Trying not to kill anyone, and the Feed

I was able to put my right sock on by myself this morning, which meant I could wear my shoes, which meant I had a level pelvis when I walked and I had a lot less pain in my leg. So yay! getting the sock on. Dad had a rough day yesterday but seems to be in much improved spirits today, and showed marked improvement in his strength and balance after therapy. So everybody is doing better this morning.

Today is the Ride of Silence. As I was saying yesterday, this will be the first time I have been totally unable to attend a Ride since Larry Schwartz died. I am totally bummed about the situation. but if someone could wear a red and black armband for me I would be much obliged. Red because I was injured, black because, well I was dead for a little bit. And also because you “know” a deceased cyclist. Ride of Silence Tomorrow Night Honors Princeton Anchor House Cyclist Doug McCune and Hernando cyclists’ Ride of Silence makes plea for safety also Rock Hill’s Ride of Silence a tribute to victims of bicycling accidents even Bicyclists to honor fellow riders in Ridgeland another link Salado: Memorial Bike Ride Honors Cyclist Killed In Accident getting close now Quincy Bicycle Club plans ‘Ride of Silence’ Wednesday not done yet Evansville’s Ride of Silence remembers fallen cyclists, raises moving issues are you kidding me? Ride of Silence honors fallen riders, urges awareness last link WILDOMAR: Bike safety event Saturday

More on that cyclist killed on Folly Rd. Folly Road bike fatality: Victim ‘swerving in and out’ of bike lane before accident That’s an interesting statement since there isn’t a bike lane in the Google Street View of the crash scene, but one may have been placed since that picture was taken. Interesting thing about the description of the wreck, the SUV sideswiped the cyclist, not the other way around.

An assisted bike is cut off by a car pulling from a driveway in AZ. Motorized bike rider killed in midtown crash Driveways are intersections, so intersection protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right (including laws and enforcement) to prevent.

A cyclist in IA survives a hit-and-run. Injured Cyclist Needs Your Help With the cyclist being dragged 150 feet by the weapon vehicle I’m surprised the charges didn’t include some kind of assault charge. Hit-from-behind wreck, use the protocols to avoid. Get the infrastructure right to prevent oblivious drivers from hitting cyclists and dragging them 150 feet under their vehicles.

Cycle Twin Cities catches you up on the news from around the twin Cities in MN, (DUH). Twin Cities Cycling News From Around the Web Some citizen bike races and infrastructure news as they have a major bike/ped bridge that is still out of commission until someone decides to fix it.

From the Great White North, drivers are too stupid to know when they are tired so they need technology that will tell them it’s time to get off the road and take a nap. Quebec coroner calls for driver drowsiness alerts So, 2 years on and they still haven’t found anything to charge a guy that hit 6 cyclists and killed 3 of them? TANJ!

More from the GWN. Cycling safety in the spotlight after trio of crashes All 3 of the wrecks listed in the article were at intersections, as well as most of the anecdotes in the story. Use intersection protocols to avoid a similar wreck, and get the infrastructure right to prevent one.

Speaking of infrastructure, which is more important safe streets or pretty streets? Absurdist Shrubbery If there’s all this room for landscaping (not to mention budget), why is it so hard to get 5 feet to put a bike lane? You really have to wonder some times.

And coming on the heels of an absurd “statistic” from a driving web site (“57% of cyclists run red lights”) comes an equally absurd response. Cycling’s kitten bothering shame Yes, 21% of cyclists in the UK have bothered a kitten while riding, sort of. At least as rigorous as the “statistics” offered from the other article. Not mentioned was the 31% of drivers that admitted to running red lights in that same poll. Links to the poll are in the article linked in this paragraph.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today that were still good by the time I got around to posting this in my blog. There were some doozies out there that were broken by the time I got ready to put them in the blog.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Ready to take a bike ride, and the Feed

I am soooo wanting to go for a bike ride now. I’m tired of hurting all the time and the only time I felt halfway human was when I was riding Blue. One or two turns of the pedals and I felt great for hours, if a little tired. I love my Dad, but I really need to be getting back to my life and my bike and the things my mind is capable of dealing with on a daily basis. I don’t like things that disrupt my routine and recent events have been about as disruptive as you can get. This is not brain damage related, I disliked messing with my routine even as a child. I have been told I was probably high-functioning autistic spectrum as a child. That sounds about right to me. The brain damage doesn’t help that any at all.

Up first is an act of terrorism against a cyclist resulting in injury. Student Injured After Bike was Tampered Another reason to do the ABC check any time you have to leave a bike unattended. But, seriously, three incidents of bike tampering and nothing has been done already? Loosen a few wheels from the cars in the parking lot and see how fast that gets investigated…

A CA cyclist runs a red light and gets hurt. BLACK MOUNTAIN RANCH: Bicyclist injured in crash with minivan OK this one is so simple I really shouldn’t have to say anything about how to avoid or to prevent a future wreck. Even with Dutch-style infrastructure you have to obey the red lights to not get hit by cars.

Another one of those super-stupid people uses the wrong weapon against a cyclist. Man killed in Harvey was on his way to work, family says I’m not sure how this can be avoided or prevented, but it seems to be rampant in the NOLA area as there are 2 incidents reported in the link. Gun violence is not my beat.

A person uses the right weapon against a cyclist that was escaping from stealing a wallet. Witnesses: Man chases, hits boy with car after wallet is stolen I think the charges in this one may be a reaction to the Trayvon Martin case, because this was definitely a justifiable homicide up to the point where the victim was dragged from under the vehicle and beaten to death. Had this not been a case of a fleeing felon, to avoid use hit-from-behind protocols.

Another report on the cyclist killed in MD. Bicyclist struck and killed by car in Olney Two days later and they’re still not giving out any information about the mode of the wreck… I knew more about it from the other link…

A terrible hit-and-run with a good outcome. Billings cyclist and toddler uninjured; hit and run driver turns herself in The driver that ran over such a large vehicle has been apprehended. Since mode was not given and the location was described as an intersection I’m going to go out on a limb and say the intersection protocols done properly would avoid this wreck, infrastructure done correctly would prevent it.

Two related links from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike in the US 6 years running. Cyclist was victim of hit-and-run driver in SW Miami-Dade and Aaron Cohen Hit-And-Run: Michele Traverso Reportedly Escapes DUI Manslaughter Charge

Two articles about general bike safety from Austin, just a (very) long day’s ride from WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell. Tragedies put spotlight on bike safety and Bicycle riding up, fatalities down in state Whoops! wrong Austin on that second link.

Another Infrastructure article from CA. Column: Let’s All Drive 20 mph Yes 20 will make a big difference in the severity of a wreck when it happens but it also gives much more time to avoid a wreck.

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Dad is coming back from the hospital today, and the Feed

I have been somewhat out of the loop about Dad’s condition and destination, but from what I have been told we are going to pick him up from the hospital this afternoon and bring him home, that there had been some alterations made to his medications that have stopped his back spasms and made him much more comfortable, and that he is able to get in and out of bed on his own. Before he quit eating he was almost able to get back in bed on his own, but still needed help getting sat up to get out of bed. After he quit eating that went backwards of course. His voice on the phone sounded much more sure and stable, and free of pain.

Up first is an update on the CA wreck of the founder of the Cutters cycling club, named for the Cutters team in the Little 500. Cyclist’s death has riders on edge Way too many wrecks on that stretch of pavement, way too many cars leaving the road to hit bicycles. And why haven’t assault charges been filed in the case where the driver crossed the road to hit cyclists head on? TANJ!

Another hit-and-run in CA. Police seek vehicle that injured cyclist in Antioch hit-and-run I didn’t catch the mode of the wreck, but finding the perp shouldn’t be too hard if they lean on the people who sell windshields.

A cyclist is hit in MD. Hit and run leaves teen severely hurt The mode of wreck sounds suspiciously like an assault, “swerved onto the shoulder striking the teen“. Anyway hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, getting the infrastructure right to prevent.

The LEO that hit him says the MA cyclist was riding salmon. Police: Bicyclist rode wrong way on Rte. 9 before crash Assuming the sole witness to the wreck was telling the truth, this wreck could have been avoided by using hit-from-behind protocols and not riding salmon. Getting the infrastructure right would have prevented the cyclist from being on a fast, busy, highway in the first place. The fact that the hospital the cyclist was taken to has no record of his admission and the police report having him with serious injuries makes me wonder about the rest of the report.

An IA wreck has closure as the driver responsible pleads guilty. Driver to plead guilty in death of bike rider AFAIK IA has Vehicular Manslaughter which has a much higher minimum sentence, so I’m assuming this is a plea bargain.

A cyclist is killed in Oz. Cyclist killed in accident near Clunes and Cyclist dies in road accident near Clunes also Three killed on Victoria’s roads None of the reports gave a mode for the wreck but all seemed to indicate the cyclist was not the one at fault in the wreck from the wording of the articles.

Helmet-crazy Infrastructure! news. Study: 80% of bike-share riders don’t use helmets and Bike Sharing? Stay Safe By Wearing A Helmet also 4 out of 5 of Bike Sharers Don’t Wear Helmets another one The Flaw In Public Bike Sharing Programs and last link Bike helmets could save $41 per child in hospital costs So the average child in the ER would cost $41 less if he/she had been wearing a helmet? And how much could we save if we get kids away from the most deadly thing in their lives, motor vehicles?

Infrastructure news from the UK about the upcoming London election. London Mayoral candidates questioned at cycling hustings I agree with one of the hecklers “When in a hole, stop digging!”

Infrastructure of a different kind in Italy where they have charging stations for e-vehicles built into a phone-booth like structure that also offers WiFi for browsing the Internet while waiting for your car or e-bike to recharge. In Italy, solar-powered phone booth offers wifi and electric-vehicle charging Just the spot to recharge your e-bike and catch up on e-mail… (no pun intended)

And that’s all the news that gave me fits today. Come back tomorrow for more Dad news with more actual bike news, too.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Why no post yesterday, and the Feed

Dad took a serious turn for the worse yesterday as his pain levels spiked and his digestive issues went really bad. I won’t go into deep details because he’s my Dad and deserves privacy, but the parts I can tell aren’t very good. He had been not eating even though he enjoyed what little he ate he just didn’t want anything except ice cream (that I had been spiking with protein powder) and even ice cream he wouldn’t eat very much of. When we decided to take him to the hospital it was mostly for he intractable pain levels he was experiencing but what he was admitted for was he was in early stages of renal failure which apparently started about the same time as all the other difficulties. They caught it in time and had him on IV hydration and nutrition when I left him last night. They were also checking to make sure he hadn’t caught any kind of diseases from being in the creek however long he was in there. The doctors think that would be a high probability cause of the loss of appetite and kidney shutdown. UPDATE: As I was putting this post together Dad called from his hospital room to tell me he was feeling much better, and that they keep finding things wrong with him. I’m going to be seeing him this evening so there will be an additional update late this evening as a separate post.

Up first by way of severity and proximity to WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell, a cyclist is hit from behind on the shoulder of a busy highway and bike route in Austin TX. Fatal wreck on Loop 360 concerns Austin cycling groups and Cyclists: Do you ride on Loop 360? also Cyclist dies in accident on Hwy 360 AFAIK the cyclist was in the shoulder when he was hit from behind by the weapon vehicle. LEO are still trying to determine why the weapon vehicle left the road and hit the cyclist. Because of the speed involved the cyclist’s helmet was not a major factor in the wreck aside from adding to the debris field. I’m not sure anything could have been done by the cyclist to prevent the weapon vehicle from hitting him in the shoulder of the road, but SBR would have prevented that from even being an issue.

Still in Austin the victim of a hit-and run will be left with permanent paralysis to the left side of his head a well as loss of hearing. Update released about injured cyclist’s condition Best wishes for the cyclist, curses and doom on the driver. May the driver somehow be required to compensate the cyclist for his damages.

An idiot in a fast car hits-and runs a cyclist in Houston. HPD: Driver runs over woman, strikes building and Driver hits cyclist before crashing into building The driver was arrested and immediately made bail from comments on the articles and the FB page. No way to avoid a wreck like this as the cyclist was crossing the intersection legally when she was hit. SBR might not even have prevented this wreck as it depends on drivers also following the laws which wasn’t happening with this speeding driver that ignored the signals when he hit the cyclist.

An 11YO salmon cyclist is severely injured in SC Pickens boy hit by car while riding bike and Child Injured While Riding Bike The kid was pretty busted up as they say in the south. Be conspicuous and ride with traffic to avoid, SBR that even m American 11YO can understand and use to prevent.

Kid in a bike hit and injured in MA. Car hits Easton teen on bike in Norton LEO is blaming the cyclist for not wearing a glow in the dark clown suit despite it not saying the time of day the cyclist was hit from behind. At this point I can’t say what would have definitively avoided this wreck, but SBR that can be used by people wearing normal clothing would definitely prevent the wreck.

Kid hit by a bus in Vancouver WA. Boy’s death spurs concern over C-Tran route The video linked in the article comments showed the cyclist about 1/3 of the way across the intersection when the bus started moving and impacted the cyclist with the side of the bus. the cyclist was crossing the road with the light in the crosswalk but riding salmon for the direction he was travelling. I’m just agog trying to figure out how this could be avoided because there was wrong on both sides, the cyclist riding salmon and in the sidewalk, the bus driver failing to yield to a person legally using the crosswalk and there before she started to move the bus. Even Dutch-style infrastructure would have had bikes and buses on the same street in this downtown setting but would have had a speed limit of ~18 MPH (30 km/h) so the bus and the bike would have been about the same speed. More 11-year-old bicyclist dies after collision with bus in Vancouver also 11-year-old bicyclist dies after collision with bus in Vancouver And for all the people screaming about helmets, this kid died of blood loss after losing an arm in the wreck, but his head was practically untouched.

Another wreck in the ‘Couve. Cyclist critically injured in Hazel Dell crash Just enough given about the direction of travel for the weapon vehicle, for only cursory advice about intersection protocols to avoid and SBR to prevent.

Another kid is hit in AR. Lonoke County Child on Bike Hit and Killed by Car Combining the video and the text reports I still have no idea what happened in the wreck to be able to tell you how to avoid the wreck, or to be able to say if SBR really would have been able to prevent it.

Update on that wreck in Temucula CA. PHOTOS: Crash Leaves Bicycle Rider in Hospital Yes very bad wreck. see the previous post (Saturday’s) to find how to avoid/prevent another wreck like this.

Either another report on the WI wreck from Saturday, or another wreck near the site of the first one. Horicon man critically injured after being hit by car If this wreck is as reported to avoid use the first protocol in the intersection protocols, when at a stop sign you need to stop and yield for oncoming traffic. To prevent SBR with Dutch-style intersection treatments.

Last link to a wreck story is another report on the 3 cyclists that were hit riding in GA. Report: Two Central Florida bicyclists killed on Georgia road and Osteen, Sanford cyclists killed in Georgia Again this wreck was 100% the fault of the driver as the cyclists were wearing the glow in the dark clown costumes and had lights on both their persons and their bikes when the driver “didn’t see” them. The cyclists had done everything possible to avoid this wreck and the driver failed to have the due diligence required to not hit vehicles on the side of the road.

And last link, “Bo knows” how to ride a bike as he completes 300 miles in 5 days riding across AL for tornado relief. Special Report: Bo Bikes Bama and Bo bikes ‘Bama to help tornado victims also Bo Jackson’s bike tour raises $410,000 for Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund (photos) more Bo Jackson finishes 300-mile ride Not done yet Heisman winner Bo Jackson finishes 300-mile bike ride for tornado relief, raises $413K so far still more Heisman winner Bo Jackson raises over $400,000 with 300-mile tornado relief ride also Bo Jackson finishes 300-mile tornado relief ride Still not done Way to go, biker Bo More, more, more Bo knows biking, too getting close now Bo goes over top again, makes all happy this time around another link Bo Jackson’s bicycle trek ends in Tuscaloosa last link Bo raises more than $400,000 for tornado relief effort Now, be honest. Could I have raised nearly a half a million dollars if I had been the one leading a ride across AL? Didn’t think so. There are times when famous people can help just by being famous, like this time.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, more tonight when I update y’all on Dad’s condition after the hospital visit.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Finding the new “normal”, and the Feed

Dad has taken a minor set-back as the trip Monday led to an exhausted Tuesday. The good news is that we now have a person bringing solid food by that knows how to cook well and still can make the food light enough for Dad to be able to eat it. The problem for Dad right now is he needs lots of nutrition, but because all he can do is just lay on his back or limp painfully to the bathroom he doesn’t need much in the way of calories, which pretty much prevents him from getting enough nutrition. Also the current thermostat setting of 80°F pretty well kills my appetite too. Well, that and my near total lack of activity beyond running around the house for my Dad.

The big story today is Bo Jackson is riding a bike (5 bikes actually, one at a time) across AL. Bo Jackson begins bike ride for tornado relief and Bo Jackson leads Alabama relief ride also Bo Jackson begins bike ride for tornado victims more Heisman winner Bo Jackson begins Alabama bike ride another one Bo Bikes Bama: Names on bike bear witness to tragedy

First wreck is a 10 YO recovering from getting hit while crossing the road. 10-year-old recovering from Appleton bicycle crash The cyclist did not clear the intersection before the cars started coming, but because of her age and the question of did she enter under a green light she didn’t get a ticket. But one of the drivers that hit her got one for having the view obstructed by something hanging from the mirror.

Another red light running kid cyclist in CA this time. Teen cyclist injured in car accident in Oxnard For this and the previous paragraph, to avoid use intersection protocols, to prevent install SBR.

Not much about the wreck in this report from MA. Fire Log: Injured Cyclist Airlifted for Treatment Geez. Not even a name for the cyclist… pretty serious injury though.

And from NC one of the top states for assaulting cyclists with guns (and conversely one of the lowest for IQ tests) someone shot another cyclist. Rocky Mount bicyclist injured in drive-by shooting To avoid find wicking body armor, to prevent LEO need to do a better job enforcing gun laws as well as driver’s license tests, there are some real idiots out there…

An AZ cyclist hit while following all the rules has died from the injuries in this update. Bicyclist injured in Yuba City crash dies Still no official word on how the wreck happened but my bet is the driver did it. At this point I don’t even know if the wreck was intersection or from behind.

A Portland OR teen is hit from behind in the bike lane and the driver barely slowed. Portland teen injured in hit-and-run Hit from behind protocols to avoid, SBR and better enforcement of not driving on them (the wreck was in a bike lane) to prevent. Did you see how many times people pulled into the bike lane to pass in the video? >shudder<

Another AZ wreck that having an alert responsible driver at the wheel would prevent. Amy Alexander Police Report Sheds No Light on Why SUV Drifted Into Bike Lane, Killing Cyclist; Kids Noticed What Mom Didn’t The kids said the vehicle was in the bike lane when it hit and killed the cyclist, making the driver at fault. So why the hand-wringing about why the driver was driving in the bike lane? And the $420 fine for killing a man is just outrageous.

A wreck in NJ. Bicyclist Martin Rutecki critically injured in Glassboro crash SWCC, the only person at the scene that was conscious was the driver who denied not paying attention to the road. I can’t see the bike, so I can’t say for sure what happened

Canuckistani LEO are trying to figure out how to blame the teen cyclist for getting hit from behind in the bike lane. Teen cyclist struck and killed by taxi Note the mention of the mantra of cycliing in West Canuckistan: “Reflective gear, lights and a helmet are all recommended while biking at night“. Not “Watch where you drive that multi-ton killing machine and don’t hit people riding bicycles!”

Last link is a report on a man that thwarted a bike theft, when LEO fianlly got around to catching up to the chase. Man follows bicycle thief for 30 minutes Total time between calling the cops and somebody slapping on the cuffs, nearly an hour.

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Just had a serious Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot moment, and the Feed

As I was going through the Feed getting ready to come write the post I got a notice that the Pinkyracer hit-and-run high-speed impact was not considered a hit-and-run by LAPD, that they had watched the whole thing from a squad car and an experienced bicycle and motorcycle racer had just fallen in the middle of the street without any intervention from the White Lexus and inflicting severe impact trauma. I got the news from LAPD reportedly dismisses hit-and-run in Pinkyracer case — in the middle of an ongoing investigation to which I ask, “What was there in the middle of the bike lane that could cause that much blunt force trauma at bicycle speeds, and why hasn’t anyone reported on it before?” Because, really, the injuries and the narrative just don’t match up. As I commented to the BikingInLA article, perhaps it has something to do with who was in that white Lexus. More Police say there was no crime in Spring Street bike accident and Los Angeles Police Dismiss Hit-and-Run as Cause of Cyclist’s Injuries

Some good news from the LAB. Driver Held Accountable for Unsafe Passing You might remember that this was the guy that tried to run after ramming a cyclist from the rear but was blocked by a city bus and a pickup driver and a cop who actually was close enough to see the wreck. I’m told there was traffic camera video of the wreck, but since this computer won’t let me watch video I can’t say that for certain.

Bouncing around the country today. a cyclist is hit by a car coming off an off-ramp in CA. UPDATED: Bicyclist injured in Norco crash ID’d From the description of the damage to the car, the cyclist was side-swiped from behind. The car apparently left the freeway after the cyclist began crossing the off-ramp and failed to allow enough room for the cyclist in the road. Someone will undoubtedly find some way to blame the cyclist for being “in the way” of the car that failed to yield. Here’s wishing the cyclist a full recovery.

More on the MA wreck. Bicyclist dead after Rehoboth crash There is now some evidence that the frame failure was due to a recalled defect on the bike, not a collision. That is really unfortunate (although that is not the actual combination of words I would use).

LifeStyle from MA. Pan-Mass Challenge cyclist develops app for annual ride For my TX readers this ride is like riding from Rockwall to White Settlement except with less traffic and bigger hills, and riding the other direction. And usually it’s less hot in MA than TX for their ride.

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

Another Bean Day, and the Feed

Yes, I have gotten the crock pot out and warmed it up and done all the prep and started the 3 different kinds of beans cooking at a slow simmer in preparation for serving Spicy Beans and Rice tonight. This recipe is Vegan, not because I’m adverse to eating the tasty animals, but because it doesn’t need animal protein to have complete protein. And it’s high in fiber, very low in fat, and a good source of complex carbs (the good kind of carbohydrate). It would be even better if we hadn’t run out of brown rice at the same time as the local grocery store we shop at. Brown rice is so much better as a source of vitamins than white rice, not to mention that I prefer the taste of brown rice. I used to call this Cajun-style beans and rice, but the seasoning has evolved and simplified so much that now I just call it “Spicy” and leave it at that.

In spite of having 2 full days of Feed to draw from I don’t actually have a lot of links to actual bicycle stories. I have lots of links to motorcycle stories because I also search for the word “bike” because many do not differentiate between bikes with or without motors. I used to get lots of stories about people falling off of bulls because they were paid to ride them for 8 seconds, but they fixed that so I don’t get those links any more. Unfortunately they didn’t fix people getting paid to ride bulls for 8 seconds, that still happens.

Up first a cyclist in NYC is hit by a second car after being cut off by an illegal move from another car. Cyclist Critically Injured After Being Struck By Car On 2nd Ave. This is another link to the wreck I mentioned on Saturday, where the driver at fault did not even get a scratch on their car, but 1 bike was totalled (there might be a few parts that can be recovered and re-used), a car was damaged enough to require a trip to the shop before driving it again, and a cyclist is in critical condition.

A cyclist gets a small amount of justice in the UK. £11k Compensation for Cyclist after Hit and Run Accident and Cyclist gets compensation over hit and run Notice that the driver did not get anything against him in a criminal court, not even an arrest recorded against him, because assault with a deadly weapon is just not that high a priority there…

A story that has me more than a little upset, the family of a man who was injured when a car costing more than $1m crashed into his bike at about 130MPH in an urban bike lane separated by a guard rail from the road (IOW the driver was so totally responsible for this wreck there is no question about it) are having troubles paying for the upfront costs of the surgeries he needs to recover/survive after the wreck. Kin of injured cyclist in Lamborghini crash finding it difficult to raise money for surgeries The driver died in the wreck, which I guess under Indian laws prevents the victims from recovering damages? I’m not sure how this works in India. I know in Texas the driver’s insurance would still be on the hook for paying damages, and that doctors would have to do any medical care required to save the victim’s life (not sure about restoring his ability to live as he did before the wreck) and then sue the driver that caused it for compensation. Even in the US it’s convoluted, but I have no clues about what it’s like in India.

A mystery wreck in Oz, where at least they can recognize that you can cause serious or even life-threatening injuries with a car without doing anything else to the rider or the bicycle. Cyclist injured in mystery Frankston South incident

A cyclist is killed in Enn Zed. Cyclist killed in Dunedin crash named They didn’t say anything about the mode of wreck in the article, but the picture showed what looked like a touring bike that was hit-from-behind at the base of a slight hill before an intersection, with HiViz covers on the panniers.

Something of an Infrastructure! story from the UK. Trauma study is first to show how cyclists are injured and killed on city streets Surprise surprise, helmets would not prevent the most common mode of death, uncontrolled bleeding. The severity of the injuries is no surprise to me, having survived a fatal wreck.(Yes, I died. Yes I came back. Read my About Opus page.) More Cycling injuries ‘treble in six years’ Roughly 20% of bike/motor vehicle wrecks were with HGV, but HGV are only 5% of the motor vehicles on the road, making HGV 4.75 times more likely to be in a wreck with a bicycle than a car. And per wreck you are 3 times as likely to get killed in the wreck with an HGV. I think I got the math right on that one.

In Oz cyclists are calling for their version of a 3-foot passing law after a rash of cyclists are hit-from-behind. More than 8000 Perth cyclists call for buffer zone I read about roads that are too narrow for a bike to ride a safe distance from the curb and get passed at 1m clearance, but really the roads are more than wide enough for bicycles. It’s the cars that are too big to use them safely.

LifeStyle in TX. Memorial ride planned for cyclist struck, killed by truck

LifeStyle in CA. Going on tour: More than 300 people ride in Tour de Ed, a fundraiser for injured cyclists and A Day on the Bike Beat

And if you think right-of-way issues are a (derogatory term for a female dog) now, just wait until driverless cars become common. Our car/bike/ped fights will get fiercer with driverless cars

More Infrastructure from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Can bike-car wrecks be eliminated? From what I have read about FL this would take a major reconstruction of just about everything in their transportation infrastructure from attitudes on up. The first place to have to change would be the attitudes that moving cars is the highest priority for streets, that streets are made for cars and not people, that the person riding the bicycle is always at fault in a wreck…

A pretty picture with bikes in it. Twin Cities Bike Picture of the Day: 3.5.12

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Back from refining my writing, and the Feed

OK I just got back from going over the writing in this blog, and the consensus was “You’re doing it right”. With what I have to work with I can tone down the snark a bit or ramp it up a bit, but basically my subject matter is dictating the writing style for this blog. So the amount of snark will vary depending on my mood for the day, but the style of the blog is pretty much set. I don’t feel very snarky at the moment, but I haven’t even opened the Feed folder yet.

A link that BikingInLA reminded me of for our opening “Nobody Got Hurt Link”. City Questions I’m really starting to like Bikeyface, the blog. She has a slightly skewed outlook on life etc, that is close to mine, when I’m in a good mood. I especially like that last panel of comic, “The Secret of Life”.

Up first because it’s in the same state as WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell, a cyclist is hit by a struck in Corpus Christi. Man On Bike Seriously Injured After Being Hit By A Truck The picture shows a bike that was hit from the left front with some damage to the right rear on the rack, but most of the bike seems in pretty good shape. The article said the wreck was in an intersection, so intersection protocols through this choke point crossing the Interstate Highway. This would be a Red Alert area for cycling, no choice to use a different route and no bicycle accommodations so you have to watch every direction at once, because there are turning movements that can be made across lanes of traffic that bikes normally ride in. The only real solution for something like this is a separate crossing for bicycles that keeps bikes away from the idiots getting on and off the freeway, aka SBR. More links Bicycle Rider in Critical Condition After Being HIt by a Truck A comment on that from a person claiming to be a witness said the cyclist was hit while crossing with the green light Bicyclist in critical condition Friday after striking side of pickup near Interstate 37

Another wreck a little closer to WoaB. Driver Arrested For Deadly Crash Not a lot of information on this wreck. Apparently a hit-from-behind wreck that then became a hit-and-run, the cyclist was not in the actual lane of travel for motor vehicles when she was hit.

A wreck in CA that I’m still trying to figure out the geometry of. Bike rider killed in collision with big rig in Fresno I don’t know if the cyclist was left-crossed, right-hooked, or ran a red light and hit the side of the truck. All I know is the truck was turning the cyclist hit the side of it and was run over by the back wheels of the trailer. A better link Bicyclist dies in collision with big rig in Fresno From that link we know the cyclist had a brake failure before the wreck (how long before is a matter of speculation) and rolled into the right side of the truck making a legal left turn.

Another hit-from-behind wreck in KS this time. Car-bike crash sends 1 to hospital The wreck caused the bike to go to the right and landed on the north side of the street.

A NYC cyclist is almost left-crossed and gets hit by another vehicle. Bicyclist Critically Injured in Gramercy Park The cyclist was cut off by the left hook and then fell in front of the other vehicle. In this case the cyclist was completely blameless, and while successfully avoiding one wreck got involved in a second.

An encouraging report from the UK as a driver that intentionally rammed into a cyclist is sentenced for dangerous driving instead of assault with a deadly weapon. South Wales woman who used car as weapon, injuring cyclist, convicted of dangerous driving I don’t understand how ramming a cyclist with 2 tons of high speed mass is not assault with a deadly weapon.

A cyclist in Brazil was almost hit by a bus and when she started “talking with her hands” she lost control of her bike and was hit by another bus. Cyclist killed by São Paulo bus

Infrastructure! news from the UK. Ways to make Britain a biking nation If we make the US a biking nation then with our widespread roads system we would dominate international cycle sport. If just 10% of the trips over 50 miles was made by bike our cyclists would be the most fit in the world and the talent pool to choose from would be miles deep instead of a couple feet as it is now. Not to mention we would face far fewer problems with obesity and other diseases related to our sedentary life styles.

Infrastructure report on the site of that triple bike collision in FL that put 2 riders in the hospital and destroyed one bike. Cyclists Consider Lake Hollingsworth Spot Dangerous Notice that the spot is dangerous because drivers don’t pay attention to cyclists and pedestrians in the separate lanes for their travel. IOW the problem is cars, not the roads.

And that’s all the news that gives me fits today. Check back in tomorrow when I have funny stories and cute pictures and don’t even read about anything sad or unhappy. Yeah, BOOOrrrrrinnnngg! But if you want a sane blogger the other 6 days a week you have to let me have this pressure relief on Sunday.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Too busy to go get free stuff, and the Feed

I got another one of those flyers from a car dealer in the mail, and I was considering riding the 20 or so miles round trip to get the “prize” I’m most likely to get, the $5 gift card from Target. I could get one of 2 free cars, but I think the contest is rigged so that the person that won a car already knows they won. But anyway I was going through my schedule, and I don’t have the time to take the trip to get that $5 “prize”, between doing things like getting groceries today, church board meetings tomorrow, regularly scheduled activities like my qigong class and writer’s group meetings in the morning and RPG in the evening on Saturday I just don’t have time to take a 20 mile round trip on Blue and do a blog post. And I can’t not do a blog post and disappoint both my loyal fans[/sarcasm]. I know there are more than 2 of you out there, I have 14 people subscribed to the blog, and 23 (different) people that have subscribed to comments on individual posts. So while I’m not the Huffington Post, I do have enough regular readers that I would feel bad about taking a day off without warning that I’m going on vacation…

The Feed today is remarkably devoid of new wrecks, but has a metric buttload of Infrastructure! articles.

A IL kid that was hit by a driver not paying attention to the roads is still in bad shape. Downers Grove teen hit by car on bicycle remains hospitalized No charges have been filed yet in the assault…The cyclist was crossing legally in the crosswalk when he was hit and trapped under the car. The only legal action taken so far is to issue a ticket for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

A WI driver who was drunk when he killed a cyclist enters a plea of “not guilty”. Driver who struck, killed Henry Dennis enters not guilty plea Hopefully the driver will have a severe sentence, or at a bare minimum be banned from driving for life.

One of the really big Infrastructure links is a report that Scotland Yard is investigating the government agency responsible for a major intersection that has caused several cyclists’ deaths. London roads agency could face corporate manslaughter charge over cyclist’s death Someone could be going to jail for these deaths, which is utterly incomprehensible to me here in the States. Hold someone in government criminally responsible for dangerous road design/construction? That would never happen here.

Back in the States, our big story is people are getting killed in South FL because of crappy infrastructure and people are just now discovering that the infrastructure is crappy. Committee works for S. Fla. bike safety and Quick safety improvements pledged for Rickenbacker Causeway cycling and Cyclists demand new law for drivers after bicyclist killed that link was a little misleading, the cyclists were demanding the existing laws be enforced, not new laws created. The “reporter” did not know about the existence of the laws.

And in TN a family insists that their child did stop and look at a stop sign where he was hit on his bike, but because of the speed limits and the acceleration of bikes, the cyclist was hit by a vehicle that was not visible when he started to cross the road. Family Says Danger Lies In Road Design

Bobby Labonte is a good dude, a native Texan, a serious cyclist, and a NASCAR Cup series driver. Bobby Labonte Foundation Announces Second Annual Archdale Drug “Share The Road” Memorial Bike Ride

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus