupid” instead of heat. You would understand if you had been with me on the road last night…
Speaking of last night, I went to the closest Der Wienershnitzel to try their free chili dog promotion from 5-8 PM. The counter people had no problem talking to me and taking my order, but from the customer reactions you would think I was 8 feet tall and green. 
Even after I un-armored so I could eat, the kids were staring at me, and not just little kids but ‘tweens and even a few teenagers. I know I don’t get in that part of town much, but surely they see people riding to the park nearby, or to work on the fast food places on the street? Gigi was a center of attention, as much for my parking her in a car spot (nothing to lock up to, so why not use a parking spot to park my bike?) as anything else. Hmm, it was 17 miles round trip for that free chili dog at 37 Calories to the mile, that would mean if the dog had less than 629 Calories I burned more getting to and from the chili dog than I got from eating the chili dog. I have to find out the Calorie count on a Der Wienershnitzel regular chili dog.
First up is a wreck between a ICE-assist bicycle and a motorcycle. Multiple Accidents Shut Down Roads-UPDATE: Bicyclist Dies After Collision and Deadly collision puts focus on gas-powered bicycles The mode of this wreck was unique to an assisted bicycle because of the acceleration involved. Most of the time the added acceleration of an assist bicycle is a safety plus, this time it just caused the cyclist to pull in front of a motorcycle that had been hidden behind an SUV just prior to the wreck. Had the cyclist been riding a non-assisted cycle then pulling out would have been slow enough that he would have been able to see and avoid the motorcycle and vice versa.
TN cyclists have video evidence that the 3-foot passing law was violated, no word on any enforcement proceedings. Cyclists Urge Drivers to Pay Attention Actually this was a hit-and-run with injury, I don’t know the TN law on this but that is a felony in TX. And you would think that with video evidence something might be done.
An article that raises questions about the number of participants in the wreck to those with experience on the roads. Cyclist injured in crash “According to the Colorado State Patrol, the bicyclist was traveling west on Cross Roads Blvd alongside a Pontiac Grand Am at the time of the accident.” This statement is what raises the questions for me, what were the driver and the passenger (especially the passenger) doing immediately prior to the wreck? I’m sure they weren’t doing anything illegal, but they could have caused the wreck. There is just not enough information about this wreck to draw a conclusion.
From Jolly Olde comes another typical UK wreck report. Morley cyclist injured Well, they know it was a Vauxhall, with GM tanking it might be a bit difficult to find replacement body parts for the car…
South Korea is having difficulty integrating bicycles into their transport system. As Bicycle Popularity Rises, So Do Accidents Not every Asian country made room for bicycle transport in their planning from the 1960s, which is causing trouble now for those that didn’t as fuel prices are taking off.
And a Grand Rapids politician thinks that just because he can’t ride a bike safely everyone else that rides one has to wear a helmet so he won’t be alone looking like a dork. Grand Rapids City Commissioner David LaGrand pushes for bicycle-helmet ordinance Hey, LaGrand instead of trying to pass a new law that won’t be enforced by your dwindling police forces, try targeting driver and cyclist behavior that is already against the law and make the streets safer for everyone? You claim to have been hit several times on your bike, was there ever any prosecution in any of those cases? You could do better to reduce the speed limits, increase enforcement and fines to pay for enforcement, and then everyone would be safer.
And that’s the whole Feed for today. I have something I need to work on so probably no late article tonight.
Billed @$.02, Opus
