Another light Feed today

The conviction of the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree has sucked all the air out of the bicycle stories today. The usual “bicycle hit in middle of street, rider at fault” reporting has lost a lot of its credibility after the conviction on 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and many of the reports are coming back with no details aside from the collision.

Getting to the good news first are more reports on the conviction, starting with the USAToday writer eating crow after his diatribe from last week in favor of the TTTWLAMWAMD. Bicycle justice: Doctor convicted of causing road-rage accident that injured two bicyclists Notice it’s still an “accident” not an assault Second Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, November 3, 2009 For these guys the conviction was small potatoes, and placed well down the list of cycling news. I still can’t find any joy that Dr. Thompson is going to prison, I mean I feel some vindication, but I’m not happy about it. You would think that after all the times I got run off the road or hit I would be doing cartwheels over someone getting caught and punished for the deed, but even if I still had the ability to do them I don’t feel like that. The curse of being a thinking being with morals and scruples.

In other convictions, (I love typing that) a MI man that had been putting away a lot of beer gets a minimum of 20 years sentence for killing a cyclist. 20 beers nets 20 years for driver who killed teen cyclist That must have been some really cheap watered down beer for him to consume that much and only have a 0.18% BAC. That might have been a factor in the lack of judgment in getting behind the wheel with a BAC more than twice the legal limit, besides the impaired judgment that comes with BAC over .08%. As for how to avoid this wreck, you can’t and still use the roads. The driver ran a red light and hit the back end of a group ride crossing the road in front of him, making not being there the only way to avoid getting hit by a drunk driver running a red light. If you start to follow that path, you might as well stay in bed with the covers over your head. and that still won’t protect you from drunk drivers as the Queens man who was hit in his 2nd floor bedroom by a drunk driving a Lexus SUV can testify. I’m going to let you Google that one because I don’t have a valid URL for that article.

This must have been the most excitement in Anoka MN in quite a while, here it is over a week later and they’re still talking about it. Bike rider killed in Blaine identified As of this report this is a SWCC wreck, but at least we know the name of the cyclist.

Another hit-from-behind wreck in CA. Truck rear-ends bicycle, kills rider The lack of information forthcoming from LEO is a bad indication to me that something is being covered up.

More lawyer blather about the NC hit-and-run by the woman in the Dodge Durango that killed the cyclist, only this lawyer is still using the story that the cyclist was hit from behind instead of the now known cross the road to hit head on before the U-turn vehicular assault. Guilford County Hit and Run Kills Greensboro, N.C. Man I guess stories like this are the reason I don’t feel happy about TTTWLAMWAMD getting convicted, it was just a drop in a bucket, and a very large bucket at that.

It turns out the cyclist hit by the bus in Hayward was a bike ninja. Two fatalities in separate Hayward accidents Lights might have helped the bus driver see the cyclist, but coming from where he came from there was no way any reflectors would have helped. From the description of the damages to the bus, a helmet would not have helped either. When you ride after dark have lights on front and rear because you won’t always be in the headlights for a motor vehicle to see you before the wreck. And don’t drink and ride.

Another ride for someone hit by a car, but nothing being done about the cars. Ride memorializes bike-car collision victims At least the transportation department is aware of the issues and is part of the ride for the injured cyclist, even if they aren’t doing anything about cyclists getting hit in the bike lanes at the moment. But I’m really being too harsh on the transportation department, as they don’t enforce the laws they just build the roads.

Things weren’t that different at the turn of the 20^th Century. Gossip of the Cyclers, and Other News of the Wheel The big difference was there were no cars killing pedestrians and cyclists wholesale, the main source of traffic fatalities was horse drawn conveyances, and we all know how smart horses are.

Lastly someone has found a good use for bicycle helmets. Bicycle helmet saves the day — on foot My colleague at examiner.com points out that pedestrians are more likely to get head injuries than bicyclists or motorcyclists and nobody makes a fuss that they don’t wear helmets, because pedestrian head injury is rare, almost as rare as bicycle head injury.

And that’s all I got today, more later.

Billed @$.02, Opus

More on the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree, and other news In The Feed

The last 2 days have generated more traffic to this blog than I have ever seen, what with Dr. Christopher Thompson (the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree) being convicted of all 7 counts against him and BikingInLA telling me about it so I could link to their breaking story. Well that wasn’t the only story breaking in LA yesterday about people using their vehicles as weapons against cyclists.

But the big news first (other than the Blog reports) is still the conviction of TTTWLAMWAMD of 6 felonies and one misdemeanor. E.R. Doc Guilty in Road Rage Attack on Cyclists and Physician accused of deliberately injuring two bicyclists is convicted and Dr. Thompson is found guilty of all counts in LA road rage trial. and comments here Mailbag: Road rage, getting along and Floyd Landis I hope that this is just the first of many prosecutions that have previously been ignored by LEO and prosecutors for assault with motor vehicles.

Lost in the hubbub of TTTWLAMWAMD’s conviction was this tidbit. Texting Driver Guilty in Death of 14-year-old Boy He was driving under the influence of 2 powerful prescription drugs, and texting at the time he killed a cyclist, and the defense tried to make this look like an unavoidable accident due to a medical condition. I have heard some mighty weak defenses in my day, but this one is less than a kitten.

They identified the bike ninja that was hit Sunday in Austin TX. Guns, drugs found during arrest; cyclist killed on Texas 71 identified Ignore the comments unless you already have brain damage…

In the other big story of the day they finally arrested and charged the driver of the SUV that hit a cyclist head on and then made a U turn to escape. Woman charged in hit-and-run death of David Sherman and Driver charged in fatal hit-and-run of bicyclist, released on bond I love it when they publish the booking pictures of drivers that hit cyclists, they invariably look like something the cat drug in and the kittens tried to bury. From the description of the wreck released by LEO it seems this was a deliberate action on the part of the driver to try to kill or hurt a cyclist, why was she given a bond at all unless the Durango was the only vehicle she had access to. I also love that the accused’s home address was given in the article. I’m not saying to do anything bad to the person or her home, but if you happen to have a dump truck load of male bovine digestive byproduct and you need a place to get rid of it…

And in what is almost positively a cut and paste from one news source to another we have the same article from 2 very different sources. Bicyclist struck and killed by AC Transit bus in Hayward and Bicyclist Struck And Killed By AC-Transit Bus In Hayward It could be they both did the cut and paste from a press release, not one copying the other. As to the wreck I can’t tell you who was doing what from this article. Or if the cyclist was lighted and reflectorized, but since the only lights mentioned were the defective streetlights I would say the cyclist had all the legally required lights etc.

Last report if from Jolly Olde where news reports are required by law to be missing 2 Ws and the H out of the standard news reporters 5Ws and an H. Cyclist injured after Toxteth collision And people wonder why I have a tag about UK news reports.

That’s all I have tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Strange referral, and the Feed

I had a couple of strange referrals today. For some reason Facebook has a click on their home page that directs people to my blog. I’m not on Facebook so I have not a clue why there would be something for people to click on that directs them here. Facebook users, could you post a comment and help me out here?

Up first is a wreck where a cyclist crossing the road was hit by a car. BRIEF: Cyclist killed in crash with car in Blaine and Bike Rider Killed In Blaine While Crossing Street And that is pretty much all I know about it at this point. Nothing on if there was a signal light, who had which signal if there was a light, stop signs, nothing.

And after what must qualify as one of the slowest lab analysis in human history, charges have been filed against the Boise teenager that left crossed a cyclist in the bike lane. Officials promise justice for cyclist Kevin Pavlis They promise justice, but because the killer was a minor we will never know about it even extending to the name of the killer…

And the man that claimed to not see a 6 foot tall driver in an orange bunny costume and her brightly lit pedicab gets a trip to jail. Man convicted in orange rabbit pedicab hit-and-run Apparently hitting someone while digging for your cell phone is OK but hit-and-run is still illegal. From this and previous reports on the wreck there wasn’t anything the pedicab operator could have done to avoid the wreck since the driver wasn’t watching and didn’t slow down.

A pair of reports on the wreck near Toronto reported on here ealier this week. Memorial in Cambridge for cyclist killed And UPDATE – Cyclist killed I fail to see where sidewalks would have made any difference in this wreck, but bad infrastructure is bad infrastructure even if it’s not our (bicyclist) infrastructure.

Apparently somebody has decided that it’s OK to have huge blind spots on big trucks because it would cost too much to fix…Cyclist Death Ruled “Accidental” Why is not being able to see an “accident” and not a defective vehicle?

A motorcycle/bicycle wreck in India puts the motorcycle rider in jail. Biker held for Shivranjini mishap A little confused as to who hit whom, but the guy on the bicycle came out the worst for it.

A loudmouth in Oz changes her tune after making a massively untrue statement on Australian national TV earlier this week. Going berko over a bisycho Yes, she did say that cyclists had no legal place on the roads earlier this week, which is contrary to the laws of every civilized nation which includes Australia, and now she’s back-pedaling so hard if she was actually riding a bicycle the tire would be smoking.

SC cyclists try to remind drivers that cars are not the only thing on the road. Cyclists urge motorists to share the road “People aren’t watching,” Connelly said. “We’re not getting any respect out there. We do have a right to the road. We’re considered a part of traffic, and drivers don’t seem to understand that.” He said it better than I could.

Same song, different verse in CA. Bikes and cars: Can we share the road? Between 1998 and 2008, for example, bike commuting in Marin County increased 66% as bicycle crashes declined 34%. The best practice is to get as many bikes on the roads as possible.

Still in LA is an article on cyclist safety that is highly car-head. Bicyclists should stay on the defensive to stay safe Watch out for cars, but don’t give up the road to them.

And that’s it for tonight, have a spooooky Halloweeeeen [evil chuckle].

Billed @$.02, Opus

Do people lose their minds when they turn the ignition key? And the Feed

After filtering the Feed today I have come to the conclusion that everyone that drives a car is Goofy. Goofy in ‘Motor Mania’ (1950) Yep, it has been one of “those” Feeds. I advise just ignoring the comments section of every article, unless you already have brain damage and then you’re immune, like me.

Up first is not directly bicycle related but more “Why can’t they see me?” related as a psychology experiment involving a clown riding a unicycle asks people talking on their cellphones if they saw anything unusual. Perceptions: What Clown? I Was Talking With My Mom This is why cell phones should be banned, because the people on the other end of the conversation can’t change their behavior when you are doing something that requires concentration and expect you to be hanging on their every word in utter rapture. Tip of the chapeau to Mad Dog Media for alerting me to this article.

Another report on the multiple DUI killer getting the maximum sentence possible, plus another 20 years probation. Woman Gets 20 Years In Prison For DUI Death Of Bicyclist What didn’t hit me at first on this case was a woman was really smacked down hard in this case, which is a rarity. Most killer female drivers get even less of a slap on the wrist than their Y-chromosomed counterparts, but this one got the maximum prison sentence plus the maximum probation, plus a lifetime ban on driving. She must have been a real horse’s patootie to the judge either during the trial or during sentencing.

Nothing else about recent wrecks in the US this time, but a cyclist hit in the bike lane in Montreal ain’t happy. Cyclist with no helmet, lights injured in Rosemont I’m really sure the lack of helmet contributed to the driver driving into him in the bike lane! Lights might have helped, but to be honest, really? It was a well-lighted street, would a bike light less than one of those miniature stadium lights really have stood out enough from the clutter for the driver to see the guy riding his bicycle? Does that mean the driver would have hit a pedestrian on the sidewalk if one had been there to be hit? I refer you back to the video at the beginning of the post.

And what appears to be a hit from behind wreck near Toronto. Cyclist killed in Cambridge identified You would think this was a UK paper instead of a Canadian one.

They finally charged the driver that ran over 4 cyclists in a pack in Enn Zed. Woman charged over cycle crash on Tamaki Drive Charges are one thing, getting to trial and punishment are another.

And front channel confirms what I was told on back channel about the driver of the Toyota that killed a doctor out cycling was involved in another hit-and-run against a different cyclist. Hit-and-run driver ‘targeting cyclists’ The reach of the Witch on a Bicycle is just amazing, but the fact that the same vehicle has been used to hit-and-run at least 2 cyclists in separate wrecks is just disgusting.

Whee! more infrastructure going in in Huntsville. Bicycle safety rolls to forefront in aftermath of Huntsville cyclist’s death I love the picture they put up of the RoS from this Spring, with the recumbent tricycle followed by the penny-farthing. But cute pictures aside, cyclists are over-represented in fatal wrecks in Huntsville. Something needs to be done, and if the drivers won’t share then they will have to be kept out of parts of the street so that others can get to where they have to go without getting killed.

Bike lanes in Philly get enthusiastic cheers from cyclists, mixed reviews from drivers. Changing Skyline: Pedaling in a lane that’s their own I love the preliminary finding that removing a lane from cars didn’t reduce car throughput because of poor driving before the bike lane was installed. I again refer you to the video at the top of this posting.

And another look at the findings that bike wrecks are getting more severe. Phys Ed: Do More Bicyclists Lead to More Injuries? This is the other half of the equation, as more cyclists use the streets and roads the types of wreck changes from the bicycle equivalent of the fender-bender at low speed, to impacts that involve major trauma to many parts of the body that require significant intervention to repair enough to make the cyclist mobile again. Fewer people are getting hurt but the ones getting hurt are getting hurt much more severely. The answer? Well, so far the best practice has been to make the driver of the more dangerous vehicle responsible for wrecks unless he can prove that the more vulnerable driver was breaking the laws and that that led directly to the wreck. It’s not enough that the vulnerable user was at fault, the vulnerable user has to be at fault and breaking the law. Places that have done this have reported significant decreases in both the frequency and the severity of wrecks involving vulnerable users.

And finally a school principal rides a bike to school every day regardless of weather, to set a good example. Principal pedals 700 miles to and from school Actually 700 miles since the day after Labor Day in the US is nothing to sneeze at. The principal is the skinny guy with the big legs wearing the obnoxiously colored jacket.

And that’s all I got today. I have a Samhain ritual to attend at my church tonight, so no late updates. FYI we are having the Dumb Feast to honor the departed and our ancestors, and I spent hours trying to match place settings from the yard sale castoffs we have as flatware at my church. The only complete setting with all the forks and spoons was set aside for the Seat For The Dead, but everybody else has a knife, fork, and spoon with at least two of the three matching, most with all three. I also am baking a special loaf of bread for the occasion.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Same stink, similar “stuff”, different day, the Feed

We had another stinky Feed today, stunk up by the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. Well he had some help, but truth be told he did most of the stinking up all by himself.

Shoving that putrid pile out of the way as quickly as possible. Doctor denies trying to injure cyclists And VeloNews’ reporter had this take LA road-rage defendant says he stopped to try to take a picture I wonder what the penalty for perjury is in CA? Right up until the trial he was saying the cyclists deserved it, but now that he’s facing the music he denies he was trying to hurt anybody. So that makes him a two-faced thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. His title grows while his reputation shrinks. Again when he is found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon (or whatever the charges are against him) I hope that he is forbidden from ever owning or driving a car or other motor vehicle again for the rest of his miserable life.

Still in the state of CA. Bicyclist Injured in Collision at Market and Ellis Streets this Morning Actually that would be yesterday because of the time lag involved. Nothing much known about this one, maybe a car, probably a car, but maybe not. If there was a car involved the driver stayed at the scene because nobody notified the hit-and-run investigators about the wreck.

Apparently the only way to get charged with a crime when you hit a cyclist is to be on something at the time of the wreck that can be found with a blood test. East Tennessee man charged with vehicular homicide in bicyclist’s death and from MS Man charged in death of bicyclist from Netherlands The MS report is another on the cyclotourist killed on the NTP bike route this spring. But seriously, is the death of a cyclist only meaningful if the killer was drunk or on drugs? Or does the feeling that the killer could be the cop or the prosecuting attorney because everybody drives like that make only deaths with chemical impairment prosecutable? I don’t know the answer, I’m just glad that impaired killers are prosecuted. I would like to have all killers prosecuted, but at the moment that’s just not possible. Until we get prosecutors that can identify with the cyclists over their killers we are up the unsanitary tributary without visible means of locomotion.

Another cyclist is hit in the most dangerous state in the US to ride a bicycle. Bicyclist hospitalized after struck by SUV in Fort Pierce Another one of those driverless vehicles hits a cyclist and nobody says anything? And this one had 4 people sitting in it while it drove around all by itself.

Another right hook crash that is getting blamed on the cyclist… Cyclist killed by city water vehicle “Based on witness statements, the bike pulled into the path of the vehicle,” Guitron said. Yeah, and I bet all the witnesses were either on the truck that killed the cyclist, or employees of the city which would have been liable for the death… TANJ!

And in spite of the relative dangers for cycling under the influence the fine is the same as DUI. Cycling under the influence? In Sacramento, it can cost you $570 Around 17,000 people died last year because of drunk drivers, but less than a dozen were killed by all cyclists, drunk or sober. But to be fair they have to stop the drunk cyclists just like they do the drunk drivers.

A memorial was held for the cyclist killed in NC. Memorial Service Held Tonight For Killed Cyclist I don’t see why they don’t just arrest the owner of the vehicle that hit him, which they found this week. Had a gun been used to kill him the registered owner of the gun would have been responsible for the death unless he could prove that the gun had been in someone else’s possession at the time of the killing, why not the same standard for death by WMD with nice seats and A/C?

From Jolly Olde, a cyclist wins the door prise and wants to share the bounty with the driver of the vehicle, who drove off without leaving contact information. Appeal after cyclist injured in accident Yep it’s pretty low to injure a cyclist by flinging a door in his path and then leaving the scene.

Someone else knows the right thing to do, still in the UK here. Oaklands College student praised for helping injured cyclist Yep kudos from the Witch on a Bicycle blog for doing the right thing. Keep up the good work.

A cyclist in Oz is hurt in a wreck. Cyclist seriously injured after highway collision Apparently the driver didn’t see the cyclist until just before impact, from what I have been able to determine. Now whether this was because of the path of the cyclist, lighting conditions, or driver inattentiveness is unknown as the cyclist’s path prior to the impact with the car is not known at this time (not known publicly). So, continue to ride like drivers are blind and stupid, because mostly they are.

They finally charged the driver that ran into a pack of cyclists after she ran a stop sign in Enn Zed. Charge after allegedly driving into cyclists I hate to tell them but somebody ran into those cyclists and whoever did it was driving the car she was in. Unless it was another one of those DARPA cars that was joyriding around with someone in the passenger seat, that kinda makes the only person that was in the car that hit the cyclists the one that was responsible for the wreck. Alleged doesn’t enter into it.

And an INFRASTRUCTURE article, from TX. Avid proponents of walkability want to ‘get there from here’ I thought it was a Federal law, and a TX law that all new or rebuilt roads in TX were supposed to be walkable and bikeable. I have a PDF dated 2002 that states as much, that under a law that went into effect in 2001 all TX roads and highways that get state funds must have walking and cycling facilities, except those roads that are prohibited for walkers and cyclists. Silly me actually expecting government to obey their own laws…

And that’s it for today. I have a lot on my plate this time of year so the next few days my be a little spotty on the new posts.

Billed @$.02, Opus

The usual mix of a Saturday Feed, plus a special report from the field

I finally got a back channel report that I can share with attribution. And it has links! I’ll save that ’til last. I also got the usual weak Saturday Feed with the usual high number of “lifestyle” stories.

Up first for no particular reason are multiple reports on a cyclist that hit a curb in the left turn lane and crashed, in FL. St. Petersburg bicyclist critically injured in fall and Bicyclist struck by car, seriously injured in Lealman which brings in the real cause of the injuries, a car that hit him after he fell. The cyclist was riding in the dark when he hit the curb, so lights might have been an issue, not a lack of installed lights because they would have mentioned that in the reports but a light that was not adequate to see by.

A police blotter report on a bike wreck in OR. On The Record: 9.25.09 Nothing of any information here except the bare fact of the wreck.

??? No charges in bizarre Naperville incident So the guy on the bicycle gets hit in the face with a broken bottle and ???

Shades of El Tour de Tucson in Enn Zed. Four injured when car ploughs into cyclists The driver turned into a group of 20 cyclists, injuring 4 including one severely, but no charges have been set.

Now the report from BikinginLA writer Ted Rogers:

Just wanted to give you a update on the status of several court cases in regarding Southern California bike collisions:

1. A memorial Ride of Silence will be held in honor of Joseph Novotny next Saturday, October 3, in Santa Clarita, CA, just north of Los Angeles. Marco Antonio Valencia, the driver who killed Novotny and injured four other cyclists, is scheduled for a hearing this Tuesday, Sept. 29; he’s facing one felony count of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter, six felony counts of DUI and four felony counts of leaving the scene of the accident, as well as a misdemeanor charge of driving with a suspended license due to two previous DUI convictions — despite being just 20 years old at the time of the accident.
Santa Clarita to honor fallen cyclist with silent ride and
Fatal crash driver had priors also
Man Charged with DUI and Murder of Bicyclist

2. Dr. Christopher Thompson, the physician accused of intentionally injuring two cyclists in L.A.’s Mandeville Canyon on July 4, 2008, is scheduled for trial on Oct. 6, 2009, with jury selection to begin Oct. 13 or 14; he’s charged with one felony count of reckless driving causing injury, two felony counts of battery with serious injury, two counts of causing great bodily injury while attempting to commit a felony, and one count of mayhem; he’s also charged with one count of misdemeanor reckless driving causing an injury for a separate incident in which he forced a cyclist off the road the previous March.
Road Rage Motorist vs. Cyclists on Mandeville Canyon Road and
Brentwood doctor pleads not guilty to injuring cyclists also
Mandeville Canyon Road Rage Doctor Trial Set for 9/17

3. Robert Sam Sanchez recently plead not guilty to all charges in the hit-and-run death of Rod Armas, as well as critically injuring Armas’ 14 year old son in Malibu, CA, near the completion of last June’s Grand Tour Double Century sponsored by the Los Angeles Wheelmen. Sanchez is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence and failure to stop after an accident involving an injury.
Father and Son Grand Tour Dream Ends With Tragedy also
Oxnard driver arrested in cyclist’s death and
The definition of tragedy

4. Alejandro Hidalgo is facing charges in the April, 2009, hit-and-run death of Jesus Castillo, in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Hidalgo is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence, and driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content over .08.
Echo Park Ghost Rider and
The definition of tragedy

Thank you for helping me report the goings on in SoCal Ted.

Getting to the lifestyle reports we have a report from the suddenly bike friendly town of Columbia MO. A Free-Wheeling City I wish them luck dealing with the car-heads who think they own the roads.

A really great charity ride. Bike ride continues Marine’s work I don’t know how great the ride is obviously, but the charity is worthwhile.

And finally an article from Canadia that’s about ?? Caledon OPP?officer Jonathan Beckett talks bicycle safety There was something about a ratio of the cost of your lock to the cost of your bike, not sure what that’s about.

And that’s all I got today, have a nice weekend.

Billed @$.02, Opus

The day after my Death Day, another Feed

Yes, I almost forgot to post that yesterday was the anniversary of my near (?) death experience at the hands (wheels?) of a deranged psychopath with a truck and a grudge against cyclists. I guess I could have taken another mental health day and just ignored both Sunday’s and Monday’s Feeds, it would probably been better for my disposition to have taken the time off away from bike wrecks, but I have found that there isn’t a whole lot that I can do about my disposition short of pharmaceutical intervention. I have found that anti-depressants help but are also out of my budget. I don’t know which is worse, having a problem and not knowing how to make it better, or knowing what will make it better and not being able to afford it. Also if anyone knows of a “ranged” psychopath as opposed to the deranged kind, could you leave a comment to this post in my blog?

Up first is a call for the driver that killed a cyclist in IA with a reward for his capture. Search continues for truck that hit bicyclist I would offer 10 minutes free time with a U lock or frame pump (they used to make those things like police batons!) when they catch the guy, but that’s because the guy that tried to kill me got away with it and I’m still Not Happy about it. And for all the cyclist haters on the comment section, the simple solution that would make money for state and local governments would be a 35 MPH speed limit on state and county roads that were not limited access, with high fines and NO TOLERANCE, if you go 36 MPH you get zapped with a large fine. Just think of it as my small contribution to safety and balancing the budgets.

A wreck that might be a hit-and-run, might not. Injured cyclist can’t recall Palo Alto bike accident At this point they know the cyclist was injured and semi-conscious when found, and there were signs that could indicate another vehicle was involved but could just as easily be interpreted the other way.

Sometimes it seems like nobody cares about us except us, witness this article on Streetsblogs that so far hasn’t been picked up by other media outlets. Cyclist Injured in Collision on Jay Street This Morning Even the commenters were a little upset at the lack of coverage and definitive answers as to what happened.

A cyclist killed by a distracted driver will get zero justice from the state Of AL. No Charges to be Filed in Serrano Death Not even a ticket for killing another human being, even a dog gets better treatment than that…

A rare case of a bicyclist killed in collision with another cyclist, in MN. Excelsior speech therapist hurt in bike collision dies This is so rare a situation that the NHTSA doesn’t even have annual statistics on it.

And a bizarre report coming from Toronto sounds like a scene from an action movie rather than something that happened in Real Life^tm. Convertible sped away as cyclist hung on The driver crossed the road into oncoming traffic and went on the sidewalk to hit trees and sign posts to knock the cyclist off? Had I been the cyclist when this “stuff” started going down I would have been whaling on the driver’s head (if within reach) to get it (can’t call this a human being) to stop. Even after hitting all that the driver ran over the cyclist after he fell off the car before leaving. To be honest I wouldn’t know where to begin with the charges in TX, much less up there in Canadia… I mean he could have just stopped to let the cyclist get off the car instead of using the car as a weapon to “wipe” the cyclist off with trees and sign posts. So, maybe attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, or maybe an act of terrorism? And throw in some driving to endanger charges of some kind… And does Canada have a Driving While Stupid law? That would apply here too.

The removal without warning of a Ghost Bike Has DC residents upset, even those that don’t like bikes. Mean streets: Ghosted bike and Family Demands Answers About Missing Memorial A few area business complained and the memorial is gone without notifying the relatives of the person being honored so they can remove it on their own? Do you know what the definition is of a fascist state? It’s government of business, by business and for business, not simply totalitarian or right-wing or anything else. It’s business speaks, the government obeys, kind of like what happened here…

The rhetorical war is ongoing as the physical casualties start stacking up in FL, the deadliest state in the US for cyclists. Bicycle riders and motorists fight to share the coastal roads in Palm Beach County I’m a little biased about this, but until there is no general fund money going to build or maintain roads and every cent comes from cars including additional money to pay back general fund money spent building and maintaining roads, people that drive cars have no business acting like they own the roads just because they own a car.

A writer for the student paper at U of I requests accommodation between all users of the sidewalks between buildings on campus whether they ride a bike, walk, or use a skateboard. Our view: Walkers beware The headline isn’t accurate to what the article says, but is good advice anyway.

And a MO town tries to do something about cars and bicycles on the same roads. Columbia’s bicyclist-motorist divide is narrowing Some are still not with the program as witnessed by the comments, but after a stint in the re-education camps I’m sure they will be amenable to co-operation.

And that’s it for today, maybe more if I feel like it, after some recuperation and recovery. I have reached my limit of stupid for the day.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Multiple articles on death and mayhem, the Feed

Well, this was a really ugly Feed today, with a capital UGH! Dead cyclists all over, with updates and new reports, plus some really bad injuries that will leave the victims crippled for life. Not a fun way to spend your morning, if you ask me…

Starting things off is a report from the Christian Science Monitor about conflicts over the roads. Can bikes and cars share the road? I have to question some of their assumptions, but the initial question is a valid one to ask. If bikes and cars can’t share the roads, who leaves? The vehicles that don’t pollute, pose a minor risk of death or injury to other roads users, and which have been experimentally proven to do no more damage to the roads than the weather, or motor vehicles? From the phrasing of the question I think you know my answer.

A cyclist in Seattle (maybe) runs a red light and gets clobbered. Police: Injured bicyclist may have run red light and Cyclist seriously injured in downtown Seattle I don’t suggest reading the comments section of the second link unless you have a strong stomach. OK guys, I’ll say it again because it appears some of you are not paying attention: before you run the red light you have to stop first and make sure the way is clear before you ride through the intersection. And while I don’t know that it would have helped this guy, you should wear a helmet, unless it’s the law in which case you shouldn’t unless you really wanted to in the first place. Umm, did you understand that, because I’m totally confused now

More updates on the cyclist hit by a pickup truck in MI. Bicyclist Hit and Killed and Lansing bike rider dies after being hit by truck Another hit-from-behind wreck by a driver not watching for other road users. Usual hit-from-behind advice, mirror(s), escape route, and be ready to use the escape route or bail from the bike and hope the bike disables the other vehicle.

Another report on the cyclist hit from behind by a UPS truck. Bicyclist Killed After Being Hit by Tractor Trailer I just don’t know what to say about this one, the cyclist was wearing clothing that made him highly visible in the prevailing light conditions, the bicycle was “covered” in reflectors, and the driver admits to seeing the cyclist well in advance of the collision, so why did the collision happen? Was this a case of the driver wanting to “teach the cyclist a lesson” on not being in the road in front of him, or what? Are assault charges warranted in this case? Stay tuned…

And in another town with the same name… Bicyclist Killed On Port Republic Road Not enough information to know what happened in this case.

Yet another hit-and-run in AZ. Driver arrested after bicyclist injured in hit and run ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! Driver most deserving of death by kitten is the drunk (progeny of unmarried parents and a female dog) that knew he hit “something” but drove off anyway. I propose a little “warm up” of all the surviving victims of hit-and-run beating this total waste of human skin with bicycle chains and then a little alcohol and salt water rubdown afterwards, you wouldn’t want the guy to die of infections before we kill him with kittens. Bonus if the ones in wheelchairs run over his feet and/or fingers while beating him with the chains.

And a wreck report that is impossible to interpret. Bicyclist injured in accident at Sixth and Main Hit a vehicle that was stopped in the intersection? Did the bike run a red light or stop sign, did the car? Did the car stop short when the light changed and the cyclist run into it? OK checking views of the scene, there was a light, but until I know where the car and the bike collided, and the direction of the bike I can’t say what happened or how to avoid the wreck if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Another report but no new information on the MTB wreck in PA. Bike rider killed in Brady’s Run Park Sometimes I think they just post the same article with different URLs to get more site traffic…

Another wreck on a closed course race, this time between one of the support vehicles and a competitor. Triathlon cyclist, two motorcyclists injured Forrest Gump would have had a field day with this one. And I don’t mean “Life is like a box of chocolates” either, more like “Stupid is as stupid does”.

On the same note that I expounded upon here a week or so ago someone is suing the state of NY on the faulty design and construction of the bike path where a cyclist fixing a flat tire was hit in the head by a motorcycle from an adjoining freeway, for an entirely different wreck except for the flying motorcycle and adjoining freeway. Oceanside man injured on Wantagh bike path sues DOT Really, had this been a plain road would the DOT have built it along side a freeway without a barrier between the 2 roads? And why not install Jersey barriers between the 2 after the first 2 wrecks from the same cause? Place the Jersey barrier 8′ from the white strip indicating the edge of the road on the freeway, anchor it, and you’re done. A few thousand dollars per mile that should have been figured into the cost of either the freeway or the bike path when it was constructed and there would have been no deaths from uncontrolled motorcycles hitting people on the bike path. Now you will have lawyers and court costs, damages paid to the victims and their survivors for medical bills and loss of income and wrongful death for the ones that didn’t survive, we’re talking about millions that NY doesn’t have right now, because they went cheap when construction was done…

And lawyers continue to weigh in on the recent spate of wrecks in HI. Can We Afford NOT To Build More Bike Paths in Honolulu?

And that’s all I have so far this time. Come back tomorrow, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Updates and opinions, a thin Feed

Not much in the way of wrecks today, which is nice. I do get tired of the acres of rent flesh and broken bones, and I get especially tired of stupid people, whether that is people that use their cars as weapons, or cyclists not paying attention to their surroundings and getting killed. The thing is I know I’m preaching to the choir in this blog, when you come to my blog you have already made the choice (99% of you, anyway) to ride safely or drive safely around bicycles. The problem is that my audience is a very tiny fraction of those on the roads, and I need to reach the millions who don’t pay attention when they drive or ride…

First up because it’s good news and also closest to my home in TX, the victim of a hit-and-run in Corpus Christi speaks for the first time to the public. Injured Cyclist Thanks Supporters I hope they catch the low-life that almost killed her, before I do at any rate. Of course if I catch him it will be a total accident as I’m not even looking for him, don’t live anywhere near the wreck scene &ct.

They only winged one in the deadliest state in the country for cyclists. Lake City bicyclist injured in hit-and-run I’m not sure if I’m reading the correct meaning from this report, but it appears that the cyclist was hit while riding on the sidewalk. If this is true this is not an accident but a case of assault with a deadly, and should be handled accordingly. I mean Wow! you can’t even ride in the general vicinity of a street or road in FL without someone trying to kill you. I don’t know what the rider could have done to prevent this wreck/assault, assuming the report is accurate.

Apparently someone is a little vague on the definition of leaving the scene of a wreck. Cyclist Struck And Killed In Baltimore “but police are not yet calling it a hit-and-run yet.
They say the driver may not have realized that anyone was struck.” Hey, you hit someone, you don’t stay to render aid, you commit hit-and-run. Not knowing you hit someone is not a defense against hit-and-run. It’s like “I didn’t see him” is an admission of guilt, not a defense.

A PA cyclist is hit-and-run. Bicyclist killed when hit by hit-and-run vehicle in Oakland The driver in this case needs to die in prison, as soon as possible so we don’t have to spend money on his sorry butt. “Police say they are looking for the pickup driver, who got out of his vehicle and looked over the victim before driving away.” This changes from a hit-and-run to homicide, as the perpetrator made sure of his kill before leaving the scene. How to avoid a similar wreck? aside from having an escape route and being very aware of your surroundings I don’t know how a cyclist can avoid someone in homicide mode.

In NYC they are starting to require bicycle parking wherever cars park. Bike Parking Bill Requires Some Garages, Lots To Take Bikes The thing that will make or break this will be security or lack thereof. If parking the bike in a garage is more secure than locking up on the street and the price is reasonable then it will work, but if locking up in a garage just creates a smorgasbord for bike thieves then it ain’t gonna fly.

A helicopter parent complains about freedom. Bicycles and cars: A recipe for disaster The guy is blaming the wrong thing, it isn’t bikes making the roads unsafe because of their lack of tons of steel surrounding the rider, it’s those who substitute tons of steel surrounding the occupant of a car for good judgment.

Apparently there is no IQ requirement to post a petition in IA. New petition calls for banning bicyclists on Iowa county roads So, will cyclists get a tax rebate for all the roads they paid for but are no longer allowed to use? How exactly are they going to handle this? BTW don’t read the comments, I had to quit less than halfway through to preserve my sanity.

And finally a helmet maker in Oz has some suggestions on staying safe on a bicycle, and surprisingly enough wearing a helmet is not first on the list. Famou5 Shares Tips to Keep Australian Bicyclists Safe What was first on the list was “relax” or don’t get stressed out, then came wearing a helmet. Then came lights, interestingly enough.

And that’s all I have today. I have an appointment with the lab rat keeper tomorrow so expect a late report tomorrow, I don’t expect to get out of there before 2PM and maybe later if there are problems doing some of the tests, I’m also a test subject for some devices that measure blood pressure and other things non-invasively that used to require inserting a catheter into a vein or artery, and as the equipment is prototype or earlier stages of development getting set up is not always easy or quick. In fact it seldom is easy or quick.

Billed @$.02, Opus

I knew I didn’t imagine that story, and other “stuff”

Besides the original links that didn’t work anymore I knew I didn’t imagine that story about the KY man driving on streets closed for a triathlon and killing one of the contestants, which was further confirmed today with these new links. Also included were updates on the other KY cyclist death, more on the wreck in ON and a bunch of new wrecks.

First though we have a metric buttload of reports on the man that drove onto closed roads and rear-ended a cyclist at high speed and tried to drive away with the bicycle impaled in his windshield. Wave 3 sponsored triathlon death in Louisville, KY and Boulder, CO bike crash show cycling dangers from my examiner.com colleague and Man Arraigned On Murder Charge In Cyclist’s Death also Driver kills triathlete, faces murder charge and even Man pleads not guilty in Ky. triathlon death if you can believe this Man who killed cyclist has record of driving drunk So, the driver was awaiting adjudication on a previous DUI and was still allowed to keep his car and drive it without an interlock in spite of previous DUI convictions. Amazing, just amazing. OK call for legislation here: Mandatory impounding of suspect’s vehicle(s) until DUI is adjudicated especially if the suspect has a prior conviction for DUI, or failing that mandatory installation of breathalyser interlock on vehicles allowed only to drive from home to work and to buy food, using GPS tracking on the interlock. This is doable, the technology exists and is affordable, and the need has been demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt. All that remains is the will to do it.

There was more information released about the kids hit from behind while taking younger siblings/cousins from one location to another. Teammates of cyclist killed Saturday remembered as standout player, standup guy and also Details could surface today in fatal crash This is another report that indicates the bicycles were all equipped with reflectors that met legal requirements, even though the note was made in the comments section. Again there was a comment about the cyclists being on the road at 9PM, like there was some kind of curfew for cyclists. Still not known if the driver in this wreck was impaired by drugs alcohol or just stupidity.

Another hit-and-run in IL. Bicyclist injured in hit-and-run accident in Aurora Head injuries, so it is unlikely he will ever remember anything about the wreck. The usual diatribe about hit-and-run drivers applies. It isn’t used much, but in TX if you leave the scene of a fatal wreck, you can be charged with Capital Murder because someone died in the commission of a felony, even if the wreck was not your fault.

Another CA hit-and-run, way too many hit-and-runs in today’s Feed. Redding police seek driver who hit young cyclist The driver was reported to have stuck her head out the window and said “Sorry” before leaving the scene, and didn’t even stop to see if the kid had been injured.

Another kid killed while riding his bike. Mourning biking fatality Nothing about if the kid was in breach of the law, just a note that the truck that hit him also hit a parked car and a parking sign while trying to avoid hitting him. Police said the truck was not exceeding the speed limit, but in my mind if you hit multiple objects trying to avoid one of those objects and still hit what you were trying to avoid you were going too fast for conditions. But, I am not the LEO in charge of this case.

A MI cyclist is injured at the intersection of a rail trail with a road. Midland bicyclist injured while riding on Rail Trail in Clare County The cyclist apparently ran a stop sign on the trail.

More details on that wreck in ON. Cyclist killed in hit and run Using multiple vehicles to avoid pursuit, almost like this was a planned hit rather than a drunken hit-and-run. I’m just at a loss for words in this case, the more I find out the less credulous I am about the wreck. If this was a work of fiction I would not believe it for a moment.

A wreck in the UK. Young cyclist injured Typical levels of detail from a UK media wreck report.

Why you should never ride mountain bikes alone. Colleagues pay tributes to Brighton cyclist killed in 300ft Alps fall Like doing a hit-and-run on yourself.

A rare report in English of a wreck in Europe. Cyclist killed in crash Even in Europe you have to pay attention to other roads users. Interesting to note that in spite of having a much higher share of users on bicycles the death tally in Austria is about par with the deaths in TX for the same period of time…

An interesting article in Wired about treating bicycles like cars in all ways, and does that make sense or not? Cycle Law: Should Bikes Be Treated Like Cars? Interesting comments section, though some people still don’t know where the money to build and maintain roads comes from (here’s a hint, it ain’t gas taxes).

A letter on one of the few times and places where bicycle traffic is a hazard to others. Letter: Bike riders at riverfront park sometimes create a hazard (Aug. 3)

Another cop ride. New charity bike ride honors late Ind. trooper Do this one if you have a reasonable chance to ride it.

A MA PD gets a grant to harass cyclists and pedestrians. Grant will help cops keep walkers, bikers safe Yes I meant that, the grant requires ticketing cyclists and pedestrians for breaking low-risk traffic laws but does nothing about driver behavior that places them at severe risk, it is nothing more than paying the PD to harass the people it pretends to “protect”.

Huffington Post has an article on social norming. On Running (or Bicycling) with the Herd Ride that bike to work, lemming, and save a small part of the planet. It isn’t cars destroying the planet by ones and twos, but by their millions, so we have to replace millions of car trips with walking or bicycling to make a dent. But as the Chinese saying goes a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You can’t protect the environment by yourself, but we can’t do it without you either.

And finally I found the link to the report about the fatality rates of motor vehicles V pedestrians and cyclists. Literature Review on Vehicle Travel Speeds and Pedestrian Injuries I know it’s dry and dull, but this is the best information we have on the subject for now.

And that’s all I have for today, I have a religious duty to attend to tonight so there won’t be a late report.

Billed @$.02, Opus