Got a letter today from the ACA people, partially explaining why Mrs. the Poet was shown on the policy they sent last week. Seems that since we file joint taxes they had her SS on file linked to mine, and also knew her insurance because it was from the same company as the policy I got and put Mrs. the Poet on my policy because it had better coverage at lower cost. If I’m reading this right we are both getting insured with more coverage at a lower cost than what Mrs. the Poet was paying for just her. Whoever negotiated the policy at the school district needs to get fired. I mean I saw the doc they gave Mrs. the Poet showing how much the school district was paying and how much she was paying and all the coverages, and her policy was almost twice as much as my policy with four times the deductible and total out-of-pocket and a smaller network and less covered treatments. So, Thank You Obamacare?
Up first is another cyclist who was collateral damage in a multi-vehicle wreck. Cyclist Killed By Hit & Run BMW Driver In Bushwick and Video: BMW Driver Who Killed Cyclist In Bushwick Still At Large Again there was nothing the cyclist could do to avoid this, and since the driver tried to get away by driving salmon on a one-way street infrastructure would not have prevented it either.
More on that FL cyclist hit from behind in the bike lane. Deputies identify West Boca cyclist killed Wednesday morning Cyclist still had only a limited choice of avoiding this wreck by having a different wreck from hitting the curb, and American-style bike infrastructure failed miserably. That leaves only getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to avoid or prevent this wreck. And I really have no idea what to do about the real cause of this wreck, a driver that could not see out of the right side of the vehicle because it was so big and she was so short. I mean seriously, the driver could barely peer over the bottom of the window of the small sedan that cam to take her away from the scene after the weapon vehicle was impounded. How could she possibly see out the passenger side of the “mini” van she was driving. The only difference between that “mini” van and a regular full sized “van” is the “mini” has FWD and unibody construction based on passenger car mechanicals, and a “van” is body-on-frame with truck-based mechanicals. Size wise they are nearly identical.
Still in the most deadliest state to walk or ride a bike we get graphic illustration of the destructive power of motor vehicles. Authorities issue arrest warrant in deadly Florida day care center crash Note that there were no bicycles involved in this wreck and I still don’t know why it got put in the “cyclist killed” subfolder of my Feed folder. Still it does point out what I frequently say about motor vehicles being killing machines we use to get around. And I like cars! Used to hold an SCCA license, ISCA exhibitor card, and drive a stock car racer. Not all in the same year, but all in the same lifetime.
Similar story from NYC, a little later in the process. Drunk Driver Who Killed Brooklyn Pedestrian Gets No Jail Time, $500 Fine Even drunk drivers get a pass if there is any doubt about the ability of a sober driver to avoid the wreck. I would say since the sober driver in front of him managed to avoid the wreck he certainly could have, but then I’m a writer and trained as an engineer, I understand logic. Lawyers and people on juries not so much.
Sad news via Ted Rogers’ BikingInLA. Breaking news: San Marcos bike rider killed by cement truck Possible right hook based on location of weapon and victim vehicles, but really nothing at this point. Infrastructure that keeps concrete mixer trucks away from cyclists and pedestrians to prevent.
More on that hit-and-run in Canuckistan over the weekend. Cyclist injured in weekend hit and run “A cyclist was transported to the hospital April 6 after getting smoked by a 4-door teal car.” Interesting choice of words for the opening sentence.
End of the process for getting justice for a UK cyclist. Coventry road race drivers jailed after one hit and seriously injured cyclist Nothing the cyclist could have done to get out of the way from these killer drivers, the bike was reduced to rubble without a single salvageable part. I have never seen a bike destroyed as thoroughly as that one. As the wreck was in an intersection and a red light was run I don’t see how even getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” could prevent this wreck unless it was an area that would permit a bicycle underpass to segregate cyclists in both time and space away from motor vehicles.
A wreck in Oz. Cyclist injured in crash involving car on roundabout Roundabouts are very bad infrastructure without a bicycle bypass system. They work great for cars and other larger motor vehicles, not so good for bicycles and motorcycles.
Infrastructure! in response to a wreck in Enn Zed. ‘Cyclists need more protection’ Actually in response to several wrecks where the cyclist was following the laws and had no other place to ride, many involving the tiny fraction of female cyclists in Enn Zed.
LifeStyle for cyclists from Ted again. SoCal cops to bike 300 miles in memory of fallen officers next month WoaB strongly suggests that you drop your coin on this cause.
Not quite all-Ted, all-the-time, but another link from that source (he’s been busy). Great video captures the magic of CicLAvia, and your Morning Links Great video makes me wish I was there.
Last link is back to WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, the commercial infrastructure required to keep bikes moving. Bike Friendly Garland, Bike Medics
And those were the links that gave me fits or giggles today, mostly.
Billed @€0.02, Opus
Witch on a Bicycle 
My brother works for the SD Sheriff’s Dept. and interviewed a witness at the scene of the San Marcos fatality. From her description, it does sound like a right hook, and that the driver couldn’t see the the bicyclist below. I think I read elsewhere speculation that the bicyclist ran a light and/or was at fault, which is incorrect.
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