Road insanity continues unabated, the Feed

The Feed this morning was humongous, with updates from previous reports, and new reports, and a metric buttload of UK reports. Tuesday and Wednesday have been very busy for bicycle wrecks in the UK. We also have reports on studies that have just been released in the UK, and a whole host of other things from North America.

Up first because it just floored me, a pedestrian waylays a cyclist in PA. Bicyclist threatened with bat in Carlisle Apparently the pedestrian was upset the cyclist wasn’t there to buy drugs but was just passing through his “turf”. I have no idea how to avoid a situation like this.

Another in the epidemic of hit-and-run in LA CA. Cyclist critically injured in NoHo hit-and-run The actions of the driver are just inexcusable. The cyclist was crossing legally, other traffic had stopped to allow the cyclist to complete his crossing, and this bozo comes along at between 30 and 40 MPH and never even slows down, running right into the cyclist who was plainly visible crossing from the left. It wasn’t like the driver couldn’t see the cyclist if he looked, if he looked he just didn’t care. He knew he wasn’t going to get hurt.

Another LA hit-and-run, in the state of LA. Cyclist Killed in Hit and Run This is another one that the cyclist didn’t have much chance to avoid, according to police the vehicle left the road to hit the cyclist then proceeded on. The cyclist was knocked into a pole near the road causing massive internal injury leading to death. Police have no clues as to the make and model of the weapon vehicle.

Another UK road incident involving a cyclist. Cyclist injured in collision Other than the cyclist was 22 YO and the driver was 73, that pretty much recaps the entire report except for the geography.

A cyclist is slightly injured, I think. Cyclist injured in Botley Road I hope she recovers. From the description she most likely will.

Another report on the cyclist being injured by a silver Mercedes that was noted here yesterday. Cyclist is injured in hit-and-run A 3 door Mercedes? Must be one that never made it to the US. It figures, they did tend to keep all the really good cars in Europe back then. Anyway it will be scrap soon as the driver will have to either destroy it or face charges.

Another report on the wreck on A16 reported here yesterday. Cyclist killed in A16 crash and a report on the victim Tulips stalwart killed in Spalding A16 crash Apparently the nickname for the local soccer team is the Tulips, but from the report we know the cyclist had no lights or reflectors on the bike, which may have had an effect on the wreck.

More on that debate over the danger posed by cyclists to the community at large. Cyclists aren’t a menace: Spectator debate and Cyclists”not a menace” according to Spectator debate

And a profound reason why cyclists are not the menace. English cyclists 20 times more at risk than motorists I question the methodology of the study a little, but not the results. Given the exposure of a cyclist compared to the amount of protection afforded by a car it’s quite logical that what would be pranged sheet metal would be bruises, scrapes, and broken bones for a cyclist, even if cyclists had an accident rate many times less than motor vehicles they would still get injured more often.

Infrastructure woes in Montreal. Who owns the road in Montreal? This article feels familiar, I may have made a link to it at another web site. But even if it is new the problems reported are familiar, when cyclists are given segregated infrastructure in North America pedestrians begin to take it over, and then complain about how rude the cyclists are to them.

When NPR notices you have a problem, it’s not a small problem. ‘Road Rage’ Case Highlights Cyclist Vs. Driver Tension Some good advice, but some seriously car-head thinking going on at NPR. Also don’t ride like a jerk in a video game, GTA is make believe, you don’t get any extra lives for riding your bike, and riding like you are in GTA just annoys people that then take it out on the next cyclist they see.

Lawrence KS decides to put up a Ghost Bike. City of Lawrence supports ghost bike memorial to encourage cycling safety I’m afraid they still don’t get the idea of a Ghost Bike though. The idea is you make people aware that bicycles use that strip of road by marking the place where a cyclist was hit, you don’t just put one up any old place to remember fallen cyclists.

And another ride for wounded vets. Injured Vets Riding into Jacksonville I know the healing effect a bike, or other human powered vehicle, can have on the physical and mental health of an injured person, from first-hand experience. Go Us!

And that’s the whole of the mess today.

Billed @$.02, 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

Hoping my ancient computer doesn’t crash, a huge Feed

Well, I went to the lab rat keeper’s place again. I’m still alive, and I still have a pulse that’s slightly faster than a corpse’s after I drink my 3rd cup of coffee for the morning, no telling what it would be without coffee. I was advised again to get a medic alert bracelet or dog tags to let people I’m not dead if I’m found unconscious in the street before I get my morning coffee. The bad news is I gained 3.2 pounds since last month. The funny part is I have 2 sets of clothes now, one set of pants and shirts for “fat days” and another for “skinny days” and the “fat” clothes I can get over my thighs but when I stand up they fall off, the “skinny” clothes are a fight to get on over my thighs but when I get them on they don’t fall off Also I can now see the entire upper lobe of my rectus abdominus clearly now including the striation between the upper lobe and the middle lobe. I still have some more fat to lose yet, but I have lost a bunch already.

Up first is a story with multiple reports about a cyclist killed by a police car. Cyclist killed in collision with SDPD car in University City and Collision with police car kills bicyclist also SDPD calls fatal collision with bicyclist an ‘unfortunate accident’ and finally Police car headed to call hits and kills bicyclist Notice that aside from the comments there is nothing in the reports that wasn’t cleared by the killer’s employers the police department. The claim that the police officer was driving under the speed limit would be laughable if the consequences hadn’t been so dire. I mean when was the last time you saw a driver doing the speed limit, much less under the speed limit?

More on that drunk cyclist who crashed into a tree while riding on the sidewalk. Bike Crash Victim Seriously Hurt and Santa Rosa cyclist remains in critical condition OK there are a number of things that could have prevented this wreck. Not riding drunk is the first and foremost, not riding on the sidewalk second, and third is wearing a helmet when you ride. If you prevent the crash you don’t need the helmet, but you can’t always prevent the wreck so wear the helmet. Ideally you do everything you can to prevent the wreck first then protect yourself from getting hurt in the wreck.

I keep posting about not riding on the sidewalk, this is why. Cyclist Injured In Traffic Crash See, drivers don’t expect you when you’re riding on the sidewalk and do things like pull in front of you when you’re crossing the road even after you’ve already started across, with life-threatening consequences in this case. Ride in the street with the rest of the vehicles…

A recurring theme today seems to be cops killing cyclists. Bicyclist struck, killed by Bladensburg police vehicle Again the ridiculous claim that the cop was driving under the speed limit. But apparently the cyclist deserves some of the blame for not watching out for other vehicles on the road, and now he’s dead. Again, watch out for other vehicles when you pull out from parking lots and driveways.

Not your normal bike wreck, by a long shot. Police arrest Boise man after they watch him mug a bicyclist Downtown early Saturday Can you get any more stupid than this? He tries to steal the guy’s bicycle, in front of a bunch of cops. At least that’s one more anti-bike nut taken off the streets.

And another kid is killed just going for a bike ride near Newark DE. 13-year-old cyclist killed near Newark Nothing much about the wreck except that the cyclist was killed by cardiac arrest, apparently caused by blunt trauma to the chest if the rest of the report means what I think it means.

A memorial is planned for the cyclist killed by a transit bus in NY state. Memorial planned for cyclist killed by bus This was one of the good guys for transportational cycling, and I’m sorry his voice was silenced. but, his death will also speak volumes as even a cyclist of his vast experience was not able to navigate the traffic on that street because of poor design, that he pointed out almost a decade ago but that still hasn’t been changed.

A point that hinges on bicycle safety, pedestrian safety. The 10 most dangerous American cities for pedestrians and Pedestrians beware: Study ranks Orlando worst in nation for pedestrians and from one of the best cities, where things are still pretty bad Taking a walk shouldn’t be a contact sport And finally Path to good health, less pollution is the sidewalk: report Studies have shown a positive correlation between pedestrian safety figures and cyclist safety figures, safer pedestrians make for safer cyclists and vice versa. It’s interesting to note that the 4 worst cities are all in FL, the state that kills the most cyclists in spite of not having the most cyclists to kill.

Darcy Sheppard is getting a Ghost Bike. “Ghost bike” memorial placed on Bloor St. for Darcy Allan Sheppard, cyclist killed in August Just for the record I really don’t want a ghost bike, but if I get killed riding my bike there better damn well be a white painted bicycle where I got hit or I’m going to haunt someone until there is a Ghost Bike. So Ghost Bike, or real ghost riding a bicycle. Y’all better hope I die in my sleep from old age. I never had the chance to meet Darcy, he might have been a real SOB. But nobody deserves to die the way he was killed by a driver trying to smear him off the side of his car.

Another blameless wreck in Jolly Olde. Cyclist suffers head injury in collision with car in Purley I hope the cyclist recovers, and that the real story comes out so I can tell you what to do to keep safe in a similar situation.

And shades of TTTWLAMWAMD, someone semi-famous in Jolly Olde is handed down a severe sentence for using his vehicle to injure a cyclist. Former showjumper Christopher Robertson jailed for injuring cyclist From what I understand felons have a hard time getting a driver’s license in the UK, especially if the crime they committed used a car as a weapon…

Media stirring poo in DC against cyclists. WTOP Report Provokes Anger Among Area Cyclists I wonder if this station is a Faux News outlet?

And a bike ride for a veteran. Group bikes in honor of Canton man killed in Afghanistan Thank you veterans.

And that’s it for today. I was wondering if this computer would continue to run as it crashed twice trying to compose this report, once while filtering the Feed and a second time while composing the post, fortunately after I had saved so nothing was lost. If you happen to have a computer that works good and you’re either local or willing to ship, leave a comment.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Mass insanity, death, destruction, and a really cool bike, the Feed

See what happens when I take a Sunday off? People lose their minds. Actually people have lost their minds a long time ago, I just document the process when it comes to bicycles. I also found a really cool concept bike from Lexus (Toyota).

Up first because it affected a lot of people over on BikeJournal.com is multiple reports on a hit-and-run in NC. Motorist sought in death of cyclist and Summerfield Cyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run The U turn after the wreck indicates to me that this was pre-meditated, the driver was going to kill one of those annoying cyclists and teach them all a lesson. I don’t know that it would help much but you could use the hit-from-behind protocol to keep you from ending up the same way. The problem with the H-F-B protocol is it was designed to protect you from drivers that aren’t paying attention to where they are going, not from drivers that are trying to kill you.

Not much information at this point, but there was a bicycle fatality in AL. Wrecks claim at least three lives in Huntsville Saturday Other than the fact it was a hit-and-run I don’t know anything about this wreck.

More violence against cyclists in Boise. Police looking for two hit-and-run drivers Both riders appear to have been riding legally when hit, aside from this again I can’t say anything about the wrecks except I’m running low on rabid badgers and I still haven’t found a way to make people allergic to kittens. Perhaps we should just stick to flogging drivers who hit-and-run against cyclists with bicycle chains, the logistics are much easier. And if you don’t understand the badgers and kittens reference you really need to read some of the older posts in my blog.

And I really expected better than this from USAToday. Two-wheel troublemaking: Have motorists let bicyclists’ ‘rights’ go too far? Have bicyclists let motorists’ “rights” go too far? Drivers act like they own the roads and every piece of pavement around it. Oh, don’t read the comments unless you already have brain damage.

A scholarship has been created at the alma mater of a cyclist killed on the roads. Scholarship created to honor cyclist Mr. Novotny’s memory will live on long after the reason for his death has been forgotten.

Another Ghost Bike this time in Lawrence KS. Friends seek ghost bike memorial for hit-and-run victim People in Lawrence are so nice, most of them. It just makes the minority of fucktards so much more annoying and prominent.

Another one from the UK Black Bridge crash – cyclist seriously injured At least the driver hung around after the wreck, even if it was to complain about all the damned cyclists in his way. (J/K I don’t know if that was in fact why the driver stayed at the scene.)

Things are getting uncomfortable for politicians in Enn Zed. Politicians duck as cyclist’s widow targets drink-driving loophole I agree on this one, why should a repeat drunk driver get to drive again after being caught for the third time?

An interesting article about where cyclists get hit by cars in NZ. Danger lurks for cyclists One of the first things to do when faced with road deaths is to determine if this is an infrastructure issue or an attitude issue. The first step for that is mapping the wrecks, and investigating the sites where the most wrecks have happened.

Now that seriously cool e-assist bike with a carbon fiber frame and most of the structural and non-structural bits also make from CF composites. Eco Bikes: Lexus debuts carbon fiber pedal-assist electric bicycle at Tokyo Motor Show The e-assist bike for the rich. It was reported that this was a running bike at the show, with fully developed electronics and is ready to go into production at the drop of an oil barrel.

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

It has been a long day, and the Feed

Yes I have been on the road for a long time today, from 11 AM until 8 PM with no lunch, which meant that as soon as I got home I spent the next 2 hours or so stuffing my face to replenish the calories I lost from the miles on the road and the hypothermia of wandering around TX soaking wet with temperatures in the low to mid 60s F. After eating everything that wasn’t nailed down (I think we might be short a cat ) I filtered the Feed and now here we are, exhausted and frustrated, still drying out and getting warmed back up after riding 26 miles through what felt like a monsoon riding over to NCTCOG HQ to find out about new signs and meanings for signs that had been added to the MUTCD, and to find out about the things going on in the rest of the Metroplex as far as bike projects are concerned (Richardson has almost 6 miles of bike lanes now!). Anyway, there was a Feed and there were cyclists killed and/or injured, plus infrastructure articles, the post about the NCTCOG will have to wait until I get up tomorrow.

Up first because it’s the thing that makes me the most angry (angriest?) is a report on the trial of the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. Defense attorney cross-examines cyclists in LA road rage case The defense tried to insinuate that bicycles were unstable, but they’re no more unstable than your average lawyer, right Eric?

A woman is killed riding her bicycle in Chicago. CFD: Cyclist killed in Lakeview crash Amazingly enough one of the commenters actually used as reason the cyclist was at fault was that she was not wearing a helmet. From what was given in the article I can’t figure out what went wrong as 2 cyclists went past a bus stopped to pick up passengers and one of them was hit by a truck. I know nothing of where the truck came from or which way it was going, why only one cyclist was hit, or anything else except that the woman was hit and she died at the scene. The comments section is useless in this situation because the people claiming to witness the wreck are making contradictory statements.

VeloNews provided several links today about bike wrecks, and infrastructure articles. The Explainer – We just wanna ride and The Mailbag – Radios, road rage and horse pucky Just read the articles.

A woman in Montreal is injured unnecessarily. Injured cyclist failed to stop at red light: Montreal police All you have to do is stop at red lights. If you want to run the red light then you have to look before you go to make sure there’s nothing to run into you.

The Canadian version of the thing that walks like a man, with a law degree, wants to get the mess over with so he can go on with his life. Michael Bryant wants a quick trial, lawyer says I still don’t see why he got out of jail after being caught on camera assaulting a man with a deadly weapon, not once but twice, and killing him in the second assault. And that miserable attempt to smear the deceased’s reputation to make it seem like it was an act of charity to kill him? I could smell the Astroturf half a continent away it must have really reeked in Ontario.

Still in Canadia comes an article on sharing the road with bicycles. Road sharing Gee, people who drive killing machines that weigh in excess of a ton and that can go in excess of 60 miles in an hour have to be careful when they do so as not to cause injury to innocent bystanders? Whodathunkit?

Also from the Great White North comes this. Cyclist’s death highlights auto hazards Do these guys know each other?

In the UK a man gets away with hit-and-run, almost. Driver avoids jail after leaving injured cyclist Of course now this guy has to be very careful around cyclists when he finally gets to drive again because he has this hit-and-run on his record.

A story that’s getting a lot of time in the Australian media. Cyclist killed in truck collision and Three die on Victorian roads in 24 hours also Cyclist dies after being hit by truck Apparently the truck driver was not trying to hit the cyclist as he was hospitalized for shock after he killed the cyclist. near as I can tell this was a hit-from-behind wreck of the hardest kind to prevent, the one where a driver thinks they have left enough room and isn’t trying to buzz you, just mis-judges how big the vehicle is by a large amount. Standard hit-from-behind protocol applies, plus just be careful both behind the wheel and turning the pedals.

Drivers get mad that cyclists exist in Houston. The Wheel World

Substituting endorphins for illegal pharmaceuticals. Win a red ribbon Personally, I don’t care if you do drugs in the privacy of your own abode, I just care if you get stoned and get on the roads, any mode but especially in a car.

Substituting a religious addiction for other addictions. Ride a testament to mental, physical strength If that is what works for you and your problems, do what you gotta do.

And proving that making something illegal won’t make it go away… Despite Ban, Electric Bikes Gain Favor on City Streets One of the things I do when I’m not typing this blog or going for bike rides is build assist bikes from my own designs. I prefer through the gears assist for better use of less electricity, but I acknowledge you can’t beat a hub motor conversion for simplicity.

And that’s it for tonight (this morning?).

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

A rant at the end, and wrecks at the beginning, nice stuff in the middle

Today’s Feed combined with the Welcoming Congregation classes I have been taking have brought about an epiphany. More about that at the end of the blog post. First we have wrecks, then we have lifestyle reports, then you get the rant.

Up first for no particular reason is a rather sparse report on a hit-and-run against a cyclist in the Delmarva region. Cyclist injured in hit and run At least the police are not blaming the victim in this one, but beyond that I can’t say what exactly went down in this wreck besides the cyclist. I do know that intersections were until recently the most likely place to get hit on a bicycle because of the omnidirectionality of threats. You still have to be aware of cars hitting you from behind, but you also have to be alert to cars hitting you from either side or turning in front of you. This is where you have to keep your head on a swivel to keep alive.

A cyclist injured in a right hook incident who was impaired in efforts to recover expenses incurred in the wreck because of PD failure to cite the driver has won a suit against the city responsible, Portland OR. City to settle with injured bicyclist over North Portland intersection When someone makes a right turn across an active traffic lane without checking to see if the lane was clear before turning and causes a wreck with injury normally there would be a citation for failure to yield, and there is a special law that applies to bike lanes with an enhanced penalty because of the relative fragility of cyclists compared to motor vehicles, but that law was not enforced here and the cyclist suffered additional harm because of the city’s failure to enforce the law. Hence the lawsuit, hence the settlement when the city found itself in an indefensible position.

And on the subject of lawsuits, one has been filed over the wreck of a cyclist with an 18 wheeler. Old Dominion Freight driver accused of badly injuring cyclist while using wireless device The list of injuries the cyclist suffered just boggles the mind: Helwig suffered a broken pelvis, broken ribs, broken back, lacerated liver and spleen, head injury, and a badly damaged left arm. He lost one kidney and his small intestine. That pretty much defines the term “basket case”. Go get ‘em.

A competitor to RoadID has a different product to offer. Is it a better product? Yikes ID Helps Cyclists Make Smart Safety Decisions So They Never Have To Ride Alone Assuming there isn’t more than one cyclist involved this might be a good idea, and it might also help return stolen bikes with really stupid people involved. I think it might be a good idea for commuters.

A charity ride against cancer. Brett’s ride rolls on

More on the story of Alice Swanson’s Ghost Bike saga. Alice’s Blend: The people behind the ghost bike saga I see the anger, and I understand the frustration of the people involved with the struggle.

The Saratoga Springs school that banned riding a bicycle to school has become international news, here’s an update from the local newspaper. A sensible way to get to school

And final article from the Feed, is it possible to design roads so that nobody dies while using them? People don’t have to die on the road I don’t see how you can re-write the rules of Newtonian physics just because people die trying to break them. Mass has consequence, velocity has consequence, and no amount of complaining about it is going to change those facts. Even if bicycles are given completely separate facilities, in order to get to places people find useful those facilities will have to interact with motor vehicle traffic at at least two points, the point of origin and the destination, unless you somehow create infrastructure to deliver goods that doesn’t require the use of roads and trucks to bring goods to their point of sale, and ban the use of private motor vehicles. And even if you do all that, people will still run into one another and get someone killed, even if they’re on bicycles.

And now the rant I promised:

In the class I session I just took this Sunday we discussed Oppression (with the capital “O”). One of the characteristics of oppression is to declare a “norm” so that anything outside of that norm may be oppressed, in this case the “norm” is a car driver. It is not enough that one be in control of a motor vehicle, that vehicle has to have 4 wheels to go with the motor, just ask all the motorcycle riders that are run over and severely injured or killed because “I didn’t see him” is accepted as an excuse from responsibility.

One of the other characteristics of Oppression is that people outside the “norm” are not given equal enforcement of the law when they are victims. To wit most recently the Bexar County incident where 2 people were killed by a truck driver that went off the road repeatedly, but the truck driver did not suffer any kind of legal consequences for killing 2 people on a bicycle.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be confined to “bicycle infrastructure” any more than black people wanted to be confined to “Colored Only” drinking fountains, but I even more don’t want to be banned from the roads like black people were banned from voting or other meaningful participation in the political process. I’m not saying bicyclists are the new [offensive and derogatory reference to people of African descent], but just going by the number of lynchings, we may be getting close.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Running at a record pace for the third month in a row, and the Feed

Wow! I was checking my blog stats this morning and that’s all I can say. I was running late last night and wasn’t showing much traffic when I posted yesterday, but after the post went live I had a torrent of traffic. I haven’t activated the counter that tells me how many of you are watching for new posts by e-mail, but it must be a large number of you. I feel honored that you wait on new posts and swarm the site when a new one goes up. It’s almost like when I go for a bike ride and people ask me if I’m Opus the Poet because they recognize me from my blog. This is the third month in a row that I have set new click records, and this time I still have 2 days left in the month to set it higher. You honor me again, I really don’t know what I do to deserve all this attention.

First up because it’s the only wreck report from the North American continent is a wreck in MA. Man on bike struck by car, injured I don’t see how there could be any less information about this wreck, they never even identified the gender of the driver of the car, or even acknowledged the car had a driver. Nothing on the direction of travel or if the wreck was in the intersection or just in the general vicinity. Just a vague location and an approximate time.

Our only other wreck is an update on a 9/12 wreck in Guyana. Injured cyclist still critical This looks like a sever brain injury from the description in the report. I hope he recovers, because at this point it looks like, to quote an old SNL skit, you can give him some moss for his north side for Christmas. Still alive but no motor responses to stimuli, ugh. If there is still intelligence locked up inside that brain it won’t stay sane for long. I think Metallica did a song and video about someone in a condition like that.

A person that equates helmets with safety wants only pictures of bike riders with helmets on in the paper. Community Conversation: Press should promote helmet use by bicyclists with photos it prints Really, the newspaper should only print pictures with scenes that promote your propaganda? Can I get pictures of the victims of motor vehicle wrecks beside every car ad to go with that?

There is some push going on for a 3 foot passing law in SD. Safety cushion sought for bicycle riders I wish they wouldn’t call it a cushion but rather a margin, otherwise decent article.

One that I got back channel about enforcing the 3 foot law in FL. FSU Police officers teach motorists ‘three feet’ law I know it’s old news, but it proves that a 3 foot passing law can be enforced if LEO decide to enforce it.

And another report on yet another ghost bike. Project promotes bicyclists’ rights This “ghost bike” is just a discarded bike chained to a post, they didn’t even bother to paint it white. The idea is the ghost bike is an unridable bike that is left as a memorial to the fallen, some even have hubs that are welded solid, with the back wheel buried in concrete, but this seems to be more of a funerial offering that they keep in ridable condition except the fron wheen from the wrecked bike. I just don’t understand.

Final story is about a car-free day in Israel to honor a high holy day. Holy day or holiday? Thousands of people on bicycles celebrate a day without cars, and people are at all surprised when there is a spike in bike wrecks? Shouldn’t they be promoting the fact that the fatality rate drops to almost zilch on that day?

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Back to the grind, here are your dead cyclists and some that are still kicking

Well that was a short rest, we have a Feed full of dead and injured cyclists and jurisprudence related to that subject, and all of it in North America (my UK readers can take a break, Jolly Olde remains jolly tonight).

And the state that kills more cyclists, outright or per capita, than any other in the US has added to that record this week. Cyclist killed in Lake County accident If y’all from FL don’t like it when I post that statement about FL killing more than any other state, then do something about it! You might start by getting something done about drivers that go off the roads to hit cyclists from behind like this wreck. Give me, no give cyclists a brake. pay attention to where you’re going and quit driving so fast. This rider was all the way off the legal portion of the road and was not impeding traffic in any way shape or form, and still got hit from behind and killed. This is no longer acceptable, it has never been acceptable. When you drive off the roads and kill someone it is a crime. I don’t know what kind of a crime to call it but when you are controlling a deadly WMD and you can’t keep it between the lines where it is moderately safe to put it and you kill someone where you are not supposed to be either in a bike lane or off the road completely on the shoulder, it is a crime and you should go to prison and you should never be allowed to drive again for the rest of your life should you ever be released from prison.

Another left cross in GA this time. Bicyclist injured in crash with car At this time I can’t say if the cyclist had enough time to avoid this wreck in any way. If there is time to avoid your wreck the best course to take is brake hard and turn right for either the left cross or the right hook.

Two reports on a Yuma cyclist killed in a head on crash. Cyclist killed in car collision and from my examiner.com colleague Yuma, AZ cyclist killed in car collision The rider was hit head on by a car that was passing a tractor. You know the things that pull plows etc. on farms? that kind of tractor. This was not an avoidable wreck for this cyclist who was the second hit in a single file line of cyclists, the first one suffered shoulder injuries and is expected to ride again. Doug Flynn probably was dead before he fell from the front of the car that hit him as his heart showed no response when paramedics hooked him up to a monitoring device. Again this was a driver not watching where she was going, and I’m not blaming the driver because of her gender I’m blaming the driver because she wasn’t watching where she was going and hit a group of cyclists head on and killed one of them.

Salina KS is a dangerous place to ride a bike this time of year as 4 wrecks are reported in a half hour spread on a single morning. Drivers Urged to Be Extra Cautious at Dawn and Dusk The old “I couldn’t see him!” excuse. If you can’t see, then slow down. None of the cyclists in this report were at fault but 2 went to the hospital because a driver was in too big a hurry to slow down when his or her vision was impaired by glare.

Amherst MA is having a time explaining new laws to drivers and cyclists as many are in collision. Police push bike safety, rules in wake of death A number of these bike v car wrecks are because cyclists run stop signs but there were also a number of dooring incidents. OK guys I keep saying this but apparently there are a lot of people not reading this blog, you have to slow and LOOK when you get to a stop sign and STOP if there is crossing traffic. I’m not going the get all high and mighty and tell you to stop at every stop sign, cars don’t even stop at every stop sign. There is a major intersection within walking distance of my house that is a 4-way stop and NOBODY stops there, except the school bus that has the video tape going to monitor the driver and the kids.

It’s an epidemic in Ottawa! Three Cyclists Injured in Crashes and 3 cyclists involved in separate accidents Four in KS and 3 more in ON, is there some kind of bug going around?

They finally got around to prosecuting the shared-ride driver that went off the road to hit a cyclist in Boise. ValleyRide van driver charged in Eagle cyclist’s death “Michael Perkins is accused of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter after a May 19 collision that killed Jim L. Chu of Eagle.” heck of a response time on that one, more than 4 months between the assault and the charges, but there will be no arrest on this one. They expect the guy to come in on his own to be booked and then he gets to go home and wait for his court date to be set. TANJ! And he is still getting paid to sit on his butt and do nothing by the bus company. TRANJ! (there really ain’t no justice)

People really liked this guy. Memorial to be held for Boulder cyclist killed last weekend I hope there is a ride for me when I get hit again. I don’t want to get hit again but I probably will be.

Even Olympian cyclists like to go for the occasional charity ride. Thorburn along for the ride: Stanford doctor, a two-time Olympian, cruising 525 miles for charity I fully endorse this ride. like that means anything

Another article on helmet laws, with extra stupidity. The debate about helmet safety The author quotes a helmet manufacturer’s rep as saying that a helmet is pretty much useless in a car v bike wreck but then goes on to say that there should be helmet laws anyway. The Canadian standard is almost identical to the US test except with a cold weather test (I hope so anyway, most US bike helmets turn to either a solid hunk or crumble at temps routinely encountered in the Great White North during ice biking season.)

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus