Running late again, and the Feed

Dad is doing well, as well as can be expected considering. I’m getting tired, though, and my old injuries from the wreck are acting up. This is not what I want, because it severely limits the level of care I can give Dad.

Up first is the most egregious case of hit-and-run assault I have ever read about, as a driver in Galveston actually talks to his victim before leaving him to die. Cops: Driver talks to fatally injured cyclist before fleeing Since the mode was not mentioned I can’t tell you how to avoid the wreck. But one thing I can say, there is a very high chance that this was not an “accident” but a deliberate act of assault on the cyclist by the driver. More Driver kills island bicyclist

A wreck with a slightly better result both from the LEO point of view and the “Hey, the cyclist is alive” point of view from Portland OR. Ore. bicyclist struck by van, dragged 145 feet I know that headline does not inspire confidence in the outcome, but it was not near as bad as it sounds. Intersection wreck, so intersection protocols to avoid. Get the infrastructure right to prevent, including much tougher regulations for getting and keeping a license than the one that let this distracted goon drive 145 feet with a bicycle and rider trapped under his vehicle. Also riding in the street might have helped with this one.

A MS cyclist is killed on a National Bike Route. Attala cyclist hit on Natchez Trace, killed Hit-from-behind on a road with bicycle priority and great sight lines. I haven’t been the whole length of the Trace but most is 2 lanes with good sight lines even across turns if the drivers are travelling at or under the speed limit and usually quite pleasant to ride on. The driver in this case broke the MS 3 foot passing law as well as the Basic Speed Law that requires a driver to only drive as fast as they can stop in the distance they can see. Since this was already on “bicycle infrastructure” as envisioned in this country, you can see the massive lengths yet to go to reach the Dutch ideal.

In far west NY motorcyclists ride to remember a cyclist killed by a drunk driver. Funeral Held Today for Bryce Buchholz A group of about 20 bikers of the motor variety held a ride for a biker of the pedal powered variety prior to his funeral. This was the rider that was hit from behind while riding salmon, so there wasn’t any way to avoid this one except to not be there to get hit. To prevent, as I posted earlier some way of keeping drunks off the roads would be a great start because this wreck happened in an area that would have been shared between bicycles and motor vehicles at a much lower speed limit in Dutch infrastructure as it was where people live.

After several bike wrecks a community bands together to demand better infrastructure. Salisbury bike lane initiative gains traction Why does it take people getting killed to make the powers that be realize that their infrastructure stinks?

The cyclist that was hit-and-run by a driver that stopped to pull a damaged bumper cover out from under the front of the car but failed to render aid to the cyclist, has died from his injuries. Memorial Held For Cyclist Killed By Hit & Run Driver Another victim in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike.

In Oz they’re having an epidemic of “door prizes”. Car doors and city streets a dangerous mix for cyclists The numbers reported were just… wow.

And that’s all I can stand today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

More on the rough weather yesterday, and the Feed

After all the phone calls from in-laws and distant (in time and space, not genetics) relatives last night, I thought it necessary to give a short rundown of what happened to the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell yesterday. Personally aside from a few scratches from trying to keep cats in the safe room that didn’t want to be 1) in the safe room and 2) in the same small room with the other cat, I’m 100% OK. We had some minor roof damage from the wind, rain, and small hail, but the house is also undamaged. There was a funnel that went west of us that I saw while I was trying to get the cats back into the safe room, but it was not on the ground at that time and did no damage while I was watching it.

Now other people did not get off so easily. While I was watching the weather news I saw several neighborhoods that were destroyed or severely damaged by one of the 5 tornadoes that were spotted on radar, although there were other funnels spotted that did not show on radar and some destruction from a couple of those funnels. I’m sure everyone has seen the YouTube video of the tractor trailers being tossed around like children’s toys when the Lancaster funnel went into South Dallas. Well along with that there were 2 daycare centers hit, one that exterior walls were peeled away with the roof but the safe area inside remained intact where all the children were unharmed. There was at least one school that was heavily damaged that has been closed until an assessment can be made of the safety of the building. The really amazing thing is as of right now I do not know of any fatalities that could be blamed on the storm.

Up first because it was in the same state as WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell, an apparent salmon cyclist is hit by an 18 wheeler in the southernmost city in TX. Bicyclist dies after being struck by 18-wheeler I was looking at the location of this wreck, and I attribute part of the cause to the built environment. There was a crossing point for the cyclist to ride in the correct direction less than 1/4 mile away, but in the wrong direction. The closest crossing point riding in the correct direction was over 3/4 of a mile away, which would have added over a mile to the cyclist’s journey. Assuming the cyclist’s destination was on the corner of the crossing point, the difference would have been 1/2 mile riding salmon for the first leg and with traffic the return, vs 2 miles for riding the entire way with the flow of traffic. Now I know 2 miles is not a long trip by bike, it’s about 10 minutes at a sweat-free pace this time of year. But still, there is that human thing that rebels against going a mile out of the way to get to a destination 1/4 mile in the other direction, resulting in a round trip that is 4 times as far.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 6 years running, an unusual hazard. 26-year-old male shot and killed while riding his bicycle in West Palm Beach This appears to be some kind of criminal dispute rather than something that started on the road, but still is something that cyclists have to be ready for. Bullets shot at other people will still kill you just as dead as if they were meant to hit you.

Still in the land of blood and gore, and hanging chads. Bicyclist killed on S.R. 70 The semi-truck went from the left lane to the left shoulder and then to the right shoulder where he hit the cyclist. Kreskin could not have avoided this wreck because there would have to have been someone with a mind driving the truck for Kreskin to read their mind. SBR would only have prevented this wreck if there was enough room to stop the truck before it went into the SBR. And I can’t believe the driver of the semi would try to pass a vehicle signalling to make a left turn on the left…

What is believed to be the first case where a passing law ticket was issued in PA. Bethlehem bicyclist injured in hit-and-run crash on Fahy Bridge gives account of crash, aftermath I think a big reason why there was a ticket issued in this wreck was the city police commissioner watched the wreck from his office, and defenestrated rather than go to the front door of the building in order to assist the downed rider. The Commish saw the first 2 cars make legal passes and the third car plow right in to the cyclist. Now to avoid with the built environment, the cyclist has to be able to depend on the driver to do the right thing because the bridge leaves no escape route. SBR would prevent but would require constructing a new bridge no matter how they did it.

A story that just makes me giggle. Judge rules Clay Co. woman guilty of simple assault in bicyclist’s injuries and Woman’s Effort to Clear Name Backfires For those of you who lost track, this was the women that hit a cyclist from behind then parked her SUV on top of the cyclist while trying to escape. She objected to the miniscule fine she was assessed at first so she appealed and was not only still forced to pay the first fine but found guilty of the greater included charge of assault for the second impact that left her vehicle parked on top of the cyclist. It isn’t in any way commensurate with the crime, but you still have to love someone getting slapped down hard for being stupid after getting a wrist slap. It’s still only a wrist slap though.

A CA cyclist is hit by a pickup truck in a parking lot, assumed guilty of riding a bicycle. Cyclist injured from hitting pickup truck The cyclist ran into the pickup truck and was transported from the scene for medical treatment while the driver claimed blindness and the crazy cyclist deliberately hit him was released by authorities.

An ID cyclist is hit-and-run in what may be a deliberate act. Boise police looking for SUV driver who hit bicyclist on Warm Springs Avenue The weapon vehicle in this case was reversed in direction and fled back the way it came, so even if the wreck was not intentional, fleeing the scene was. Usual hit-from-behind protocols apply.

And more on celebrity Tracy Morgan dooring a cyclist in NYC. Tracy Morgan Hits Cyclist With His Car Door and Tracy Morgan Opens Car Door Into Cyclist In New York What Mr. Morgan did was a crime, covered by NYC and NYS statute. I don’t understand why he wasn’t ticketed.

Still in NYC a cab kills another cyclist. Cyclist Struck & Killed By Livery Cab In LIC and Bicyclist Struck and Killed by Livery Cab in Queens I don’t care what NYPD says the driver was speeding. And naturally the first statement from NYPD is the driver was suspected of no criminality in the wreck.

In DC a driver is actually charged with something after killing a cyclist. Woman indicted in fatal hit-and-run crash of cyclist I don’t think I caught the initial report on the wreck or arrest, but why was the woman allowed out of jail after demonstrating flight risk by leaving the scene of the initial wreck?

From the Great White North, cyclists are suing to prevent removal of a bike lane without an environmental impact statement on the increased motor vehicle traffic. Jarvis bike lanes can’t be removed without environmental assessment, cyclists union says Installing the lanes does not require an impact statement because the move will reduce car traffic, and thereby pollution, but removing the lane might increase car traffic (actually guaranteed to increase traffic) and requires an impact statement… Brilliant!! Putting in bike lanes is a “free” action, taking them out requires years of studies that take thousands if not millions of $$ to do. And we already know that taking the lanes out would cost 10 times as much as installing them did before the environmental impact statement… For an administration that is already pleading poverty, removing the bike lanes seems like a “no brainer”. If they do they have no brains, if they don’t they can say “fiscally conservative, but we still don’t like them”.

And last link, a pretty picture with a bicycle in it. Twin Cities Bike Picture of the Day: 4.4.12

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Planning another service, and the Feed

Being a ritualist at my church means never being able to say “Done!” We just got done with the April Fool’s service, and now we have a Full Moon service to do Thursday, and another Sunday service to do after that. Now if we had a full-time minister this would be a piece of cake, but we ritualists have jobs to do, yards to mow, gardens to tend, and then we also have to do that same stuff at home. There is always something that the ritualists need to be doing at the church above and beyond just putting on the services.

Up first today is a different kind of bike theft. Tuesday’s Sentinel police log The blurb is well hidden in the link, I will quote it for your assistance: “A bicycle was stolen from a detached garage in the rear of the 100 block of East King Street in Shippensburg between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. March 29. According to police, the bike is described as a girl’s Schwinn mountain bike, bluish-purple and silver color and a black seat. The bike should have a water bottle on it. Police say another bike was left in its place. The found bike is a men’s Magna mountain bike, silver in color with 26 inch wheels and 21 speeds. Police seek information.” So, not so much theft as an unapproved trade. I wonder if the bike left had a flat tire or other mechanical problem.

First wreck is just down the road from WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell. Local Bicycle Rider Serious Hurt In Collision With Car Note to the “writer” of this headline: adverbs, learn how to use them. This is another intersection wreck where at least one vehicle ran a red light, so it was assumed the cyclist was the one that did it. Anyway, intersection protocols, don’t run red lights and don’t assume that the people in control of 2 tons of death won’t either. I have to say that the one time I rode down there Waco seemed like a nice place to ride a bike, but I was on the road for about 11 hours and suffering a bit from the heat that time. Can you say 90 miles into a headwind? And that was just Day 1 of a 2 day 250 mile ride (planned). Remind me sometime to relate that tale of a broken tail.

First of a series of bike wrecks with teens and almost no information about the wreck. Minor injuries in car-bicycle accident And the article went, where? There was one sentence in that article, not counting the headline, that covered the age of the victim and the location of the wreck.

Another wreck, another young victim, another article that has almost no information in it. Boy on bike suffers arm injury after collision with vehicle OK a tiny bit more information on this one, it appears to be some kind of right of way violation in an intersection, use intersection protocols to avoid, SBR to prevent.

A sidewalk cyclist is injured by a car running a stop sign in AZ. Bicyclist injured after colliding with car in Yuma Again in spite of irrefutable evidence the driver ran the stop sign LEO managed to blame the cyclist on this one. To avoid, ride in the street and use intersection protocols. To prevent demand SBR.

I had to take a break from composing this post because we had a tornado touch down a bit to the south and moving west of WoaB World HQ. It’s a bit difficult to compose a post on a desktop computer when you’re sitting in the bathtub trying to keep two cats from getting away while trying to keep track of flashlights and a blinky locater light in case the house falls down on you. Did I mention the cats tolerate each other at best?

Back to the theme of kids on bikes, a 15 YO is hit-and-run in PA. Police Looking for Hit-and-Run Driver The driver in this wreck hit a cyclist from behind in his lane then crossed over to hit a skateboarder in the opposite lane. That sounds to me like a grumpy old man/woman trying to take out as many “rotten kids” as he/she can get to. I can’t tell you how to avoid a driver like this, but to prevent a situation like this you can’t do any better than SBR.

Another hit-and-run in CA of an elderly cyclist. Police briefs: Monterey bicycle accident victim identified Not much here to help other cyclists avoid a similar wreck with the built environment, but SBR would prevent a wreck like this.

A blind driver hits 2 cyclists from behind in MI. Man seriously injured when car hits his bike The driver claimed to have the sun in his eyes when he hit the cyclists @1945 yesterday. This is a major danger to cyclists, as drivers try to maintain their speed even though they can’t see the road in front of them. To prevent we need to have SBR or severe restrictions on motor vehicles so that drivers are at fault when they continue to drive in conditions like this.

A celebrity delivers a door prize to a cyclist in NYC. Tracy Morgan Bike Bust-Up: Cyclist Crashes Into Comedian’s Open Car Door To avoid, ride far enough into the street to be outside the door zone. To prevent, get bikes away from the door zone via infrastructure since SBR are pretty much impossible with the existing environment.

A cyclist is apparently murdered in CA. Police investigate hit-and-run fatality The reason I’m calling this one a “murder” is the weapon vehicle was obviously trying to not be seen, driving without lights, and did not stop after hitting the victim. If I wanted to kill someone, that’s the way I would do it…

Also in CA a driver gets 2 years. Hit-and-Run Driver who Killed Bicyclist Zachary Parke Gets Two Years in Jail and Hit and Run Suspect Sentenced and Santa Cruz area man jailed for two years for hit and run that killed cyclist on Empire Grade Road also Live Oak man jailed for two years for killing cyclist on Empire Grade Road last link Driver sentenced for crash that killed Zachary Parke Apparently killing a cyclist is no big deal in CA, Michael Vick got more time for killing dogs.

A cyclist is killed in far west CanuckistanCyclist involved in collision with car succumbs to injuries and Vancouver police investigating the death of a woman cyclist in collision and Female cyclist dies from injuries after colliding with car in east Vancouver also Cyclist hit at 12th Avenue succumbs to injuries This is the cyclist where they still haven’t determined which one was running the red light.

Moving to the UK, a cyclist is assaulted with a non-lethal projectile weapon from a moving car. Wiltshire cyclist injured in drive-by paintball attack The cyclist took one shot to the face and 2 more to the torso. To avoid, ain’t going to happen, there’s no way to avoid someone out hunting cyclists with a weapon carried in a car. To prevent, well start with confiscation and destruction of the vehicle live on national TV, then a firing squad of paintball guns on a naked perpetrator, also on live TV. Follow up with restitution to the injured victim and a prison sentence, then permanent loss of driving privilege, with mandatory prison if caught driving.

Also in the UK, a hit-and-run victim was a LEO. Injured cyclist found under flyover is police sergeant There is at least a fighting chance that this wreck will be properly investigated. Unfortunately that is only because the victim was LEO.
A wreck in Oz kills a cyclist. Man killed in bike, ute collision and Man killed in bike and ute collision At this point the only news that can be verified is that both vehicles were travelling in the same direction and the cyclist was hit from behind… hit from behind protocols to avoid, there were unconfirmed reports that the cyclist was trying to access a SBR when he was hit.

LifeStyle from NYC. On the trail of ‘ghost bikes,’ families and friends of cyclists killed on the streets of New York rally for more police action

And those are all the links that gave me fits today. Sorry this was so late, but I spent most of the day watching tornadoes tracking through the area on the TV and grabbing the cats to hide in the “safe area” of our house.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Really annoyed at my cable provider, and the Feed

This is something I should really just chill about, but I can’t. I think I might have mentioned this a couple of times, but I’m a geek. I’m not a Geek with a capital “g”, just your average garden-variety geek. One of the geeky things I do is watch anime, animated cartoons from Japan. Or I should say I used to watch anime, because my cable provider decided that not enough people were watching the anime channel (Funimation Channel), and without so much as a “would you like to pay extra for that?” dumped it from the lineup. The excuse given was that not enough people watched the channel to make it worthwhile to carry it. Well I’m sure that out of the 400 or so channels they offered there were more than a few that did not get watched very often, but none of those channels were dumped, just the one that I was watching on a daily basis. Back in the old days when a credit card that wasn’t maxed out was good enough to get territorial distributorship rights I sold anime VHS tapes at local cons, but now you have to have storefront and web access to get that, no more case lots sold at cons, so the only contact point I had was Funimation Channel programming. Now I don’t even have that, and there were 2 series that had not finished (one was 2 episodes in, the other was 2 episodes from finishing) that I will never get to see the endings. Actually more than that as they had just started on the new seasons of 2 other series that were open-ended (crime dramas that always had new criminals popping up, just like the real world). Plus I wanted to catch up on the repeats of series I had already seen but missed some episodes of (I finally caught the middle 3 episodes of “Birdy the Mighty: Decode” that I missed when I was visiting my dad in TN last summer, but I kept missing the “Chobits” episodes because they would get re-aired when I was away from the house doing things). And of course in spite of the fact that I no longer have access to that channel I still have to pay the same amount for my cable/phone/Internet package. TANJ!

Up first be proximity to WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell (which is actually pretty nice this time of year) a SWCC wreck in Beaumont. Cyclist critically injured in late night traffic wreck No further information has bee released on the direction of travel for the cyclist or his condition. Apparently intersection protocols should be applied given what little information I have at this point.

A little further east from that wreck we have a SWSS. Cyclist killed in Livingston Parish and Vehicle crash claims life of young cyclist also Vehicle crash claims life of young cyclist Apparently the LEO in this case has not been apprised of the LA 3 foot to pass law. Nor most of the rest of the vehicle code for that matter. You know the one about the passing vehicle must always make sure the pass can be completed safely, that is in the vehicle code of every state. To avoid with built infrastructure use hit-from-behind protocols, or make SBR part of the infrastructure instead of sharing with people that can’t drive.

Sliding a tiny bit further east, a driver that hit a cyclist on the shoulder of the road from behind while she was riding sweep on a tour group on a charity ride, is indicted for the death. Driver charged with killing female cyclist, 22, during a charity bike-ride and Former DeKalb County investigator indicted in cross-country bicyclist’s death also DeKalb County man indicted in death of charity cyclist last link Man Indicted in DeKalb County Cyclist’s Death OK I’m sickened by this, the most lenient possible charges that could have been brought for killing an innocent human being who wasn’t even riding in the road but hit from behind on the shoulder of the highway where the truck did not even belong. Hit-from-behind protocols but the only thing that will prevent wrecks like this is SBR. And taking away cars from people that kill. Even if we don’t lock them up, when you kill with a car you should lose that car with no insurance payout to replace it. We don’t give the guns that kill back to the shooters, do we? Then why allow drivers that kill continued access to their weapons?

Continuing the eastward slide, a little girl riding a tricycle on a sidewalk is killed by a hit-and-run driver in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike, (or trike). A 5-year-old girl struck and killed in Fort Lauderdale by a hit-and-run driver I don’t know what the child could have done to prevent someone from driving a large cargo van over her while she played in front of her house.

Another wreck in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 6 years running. Fatal bicycle crash in Lutz Another SWCC wreck as the cyclist “went into the part of a Ford Fusion” which I interpret as the cyclist got inside the car before he was hit, or maybe as he was hit (“Pardon me, but I think that may have killed me, can I take a rest in your car?”).

And completing the slide east, the killer of 2 cyclists in NC faces trial. Jury selection begins Monday in Grooms murder trial and Jury for Doolittle deaths to be chosen in Jacksonville The good thing is this is getting charged as a murder, as the driver was both drunk and stoned on “bath salts” at the time of the wreck. I have zero qualms about people getting drunk or stoned, as long as you are not in control of a deadly device like a motor vehicle do what you want with your body. however if you are driving in that condition and you kill a cyclist, I want your butt under the jail, in a coffin, filled with concrete and a stake through your heart, after you get shot with a silver bullet. IOW I want to be absolutely sure there is no way you will ever drive a motor vehicle again.

A wreck in Canuckistan that is almost a carbon copy of an earlier wreck. Cyclist killed by semi I don’t know if it was the same road or driver but this is the second wreck where a cyclist was killed by a truck turning right onto the road he was riding on. I can’t find the link to the earlier story, so I guess I must have missed posting it earlier. To be brutally honest I can’t see any version of this wreck that isn’t 1000% the fault of the truck driver no matter where the cyclist was hit. The truck was turning from one road to the road the cyclist was riding on, exactly like the previous wreck, and should have yielded to the vehicle that was already on the road. For you to avoid a wreck like this, Intersection protocols with the built environment, or ideally SBR to keep bikes and semis from ever coming in contact with each other. A later link that just came in Police identify cyclist killed over the weekend

Another wreck in Canuckistan, this one between a jogger and a cyclist. Police need help to identify injured cyclist Another example of why you should have wearable ID when you ride a bike.

Another truck killing a cyclist in Canuckistan, with about the same degree of information as the other link. Cyclist killed after hit by truck on highway The headline makes it sound like he was put down like a horse with a broken leg instead of dying from getting run over by a semi. More Cyclist killed in collision near St. Anne Ahh the cyclist was hit-from-behind on a clear road with unrestricted visibility and good lighting, and the one comment I see says how sad it was for the driver of the truck. Hey, bud how about how sad it is for the cyclist that was run over from behind?

From that same town where a driver hit a kid from behind in LA, an Infrastructure! link. Groups pedaling a message of safety Enforcing the laws would help, for cyclists as well as for drivers, as was pointed out in the link to the wreck that killed that kid.

LifeStyle in NYC. Rides in Five Boroughs Call Attention to Bike Safety Annual Tour de Ghost Bikes, bigger every year…

Another ride in NYC, this one for a recent fatality. Cyclists honor RJ Tillman, Wagner student killed in hit-run crash The sad part was as they gathered at the wreck site they were repeatedly buzzed by rude drivers attempting to disrupt the ceremony.

A pretty bike picture. Twin Cities Bike Picture of the Day: 3.19.12 If Washington Irving had been born in the 20th Century just think how different “The Headless Horseman” would have been.

Last link for those who think the government is of the insane and by the insane (as if the previous links weren’t enough). 9-year-old boy summoned to jury duty in Mass. And people wonder why we can’t get decent infrastructure with people like this running things?

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Time to buy gas and mow the lawn again, and the Feed

I’m going to make this one quick, because I only have a limited amount of daylight to cut grass in. This is one of the few times I actually have to buy gas, I think I burn maybe 3 gallons a year cutting grass because the species of grass I planted has this bad habit of sending up seed stalks overnight (it seems that way anyway) that exceed the height my old HP reel mower could cut rather than just roll over it. The grass itself was only about a half-inch higher than the last time it was mowed because of drought conditions, but the stress made the grass seed instead of growing. After a few times fighting that we got a stinky mower (the HP mower had a wheel lock up so I needed to get a new mower anyway).

Up first because it shows how far we have to go in getting death by car treated on an even plane with other forms of homicide, a woman that killed a cyclist by hit-and-run and them conspired with her father to hide the evidence and the weapon gets prison time in CA. Oxnard Woman Sentenced To Prison In Hit-And-Run Death Of High School Senior and Woman Sentenced to Nearly 3 Years in Jail For Hit-and-Run Death of a Teen on a Bike another one Hit-and-Run Driver Gets Nearly 3 Years in Death of Chatsworth High Student more Woman And Father Sentenced In Hit And Run Death And Attempted Cover Up last link Woman, father sentenced to jail for hit-and-run death of Chatsworth H.S. soccer player The thing I am especially mad about is the sentence her father got for conspiracy to obstruct justice in a homicide case. In cases where the weapon was NOT a motor vehicle those charges usually result in years in prison, not days in jail as in this case.

Still in CA, a cyclist gets caught in streetcar tracks and falls under a bus. Cyclist Injured in MUNI Crash and Cyclist seriously injured by Muni bus Aside from advising to stay away from streetcar tracks I have few clues as to how to prevent a similar wreck with existing infrastructure.

Another link to the story on the waste of human skin that hit-and-run a cyclist in the bike lane in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike for 6 years running. Bond revoked for hit-and-run suspect The less I say about this the better…

A former LEO gets a slap on the wrist for killing a kid while drunk. Officer gets 3 years in deadly DUI crash Change that headline to “Off-duty Officer Kills Minor While Drunk” and see what kind of flameage you get in the comments, instead of mentioning that the weapon used was a motor vehicle.

In Far Wast Canuckistan, a SWSS wreck. Vancouver police seek witnesses to west side collision that left cyclist critically injured “The eastbound truck stuck the cyclist who appears to have ridden off the sidewalk onto the road and into the path of the truck.” Classic SWSS narrative, cyclist is in a coma but still blamed for the wreck because the only witness didn’t see her until contact (if then) and tries to “explain” how he didn’t see the victim.

And last link from Oz, they are finding a significant source of mayhem to cyclists comes from car doors. Bicycle accidents from opening car doors It’s a lawyer site, but still valid in spite of that

And those are all the links that give me fits today (grammar corrected version of sign-off).

Billed @$0.02, Opus

After recovering from a power failure, the Feed

While I was doing my normal routine prior to writing the blog post somewhere in a half-mile radius of WoaB World HQ in the suburbs of Hell (which aside from the wind id quite pleasant today) something exploded and cut off my power for a few seconds. It took more than a few minutes to recover what I had been doing at the time of the explosion, but eventually I had everything back the way it was before whatever it was blew up and temporarily shut off the power.

Going first because it effects everybody even if they don’t ride in the street. Fuji Recalls Women’s Cruiser Bicycles Due to Fall Hazard The reported area of the frame break, the center of the downtube, puzzles me. This is not a weak spot on most bicycles. The only thing I can think of was that somehow during the manufacturing process the tube had a thin spot in the wall of the tube, because as I said this is not a highly stressed part of the frame and there are no welds in the area that would cause loss of strength from the HAZ (heat affected zone). But now that the picture finally pulled up I can see that there are welds on either side of the area in question and a water bottle boss near the site of the breaks that would act as a stress riser on the compression side of the tube.

Another recalled product, a handlebar stem. Shimano Recalls PRO Atherton Mountain Bike Handlebar Stems Due to Fall Hazard Soft alloy, combined with short bolts results in mounting threads that can pull out of the unit leaving the rider holding a handlebar that is only connected to the bike by the brake and shifter cables.

Our first wreck, by way of proximity to WoaB World HQ in the balmy suburbs of Hell (today’s forecast high is 76°F) is a report of 2 cops getting run off the road and assaulted. Driver, 22, reportedly put bike officers at risk Notice that there were no charges filed for the actual assault of a LEO, just for running from the arrest in a vehicle and DUI. So it is OK to assault cyclists even if they are cops, apparently. Just don’t be drunk when you do.

Moving to the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 6 years running, a cyclist is hit from behind on a bridge. Bicyclist Killed After Going Over Desoto Bridge in a Crash There was no mention of the cyclist not being dressed in a glow in the dark clown costume or not having lights and reflectors, which is a favorite subject of patch.com with their bike wreck stories, so at this point we have to assume the cyclist was extra-legally lighted and refectored and the driver just did not process the fact that there was a slow-moving vehicle in front of him. I would really like to see a picture of the weapon vehicle in this wreck, as I have questions about what happened especially concerning the speed of the weapon vehicle. The oldest link I can find to this wreck was days ago: Bradenton man hit, ejected from bicycle into Manatee River and several more after that starting with Bradenton bicyclist dies in crash that sends him over bridge and Bicyclist on bridge hit by car, falls into Manatee River and Bicyclist hit by car, falls into Manatee River and dies still more Bicyclist on bridge hit by car, falls into Manatee River still nothing about the weapon vehicle Bicyclist hit by car, dies after falling off bridge into river another link Bicyclist hit by car, dies after falling off bridge into river not done yet Bicyclist hurled over bridge into river in fatal collision with car” not done yet Police: Bicyclist Fell Into River still no pictures yet Palmetto man’s death steers attention toward bike safety more Safety under review after cyclist thrown from bike into river still more links In wake of accident, Manatee County debates $1.6 million for DeSoto Bridge, U.S. 301 last link and still no pictures of the weapon vehicle DeSoto Bridge improvements considered by Manatee County

Still in FL, a cyclist who was hit just hours before the horrendous hit-and-run on the Rickenbacker causeway speaks out. Cyclist hit by car urges motorists to be careful Yep, in both of the recent FL wrecks (all 3 of them now) the driver did something wrong to cause the wreck.

In NYC the perp in a murder case is still at large. Suspect still sought in Staten Island hit-run There was no actual information, or at least nothing new, in this article.

A rash of Vulnerable Road Users were killed or injured in or near Portland OR in a 2 hour span. Bicyclists, pedestrian hurt in rash of Washington County accidents and Deputies make arrest in hit-and-run of cyclist in Aloha The comments seem to be mostly trolls who hate cyclists, but there are a few intelligent people making comments.

Another article about the NYPD dropping the ball if not deliberately throwing the ball away on bicycle wrecks. Council Grills NYPD About Cycling Death Still stupid? Yep.

The driver that killed a cyclist by the door prize is found guilty, of driving without a license. NYC woman whose car door resulted in bicyclist’s death found guilty and Motorist guilty of driving with suspended license after she opened car door, fatally injuring bicyclist Because of sloppy investigation (see the previous paragraph) and an incredible court ruling that only moving vehicles can be involved in “accidents”, the only thing this waste of human skin could be charged with was driving on a suspended license.

The family of the cyclist killed by a drunk driver as police investigating a previous wreck watched helplessly speak out. Family of cyclist killed in collision issue statement and Family of cyclist killed on Carling Avenue says thanks for rescue efforts and also Family of Cyclist Who Was Killed in Hit and Run Collision Releases Statement I wish the family of the deceased solace in their time of grief, and justice as the person responsible for the death pays for his crime.

From Jolly Olde the killer of a cyclist who was a former aide to the Queen is actually found guilty of a crime. A40 driver guilty of causing RAF officer’s death Now to see how many hours of community service he gets for killing a human being… that being the usual sentence for killing with a motor vehicle in the UK.

Life is almost as cheap in EnnZed as it is in NYC. Driver who killed cyclist to pay $37k to family and Academic who killed cyclist to pay $37,000 and also Fatal crash driver will ‘always feel terrible’ The driver will feel bad for a while, the cyclist will be dead forever…

A cyclist in South Africa who was injured when he hit a 6 foot long by 1 foot wide and deep pothole gets compensation from the people responsible for it. Cyclist wins battle over pothole injury

Bicycle LifeStyle from Portland ‘Ben Hurt’: Portland bike warriors smash and crash and ‘Ben Hurt’: Portland bike warriors smash and crash and another link to the same story but with a different headline ‘Ben Hurt’: Bike warriors smash and thrash at beer-fueled event in bike-crazy Portland

And that’s all the links that give me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Making my mind bleed, and the Feed

I really should stop reading anything in the news that isn’t a bicycle wreck, the levels of public schooled, standardized testing approved education with no ability to reason their way out of a paper bag displayed by legislators is making my mind bleed from the cognitive dissonance. I would direct you to the sites in question, but that would mean I would have to read it again and even the headlines cause me pain. I can tell you what they are about: legislators want to take care of the babies that will be born to women that can’t afford them and did not want to have them in the first place but were denied access to birth control and abortion by making it impossible for teh gays to adopt them, a woman at BYU was sexually harassed by a male student because she had a couple inches of tights showing between her boots and her skirt, more ranting about how paying for bike lanes with tax dollars is “socialist” while at the same time advocating for more tax funds to build more roads in the next paragraph. I tell you sometimes I wonder, and then I read what these people have to say and all supposition is cast aside and I know that the Orwellian ideal of “doublethink” has been achieved. For those who don’t know what “doublethink” means, your education has been sadly deprived. I suggest a thorough reading of 1984 for a primer on the ability to hold two conflicting ideas in your head at the same time without dissonance or even a sense of irony.

Up first by reason of proximity and because it’s another example of the thinking that has permeated everything in TX, a hit-and-run driver was given a ticket in Austin after being caught by witnesses and returned to the scene. Witnesses catch hit and run driver after cyclist injured I don’t know what the ticket was for, but hit-and-run is a felony in TX and requires booking in jail. The cyclist was hit from behind immediately after crossing an intersection, so since hit-from-behind by turning vehicles is a part of intersection protocols that is what should be applied in this case to prevent a similar wreck.

Another TX wreck, not as good an outcome. Bicyclist Hit & Killed By Vehicle Looking at those crime scene pictures brought back really bad memories. The vehicle that hit this guy had to be doing in excess of 40 MPH when it happened. And the bike is so badly damaged that you can’t even see if he had reflectors or not, the place where they would have been was destroyed by the impact.

A young cyclist in CT is injured in a wreck with a motor vehicle. Boy injured when bike hit by car Once again the cyclist was blamed for not wearing a glow-in-the-dark clown costume while riding. The police comment about dark bike and lack of reflective clothing was made with no reference to the time of the wreck or if the driver had headlights on that would have made reflective clothing applicable. Anyway, the kid was supposedly playing in the driveway and rode into the street in front of the car, a violation of intersection protocols and common sense. The clothing the kid was wearing had no bearing on this wreck.

Another hit-and-run with not as good an outcome, in CA. Cyclist injured by hit-run driver The cyclist looks to survive, but the driver looks to have escaped justice unless they can connect the owner to the vehicle at the time of the wreck and place him as the driver. This was another wreck caused by a turning driver in an intersection like the TX wreck, use intersection protocols.

More form CA on a wreck reported earlier. Cyclist killed after running stoplight Not a good thing, I’m inclined to believe this report because once cyclist running a red light makes more sense than 2 cars running the same light at the same time and hitting the same cyclist.

Now the big story, one that has gone international, from FL. The cyclist that was hit from behind in the bike lane on the bridge to/from Key Biscayne FL has died, and the man that did it was not drunk or impaired by drugs. Driver who fatally struck cyclist jailed for previous drug charges and Michele Traverso Arrested In Fatal Hit-And-Run On Rickenbacker also Cyclist dies after Rickenbacker hit-and-run still more Cyclist in Rickenbacker Hit and Run Dies, Driver Arrested another link Hit-and-run driver who injured cyclists arrested last link Cyclist Aaron Cohen Dies After Rickenbacker Hit-and-Run; Driver Michele Traverso Arrested I covered the limited things the cyclists could have done to prevent this wreck yesterday, it was a very short list as the built environment of the causeway eliminated almost everything a cyclist can do to avoid getting hit from behind in a bike lane. I mean, once you ride in a bike lane with a concrete wall to your right (that keeps you from falling in the Gulf) you pretty much have to depend on drivers staying in their lanes and not hitting you, or going faster than the cars so they can’t hit you. Given the rate of speed in this wreck (demonstrated by the amount of damage done to the car by the dead cyclist) riding faster than the car is not a realistic thing to suggest. Another link Loved ones remember cyclist killed in hit-and-run

Moving a bit north to GA, a drunk driver hits a cyclist. CRIME NOTEBOOK: University student arrested for DUI after hitting cyclist Hit-from-behind wreck in mid-block, use the protocols to prevent a similar wreck, assuming the driver actually left any road space for the cyclist to use as an escape route.

Moving further north, we come on reports of the trial for the women that presented a fatal “door prize” to a cyclist in NYC. Trial under way for Staten Island woman involved in freak traffic accident and Driver Charged in Fatal Accident With Bicyclist, But Only For Suspended License I know, it’s a travesty.

A rare UK link sees a killer driver potentially walking away with only community service. Karl Austin tragedy: Cyclist’s family hits out at likely sentence in death by careless driving case “(M)agistrates’ courts have the power to impose a maximum custodial sentence of six months.” So even if they wanted to give a sentence commensurate with the results of the actions that he was convicted of, they can’t. The most likely sentence will be community service. TANJ!

A heartbreaking Infrastructure! story from Enn Zed. Tamaki Drive’s deadly crash course The article is quite long and documents several times that people in charge were notified that the design of the road was deficient and would get people killed, and that it did in fact kill people. But when one of the things you have to deal with is “removal of a tree planted in the middle of the cycle lane” little things like parking that places the door zone all the way into the traffic lane and blocking cycle access, gets lost in the clutter.

And that’s all the news that gives me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

I wasted a lot of time and effort today, and the Feed

If you click on the link to my BikeJournal journal, you’ll see a ride for a bit over 18 miles in temperatures that ranged from high 30s to low 40s. What you won’t see is that ride was to pick up a pair of watches from a local car dealer that was trying to get people in to buy cars. Now I like cars, as art objects and on a race track. Sharing the road with me, not so much. Drivers be crazy, you know? Anyway, I ride all this way against a heavy headwind (when you can feel your clothes press against you that is a heavy headwind, I don’t car what weather.com says the winds are) to get this watch, get it home and open the box and follow the instructions to start the watch and set the time, and the watch runs about 15 seconds while I’m trying to get the time set and quits. Ninety minutes of riding time, frozen fingers from the cold and the wind, scorn from the salesmen as they see the bike, and I don’t even get the time set on the watch before it quits running. I tell you there ought to be a law…

Up first are two more links to that drunk driver that hit a cyclist from behind on a Portland OR bridge. Driver arrested in St. Johns Bridge bike crash and DUII suspect hits cyclist on St. Johns Bridge Sorry about the comments section for that second link, Facebook apparently put every comment to every article on that web site on the link to that article… Anyway the same advice applies to the wreck that I gave before, narrow lanes with high curbs and no place to get away from idiot drivers make this a bad choice to ride on, unfortunately it’s pretty much the only choice across the river for several miles in either direction. Given an impaired driver there was no way for the cyclist to avoid this wreck.

Bouncing to the other side of the country we have multiple links to a hit-and-run on Staten Island NY. Cyclist is killed by hit-&-run driver on S.I. and Relatives of cyclist killed in S.I. hit & run ask public’s help to find driver And Bicyclist Killed by Hit-and-Run Driver on Howard Avenue also 29-Year-Old Cyclist Killed by Hit-And-Run Driver in Staten Island finally Wagner College mourns the loss of Staten Island hit-and-run victim Ronald Tillman At this point it appears the cyclist was riding salmon when he was hit no word on how much that affected his actually getting hit, but it had to contribute some. Anyway, don’t ride salmon, and use hit-from-behind protocols to prevent this from happening to you, assuming that the driver was paying any attention to the road at all. Late link from Gothamist [UPDATE] Cops Search For Hit-And-Run Driver Who Killed Cyclist On Staten Island

Back to OR for a SWSS. Cyclist injured in Highway 20 crash My hackles rise when I see stuff like this quote: “The crash took place after bicyclist Victoria Howry, of Bend, crossed in front of a 1989 Toyota Corolla that was driving behind her, according to a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office news release.“

A little Infrastructure! news from the UK. Senior policeman calls for tougher sentences for drivers who kill You know when you get a bigger fine for running a red light than you do for running over a person and killing them, something is screwy… just sayin’.

More infrastructure news from Oz. Greens push for increase in bike ‘dooring’ fines Considering that the current fine is just a fraction of running a red light, but at equal danger to cyclists as running a red light, the legislation is a bit overdue. To quote one of the comments: “On the same day The Age is reporting that over 17,500 Victorians were last year given on-the-spot fines of $180 for putting their feet on a seat on public transport, fining offenders $120 for potentially killing a cyclist seems trifling to say the least. Good on you Greg. It sounds like traffic and other fines generally need to be reviewed.“

And I have to run, I have a ritualist’s meeting at church to plan our next Sunday service, nad as I’m supposed to take a part in this service, I had best be there hadn’t I?

Billed @$0.02, Opus

I need idiot repellant, and the Feed

I’m trying to figure out how that would work, but I’m drawing a blank, a serious blank, here. I mean I could hang a big sign on the back of my bike (“I have video cameras going AND I SUE”), but first that’s not going to help deal with people to the front, and second that will be of little use off the bike. Oh and the minor thing that if they look right through me now what good is a sign going to do? The concept is, intriguing, though. Instead of putting on perfume or aftershave, you splash on a mildly pleasant smelling liquid or use a spray, and stupid and/or crazy people can only get so close before deciding they need to be on another planet, in another solar system, somewhere where you aren’t. I guess it would be a little lonely at first, and you would still have to deal with idiots on line or on the phone, but not having to deal with idiots in person or on the road? Priceless…

I’m going to open with a DIY project that shouldn’t be DIY, it should be a regulatory requirement. Car Door Warning Color Considering the number of cyclist who “win the door prize” every year not to mention cars and trucks that hit open car doors, this is a no-brainer. This should be a law, like yesterday… ANSI Safety Lime except for cars that have a paint color that doesn’t contrast with ANSI Safety Lime should be painted Florescent Orange.

First wreck is one of the most avoidable wrecks you can die from. Bicyclist Struck, Killed by Tri-Rail Train in Fort Lauderdale Yes, another cyclist struck by a train after seeing one cross going the other direction. Just stay behind the crossing arms until they rise indicating that the way is clear. That doesn’t relieve you of the need to look when crossing, but it does indicate that there is little likelihood of a train being on the track to hit you. In this case the fact that it was in FL (the most deadliest place to walk or ride a bike 6 years running) is immaterial.

Moving west to CA, we find a cyclist hit in an area that was posted as too dangerous to ride because of improperly installed drain grates was hit because he wasn’t wearing a glow in the dark clown suit. 22-year-old cyclist from Lancaster killed in Highway 70 crash is named “According to a California Highway Patrol website, Castaneda-Romero was seen about 7:08 p.m. by a motorist eastbound on the West Branch Bridge, who called 9-1-1 to report he narrowly missed hitting the man in a traffic lane.” Which means that drivers with functioning headlights and brains could see the cyclist in spite of the lack of the aforementioned clown suit. Still, it is good sense to make yourself more conspicuous on the roads. I have enough reflective material on the back of my bike to get reported as a UFO, and for cars to back wayyy off at night. And I’m building a light that is even brighter than the legendary Honkin’ Huge Taillight™ to put on the back.

Still in CA, closure may be ahead for cyclists injured in a hit-and-run. Case unfolds against suspect in hit-and-run of two cyclists There was so much Obstruction of Justice going on in this case it made my head spin, like the telling the mechanic to buy the replacement mirror out of state… Anyway like I said in 2009, hit-from-behind protocols to avoid this wreck.

One of the downsides of living where the weather allows year-round bicycle riding is you also get year-round bicycle wrecks. 13-year-old girl on bicycle critically injured in hit-and-run Intersection wreck, assume intersection protocols would help prevent or reduce injury levels until a more complete report on the wreck comes out. One thing is for sure, somebody violated a right of way.

A cyclist that killed a pedestrian in SF gets treated more harshly than a driver that kills in identical circumstances but that isn’t enough for some people. Randolph Ang, S.F. Cyclist Who Killed Pedestrian, Should Get Jail Time Ang got more punishment than 65% of the drivers convicted of the same crime, but only 7% of those drivers are even prosecuted, even fewer convicted. But 100% of the cyclists that killed a pedestrian were prosecuted and convicted… TANJ! On the other hand DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS!!!

A wreck in LA that reads more like a UK story than one published in the US. Girl hit while riding bike Aside from the fact that the wreck was in an intersection or very close to one I have nothing on this one.

Update on the SUV that flipped over on a cyclist riding in a cross street in TX. Tech student, bar being sued for wrongful death Note that the suit is not filed on the behalf of the cyclist but one of the passengers in the SUV that flipped. The most accurate information I have about this wreck is the cyclist was still 3-4 feet from reaching the intersection when he was hit by the SUV.

I’m including a rare (for me) link from the UK today. Cyclist injured when Toyota Yaris mounts kerb to pass queue of traffic in Fallowfield The cyclist was waiting for a traffic light when the weapon vehicle started to drive on the sidewalk to get around the traffic at the light. This was not a wreck that the cyclist could avoid. Besides the fact that he was stationary at the light, how can you expect someone to drive in the sidewalk because the light is red? Only crazy people do that. Well actually either one, drive on the sidewalk or expect people to drive on the sidewalk.

And that’s all the crazy I can take today…

Billed @$0.02, Opus

After two crashes yesterday, I bring you the Feed

Well, I guess I need to explain the headline. If you read yesterday’s post you know about the one crash, the pickup truck that hit me at the red light. The second crash was that adrenaline thing I was telling you about, because I was on that adrenaline “high” for so long after the wreck when things finally shut down and tried to go back to “normal” I had a massive crash. I never did any stimulants stronger than caffeine but people who used to do meth told me about coming off the high and it sounds almost exactly like what happened when I came off the adrenaline. I was like “bleah” and all shaky and limp at the same time, and I could barely move for about a half hour. It was terrible, and my muscles hurt something fierce. The only major difference between what happened to me and people coming off meth was the amount of time involved. I was “high” on adrenaline for about 4 hours after the incident, as I still had to ride my bike so the stress levels were up for an extended period after the wreck, and the crash after was about a half-hour. The people I know told me about being awake and “high” for 3 or 4 days with a full day of wipeout after coming down from the high.

Up first a SUV crosses 2 lanes of traffic to hit a cyclist head on and then hits several objects off the road before smashing the wall of a house, no charges expected from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Bicycle rider hit in Sarasota No I wasn’t kidding, even hitting a cyclist head on in a bike lane is an “Oopsie!” with no blame assigned to the driver now in the state of FL. More Bicyclist seriously injured on Siesta Key and Bicyclist Struck on Siesta Key another one Bicyclist injured in crash on Siesta Key

Moving to LA, more cyclists are hit in Shreveport. Three Cyclists Hit In Two Days In neither wreck was the cyclist at fault, and in the truck wreck the cyclist had zero opportunity to avoid the wreck as he was coming to a stop at the stop sign.

On the other side of the country a driver in AZ makes sure they won’t be charged by leaving the scene after hitting a cyclist. GV woman injured in hit-run From the limited description in the article this might have been a hit-from-behind wreck, so use the protocols to avoid a similar wreck, and carry a video camera facing rear to capture the license plate of the weapon vehicle.

A Seattle cyclist “wins” the “door prize”. Update: Bicycle rider collides with car door, taken to hospital No word on if the driver was even ticketed.

Up in the Great White North, LEO are absolutely certain a cyclist was not at fault in this wreck. Man arrested after cyclist struck How did they know the cyclist was not at fault? Because they saw the driver run into the cyclist from behind, after leaving the scene of an earlier wreck they were investigating.

Cyclists in the UK and their supporters are getting up in arms after a report that shows roads getting safer for everyone not riding a bicycle. The ‘ghost bike’ revolt: Families demand action on cyclist deaths and Cycling injuries in London increase by 13 per cent in three years and ‘Cycle Safety Campaign’ Backed by National Accident Helpline another one The politics of cycling safety

After 2 workers for local TV stations are hit by the same drunk driver Shreveport media is suddenly all about bicycle safety. Recent accidents point up the need to respect bicycle riders’ rights to share the road

LifeStyle from the UK. Cyclist Richard pedalling hard for injured brother Good on ya’ mate!

And that’s it, all the news that gives me fits.

Billed @$0.02, Opus