Since Mrs. the Poet and I will be leaving Monday night we only have to get about half the groceries we normally do, because they won’t stay good until we get back. So, no produce except maybe a small bag of lettuce, only a single loaf of bread if any, no dairy at all. And lots of snacks we can put in our carry-on luggage so we don’t have to buy the over-priced “food” they sell in the bus stations. It’s bad enough we will be buying drinks priced 3 times what they cost at the local C-store on the corner, especially when our caloric needs will be so low.
Up first is an update on the Milt Olin wreck in CA. Family of cyclist fatally struck by sheriff’s car files claim against Los Angeles County This story has stunk to high heaven ever since it first broke, and the stench has just been getting worse every day, first with the refusal to hand the investigation over to the CHP to at least give the appearance of impartiality, second when an investigation that should have been wrapped in a week took more than 5 months to be delivered to the DA, and third when the DA refused to allow any part of that report to be released to the public. The facts of the case are quire damning to the driver, the cyclist was hit from behind while riding in the marked bike lane by a cruiser going over the speed limit without lights and siren. The pictures I have seen from the crime scene show the one skid mark left by the victim’s back tire at impact and skid marks after the impact (unless the picture was somehow reversed, but then the question would have to be why did the driver stop using the brakes right before impact?), and the impact was several feet from the lane marker.
A buzz job in OR. Cyclist injured in vehicle accident near Sandy and Man injured after being clipped by rear-view mirror on Highway 26 The crime scene pictures show one of those awful rumble stripped shoulders that turn what could be a nice place to ride when it’s clean into something that can kill you with a second’s inattention. This means the rider was forced to ride in the traffic lane but he did not take the lane to make himself more visible. This is (or should be, I haven’t read the protocols page in a while) the first thing to avoiding getting hit from behind, riding where you can be seen in the lane. This also gives you more room to move to the right to dodge wayward motor vehicles that are getting too close.
A wreck in AZ that LEO are wrongly blaming on the cyclist not crossing the street in the crosswalk. Peoria accident leaves teen cyclist injured Since the basic report is so flawed other than noting that this was an intersection wreck so intersection protocols should apply I got nothing, except INFRASTRUCTURE! Oh, and trained LEO.
Still in AZ another cyclist is squished. UPDATE X2:CYCLIST KILLED ON SPEEDWAY; DRIVER ARRESTED ON SECOND DEGREE MURDER When I first filtered this report the driver hadn’t even been caught yet, much less charged with murder. Hit from behind in the bike lane seems to be popular today, use the protocols to avoid, particularly the “have an escape route” part. And if that bike lane had been built to Dutch standards the weapon vehicle would never have gotten near him in the first place.
A PA blotter report on a left cross. Sentinel police log for June 19 I think I actually had this wreck in the blog last week sometime. Intersection wreck so protocols and infrastructure. Kudos to LEO for immediately handing out tickets to the driver for violating the right of way and failing to signal.
Another report on that CA hit-and-run I had a skimpy link to yesterday. Cyclist killed in Sacramento hit and run Nothing new, just another link.
OK this is just not right, with two links. P.E.I. man granted day parole two years after killing Alberta cyclist and Drunk driver who killed Edmonton woman gets day parole Apparently “day parole” is like “work release” in the US. Get out, go to work, and be back in your cell by a certain time every day.
Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: CABO opposes protected bikeway bill; Brit driver kills 5-year old, then says shit happens
Someone else noticed a major change to the legal infrastructure. Jury Awards “Precedent-Setting” $2.4 Million to Doored Cyclist With the added information I am also wondering how they figured the cyclist was 21% at fault for getting hit by the car door when she was getting physically forced into the door zone. Maybe because she was there to get hit?
Actual on-the-ground testing of that pseudo-Dutch intersection treatment. Portlander’s ‘protected intersection’ concept gets first on-street demo (in Minneapolis) The reports that 8 YO were able to use the infrastructure properly first time without instructions to move as they desired on their bikes is really good news.
The good kind of infrastructure article. Buying a bike? Now you can use Twitter to find out if it’s stolen property
Busting up and preventing bike theft in NY. Bicyclist follows accused bike thieves, leads to arrest of three Syracuse teenagers
If you live in Chuck this is an even better kind of lifestyle link. Chucktown BikeDown Cheap alcohol, but don’t over do it because if you get to all of the venues you have a chance at winning a pretty cool bike.
And those were all the links that gave me fits or giggles today.
Billed @€0.02, Opus
Witch on a Bicycle 