Running late again, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And that’s all I can stand today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Still trying to adapt to the new “normal”, and the Feed

Well between my injuries and Dad’s injuries this has been an interesting 24 hours since I last posted. Dad is holding his own and showing some slight improvement since coming home. I have been getting him up to eat breakfast and sometimes dinner, lunch has always been in bed so far. His pain levels are diminishing as long as he doesn’t run out on his pain meds, the biggest problem is that he sleeps through the time to take his next pill and only wakes up when he starts feeling pain again. This results in his not getting the pain pills at the right time and only getting 2 out of the three pain pills he is supposed to get per day. I’m trying to figure out a way that he gets his pain pills on schedule without disturbing his sleep, because he really needs his sleep. Such is life as a care-giver for an injured elderly person. The cat on the other hand has been a total mess psychologically. She expects Dad to sleep in “her” bed and refuses to stay with him in the hospital bed we have moved into the house to make Dad more comfortable, then goes to the bedroom and howls because Dad isn’t there with her. I should mention that this cat is about the same age as Dad in “cat years” working out to about 71 “cat years” old.

Speaking of the cat, up first is a tale of a dog that stayed beside his master’s body for as long as 12 hours before he wa discovered after a hit-and-run in CA. Dog stays for hours with owner killed by apparent hit-and-run driver on California coastal road The mode of the wreck appears to be hit-from-behind, and the dog appears to have been protected when his carrying crate became detached from the bike during the wreck reducing the forces on the dog to those that could be survived. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and getting the infrastructure right to prevent a similar wreck. More Man killed in apparent hit-and-run on Highway 1; dog riding in basket stays by his side

Near the WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell, Austin cyclists gather to protest lax enforcement against drivers that hit cyclists. Cyclists take short ride for long-term change With two wrecks that have had either little investigation or no immediate consequences for the drivers, Austin cyclists are getting peeved. Both of the cyclists that were recently hit were riding in full compliance with applicable TX laws, drivers were breaking at least one if not multiple laws. Riders were either killed or permanently injured, drivers so far have not even gotten a ticket when they were caught. it just all seems to be a little asymmetric to me… and a lot of other people, too.

Another fatal wreck in SC. Cyclist killed in hit and run on Savannah Highway Aside from the hit-and-run aspect of this wreck I know nearly nothing about it… More links One person killed in hit-and-run crash in West Ashley and One dead after hit-and-run in W. Ashley also Hit-and-run kills bicyclist in Charleston Yep, still know next to nothing about this wreck.

Lots of links to the cyclist getting hit in MD earlier this week. Med Tech Killed While Bicycling to Hospital and Cyclist Dies After Being Hit By Car In Olney also UPDATE: Cyclist Killed On Rt. 108 Identified more Police identify cyclist killed in Olney collision last link Cyclist killed in Montgomery County crash too many of the comments, where allowed. blamed the cyclist for being there to get hit instead of the driver that hit the cyclist from behind. Since it has been established the cyclist was riding in a legal manner the only logical conclusion is the driver was not driving in a legal manner, and should be arrested and charged with something. I think failure to yield would be the most appropriate charge or some kind of charge that showed she failed to pass at a safe distance.

More links to the kid that was killed in Upstate NY. Boy, 14, killed on bike in hit-run and Boy Struck and Killed by Car in Lancaster also Teen bicyclist hit, killed in Lancaster even Man charged in crash that killed teen not done yet Cops: NY teenager killed in hit-and-run accident another link Community Mourns Loss Of Teen still more Man follows accused hit and run driver are you kidding me? Lancaster Teen Dies In Tragic Hit And Run even more BRIEF: Driver charged with DWI in hit-run death of bicyclist, 14 Last link Buffalo Hit and Run Drunk Driving Incident Kills 14-Year Old Boy OK, synopsis: Cyclist was riding salmon and waiting at a stop sign to cross the road. Driver veered to the other side of the road to pass a vehicle in front of him and hit the cyclist from behind while he was waiting off the side of the road. When the driver was arrested he blew more than .21 BAC% on the breathalyzer. To avoid ride with traffic because the cyclist was technically riding against traffic while he was standing with his bike at the intersection waiting to cross. To prevent, even with the infrastructure being perfect, unless there was a way to prevent this man from drinking 6 beers and then driving home something like this would still have happened as even Dutch-style infrastructure would be shared roads in a residential area like this.

A PA case that was a long time coming to a conclusion. Man pleads guilty to killing bike rider in 2005 and Man pleads guilty in Indiana County bicyclist’s 2005 death also Man Pleads Guilty To ’05 Fatal Hit-And-Run On Rte. 22 No, that’s not a typo or other mistake, it really did take more than 6 years to convict a man of hit-and-run killing a cyclist, because of the driver saying he didn’t know he had hit anybody. Case law now says that you don’t have to know you hit someone to hit-and-run, just leave the scene of a wreck. IOW the law now reads that the fact of leaving a wreck is enough to convict, not any intent to leave, shutting a huge loophole in the law.

Another PA wreck with hopefully a quicker resolution this time. Bethlehem crash involves bicycle, van; bike rider seriously hurt There was a light controlling the intersection, but there is a question about how visible it was in the cyclist’s direction. Since LEO are not immediately blaming the wreck on the cyclist there is also the possibility that the van was the vehicle running the red light. To avoid use intersection protocols, to prevent get the infrastructure right. I mean seriously, I was looking at the Google Street View and this intersection was a cross with one side being the outlet for a one-way street that was 2-way to the right in the direction the van was coming from.

In MO a driver fails to pass safely and severely injures a cyclist. One hurt when car sideswipes bike and Clarence teen seriously injured in bicycle-car collision What do you want to bet the driver was “teaching the cyclist a lesson” when she hit him? Anyway, hit-from-behind protocols to avoid. get the infrastructure right to prevent.

In CA a series of bike v car wrecks are blamed on drivers using cell phones. No safety when cells are in use Cell phone use greatly increases the hazard that drivers will “not see” a cyclist…

A CT cyclist appears to have a loss of control issue and crosses the center line. Cyclist seriously injured in crash with car I don’t know if this was a medical issue, a mechanical issue, or maybe just a lapse in concentration on the cyclist’s part caused by training in heavy traffic, so I can’t tell you how to avoid a wreck like this. I mean cyclists losing control and crossing into oncoming traffic happens about as often as a FL driver getting a ticket for violating the 3-foot passing law.

More on the MT hit-and run that resulted in major destruction of a bike and trailer but no harm to the cyclist and her 4YO passenger. Billings car vs. bicycle hit and run suspect ID’d Intersection wreck, so intersection protocols to avoid and getting the infrastructure right to prevent. But seriously, this was as close to a miracle as I ever want to see.

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

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

After a very long day Dad is back home, and the Feed

My brother and I finally have Dad back home. His pain levels have been brought under control, and he looks and sounds much better. He still isn’t eating much and has lost a lot of weight he couldn’t afford to lose, but part of that was the quality of the food they served in the hospital. I mean I tried some of the stuff they served him and “Yuck!”. There were a couple of things they couldn’t screw up, like pinto beans and a grilled cheese sandwich (in separate meals) but most of the “food-like substances” were not actually edible by anyone with functioning taste. I mean I wouldn’t even eat most of the stuff they gave Dad, it was that bad, and I managed to eat just about everything my daughter gave me when she was first learning how to be a vegan cook. The total lack of anything with sodium in it except the cheese just ruined what little flavor the ingredients had to begin with and the preparation (pureed and minced foods) did the rest. I mean pureed mac and cheese with low-salt cheese? Try wallpaper and the paste as a substitute. Seriously, it was that bad.

Moving on to actual bike links, up first we have a blame-the-victim because all cyclists break the law letter from Just outside Woab World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell. A letter from a reader about cyclists Note the tone of the letter is accusatory, even thought the cyclist in this case was hit several feet away from the actual road on the shoulder.

Another TX cyclist gets splattered across the countryside by the favorite weapon of vehicular homicide (and the biggest selling vehicle in TX) the Ford F-150 pickup truck. Bicyclist Struck, Killed Along Local Highway Identified Another hit-from-behind wreck in TX, q’uelle surprise. The usual protocols apply for avoidance, and effective infrastructure to prevent. Another thing that might help is mandatory seizure of the vehicle as “evidence” any time there is a fatality.

A wreck in CA that could be upgraded in charges if they could locate a couple of key witnesses. Tehama County DA seeks ID of witnesses in cyclist killing “However, in certain situations, the law in California does allow for a murder charge to be filed when the DUI driver acted with a reckless indifference to human life“, from the statement of the DA to the press. On the off chance that either of those two people is reading my blog, or someone that knows these people, please get in contact with the DA’s office.

A cyclist is hit and killed in NC. Bicyclist dies after being struck by vehicle in Laurinburg Since the driver is being charged with a homicide I’m going to assume this was a serious case of “I didn’t see him” that would have required the driver be actually blind to not see the cyclist. IOW negligence that borders on a deliberate assault. Hit-from-behid protocols to avoid, getting the infrastructure right to prevent.

Meanwhile in the most deadliest state to walk or ride a bike in the US for 6 years running, LEO still haven’t cracked the case of a SWCC as a homicide. Investigation of Bicyclist’s Death May Take Another Month So, there’s some evidence the truck driver ran the red? “Curiouser and curiouser,” said Alice…

A sidewalk salmon is hit in Upstate NY. Woman, 47, riding bicycle struck and dragged by car Driver making a right turn and not looking where he was going runs down a cyclist in the sidewalk. Simple enough, to avoid ride in the street with traffic, but the real issue is why an adult woman was riding on the sidewalk instead of the street, so get the infrastructure right to prevent wrecks like this. And in this wreck infrastructure that was not bike friendly was as great a contributor as the salmon cyclist.

Bike V bus in MI, with a somewhat better outcome than what is normally the case. Bus hits bike; biker OK, bus damaged The cyclist in this wreck had too much to drink. To avoid, don’t ride drunk, to prevent, don’t mix buses with bikes which will make drunk cyclists a minor inconvenience.

A bike v bike wreck in OKC. Beloved Cyclist Dies After Crashing Into Other Cyclists In OKC The cyclist appears to have had something like a stroke or heart attack just before he lost control of his bike, nothing that can be done to avoid or prevent something like this.

An ID cyclist has next to no chance of finding justice in his wreck. Bicyclist injured in collision with Boise police car

Another story about that CA hit-and-run. Driver Sought In Hit-And-Run That Injured Antioch Cyclist As I pointed out yesterday that model of Acura has a glued windshield that requires professional tools and supplies to replace, all they need to do to catch the perp is wait for him to fix the windshield and arrest him then for tampering with the evidence in a crime, and obstruction of justice…

Another MD cyclist is hit. UPDATE: Cyclist Killed On Rt. 108 Identified Yet another hit-from-behind fatality, use the protocols to avoid, proper infrastructure to prevent.

Another link that wasn’t posted yesterday about helmets. Only 1 in 5 Capital Bikeshare Users Wears a Helmet Ooohhh! scaaarrryy! cyclists with bare heads! It’s total Anarchy! Cats and dogs lying together… How does that quote go? (Ghostbusters, I think, Bill Murray had the line whatever the movie was.)

I keep mentioning infrastructure so many times, here’s a link to a partial solution to the problem. Crash expert backs calls for 20mph speed limit While this would be a step in the right direction, speed limits in the Netherlands are 20 km/h in residential areas.

A pretty bike picture. Twin Cities Bike Picture of the Day: 5.3.12

And those are all the links that gave me fits today. Before today becomes tomorrow…

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

Dad took a slight setback, and the Feed

Dad is not doing as well as before, the main thing is getting him to eat. When he eats he gets better the next day, but getting him to eat has been a battle. We have so much good food in the house now that he just refuses to eat and it makes me a bit crazy. Between the food delivery lady and the neighbors bringing food by we have enough food in the house to feed two of me if I was riding my bike every day, but I’m not riding my bike and there’s just me and Dad, who ate like a bird before the wreck. now he hardly eats at all. If it wasn’t for Ensure I don’t think he would get enough vitamins to stay alive.

The big story today was broken by BikingInLA yesterday and picked up by major news outlets, and Patch. Berkeley Hit-and-Run Between Driver, Cyclists Captured on Video and Police Arrest Alleged Driver in Hit-and-Run with Cyclists and Berkeley Hit-And-Run Caught On Tape: Cyclist Catches Accident And Getaway On Bike Camera (VIDEO) more Oakland man arrested in connection with hit-and-run of Berkeley bicyclists captured on YouTube even Video: Cyclists struck by hit-and-run driver in Berkeley The owner of the car reported it stolen roughly 3 days after the wreck or about the time the video began getting viral status in the bike-blog world (since my usual computer doesn’t play video I don’t subscribe to notices about bike wreck videos posted to YouTube). From what I saw in the video there was no way for the cyclists to avoid this wreck, the car apparently pulled up alongside slightly faster than the cyclists and just moved over into them until they fell down then pulled back into the travel lane. IOW this appears to have been a deliberate assault with the motor vehicle as the weapon. No way to avoid except with psychic powers. SBR would prevent this by removing motor vehicles from the field of play.

A more complete report on the MN teen hit leaving a parking lot shows he was leaving church, not school. Church Mourns The Death Of Cyclist Killed Leaving Worship Now we know the cyclist was riding salmon for at least a short period when he got hit and that visibility may have been a factor, and that at this point LEO are not blaming the cyclist or the driver in this wreck. With what I know now I can’t say that there was any way to avoid this wreck as the cyclist’s salmoning does not appear to have contributed to the wreck. Dutch-style SBR would have prevented it as the cyclist would not have been even trying to get in the same lane as a car.

Another report on the CO man killed by what is alleged to be a drunk driver. Monument cyclist killed on evening ride Again, hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, decent infrastructure that doesn’t try to run cars through an area with limited sight lines and narrow lanes at highway speeds would go a long way to preventing a future wreck.

Conclusion in a civil suit against a driver that should not have been allowed to be in control of as large and dangerous a vehicle as the dump truck he was driving when he killed a cyclist. Settlement for man killed by city truck The driver had rear-ended a minivan less than 2 weeks prior to killing the cyclist as well as 19 other wrecks, most of which were his fault, since 1995. I don’t know anything about the actual wreck that killed this cyclist except that it involved the dump truck and killed the cyclist, so I can’t tell you how to avoid this wreck, but to prevent it SBR and making it much easier to lose a driver’s license, especially a commercial license like this driver was supposed to have. I mean seriously 20 wrecks between 1995 and 2010, that is more than a wreck every 9 months on average, his license should have been pulled years ago. I mean why even have licenses if there’s no penalty for bad driving and seldom a penalty for driving without one?

Battle of the octogenarians in NJ. Cyclist, 81, Seriously Injured in Crash With Car Hit-from-behind, hit from behind protocols to avoid. Proper infrastructure to prevent including taking the keys away from people that can’t keep their cars in a single lane (and I know this is ironic coming from a guy whose father is recovering from sliding off the road). Between the two there was 169 years of life experience and over 140 years of guiding vehicles down the road, and they still couldn’t manage to avoid running into each other. I believe this is the oldest combined age for a wreck I have ever had a link for.

Another wreck in CA shows why separate phases for bicycles and cars at light-controlled intersections is a good idea. TEMECULA: Bicyclist injured in Redhawk Parkway collision The cyclist and the driver were side-by-side at the intersection but there was rather heavy contact between the bike and the van right after the light changed. The working theory for this wreck is there was not enough room allowed for the cyclist to wobble from the start. I don’t know how to avoid the wreck, but getting the infrastructure right would go a long way to preventing it.

A WI wreck is blamed on a cyclist running a stop sign. Car hits bicycle in rural crash If as described then this could be avoided with the most basic of the intersection protocols, the one that says stop and yield at stop signs. Getting the infrastructure right so that bicycles don’t have to share high-speed rural highways would prevent wrecks like this.

A wreck in VA with injuries. Reston Bike Club Rider Injured in Ashburn It is unknown from this report what the mode of this wreck was. It may very well have been a bike-on-bike wreck as it happened on a club ride.

Another VA wreck definitely involved a motor vehicle, driver given a ticket. Local Cyclists Reaching Out to Help Injured Cyclists Hit By A Car The driver tried to pass when there wasn’t room to pass or for the cyclists to move over. LEO seems to be placing all the blame on the driver in this one, a rarity in VA. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid a similar wreck if there’s room with decent infrastructure to prevent. Seeing the scene of the crime there should have been plenty of room to pass unless the driver that hit the cyclist was trying to pass when there was already another vehicle passing him. In which case the driver definitely deserves the reckless driving charge.

Another apparent red-light runner in NE. Cyclist hurt in crash near 72nd, Dodge The bike in the picture was definitely hit from the side, no doubt about that at all, so intersection protocols to avoid, and Dutch-style infrastructure to prevent.

Late link from GA as a driver hits 3 cyclists from behind despite reflectors and multiple blinky lights. Two Florida bicyclists killed along U.S. 17 At this point I can’t say what the driver’s problem was as the cyclists would certainly have been visible had the driver been looking, and why was he driving at speed on the shoulder of the road?

LifeStyle from a state that is relatively safe, protesters are saying it could be safer. Procession aims to show how bikes, cars can co-exist That this is being done just shows me how far we have to go to get people from A to B without killing them, independent of their mode of transportation. Notice that there is a co-protest with pedestrians and the wheelchair bound over their rights to the roads.

Also today in the UK more than 13,000 cyclists showed at 2 protests in London and Edinburgh. 10,000 pedal for action in biggest bike protest and Make our cities safer for cyclists also Thousands protest in London, Rome for cycle safety This pictures are just awe-inspiring, bicycles as far as the eye can see…

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Another allergy attack, and the Feed

Before I did the filtering this morning I went out to purchase replacement CFL bulbs after several “let their magic smoke out” a couple days ago. For the non-technical among my readers, electric and especially electronic devices are actually run on “magic smoke”, and you have to be very careful to keep that magic smoke inside the device. Ever see the smoke come out of some electronic gear? Did it ever work right again? See, “magic smoke” makes electronics work…

Anyway, the wind was blowing like it frequently does in TX in the Spring, which means lots of dust and pollen is in the air, and now it’s in me because I breath like a cyclist, in great volume. Between the dust and the pollen my eyes feel like they’ve been sandblasted, and I’m starting to get trickles of blood from my nose, bit indications that tonight will be “fun” in ways that are normally not aligned with the word “fun”. Fortunately we have diphenhydramine available in large quantities, so I won’t know about the “fun” as I won’t be conscious for it. Or most of it at any rate.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike, what at this moment appears to be suicide by train until more information comes out. Bicycle rider killed by Tri-Rail train in Deerfield Beach The cyclist was just walking down the track in front of the train and did not get off the tracks when the train engineer used the horn…

From another part of FL, updates on the investigation of murder by motor vehicle of a cyclist. Hit-and-run victim remembered 1 year later I thought they had caught this guy, but from this story it seems the driver and his truck are still at large. Anyway the wreck was head on with the truck on the wrong side of the road, a cyclist would have to be psychic to be able to avoid one like that. SBR might be able to defend against a wreck like that, but I doubt it.

A scary incident in CO. SUNRISE: Bicyclist injured as bullets fly in Springs Again I have no idea how to avoid something like this. The stupid part is the shooter had the perfect weapon and then used a gun, when all they had to do is just run the guy over and leave and report the car as stolen. But because a gun was used the LEO will have to investigate this as an assault with a deadly weapon or even attempted murder. Not the brightest of moves on the part of the shooter.

To back up the statement in the previous paragraph, I present this article. WALLA WALLA: Man acquitted in cyclist’s death Even in the off chance you are charged, a driver has little to fear from the justice system in the death of a cyclist.

In the furthest south of south TX, a ghost bike goes up for a cyclist killed by a truck. Memorial bike honors memory of accident victim Yeah, he was riding salmon.

UK news that a small road defect caused a cyclist to be “flung” into the path of a car. Coroner says pothole most likely cause of crash that led to cyclist’s death, as DfT publishes review of problem Apparently the pothole formed overnight between trips by the cyclist, which is part of the reason it hadn’t been fixed.

And that is all the news that gave me fits…

Billed @$0.02, Opus

In a rush rush rush, the Feed

Well in a rush and in pain. I had to mow the lawn this morning, and my hip muscles decided to go on strike, the ones that had been bothering me most of the winter. I thought they had finally healed up, because it had been a couple of weeks since I last had any trouble with them, but I was wrong. About halfway through when I couldn’t walk any more I had to stop and sit down for a while, which was a whole ‘nother story in pain. After that subsided a bit I had lunch and completed mowing the lawn, whereupon I retired to my bed with a massager to force the muscles into compliance with my desires and followed that up with a couple of ibuprofen and now I can sit at the computer and wince a bit when I move… what would normally be a 2 hour job turned into more than 4 hours, between having to wait until the mower decided it wanted to start (it runs fine when the temperature is above 75°F but refuses to even putt-putt once the temperature drops below 74) and having to stop and regain use of my hip. So now I’m typing like a house afire trying to get all the links read and posted.

Up first is an update on the cyclist who was hit riding salmon in Brownsville near the US-Mexico border. Boy, 14, identified as victim of weekend accident OK now we know the destination, and I was wrong, it would have been more than 5 miles out of his way to ride with traffic rather than salmon. The takeaway from this is bicycle infrastructure needs to be installed at the border because there appears to be a significant amount of bike travel through there anyway, they might as well do something to accommodate it.

A cyclist is killed by an Amtrack train, on an article I left a comment on that raised quite a ruckuss. Man struck and killed by train in Antioch As I said in my comment, trains are easy to see, easy to hear, and only found on train tracks making them easy to avoid. I apologize (again) for emotional discomfort this may have caused the survivors of the deceased cyclists, but momentary or permanent you have to do something stupid to get hit by a train.

More on the driver actually getting a ticket for breaking the new PA passing law after hitting a cyclist. Driver cited under new bicycle law after striking cyclist on Fahy Bridge The comments on this article are just hilarious (not). Seriously, do some people not know that calling someone gay as an epithet is a hate crime? Another Cyclist Hit by Car on Fahy Bridge

In the Great White North a cyclist’s killer is sentenced. Man sentenced for drunk driving that killed cyclist in Long Plain The perp has just passed 2 years in jail and will have to spend another 2 years for a total of 4 years behind bars, plus 2 more years of supervised probation (no drinking allowed) then another 12 years of no driving (but they still didn’t make driving itself a crime for the perp).

More on Levi’s Spanish wreck. US cyclist Levi Leipheimer breaks leg after being hit by car in Basque training I think they meant “when”, or “by”, rather than “after”. US cyclist breaks leg in accident with car

In Enn Zed, a man is arrested and charged for leaning out of a car to assault a cyclist. Man faces court for pushing rider off bike I have an idea, set up a gantlet (that is how it is supposed to be spelled) of cyclists with frame pumps and U-locks 100m long with a cyclist on both sides every meter (so that everybody has room to swing) and if the perp wants he can walk down that and go home, or he can go to jail until his trial. If he breaks into a run he has to go back to jail. If he dies, then no big loss. Don’t have to pay for the trial or putting his worthless hide in jail.

LifeStyle from San Diego. Bike rally honors cyclist killed during commute This is for the cyclist who was killed riding salmon that wasn’t riding salmon by at least one driver that left the scene. this whole wreck was just so confusing what with the rider riding the wrong way then the right way and all the drivers stayed at the scene and then one driver didn’t even though news and crime scene pictures show the impact on what was supposed to be the first car in the wreck (which now they are saying wasn’t the actual first car in the wreck, just the same model as the first car in the wreck). If I hadn’t just shaved my head I would be pulling out my hair…

Now I have to jump in the shower and go to a board (bored) meeting and decide how the church should spend money. yuck!

Billed @$0.02, Opus

More on the rough weather yesterday, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Today is Super Mule Day, and the Feed

Mrs. the Poet has instructed me to lash our rucks to Blue as payday has arrived and we need to restock our pantry with non-perishable foods. This means that Blue will be loaded to the creaking and groaning point, ditto my back, and Mrs. the Poet shall be tasked with whatever Blue and I can’t carry. Since one of my X-mas/Solstice gifts was a set of tie-downs for externally carried cargo on Blue we have been able to carry large bags of stuff that would not fit in the buckets or the ruck previously. Actually to be precise I can load one large bag of non-refrigerated food per trip, in addition to what fits in the buckets and ruck. Also I am working on new kitty-litter bucket panniers that are removable, meaning I don’t have to ride up to the back door and back the bike up to it. I could just remove the buckets from the bike and carry them into the house where they could be unloaded at leisure. And I could leave them at home on trips that won’t require cargo capacity. This would make such trips a little quicker as the current setup is about as aerodynamic as a cab-over semi with no trailer fairing. Also, I will be able to make the new panniers more weather-tight as I won’t have to drill through the inner shell of the bucket to install the mounting hardware. I have learned much since my first attempt at making kitty-litter buckets work as cargo capacity.

Up first, Albany CA residents ask if the 25 MPH speed limit on an arterial that runs through a residential neighborhood will ever be enforced. You Ask: Do Police Enforce Speeding on Buchanan? This was a street that saw a cyclist killed a few weeks ago that was partially blamed on the driver of the weapon vehicle speeding. The description of the road makes it sound like a good candidate for speed-sensitive road mines what with drivers routinely driving in excess of double the posted limit. I have been working on a compact unit that would be about 1m long, with a shaped charge that would disable the vehicle without damaging the pavement road surface (changed to account for the heavy increase in non-US readers I have gotten recently, outside of the US pavement is a thing, a sidewalk, rather than a surface).

First wreck report is from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Injured cyclist cited for not having lights Another ninja cyclist, part of the reason why FL leads the nation in cyclist deaths. This does not excuse the drivers that hit pedestrians at night because they have badly-aimed or otherwise ill-functioning headlights, but really reflectors are cheap, easy to get and install and make the back of the bike really shine even with bad headlights on the weapon vehicle. I have a couple of square feet of reflective materials on the back of Blue, and as soon as I finish building the charger I’ll have a blindingly bright taillight with a rechargeable battery. More Milton bicyclist hurt in accident

A wreck in San Diego has LEO puzzled as the initial impact location of the cyclist remains unknown after the cyclist was hit 3 times (this is a similar wreck to the salmon cyclist a while back on the same street, but this cyclist was riding with traffic). Witnesses Sought in Fatal Hit-and-Run Bike Accident You notice that in this wreck the cyclist ended up in the correct location and the initial vehicle to hit the cyclist left the scene and has not been located unlike the salmon cyclist wreck where the same make vehicle remained at the scene and the driver rendered aid to the cyclist. All the same 2 wrecks in a short space of time and on the same street gives me a bad feeling. (cue the Lucasfilm logo and Star Wars theme). The same number of vehicles that hit the cyclist is another striking parallel.

A SWSS wreck in far south TX. Victoria woman hurt when pickup hits her bike The only witness that was still conscious to make a report was the driver of the weapon vehicle, so until otherwise verified, this is a hit-from-behind wreck, use the appropriate protocols to avoid, and SBR would prevent a wreck like this.

A WI wreck with independent witnesses for a 11YO boy crossing against the light. Bicyclist, 11, in serious condition after crash Yeah, crossing with the light would most likely prevent this, and SBR would have no impact at all as the 11YO would still have to wait on the light.

A youth in ME is hit walking his bike on the side of the road in a school zone. Boy hit by car back at home The mother in this one is seriously over-reacting, the kid was walking when he was hit by a car that went off the road in a school zone at more than the posted speed limit. Seriously woman, the kid was 100% innocent in this wreck, and the bike made 0% difference in the wreck. This would be like forbidding him to carry a backpack because he had one on when he was abducted by aliens, as if wearing a backpack (or riding a bike) had anything to do with the situation. Unless the driver targeted him because of the bike, of course.

More on the CO wreck initially reported as a “booby trap”. Police: Injured cyclist not the victim of a ‘booby trap’ I still can’t wrap my mind around why the fisherman would have had to be fishing across a bike path, the narrative doesn’t make sense, but glad to know it was not a deliberate attempt to cause injury.

LifeStyle in TX. Cycling notebook: Bike-to-work days roll out this spring Bike to work in Houston, sponsored by the Kevorkian bike club and the organ donors league. Juuust kidding folks, riding to work in Houston is no more dangerous than riding to work in many cities around the world, like Khandahar or Beirut or even Baghdad.

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus