The Ride of Silence is today here, and the Feed

Today is the day. I’m going to take the train to White Rock Station, and the White Rock Trail to the rally point for the ride, and probably an allergy pill so I don’t sneeze like a steam engine during the post-ride prayer. I might remember to bring my camera and take some pictures to post in tomorrow’s blog post. We can hope so anyway.

The Really Big Story today is the NTSB “suggestion” that states lower their legal limit for BAC% from .08 to .05%. NTSB recommends lowering DUI threshold to .05 I’m not including the other 27 links because they are all the same article from the AP printed in other newspapers. My research on this suggests that initial testing done included too many alcoholics in the sample size, possibly because the testing advertising placed too much emphasis on “free drinks”. Also the legal limit was set high to make sure the driver was drunk drunk and not “a little tipsy”, as the legislators did not understand that “a little tipsy” was in fact too impaired to drive safely. In my lifetime the legal BAC% went from as high as .15% to .08%, with the drop to .10% coming fairly quickly as state troopers used legislators as test subjects and film or video tape to record behavior and driving ability at various levels of BAC% with even the semi-alcoholic legislators seeing that even at .10% when they felt sober enough to drive they were seriously impaired. Further testing with a wider pool of test subjects (and offering money for the test beyond just free alcohol) showed even to conservative legislators that driving was significantly impaired at the .08% level that they felt just fine at. I think also part of the reason for the lower BAC% is that people are drinking less, being less acclimated to the effects of alcohol, and showing impairment at lower concentrations than before, but that is just my hypothesis, I have no way of testing it to raise it to the point of a theory.

Speaking of drunk drivers… $25,000 bond set for Patrick Ward, suspect accused of driving an SUV that hit and killed a cyclist This was the driver that was driving in the bike lane against the flow of traffic so he could make a left turn…

More on the NY cyclist that died from hitting a deer. Medical examiner: Blunt force trauma killed N. Salem bicyclist who hit deer Even though this cyclist was wearing a helmet, and did not hit an unyielding motor vehicle but instead hit a somewhat softer deer, he still got fatal massive blunt force trauma to his pelvis.

A salmon NH cyclist is hit. Girl hurt after plowing into side of car while riding her bicycle As has been said many times by many people, when you ride salmon drivers don’t look for you and just pull right out in front of you (or into you). This cyclist was lucky. Ride with traffic to avoid (and use intersection protocols) and get the infrastructure right so that a 12YO girl can use it.

Two NC cyclists (or one cyclist and a passenger) get hit. Two children riding bicycle struck by car, injured The children had just left their driveway when they were hit. intersection protocols to avoid, and slow down motor vehicles in residential areas to prevent. This makes 3 kids hit outside their or their friends’ homes while riding bikes in the last 7 days. That’s 3 kids too many.

A VT cyclist is Jerry Browned and injured. Rehoboth teen, 14, struck by van while riding his bicycle The cyclist was struck and injured, the bike was untouched. Hit-from-behind protocol to avoid, and a 3-foot law that is rigorously enforced to prevent if they don’t want to spend the money to build bicycle infrastructure.

An IL cyclist is killed. Bicyclist killed in collision with car in Schaumburg At this point LEO do not know who had right of way in this wreck (and I can’t get google maps to open up to check for a traffic control device) so I can’t tell you how to void this wreck beyond advising using intersection protocols. The fact that the cyclist had to cross a high-speed intersection without separation in time and space is an indictment against the infrastructure, which correcting would have prevented this wreck. The Dutch way would have had a grade separated crossing for this intersection.

A serious wreck in CA. Cyclists injured in Harris Grade Road crash While the article doesn’t say the pictures show bikes that have obviously been hit from behind by a vehicle moving at a high rate of speed. I mean you can see a shoe still clipped into the pedal and still tied which means the foot that had been in that shoe was removed violently. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

A NY police Explorer and cyclist does the right thing, and people are stunned. Greenburgh Police Explorer Keenan Assisted Injured Cyclist I don’t know what the big deal is, he just followed his training and used human compassion. Have we become that jaded that someone doing the right thing becomes big news?

A rigorous study in Canada shows little difference in head injuries between mandatory helmet provinces and those without helmet laws. Cycle Helmet Safety Laws Not Necessarily Reducing Head Injuries, Study Finds There are many factors that reduce head injury in people who voluntarily wear bicycle helmets compared to another group that does not. including riding style, condition of the bike, and other things I can’t think of off the top of my head.

UK cyclists are still livid over a serial cyclist killer getting only 300 hours of community service and a 5 year ban after his second victim. CTC and families of cyclists killed by same driver 25 years apart call for appeal against driver’s community service sentence and Tougher sentence demanded for driver who killed two cyclists also Cyclist Audrey Fyfe’s widower lodges complaint against driver’s sentence

From Oz more on the second driver convicted in a hit-and-run against a cyclist. Second man jailed over cyclist hit-and-run When I went back to get the headline the page had vanished and an “under construction” page was up in its place. So at this point I have no idea if you will be able to read this article when I post this.

Also from Oz a cyclist is rammed into a parked car. Rider, 50, injured at New Lambton And at this point that is all I know from this wreck, that the driver hit the cyclist from behind and rammed the cyclist into a parked car. I would say hit-from-behind protocols but the escape route was obstructed by storage of private property on the public right-of-way. That only leaves putting cyclists on the other side of the parked cars in a parking-protected cycle track.

Still in Oz, doctors reveal a steady stream of injured cyclists hit by cars through their ER doors. Cyclists hurt every week in Cairns say doctors The carnage of the road seems to mostly impact people not in cars…

South Africa is having a spate of hit-and-run lately. Avid cyclist killed in hit-and-run This is he second cyclist hit from behind while riding on the shoulder in a week. I have seen what “roads” are like in Africa and you don’t want to try to run off the pavement on a 23mm wide tire road bike unless you like pain and fixing broken wheels.

Lots of links for tonight’s RoS… Cyclists to participate in Ride of Silence to honor those injured, killed while riding and Cyclists to participate in Ride of Silence to honor those injured, killed while riding Same media outlet, same headline, two different stories? Also Murfreesboro bike ride will be in remembrance of MTSU student killed in February Another one Ride of Silence honors cyclists injured or killed on the road

And those are all the links that were still alive after I filtered the Feed, and gave me fits.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Well at least it’s nice out, and the Feed

This time of year is one of the most frustrating for me while I’m here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. The pollen makes me want to stay inside where the air is at least partially filtered free of pollen, but the temperatures make me want to be out JRA because it’s neither gaspingly hot nor heavy coat cold and for a few days you can actually ride considerable distances without becoming drenched in sweat and still be able to wear open finger gloves. For me that is the perfect riding temperature, and I have to miss it because plants are having sex… It makes me want to scream when I think about it so I try not to think about it. Take away the pollen and this is what it’s like to live in San Diego all year long, practically.

The End of Times must be coming, as another Texan is arrested for hitting a cyclist. Man arrested in hit-and-run that injured cyclist The wreck was a hit-from-behind, use the protocols to avoid, get the infrastructure right to prevent. I must say, this is a pleasant change to have LEO at all levels suddenly decide that cyclists are equally worthy of the protections of the law as they are the punishments. Now if they could just convince NYPD of this.

One state over a cyclist is hit by a blind driver. Arkansas State Police: Bicyclist dies after collision with pickup in Yell County Once again the driver of the weapon vehicle used the Universal “Get Out of Jail Free” card to escape liability and punishment. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent. One bit of legal infrastructure that would help immediately would be changing the law so that any hit-from-behind wreck is automatically the fault of the driver unless proven otherwise, with “I didn’t see him” as an admission of guilt instead of an excuse.

A completely unavoidable wreck turns fatal. Somers Cyclist Hit By Deer Dies Of Injuries Local wildlife is the joker in the road safety deck. The best that you can hope for is to not be there when they are in the roads. I haven’t been able to find out if this was mutually fatal or if the deer was unhurt.

Update on the child cyclist killed in AL. Funeral held for child killed in bike accident in Cullman They are staying with the story that the kid pulled out in front of the driver and not that the driver was going too fast in a residential area.

More on the cyclist killed by a drunk driver driving on the wrong side of the road in CO. Boulder cyclist killed in crash with car identified Take one intersection with 5 different streets and highways converging in one spot, add bike lanes to one of those streets and a drunk driver that has lived in that town all his life and knows those roads like the back of his hand, and you get someone driving in the wrong lane and hitting a cyclist head on. Intersection protocols don’t apply in this chaos, getting the infrastructure right is the only thing that can prevent wrecks like this one. That and draconian speed limit enforcement. More links Driver facing vehicular homicide charge after cyclist killed in Lyons crash also Bicyclist Hit, Killed By Vehicle In Lyons

From the UK the first step in appealing the incredibly lax sentence for killing a cyclist has been taken. Family of dead cyclist lodge complaint against driver’s sentence Seriously, 300 hours of community service and only a 5 year driving ban for his second criminal fatality is ludicrous.

From Oz comes a story of a coverup of a cyclist’s death. Man jailed for assisting in hit-run It should have been obstructing justice and conspiracy, and the sentence should have been much longer (years instead of months) and as the victim’s father said he should have lost his driver’s license for life. But still for Oz getting 20 months for killing a cyclist still counts as a good result.

Another Ride of Silence link as we all get ready for the Ride tomorrow (Northern hemisphere) or Saturday (Southern hemisphere and rain date for the rest of us). ‘Ride of Silence’ to remember Endicott cyclist killed in October

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, Be sure to go to rideofsilence.org to find where your local RoS will be held and plot your route so you can get there in time. I will be attending the Mother Ride again this year.

Billed $€0.02, Opus

I hade Sprig, and the Feed

Yes, it’s that time of year again, the peak of allergy season when I get to either suffer a completely stopped up head, watery eyes, constant sneezing, and occasional disgusting digestive issues, or be unconscious from the allergy meds that don’t interfere with my BP meds. Hell of a choice innit?

Up first the driver that killed a cyclist in Austin has been released from jail. Elderly man indicted in cyclist’s death released It’s a pity that this will probably be all the time this killer spends in custody for illegally driving on the shoulder to pass a traffic jam and killing another human being. I’m just totally impressed the DA was able to convince a grand jury to indict the lowlife. BTW this link gets the “Signs of the Apocalypse” tag because the end must be near if a DA can convince a grand jury in Texas to indict a driver for killing a cyclist.

Update on the wreck in CO as the driver has been charged with vehicular homicide after hitting a cyclist head on while driving on the wrong side of the street. Man arrested for vehicular homicide after bike rider killed in Lyons The speed in which these charges were filed stuns me. Usually when a drunk driver kills someone there is a wait for the toxicology screens to come back from the lab, in this case they went with a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer to file serious felony charges in less than 24 hours. Earlier links Driver arrested after bicyclist killed by SUV in Lyons and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office: Cyclist killed in Lyons car versus bike crash

A VA hit-and-run wreck as a semi driver tried to pass when there wasn’t room to pass. Police search for tractor trailer driver that hit two cyclists The semi driver moved to pass a group of cyclists then cut over before completing the pass, hitting two of the cyclists. This is not the kind of wreck a human cyclist can avoid, but getting the infrastructure right would go a long way towards preventing another one. I am trying to think of what could be done with the built environment to prevent this but since the semi driver ran the oncoming vehicle off the road as well as hitting the cyclists the only thing I can think of is removing the incentives for truck drivers to act this way by removing the per-mile pay schedules. Almost all a driver’s expenses are per time except fuel and some preventative maintenance, and driving at a slower speed reduces the per-mile costs for those.

Update on the NE wreck that looks like will cost the rider her foot. Woman injured in car-bike crash improving All the reports on this one place the blame on the cyclist for violating the right of way of the faster car, and none mentions the passing lane to the left of the wreck. I’m going to go with the cyclist not allowing enough time for the driver to move over, or that there may have been other traffic in the inside lane that prevented the driver of the weapon vehicle from moving over.

More on the death of a NY cyclist. Troopers: Teen cyclist killed by drunken driver in Cohocton Mode of wreck is still not given but since an intersection has not been described as being next to or very near the wreck I’m going to have to assume hit-from-behind, so use those protocols to avoid if possible, and get the infrastructure right so that drunk drivers can’t get near cyclists and cyclists can still get where they need to go and from town to town.

A wreck in Oz with almost no information. Cyclist, teenager die in separate crashes No mode given, just that the other vehicle was an Australian pickup truck (ute).

Another RoS link as the date approaches. Ride of Silence to remember those killed in bicycle accidents

Lifestyle in CA as a cyclist is remembered. Hundreds take part in memorial ride to remember local cyclist killed in crash

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, minus a few that expired over the weekend.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Cool but humid, and the Feed

We are having a lovely day here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell today. It’s overcast but not dreary, a light shade rather than oppressive dark clouds, and as a result the temperature is still moderate as the time approaches 11 AM. Yesterday’s rains have left a lot of humidity in the air, but it just keeps things comfortable and helps suppress the pollen. All in all I rather like the weather today. Make note of that, it doesn’t happen very often.

A PA cyclist learns not to ride a stunt bike in traffic. City boy, 12, hurt when bicycle hits car Removing the brakes is a common modification for BMX half-pipe competition, because accidentally grabbing a brake lever at the wrong time could kill you, or just the brake lever on the handlebars could kill you, but riding the same bike on the roads is euphemistically termed “not bright”.

An AL cyclist is killed riding in a residential area. 6-year-old Cullman boy riding bike killed in wreck with car The question that should be asked is “Why was the driver going so fast in a residential area?”, not “why was the child playing in the street?” Since the mode of the wreck was not given I can’t say how to avoid it and because the wreck was in a residential area the built infrastructure is close to the Dutch model except for the speed limit. So again, too fast but within the law, then the law must be wrong.

The kind of bike wreck that no amount of traffic savvy or infrastructure can prevent. Man on bike killed in South Side drive-by and ‘Oh, Ricky’: Man shot dead while riding bicycle Y’see this is one of the things I use to point out how stupid real criminals are. They had one of the most deadly weapons against a cyclist that people can get, one that allows a person to claim almost anything that happened was the cyclist’s fault, and then they shot the guy. Hit the guy with the car and claim he “swerved” in front of you at the last second get off without even a ticket. Shoot the guy and you face life in prison.

A UK cyclist injured when the passenger of a moving car opened the door in front of him is suing for the maximum amount he can in that particular court. Cyclist injured by car door sues driver for £200,000 The cyclist was wearing a helmet and still had brain damage that has nearly crippled him, and has seriously affected his quality of life.

Update, the cyclist hit by an RV in Oz was a SWSS. Cyclist airlifted following collision with camper van Typical SWSS narrative claiming the cyclist turned in front of the weapon vehicle while travelling the same direction. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. The easiest thing to do to get the infrastructure right would be to make hitting a bicycle from behind a prima facie crime unless the driver had some way to prove the cyclist actually DID swerve in front of the motor vehicle. Combine that with a 3 foot passing law, or a 1 meter law in metric countries, and I think you will see far fewer hit-from-behind wrecks.

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another Mule Day, and another Feed

Mule day duties look to be light again today as we are still coasting along from that massive buy a few weeks ago and just replacing perishables now; milk, bread, eggs, produce, and yogurt. The weather is looking a bit “iffy” so I have my waterproof ALICE pack and one of the kitty litter buckets has the lid back on it. Stuff that won’t be affected by rain will go in the other bucket. So rain or not we’re cool on the weather.

On the pollen front the allergy meds I took last night eventually did their job and I was able to sleep comfortably sometime around 2 AM, which was a great improvement over the previous 4 AM. I also awoke with considerably less gunk in my eyes and as I could breathe through my nose I also didn’t wake up feeling like the 101^st Airborne had marched through my mouth with bare feet. That alone was a great improvement over the previous two nights.

A far West Canuckistan cyclist is right crossed and then blamed for the wreck. Cyclist hits truck on Gordon Drive, winds up in Kelowna General Hospital The cyclist was hit almost head on when the motor vehicle operator made a wide right turn while driving blind, but somehow it was the cyclist’s fault for running into the motor vehicle. This is a difficult wreck to avoid as standard intersection protocols are not designed for vehicles that are not in the correct lane for their direction of travel. Infrastructure might have prevented this if the infrastructure was barrier protected.

News from the UK that motor vehicle operators are most at fault in bike-vs-motor vehicle wrecks. Two thirds of cyclist injuries following collisions with motor vehicle due to driver, says City of Westminster I also liked the part where they point out the behavior that annoys pedestrians the most is one of the least likely reasons why pedestrians are hit, cyclists proceeding through a pedestrian crossing against the signal. What people don’t realize and that most cyclists have internalized is that when cyclists run into or are run into by motor vehicles, the cyclist will get hurt no matter who is at fault, when cyclists run into or are run into by pedestrians the cyclist will get hurt. Cyclists are for the most part actively looking to not get hurt in spite of what it appears to non-cyclists.

A possible hit-and-run in Oz. Cyclist found injured on Haydon Drive While the cyclist’s injuries could have come from either a bad get-off or a hit-and-run, there is the old saying that when one hears hoofbeats in the western US one should not immediately assume zebras. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Still in Oz, a cyclist is seriously injured by an RV. Cyclist hit by car near Huskisson At the time I posted this the mode of the wreck had not been released, so other than making the remark that a bicycle helmet is not much protection against having your chest crushed by an RV, I have nothing I can say.

LifeStyle in Seattle as a memorial ride makes the news. Riders honor cyclist killed in semi-truck accident

New legal infrastructure from Houston. New ordinance aims to protect bicyclists, pedestrians This ordinance (what I can read of it) seems to be a direct copy of the law that Gov. Goodhair vetoed in 2009, so it’s a good ordinance if somewhat lacking in teeth by being local rather than statewide and unable to place violators in confinement for longer that 1 year.

And if you think I’m having a bad day, take a look at this link. N.Y. tow company waits word on disposing 30 dead horses from Shippensburg You can imagine what that is starting to smell like.

Last link, a Summer project you can enjoy all winter. Build A Massive Snowmobile Tank Bike Massive is right, there are at least 3 bikes worth of steel in the machine plus trying to turn a single track when it has any kind of grip is going to be “fun”, but overall I see this as an interesting project if somewhat difficult to ride around on.

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Stuff I can’t put in a headline, and the Feed

We have been under a pollen alert here at the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell since Monday, and yesterday and this morning were especially bad for yr fthfl scrb. As in I sneezed my way through most of the ritual planning session yesterday and woke to whiteout blindness after I managed to pry my eyelids apart (a two-handed pry job at that). We are in what one former church president called “tree bukkake” season as tree pollen is approaching toxic level for some people and several ambulance rides are requested for steroid shots and a couple cases of anaphylactic shock every day. Fun! I just personally call it “plants having sex in my sinuses”. Even more fun is that the only medication I can avail myself of puts me to sleep for almost as long as it relieves my symptoms, but at least I wake up able to open my eyes and see clearly. I try to remember to take an 8 hour dose right before I go to bed, but one of the other symptoms of an allergy attack for me is very fuzzy thinking. That combined with the memory loss I suffered via the brain injury makes taking meds that aren’t on my “habit” list to take every day hard to remember. The best I can do is to drink lots of fluids so that discharges are easily removed and not sight-obscuring. For me personally that means coffee, unsweetened ice tea, and sports drinks.

But other than that things are just fine.

First up is the rather rare report of someone that killed a cyclist facing criminal charges in TX. Man indicted in Austin cyclist’s death The driver was passing cars on the shoulder (a major traffic violation in TX) when he killed the cyclist, and I’m amazed they even got an indictment. Getting charges filed when a vulnerable road user gets killed in TX first has to overcome the “why wasn’t he in a car?” prejudice. Also finding a bike-friendly route in any urban area in TX requires either riding miles out of your way to avoid congested high-speed routes, or limiting oneself to a very small riding territory.

This was the first link that popped up in the Feed today. Michigan Bike Accident Lawyers at Buckfire & Buckfire Celebrate Bicycle Helmet Safety Week Aaand another lawyer posts the “85%” lie without checking on the source.

More on the Seattle rider killed by a semi on his commute. Riders honor cyclist killed in semi-truck accident What I have been finding through back-channels is that the pavement in the bike lane there is so bad that a cyclist needs three sets of eyes to safely navigate the route. One set to watch the road, one set to watch for traffic, and a third set to watch the signals to keep from running a red light.

A cyclist is cut off in the Caymans. Cyclist hit by car The narrative in this wreck makes it quite clear the cyclist had the right of way and the driver cut him off. Intersection protocols to avoid, and fix the infrastructure to prevent.

Since the driver died prior to the trial, this is mostly to find out what happened to this UK cyclist. Crash death cyclist tried to wave down her killer, inquest hears and Cyclist killed by lorry ‘waved at driver to stop him crashing into her’

Still in the UK an appeal is planned for the paltry sentence levied against a killer driver. Appeal considered in Audrey Fyfe case, daughter says allowing motorist to drive again “beyond comprehension” Cyclists are the “New Negro” in the UK, and the US as well. The penalties for killing a cyclist on the roads is similar to the penalties for lynching a Negro during the ’50s and early ’60s in Mississippi. More Disgust at cyclist killer’s sentence

From Oz a rare bike-on-bike wreck with serious injury. Cyclist badly hurt in crash Head-on wreck leaves one cyclist critically injured while the other walks away. Someone had to have been too far over to the other side of the track, or just both riding in the middle of an unmarked path. The solution of course is for cyclists to ride to one side of a wide and well-marked bike path, but lacking the wide and well-marked parts when meeting another rider you should slow down and move over (right i most of the world, left in those places where they drive on the wrong side of the road) More. Cyclist seriously injured in head-on crash

Infrastructure! news from MA. After Cyclist’s Death, Wellesley Struggles with Bike Safety The problem is attitudes and space, and there ain’t no space so attitudes are going to have to change.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, less the motorcycle wrecks. Those give me fits too, but they just don’t have a place in this blog.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Not Bean Day, and the Feed

Well, still Bean Day, just not a day I have to cook beans. We still have large quantities of leftover beans that haven’t been (bean?) consumed, so while we are still eating beans all I will be doing today is putting beans in the oven to reheat them. My bean reheating method is to set the oven for 205°F and let the beans sit in the oven in a Pyrex casserole dish until they reach a stable temperature. This kills any bacteria and also restores some of the flavors that faded out during storage while still keeping the “melded” flavors that develop after storing overnight.

Big story today is from my former home state. Cyclist dies in 3 State event on Lookout Mountain, Tenn. and UPDATE: Bicyclist killed in car crash identified As I read the reports today the cyclist lost control in a tight “s” bend and slid under an oncoming car. Weather may have been a factor for many reasons. To avoid moderate your speed in bad weather, I’m not sure how infrastructure could have made a difference without completely destroying the character of the event. More Report: Jacksonville cyclist killed in Tennessee accident and State briefs: Bicyclist killed in collision with car; Memphis officer indicted, suspended; teen suspect in slaying was under DCS supervision also Bicyclist killed in collision with car

Another cyclist is killed by another DUI driver, with a twist. Chambersburg bicyclist dies after hit by vehicle Hit-from-behind wreck, use the protocols to avoid or mitigate the results, get the infrastructure right to prevent (if the infrastructure had been good the drunk might have been riding another bike, so even if he ran into someone he would have caused little to no damage). Did you see the twist in the last paragraph? It makes it almost sound as if the driver was being investigated for something else and the DUI just added to the list. I don’t know if that’s the case or if the writer just truncated too far, but what was there when I read it makes me want to go up there and ask some questions. More Chambersburg man killed while riding bicycle

Dead cyclist in paradise. Maui bicyclist killed in collision with commercial van At this point it is reported the cyclist ran a red light just before he was hit. Intersection protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

An ID child riding a bike is injured when one vehicle stops but not another. 5-year-old severely injured after riding bike into traffic The 5YO was crossing the street riding in the flow of traffic when a second vehicle went around the first on that had stopped and hit the child. The child appears to have been riding in a fairly mature manner, but not the driver of the second vehicle… Given the age of he cyclist I don’t know what could be done to avoid or prevent the wreck, except to issue tickets to people that pass cars stopped at intersections and hit pedestrians or cyclists. The car that stops in front of you most likely stopped for a reason, respect that.

From the Great White North a cyclist is killed while apparently preparing to make a left turn in a legal manner. Police Further Investigating Fatal Collision Involving Cyclist All I know at this point is the cyclist was killed in the left turn lane and was not suspected of riding salmon. Intersection protocols (because at or almost at the intersection) to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

A UK cyclist is run off the road and into a temporary sign. Cyclist seriously injured after collision with road sign in Horsham And the driver that ran him off the road is uninjured… DOYH!

Not-unexpected news from OZ about the truck driver that Jerry Browned a cyclist who ended up tangled in the wheels of the truck. Cement truck driver Luke Stevens found not guilty over death of cyclist Richard Pollett Given what I have seen posted online to Aussie news articles about cycling and the dangers of motor vehicles, I can’t say I was shocked at the outcome, but I am saddened. More Truckie not guilty over cyclist’s death and same headline but different report Truckie not guilty over cyclist’s death

My first RoS link of Bike Month 2013. Slow, silent bike ride in New Orleans honors cyclists killed or injured on public roads

Infrastructure! news from Canuckistan. Cycling accident prompts calls for bike lanes

State-by-state bike rankings. Bicycle Friendly State: 2013 State Rankings Texas ended up middle of the pack in spite of bottom-feeding infrastructure.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, except the motorcycle wrecks. Those give me fits, too but are not suitable for discussion in this blog.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I went halfway across town for nothing, and the Feed

I was supposed to get together with some people from Occupy Dallas about setting up a bicycle co-op where people could learn how to fix their bikes and borrow tools to do so, but the place we were supposed to meet was very large and I forgot to ask exactly what part of this large place we were supposed to meet at. There was supposed to be a picnic and I waited at some picnic tables for over an hour and did not know there was more than one picnic area in the park until I got on the bus and had left the park when I saw what could have been more parking and picnic tables on the other side of the park diagonal to the place I was waiting. I just checked the web site, and I was at the wrong park the whole time.

A bunch of follow-up links on the Seattle semi v bike wreck. Federal Way man ID’d as bicyclist killed in Sodo and Friends remember cyclist killed on East Marginal Way At this point they are still trying to find out the “what and how” of the 5 Ws and 1 H of news (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How) Right now they have a solid grasp on Who, When, and Where, but What, Why and How are either unknown or a deeply held secret. More Bike riders honor Seattle cyclist killed during commute And Friends hold memorial ride for cyclist killed in Seattle

A cyclist is killed in SC. Bicyclist killed in Raleigh accident and Cyclist killed in Raleigh Thursday was prominent developer The mode of wreck was a left cross as the cyclist descended a hill at what would be a high speed for a bicycle but probably under the speed limit. Intersection wreck means intersection protocols to avoid but that may not have been humanly possible, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. More Cyclist’s death highlights tension between two wheels, four and Cyclist remembered as ‘community servant’

An IL cyclist is killed in a hit-from-behind wreck. Bicyclist killed near Lake Villa Hit from behind is all we know now, so hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. More Identity of cyclist killed in crash released

An interesting wreck in ID where the driver was also injured. Cyclist, driver injured in Boise crash It wasn’t clear if the cyclist was riding in the sidewalk when he was hit or just hit after the driver went up on the sidewalk going the wrong way, but either way there was no way for a human cyclist to avoid this wreck when the driver crosses from their side of the road to yours. Maybe infrastructure would help, but as the driver was on the sidewalk when he hit the cyclist I would say probably not.

A MD cyclist gets left-crossed. Cyclist hit in Pikesville Left crosses are always the fault of the driver for failing to yield to oncoming traffic. Intersection protocols to avoid, infrastructure to prevent.

Update on a wreck in CA from a while back. One year after cyclist’s death in North Coast hit-and-run, family searches for answers

A Canuckistani cyclist is injured in a left cross wreck. After serious collision, officials urge drivers and cyclists to take precautions Let’s see, precautions. The cyclist was proceeding through an intersection with the green light when the driver made a left turn without looking, what did the cyclist do wrong? Anyway, intersection protocols to avoid injury if not the wreck, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Another cyclist is hit in Canuckistan. Injured teen can’t remember possible collision between bicycle, motor vehicle The report sounds like there might have been a hit-and-run with the driver leaving a head-injured cyclist to fend for himself. Without being able to see the bike I couldn’t hazard even a guess about what happened with any assurance.

The other Big Story today is the UK driver that was given community service for killing a second cyclist with a motor vehicle. Motorist given community sentence for causing death of second cyclist also Motorist who caused death of cyclists spared jail A cyclist was fined more than $1300 for punching out a commercial driver Cyclist found guilty of assaulting van driver so one would think that actually killing someone would merit a steeper punishment than just what was given for just punching someone in the face after they almost killed you. But that is not the case. More Daughter of cyclist Audrey Fyfe calls for tougher sentences and Fury at sheriff’s helmet claim in cyclist death case

From Oz comes this report on a pair riding in an SUV who were convicted of assaulting 2 women on bikes. Pair fined $3000 after backside slap leaves female cyclist seriously injured One of the cyclists has not been able to ride her bike since the incident because of a crippling shoulder injury. Again, not the kind of thing a human cyclist could avoid.

Also in the news from Oz, the trial of an accused cyclist-killer has gone to the jury over the weekend. Jury in trial of a cement truck driver accused of killing cyclist Richard Pollett has retired to consider its verdict This was the driver that drove a 2.5 meter wide vehicle through a gap of 3.1 meters and tried to share that 3.1 meters with a bike, or for the metric challenged drove an 8 foot wide truck through a 10’2″ gap with a cyclist in the same space, and says it wasn’t his fault the cyclist ended up wrapped around the back tires of the truck. The standard in TX is anything less than 14 feet of pavement with no other obstructions is too narrow for cyclists to safely share with motor vehicles.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, less the UK links without any information, and the motorcycle wrecks that didn’t have any bicycles in them.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

The cold weather has arrived, and the Feed

Well as forecast the weather has changed drastically again. The winds are howling outside the door (not mentioned in the forecast BTW), and while not freezing (yet) there is a definite chill in the air that was not there yesterday, in fact it’s approaching noon as I type this and the current temperature is lower than yesterday’s low. So chilly and windy, and we have to go shopping today. Yay! This should be entertaining. Well I guess if it was on TV and I was the buttmonkey character it would be entertaining, but from my standpoint it’s just another Thursday.

Up first today is the Big Story from Seattle with lots of links about a cyclist killed with a semi. Update: Bicyclist killed in crash east of West Seattle low bridge The link with the nicest comments first Bicyclist dies after collision with semi in Seattle and Cyclist killed in collision with truck along East Marginal Way South also Site of fatal Sodo collision a tricky route for cyclists another link Seattle bike rider killed in crash with truck and last link Bicyclist killed in collision with semi truck All those links to say that they don’t know yet how the cyclist ended up under the left side of the truck. at this point they don’t even know which of 5 possible intersections he was hit at, so until them I’m just going to say intersection protocols apply to all intersections between one street or road and any other place where a motor vehicle can come, and use intersection protocols to survive all of them. It was pointed out in some of the links that this area is being considered for segregated bicycle infrastructure because of all the heavy truck traffic, so they already know how to fix the problem and are in the process of fixing it, but you know how fast government works with infrastructure.

An IL man is killed in a hit-from-behind wreck. Bicyclist killed on rural Saline County, Ill., road Charges are pending he completion of the investigation. Hit-from-behind, use the protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent, although I have no idea what could be done in this rural area to get bikes away from motor vehicles. More Cyclist killed by truck in Southern Illinois and Police investigating cyclist death in southern Illinois

Another senseless SUV killing in Oz. Cyclist killed in four-wheel drive accident There is possibility that the cyclist was in the wrong place at the wrong time as the initial report was a rollover wreck, so the cyclist may have been hit by an out-of-control SUV. But the mode of wreck is still being kept under wraps by LEO. More Cyclist killed in Humpty Doo crash

Proof that anti-bike crazies are not limited to the roads. Psychiatrist jailed for booby-trapping Oregon mountain bike trails When I first saw this I thought that Mikey from the old USENET bike groups had taken a jaunt north, but this is a different nut case psychiatrist.

LifeStyle as a cyclist makes a comeback from serious injuries. Santa Clarita cyclist injured in crash now to compete in 620-mile bike race I wish this person lots of luck, but surviving the wreck has shown he already has luck (but a bit more wouldn’t hurt any).

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Can’t think of a funny headline, and the Feed

My comedy writing skills are eluding me at the moment and I can’t think of a short description of what I plan or what has been going on today. I was up until way after 2AM today because a mockingbird has roosted outside my bedroom window and has decided that midnight is the perfect time to start a 3 hour set of bird cover songs. I never hear this bird during daylight hours, but midnight to about 3 he cranks out (I’m assuming it’s male mockingbird that does the concerts) hit after hit from his extensive repertory. And that is why I can’t come up with a short funny headline.

I don’t remember this wreck from before, but there was a flurry of wrecks in CA the last few days so I might have covered this one and don’t remember. Bicyclist hit by car in Chula Vista dies Not much in the way of information on this one, intersection wreck so intersection protocols to avoid, a comment left by someone claiming to have been a witness said that the cyclist was at fault without supplying any information to back that up. Infrastructure to prevent, but getting all the infrastructure right is required, not just putting some paint on the road.

Another CA wreck with more questions than answers. Two bike riders injured in weekend crash Head-on wreck, and nothing was mentioned about salmon riders or crossing the centerline? This was either bad reporting or something is being covered up by LEO. But because this is a binary situation we know there is something missing, because there are only two ways for vehicles to crash head on, one has to be on the wrong side of the road, or in this case either the bikes were in the wrong because of bad education, or the driver was in the wrong because of …?

A UT cyclist is injured in a wreck with little information as of the posting of the link. Cyclist critically injured in Salt Lake City accident Intersection wreck but other than that I can’t say much, this was a crossing point for going to the other side of the freeway and as such was a bottleneck that jammed bicycle and motor vehicle traffic together without any alternatives for getting across the barrier of the freeway. More Bicyclist hit near freeway onramp in critical condition Interesting comment on that link as I post this Vehicle strikes bicyclist in downtown Salt Lake City and Driver who hit bicyclist likely won’t be cited With the other links the official story is the cyclist was trying to beat the light and didn’t make it.

A GA cyclist is killed in a confrontation with a police cruiser. 14-year-old boy on bicycle run over and killed by police car in Georgia From the witness reports it appears the young cyclist did not look before he pulled from a driveway into the highway. This is another case where the infrastructure was built for rural needs and the area became residential without any changes to the speed limits, a common situation in the southeastern US. Intersection protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

A wreck in MO that has weird written all over it. Bicyclist who fell in road is run over by vehicle and killed in Smithton The cyclist had been riding salmon but had stopped because of a problem, then fell off the bike for some reason and as another witness was calling 911 to request medical assistance for the rider the weapon vehicle ran the cyclist over. From my reading of this report the cyclist may not have even been on the bike when he fell into the road. More Bicyclist Killed On His Way To Work and Police: Cyclist falls onto road, killed by vehicle and a page of mostly good comments Comments for: Belleville man falls from bike, dies after being run over by car

A MI cyclist is killed crossing the street. Bicyclist killed in Holland crash The text reported the cyclist was riding salmon but the video said he was crossing against the light, so until they get the story straight I’m not saying how to avoid the wreck, but getting the infrastructure right still most likely would have prevented it. More Elderly Man On Bike Killed After Being Hit by Car also Holland Bicyclist Killed at Busy Intersection still more UPDATE: Police identify bicycle rider killed at U.S. 31-16th Street not done yet Holland Man Killed While Riding His Bike Identified another link Police: 70-year-old bicyclist dies after crash Getting close now Bicyclist struck by car, killed and last link 70-Year-Old Bicyclist Killed In Crash As the later links have come in the story is settled on the cyclist running the red into traffic moving “at highway speeds” after leaving a grocery store. So intersection protocols to avoid (especially the one about not running red lights), and as suspected infrastructure also had a great deal to do with the wreck. The grocery store the victim had just shopped at was located in such a way that the victim had to negotiate a busy highway in order to shop there. That should never be allowed to happen.

Death in the Great White North. Cyclist killed after hit by bus in L’Assomption At this point the narrative is the wind blew the cyclist unexpectedly, leaving the bus driver with no time to react. I don’t know if the cyclist was blown out of a bike lane or just in front of the bus as it passed him. The report as I read it now makes it look like the cyclist was not pointed in the direction he was headed, hence the suspected gust of wind.

Signs the economy is still down the tubes. Bike-By Shooting Wounds Two Teens In Crown Heights At least this time the guy on the bike was dishing it out instead of having to take it.

A wreck in Oz that was particularly gruesome. Luke Stevens pleads not guilty to death of cyclist Richard Pollett, 25, on Moggill Rd, Kenmore in 2011 The driver “Jerry Browned” the cyclist who was left with no room to move away from the truck and went under the rear wheels. Not a wreck that a human cyclist can avoid without being willing to dive at speed from the bike onto the side of the road. The truck was right at 8 feet wide give or take a few inches, and the lane was less than 14 feet wide, or under TX laws not wide enough to share and the cyclist should have taken the lane. I’m not sure what Oz laws are on taking the lane, from what I have read they are not very good for cyclists.

Infrastructure! news out of DC. League Statement: Nomination of Anthony Foxx for Transportation Secretary I reserve judgement until I see more facts.

The modern-day version of the bake sale to get stuff for your school. Students ‘crowdfund’ bike racks for school One question, do the students have to go begging to get the parking lot paved and striped? If not then why do they have to go beg to get bike parking restored?

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus