Support something entirely unrelated to me or bicycling

Now that I have your attention, I am donating 4 loaves of bread to support the SolstiCelebration. The loaves are going as a set, no bidding on individual loaves but you can bid as a group for the lot and then divvy up the spoils amongst yourselves.

The auction runs until 12/13 and you can only get delivery local to me, because there are no preservatives in this bread so anything short of Santa’s Sleigh^tm isn’t going to be fast enough to prevent spoilage, you have 5 days or so to eat this from the time I bake it before it goes bad, unlike store-bought bread that may take 5 days to get to the store before you buy it. This bread will be baked by me the day of delivery and either you come pick it up at my church, or I deliver it in Garland, or the third alternative is to pick it up at the SolstiCelebration at the Cathedral of Hope. If you choose that option the bread will be on the red bicycle ridden by a penguin, make sure you get the bike with the penguin

PSA Opus

Another mild Feed

Yes we had another mild Feed today, with only 6 bicycle-related links, and one of those was not related to a wreck or infrastructure, with one other infrastructure article, so 4 wrecks or related to wrecks. That’s a Good Thing in my book.

Getting to the one that wasn’t a wreck or about infrastructure first, there was a bike-jacking in Daphne AL. Man shoots Eastern Shore teen in the arm, steals his bicycle, police say A bike thief with a gun, joy. Well if you’re too stupid to cut a chain or pick a lock then you have to steal them when they aren’t locked. I hope when they catch this guy they throw a couple of tons of books at him, but since he’s already 24 and still robbing kids on bicycles (with a gun) I don’t hold much hope that trying to educate the perp is going to help much, you can’t cure stupid. To avoid a similar situation, shoot back and aim center mass.

A situation that a little more experience and judgment on the part of the cyclist might have helped prevent. High school student on bike injured after hitting firetruck in Santa Rosa The cyclist was riding the wrong way in the bike lane and the firetruck had the flashers going and the backup alarm sounding and still the kid hit the firetruck. I am hopeful he learned something from this experience. I am also hopeful he continues to ride his bike with a greater appreciation of the safe way of doing so.

From Jolly Olde a bad wreck. Cyclist fighting for life after accident The driver was uninjured, joy.

They laid a cycling advocate to rest in Greenburgh, NY. Riders pay tribute to Greenburgh bicycle advocate killed in bus collision The best thing I can say about this wreck is it illustrates exactly what the guy was trying to tell people, that frequently the only option to get someplace by bicycle is to ride in traffic on high speed feeders and arterials because there are no other connecting routes. This is the same problem we have in Garland, the planning done in the 1970s and ’80s created superblocks that were only connected by arterials with 40-45MPH speed limits, and all the commercial development (grocery stores and other retail) was on those arterials. This is great as long as everyone has a car, not so great if people want to walk or ride a bicycle.

A NYC weekly complains about infrastructure that is supposed to protect cyclists from cars still being overrun by motor vehicles. Make bike lanes safe The wreck in question was on a protected bike lane that was commandeered by a garbage truck. An analogy would be herded animals on a freeway, they don’t belong there and create a hazard for those for whom the infrastructure was intended.

And finally if your bike is equipped with an Easton EA30 stem, stop riding it immediately (well, you might want to ride home very carefully and then park the bike) and contact your LBS about a replacement. Bicycles Recalled by Easton Sports; Stem Failure Poses Fall Hazard The stem was OEM and also available as an aftermarket replacement part, so be sure to check which stem came on your mountain or hybrid bike. I built the stem on Gigi myself, so I don’t have to worry about this recall, just the quality of my workmanship.

And that’s all I have for this morning.

Billed @$.02, Opus

I can hardly lift my arms, but here’s the Feed

Well, I pruned some more today, on the live oak out back. I don’t have much upper body strength or endurance any more, so I lopped a few branches off with the pruner and had to call it quits. Then I filtered the Feed and now here I am to post the reports and make comments.

Another SWSS/SWCC wreck in the Pelican State (Louisiana). Cyclist killed at 171 and La. 394 and Bicycle rider killed near DeRidder I find the description of the wreck highly suspect. Especially the part where he was going east on 394 and then turned around to go east on 394…

What sounds like a left cross wreck in CA. Cyclist killed in traffic accident identified CA has the same laws about turning vehicles as TX that requires turning traffic to yield to traffic that is not turning, whether that traffic is oncoming traffic on the same street or road or traffic on the street or road that is being turned on. Hopefully there will be at least a ticket filed against the driver that killed the cyclist.

Another report on the DC cyclist killed by a cop cruiser. Md. cyclist who was killed by police cruiser identified Yeah, anyone that believes the cop was going under the speed limit, I have some oceanfront property in El Paso I would like to sell. I’m not saying the cyclist wasn’t at fault, just saying the likelihood of the cop driving under the speed limit is so low as to be invisible. The fact that they made the statement thus renders all of their other statements suspect. The grain of salt required is about the size of a semi-trailer.

Another report on the kid killed in DE. Teen cyclist killed on 273 ID’d Again the rider was thrown into a car that was in front of both vehicles. This indicates to me that traffic was stopped and the kid did not run the red light like the cops say.

More on the NY state cyclist that was hit by a transit bus. Cops: Greenburgh cyclist was riding alongside bus; bikers invited to ride at funeral The cyclist appears to have been doing exactly what he should have, I still don’t know why LEO haven’t charged the bus driver with running down the cyclist. NY law requires the passing vehicle to pass safely, which means far enough away that you don’t scare the other operator to death. That didn’t happen this time. So why no ticket or charges?

A TX lawyer thinks that Gov. Goodhair’s veto of the Vulnerable Road Users Bill (SB488) may have contributed to the driver that killed 2 people on a tandem bicycle not getting any kind of ticket or charge. Texas Governor Perry Vetoes Safe Passing Bill: Cyclist Deaths The Result? I just want to know what the Helotes LEOs were thinking when they decided that the guy in the truck did nothing illegal when he killed the 2 cyclists.

A case in Scotland that just floored me as the police report wasn’t allowed to be read into evidence. Scottish jury finds case against driver who killed cyclist ‘not proven’ Of course it wasn’t proven, the judge threw out the most important evidence against the driver. Again, what was he thinking?

Again I had to pick myself up off the floor when I read about a multiple repeat drunk driver was facing in the way of charges in Enn Zed. Drink-drive charge ‘appallingly inadequate’ “Downer, who has two previous drink driving convictions, could face a maximum of five years behind bars.” Five years for drunk driving that killed somebody, that’s just a travesty.

And a trio of people that train together for bicycle riding suffered similar wrecks. Cyclist tells of horror crash The man was killed while the wife was recovering from a previous crash, and the personal trainer was in a coma for 5 weeks from the wreck that killed the man… What a mess.

The 2010 Tour of the Battenkill will have a stage dedicated to Veterans. 2010 Tour of the Battenkill Announces Ride to Benefit Injured Veterans If you can do this next year Witch on a Bicycle says do it.

And that’s all for tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus

More strange referrals, and a normal Feed

Of course “normal” is subjective, much of the stuff I get in my Feed has little or nothing to do with what is “normal” otherwise it wouldn’t be in my Feed.

Up first because it so definitvely illustrates how not normal “normal” is around here, a man in OR is hit by 2 drunk drivers and there is a possibility he was hit before that by another driver. Fatal Bike Crash in North Portland Last Night and AHS grad killed in Portland Yes, both of the drivers that were seen to have hit him were drunk, and there is some difference of opinion about how he ended up in the road where he got hit. This is another one of those that I can’t tell you what to do to avoid a similar situation because the whole situation is so bizarre as to defy understanding.

Just down the road a bit from that wreck we find this wreck. Bike rider injured in Gresham accident Apparently 3 drivers saw him and stopped while he crossed the street, but one didn’t and hit him. Again this is one of those wrecks that can’t be avoided by the cyclist because it depends on the other driver(s) obeying the law. The cyclist was obeying the law by using a crosswalk as permitted under OR laws, and the other 3 drivers were obeying the laws by yielding to someone in a crosswalk who had waited for traffic to yield, and then comes this last yahoo with no brains at all and just runs over the guy in the crosswalk. I say this calls for at least a one year loss of driver’s privileges with a mandatory written and road test for at least 5 years after the privilege is conditionally restored, with a permanent loss if he fails either test at any time. I would also put a zero wrong limit on the written test, miss any and you fail, forever.

More lawyer blather on the Greenville SC rider killed in vehicular assault. Update: Arrest Made for Greensboro Cyclist’s Hit-and-Run Death Again, why would they catch this person just to let them go? If someone had been shooting people at random on the freeway, would they have just let him go after paying a small bond, or would they lock him up and wait until trial to determine if he was innocent to protect society?

And another pedestrian is injured by a cyclist, fault not determined yet. Pedestrian hospitalized after being struck by bicyclist At this time, the mode of the wreck and even the location of the pedestrian are in dispute. The only thing that isn’t in dispute is the cyclist was not drunk or on drugs at the time of the wreck, which means that the cyclist hung around long enough to get tested.

Treehugger has a report on how cyclists get killed, and amazingly enough 70% of cyclists are following the law when they were hit. How To Get Killed On A Bicycle Of that 30% who were breaking the law, an unknown number would not have made any difference because they were already squarely in front of the driver when they were hit because the driver was looking in another direction than where they were going.

Nothing about the wreck in this update on a report linked here earlier. Burnham-On-Sea cyclist’s injuries more serious than originally thought I’m sorry that the woman was hurt badly (when is it ever good to be hurt?) but I really wish that UK media laws would allow for more information about the actual wreck.

In Portland OR an Episcopal church creates a shrine to a pre-Roman mountain Goddess that was made a Catholic saint of bicyclists, is that ecumenical or what? OREGON: Portland church dedicates shrine, space to Our Lady of the Cyclists The Lady Ghisallo’s original name has been lost to posterity, but Her followers still remember Her Spirit and honor Her.

The LA Times still doesn’t get it. Cyclists and motorists on collision course The majority of traffic laws were written for cars and don’t really apply to bicycles, but the writer expects cyclists to obey them anyway,

Philadelphia is having a hard time getting out of the car-head psychology and into complete streets. Bikers, walkers, drivers: Can’t they all get along? First, do something so that it isn’t like a jungle out there with everybody fighting for space either on the street or on the sidewalk, make a space for everybody somewhere. Then when there are spaces for everybody where those spaces intersect you will get more cooperation between users.

Some concern about the increase in the number of cyclists killed and/or injured in the UK this year. Sharp rise in number of cyclists killed on roads

Some shop owners have a hard time separating problems with infrastructure from the general downturn in the economy. Bike lane’s killed shop, says owner I loved Vancouver BC back in 1968, but I haven’t been back since then but people are people wherever you go, and some are going to blame changes they don’t like on things going wrong even if the two have nothing to do with each other.

And we finish up with a lifestyle report from Philly. Freewheelers Old people on bicycles, you gotta love it, especially since I’m (becoming) an old guy on a bicycle.

And that’s all I got today. Just a note I will not be doing posts for the next 2 Sundays, as I will be doing a non-computer gig Sunday nights. This gig is not open to the public, so don’t be looking for me, or Gigi

Billed @$.02, Opus

Not much in the Feed was bicycle related

The filtering process on the Feed went pretty quickly after ignoring all the reports about who was riding which motorcycle next season after someone else was injured in an off-track wreck. It seems like about half the SuperBike field is laid up from off-track or testing wrecks which require extended recuperation periods. I’m angry about the off-track wrecks, as every one reported was either a left cross or a right hook, something we riding bicycles can relate to. Testing I’m not angry about as crashing during testing is just one of the hazards of the sport, but I do still feel sympathy for the injured riders, all of them. Aaaand, back to the meat grinder.

Up first is VeloNews’ report on the trial of the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. Dr. Thompson takes the stand in his trial on assault charges. I think my description of the defendant pretty much covers my opinion of this trial. Again let me state I wish that the punishment include a permanent ban on his ever owning or driving a motor vehicle again ever in his lifetime, and after. When he dies he can walk to the graveyard.

Much of wasn’t motorcycle related was either from Jolly Olde, or lifestyle, like this report from KS. Scout finds new life for old bikes I’m thorouoghly in favor of reusing or recycling old bikes. One of my favorites is to recycle a BMX bike into an adult SWB recumbent by welding a boom to the head tube and changing the rear to a multispeed hub. My favorite trick is to leave the cranks in place and cut off the crank arms and use the chainwheel as an idler. It’s very cool and also ensures a stable chainline to the rear wheel. One of these days I’ll post on my stable of Trashbikes, recycled recumbents.

A ride similar to the Ride of Silence to honor riders who gave all just to ride a bike. Ride pays tribute to those injured or killed in bicycling accidents Why should riding a bicycle have to be a death defying act of heroism? Why can’t it just be transportation?

Another not-so-jolly report from Jolly Olde. Appeal after cyclist threatened in Leicester park Yes, someone pulled a knife on a cyclist after a minor bump. I would ask what is this world coming too, except I already know. When impeding a motor vehicle is considered an act worthy of killing the one not in the motor vehicle (which was not the case in this report) then I start looking for the handcart we are in. There must be some way for the sane amongst us to find a way out of this situation. Getting killed or injured just because you are in a different mode of transportation than someone else is beyond stupid, beyond insanity, just beyond everything that makes us a civilized society.

Someone throws a brick at a cyclist. Cyclist injured by flying object See the above paragraph for directions in how to find the handcart and how to get out of it.

Finally, a wreck, in the UK. Cyclist injured after collision with van Typical UK wreck report, long on meaningless details but dreadfully short on useful information.

From Oz comes a mixed infrastructure/lifestyle report. Cars and bikes ‘in harmony’ I fail to see how moving bicycles completely away from cars and placing them on a low speed path that instead of cars is clogged with oblivious pedestrians and pets is creating “harmony” with cars. It brings to mind a certain Brit named Nigel after giving away Czechoslovakia to Hitler. Something about “peace in our time” that was less than 3 years from the invasion of Poland.

And that’s everything bicycle in the Feed. More later.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Saturday’s Feed is like the dog’s breakfast

For those not familiar with the saying “like the dog’s breakfast”, the Saturday Feed was all over the place. Usually the phrase refers to geography, but since the Witch on a Bicycle covers the world we are always geographically scattered, but subjects and themes are also capable of being scattered which was the case today. Fortunately for you I got rid of the really “out there” stuff, and kept the subject matter strictly bicycle-related. You’re welcome.

Getting through the truly ugly stuff first is this report from the trial of the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. Cyclist testifies that doctor deliberately caused Brentwood collision Actually I think the doctor’s own words will convict him in this case. …a police officer testified that Thompson, who complained that cyclists frequently travel down the residential Brentwood street, said he had stopped his car in front of the cyclists to “teach them a lesson.” That sounds like he planned the maneuver ahead of time before he used his 2 ton WMD to maim and disfigure the cyclists.

Hit-and-run assault with a motor vehicle is a popular pass-time in CA. Cyclist injured in Sebstopol-area hit and run From the sparse description of the wreck given in the article this appears to be a hit-from-behind wreck mode, but it might also have been deliberate rather than just driving stupid. If it was deliberate then you would have to have super-human reflexes and awareness to avoid the wreck, being merely human will keep you alive, like it did in this case.

A lawyer’s take on a bike wreck in MN. St Paul Bicyclist Killed In St Louis Park The advice on how to avoid wrecks is good, and what to do after the wreck is priceless.

I don’t read TMZ very often (like never) so without my search ‘bots I would have never found this gem. Cops: Terminator Star’s Victim Was 17 Years Old Another DUI hitting an innocent cyclist. Bring on the rabid wolverines, or maybe because this is Hollywood, Hugh Jackman in a really bad mood.

More lawyer nonsense. Maryland Personal Injury Bulletin: Bicyclist, 14, struck by car, hospitalized Even this supposedly intelligent person buys into the SWSS claim. As I posted earlier on this wreck, until and unless I see something from the other cyclist on the scene that the injured cyclist did in fact make a sudden sharp left turn mid-block into oncoming traffic for no apparent reason, I will not believe what the media is saying about this wreck.

At least this time the driver admits being visually impaired at the time of the wreck, maybe some serious repercussions will ensue. Driver did not see cyclist until crash Deputy North Derbyshire Coroner Louise Pinder recorded a verdict of accidental death. Apparently not, the cyclist was found guilty of riding in the road exactly where the law said to ride and with all the legally required equipment, but not having reflective clothing.

Things are starting to look up a smidge in Enn Zed. Police hunt killer of cyclist doctor There’s another dead cyclist, so how can I say things are looking up? The police are treating this as a homicide, that’s how. They have a description of the murder weapon, and someone saw the vehicle being used as a weapon, and LEO is treating this like they would any other homicide. That is a major step or three up.

Sad news in Amherst MA. Ghost bike hit by Amherst vandals Maybe they should treat this as a hate crime?

High school students in CA aspire to leaving their cars at home for an entire day. Samohi students aim for car-free day Oooohh! an entire day without a car! (The author of this blog has been car free since 1995)

Elementary school students celebrate bicycles. Raymond Elementary fair stresses bike safety Since there was a death of an adult cyclist near the school the kids were trying to find places to put bike routes and paths that would keep cars away from bikes.

Who you gonna call when you wreck your mountain bike and get hurt? Fat Tire Rescue Squad I know, I didn’t believe it either.

And that’s all I have today, except of the forty-eleven jillion motorcycle wrecks.

Billed @$.02, Opuds

Wrecks, infrastructure and laws, the Feed went everywhere

The Feed was a wild and varied today. I had to filter out a bunch of stuff, like the kid on a bike robbed at gunpoint by another kid on a bike, bikes were not really part of the story they were just “there”.

Up first because it’s local and nobody got hurt for a change is a ride to Dallas City Hall. Cyclists pushing Dallas to keep their needs in mind Make the streets safer and put me out of a job, go on I dare you! (Like that will actually help?)

A bike wreck on the Kent State campus injures the rider, no word on how serious or the mode of the wreck. Car and bike collision sends one to hospital Another wreck I can’t help you avoid because nobody is saying what happened.

All the rest of the wrecks today were in the UK.

This guy was hit by two cars and LEO don’t know what happened. Redditch cyclist seriously injured Smacked twice and they don’t know how, but if you know then give them a call at the contact number in the report.

Another young cyclist dies, reports the Beeb. Cyclist killed in road accident

The cyclist killed while trying to get to the bike lane from the other side of the road. ‘Unanswered questions’ over Bristol cyclist killed on Portway Five lanes of traffic in both directions before the bike lane, insane. Not the cyclist, the highway.

After a cyclist is killed by a door prize in Oz authorities are telling drivers to watch what they are doing before they open a car door. Cycle alert Yeah, good luck with that.

The Houston cyclist killed by a overturned firetruck while waiting at a red light gets a Ghost Bike. Ghost Riders: Way of Life I remember reporting this one as being the kind of wreck that there was just no logical way to avoid, how do you prepare for a 40 ton firetruck rolling over on top of you while you wait at a red light for it to pass? Even with psychic powers that’s a bit of a stretch.

More Houston infrastructure battles over right of way for bike trails for transportation. Ghost Riders: Easy Come, Easy No How about suing them for every cyclist killed because they didn’t have a trail to ride on because the power company refused to allow a bike trail on their easement?

A MN paper tries to clarify the rules for cars and bicycles on the roads. Rules of the road apply to bikes, cars People should know the legalities of riding in the streets and roads, but should not have to go research either on the web or in the library to find a copy of the law and decipher what those laws are supposed to mean. Training courses for drivers can be easily found, many taught in the schools. Learning the rules for bicycles should be just as easy.

Another Ghost Bike in NYC. Queens Blvd Ghost Bike A Sobering Reminder Of Cycling Dangers

A memorial ride for the couple killed when their tandem bicycle was struck from behind on the shoulder of the TX 16. Hundreds of cyclists show up to show support for couple who was killed Perhaps a citation for the killer driver for not driving on the road would be a better memorial, or even jail time for the killer.

A viewpoint of the critical mass rides in Chicago. Critical of Critical Mass? I would be fine with arresting cyclists for obstructing rush hour traffic with too many bicycles if they also arrested the car drivers for obstructing traffic with too many cars. You know “Pot, you’re black. Love, Kettle”.

And an interesting take on infrastructure, lighting. Carlisle to consider sidewalk light proposal Trees obstruct the streetlights from shining on the sidewalks, but you don’t want to get rid of the trees because they make shade during the day and keep the sidewalks nicer when the sun is out, what to do? Install smaller lights over the sidewalks of course!

And when in this country did walking to school become a news-worthy thing? Students, parents stroll to school I used to walk to school all the time, and it was considered “normal” to do so. I also rode my bike when the weather allowed (no fenders, rain meant muddy clothes). Now riding to school is a crime, and walking is a major news item. what has gone wrong with my country?

And that’s the mess for today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

You won’t believe this “stuff” in the Feed

You would not believe some of the reports I got in the Feed today. I’m talking off the wall “stuff” that defies comprehension by sane people.

Topping the list today was the FL cop that tased a cyclist who then crashed and was run over by the cop. Fla. officer ran over, killed suspect during chase and Bicyclist Killed; Ran Over by Cop Who Tried Tasing Him Out The Window First There are so many unanswered questions on this that I really can’t begin to comment. Apparently the cop only flashed lights and did not use the PA to order the cyclist to pull over before trying to use the Taser. But like I said, too many unanswered questions on this one.

Still in FL is a bike rider that runs into a parked car and homicide is investigating? Police: Bicyclist Hits Car, Dies Apparently since homicide is investigating there is suspicion that the other vehicle seen beside the cyclist had something to do with the wreck and possibly contributed to the seriousness of the wreck. And there was another cyclist involved wreck that didn’t have anything to do with this wreck and that’s all I know about the other wreck

The driver that hit 2 teens in OH is charged. Driver indicted in hit-and-run crash that injured cyclists Give him a fair trial and a decent hanging, or failing the hanging, ban him from being in a motor vehicle for life except for emergency vehicles transporting him for medical reasons.

And a hit-and-run wreck in Philly is caused by a DUI. DUI is charged in hit-run that injured city cyclist OK this is just too much. Wolverines or kittens in the chain link cage? I hate DUI drivers with a purple passion, doubly so when they hit-and-run.

Conflict over infrastructure in Montreal. Who owns the road in Montreal? I see similar problems here in Dallas because pedestrians decide to just stop in the middle of the bike path (in the rare places that actually have a bike path) and don’t move for other users to get by. Pedestrians treat any place that doesn’t have cars as pedestrian space even if it isn’t.

More on a proposal to charge drivers whenever they hit a cyclist or pedestrian, unless they can prove misconduct by the non-motorized road user. Motoring Groups Angered by Plans to Make Drivers Legally Responsible for Any Accident Involving Cyclists or Pedestrians Drivers have been getting a free pass when they hit cyclists and pedestrians in the past and are irate they have to prove that their WMDs were being used safely when a pedestrian or cyclist is injured. Poor babies!

Riders going from LA to San Francisco have a common thread in their stories, they’re all wounded veterans from Iraq or Afghanistan. A therapeutic challenge: Veterans with physical, mental injuries will bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles The Witch on a Bicycle supports this effort, for what that’s worth.

A big charity ride’s going down in MO. Hundreds turn out for Tour de Cape bike ride This one sounds like fun…

And why electric cars won’t save the environment without changing the way we make electricity. Magical Thinking The problem is the current electrical grid is mostly powered by fossil fuels which moves the source of the pollution from the tailpipe to the smokestack, arguments about “clean coal” not withstanding.

And that’s everything (really everything this time) for today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Cr@p from all over, and one the Feed missed

The Feed was not very “feedy” this morning. The content was 100% bicycle related but the articles were “ehh” as far as what they were worth. I did get a link to a local wreck back channel (and for all my back channel reporters, a hearty Hurrah! for your efforts, maybe some day I’ll be making enough money at this to send some your way), that was troubling.

Getting to the local story first, a man riding on a frontage road is hit and run and there is speculation that the wreck was intentional on the part of the driver. Driver ‘veered into’ cyclist on I-20 service road, DPS says Check that, the new headline doesn’t speculate at all. The comments section claimed the rider was in the center of the lane (a perfectly legal place for him to be BTW) but the DPS (TX State Troopers) report says he was hit on the shoulder of the road. The cyclist was an organ donor but aside from corneas I don’t think with that much blunt force trauma there will be anything worth harvesting. To have organs that can be used for transplant the donor has to be alive when he gets to the hospital, again except for corneas, and from what I understand McQuien died at the scene. As for how you can avoid ending up the same way, well the cyclist in this wreck used hit-from-behind avoidance protocol and still got fatally hit. The only way you could avoid the same situation would be by pure dumb luck. As for the driver who failed to control her WMD, I think manslaughter would be a fair charge. There is no indication at this time that the driver was trying to buzz the cyclist, so any kind of homicide charges would not be warranted. Now if the driver is found to have been buzzing the cyclist, then it becomes a homicide as the driver was intentionally placing the cyclist in jeopardy.

A report for ambulance chasers from a over-fed vulture. Pennsylvania Personal Injury Notice- bicyclist hit by pickup truck! For a left cross wreck like this one, a lawyer on the side of the cyclist is a good thing, but it should the the DA, not a personal injury lawyer. I think I mentioned this wreck on Friday or Saturday.

The rest of the Feed is, well “insipid” is a polite way to say it. There isn’t much substance in the rest of the articles, even the nice stories about good people. But they are bike stories and this blog strives to be the place on the internet of non-racing bike reporting, so here’s the rest of the Feed (holding nose).

More on the MI bike ride for a dead Marine’s efforts to make the world a better place than what he found it. Dead Marine honored with cross-state ride, scholarship The Witch on a Bicycle endorses this ride and its goals to make the world a better place through education. For all that that is worth.

My SF colleague from examiner.com has an article on PPE for cyclists using football as a metaphor. Vikings’ Brett Favre Schools San Francisco’s 49ers and Cyclists! I also tell my readers to wear helmets, because besides gloves they’re all the PPE we get, not because I think helmets are much good in a wreck. Mine saved my life, but in my wreck I didn’t hit my head on the truck that hit me, I went face first into the road from about 16 feet in the air after I bounced off the truck. The other 2 times I got hit, there was no such thing as bike helmets except for the leather hairnets that track cyclists sometimes wore. (Google “leather bicycle helmet”)

More on Joe Novotny and his wreck. Two months later, friends still mourn Minnesota-born cyclist killed by alleged drunk driver This just never ends, but it does get a little better after time.

Advice on how to not get hit by people throwing open their car doors. Biking near cars opens door to trouble Heed this advice, it might save your life.

“Advice” from the Emerald Isle on bike helmets. To wear or not to wear? To quote one of the “experts” in the article “I wear a helmet to protect myself against my own mistakes, but we know from international studies that helmets do not protect cyclists if they are hit by any vehicle going at any speed.” And there you have in a nutshell why I tell you my readers to wear helmets, because there is always the possibility that a hidden danger (wet leaves, loose sand or gravel, pavement seams) might cause a fall.

Final report is from Oz about a cyclist that even after a wreck did not stop cycle commuting. Nothing will stop this rider “I did fracture my elbow riding to work because I hit a gutter. I kept riding and sort of bleeding everywhere.” You have to admire a person that rides herself to the hospital with a broken arm.

And that’s it for today, I’m going for a bike ride.

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