Not on time again today and probably not tomorrow either, and the Feed

I had another busy day today with my weekly gig as a crying towel for the widow women, followed by getting the tickets for the last leg of our vacation, with a trip to church to plan the rituals for this weekend that will probably happen some time in the middle. So if this doesn’t post until nearly midnight, now you know why.

Up first, another hit-and-run fatality from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 9 years running, FL. Katherine A. Rigby killed while riding bicycle in hit and run crash in Royal Palm Beach From the narrative it seems possible the cyclist was targeted by the driver. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. And send this driver through the car shredder in his stupid SUV when they catch him. More Mother struck, killed in hit-and-run while riding bicycle with son and Roommate of woman killed by hit-and-run driver as son looked on: ‘He never knew his father. That’s all he had.”

Lots of links on this story from CA. San Jose: Bicyclist killed by hit-and-run driver at busy Hwy. 87 overcrossing and Cyclist Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver In San Jose also Bicyclist Killed by Hit and Run Driver: San Jose Police What little is known about the wreck so far is the driver was way over the speed limit as witnessed by the cyclist’s body being found 50 feet further down the road than his shoes. Mega-hit-from-behind, no chance to avoid and completely crappy infrastructure. As on the San Diego wreck I place at least 90% of the fault on the infrastructure with all the rest of the blame on the driver who was going too fast for conditions and exceeding the speed limit. Add hit-and-run to that and we get another candidate for driving through the car shredder…

A wreck outside NYC. East Hampton teen, Anna Lytton, struck and killed while riding bike Nothing on the mode but like all good reports from the NYC area involving someone hit by a motor vehicle no criminality is suspected. Because Cars, cars über Alles.

Another link to that highly unlikely SWSS wreck in GA. Cyclist injured after slamming into car in Gillsville Again a cyclist “swerving” all the way across the centerline to get hit by a car is stretching credulity. Use hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Another SWSS in VT. Girl is hurt in collision of truck and bike Hit-from-behind wreck, protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Another child cyclist is injured this time in MD. Child Struck By Vehicle, Injured Nothing about the mode of wreck but there is a slight suggestion that the driver may have been at fault in the wreck, just a hint.

A rare type of wreck in NJ. Two hurt in Sunday motorcyle vs. bicycle accident in Vineland No mode given, but no matter who was at fault everyone involved was injured to one degree or another. So this is the impact of two vulnerable road users.

Another update, this time on the CO cyclist killed in a hit-and-run. Video: David Hernandez, cyclist, dies after hit-and-run, cops seek driver who took his life If when they catch this driver we have another candidate to use the drive-through car shredder.

Today’s special seems to be hit-and-run, this one in MN. 69-year-old Esko woman arrested in connection with hit-and-run of cyclist The mode of wreck was not given, but from the rest of the narrative it seems possible that hit-from-behind or a right hook was the mode of the wreck.

Update on a CA wreck. Man killed while riding bike in Pasadena identified The driver hit one cyclist and Jerry Browned another and LEO can’t figure out if he did anything wrong? What’s wrong with this picture? Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Another hit-and-run, this time in OR. Witnesses aid cyclist after Portland hit-and-run Hit-from-behind by a driver that may have been impaired, use the protocols to avoid but there doesn’t appear to be much room to avoid the wreck from looking at the Google Street View of the scene. The infrastructure could use some work as well.

More on that rider killed on a charity ride in Western WA. Family of cyclist killed on cancer fundraising ride remember Victoria teen as gentle and caring and Private B.C. school identifies cyclist killed during weekend cancer fundraiser The narrative now is that the cyclist lost control as he passed a group of other participants in the ride for an unknown reason and went across the road trying to regain control and hit oncoming traffic. I suspect a rumble strip or a raised reflective marker may have played a part in the process.

Speaking of charity rides LEO have determined the chain of events in that ME charity ride wreck. Maine police: Cyclist probably fell into truck The cyclist was taking a drink as the truck passed and the turbulence from the truck caused him to fall under the truck. This requires a variation on the hit-from-behind protocols to not be using a water bottle when being passed by a semi.

A wreck in Oz. Cyclist killed in crash with truck at intersection of Wattle St and Fullarton Rd This is the equivalent of a right hook wreck for those that drive on the wrong side of the road. Intersection wreck so the protocols apply to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Update on a wreck in Oz where a driver hit a cyclist riding on a sidewalk. Witnesses tell of shock after boy is killed by car in Nollamara Drivers need to pay more attention to what is in front of them especially while crossing a sidewalk.

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Running way late again, and the Feed

At least this time I have a really good excuse for being late even though I was at my house. We changed our internet/cable bundle and we lost all outside communications at Casa de El Poeta except the cell phones. No TV, internet, or telephone service for all morning and half the afternoon. I could have gotten the internet up sooner except that the internet provider’s interface did not like the browser on my laptop. I’m sure that will change in the future as Chromebooks become more common (or Google starts downgrading this ISP’s search standings). We got a lot more channels on our TV, and increased our download speed by a factor of five (which means my webcomics will load in 1/5 a blink of an eye as opposed to the whole blink it takes now). And I do notice a difference in the speed the articles I link to load and open, not to mention the videos.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 9 years running, another cyclist is killed by an idiot at the controls of a WMD. Bicyclist killed in Arlington crash The driver appears to have been exceeding the speed limit, not to mention the limits of common sense, when he lost control of the vehicle and hit the cyclist on the sidewalk and crushed him against a building before continuing to crash against another building and ending up in someone’s front yard. From the description of the wreck nothing short of a firing squad at the DMV when this guy applied for his license would have prevented this wreck. The cyclist was riding on the sidewalk away from the traffic lane and was crushed against a building and then the van continued on to crash into another building and a wall. There is no known bicycle infrastructure that will prevent this from happening and is still suitable for the area where the wreck happened.

A cyclist left-crosses himself in PA. Cyclist killed in Adams County crash Saturday Not much I can say about this, except that intersection protocols still apply even when you’re making the turn on your bike. Infrastructure could have prevented this wreck by physically separating motor vehicle and bicycle traffic.

A super SWSS wreck in GA. Unidentified cyclist seriously injured in Gillsville I find the driver’s story highly doubtful, moving completely over to the oncoming lane and still hitting the cyclist. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get rid of stupid drivers to prevent.

Train/bicycle wreck in CA. Bicyclist killed by passing train This is entirely an avoidable wreck, just don’t cross the tracks when a train is coming.

Update on another wreck in CA. Investigation continues into death of bicyclist struck by car in Pasadena Hit from behind, use the protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Another CA update. Cyclist hospitalized after SUV collision I have been informed that with difficulty and some counter-intuitive maneuvers it is safe to cross an on-ramp. More Bicyclist hit by car seriously injured

The charges in a CO hit-and-run get upgraded after the cyclist involved dies. Westminster cyclist David Hernandez dies 1 week after being struck by hit-and-run driver I’m still calling this a hit-from-behind wreck. More Man hit by vehicle in Westminster while riding bicycle home from work dies

From the Great White North (thank you SCTV) comes a wreck that was 100% the fault of the driver not following directions provided by a traffic cop. Cyclist hit by car in Quebec triathlon If the cyclist hadn’t been hit the LEO would have because he was next in line. The driver failed to stop for the LEO. Intersection protocols would not have helped, and existing separation of the cyclist from motor vehicles by human directed traffic didn’t work either. I guess a stricter license exam would be the only way to prevent drivers from ignoring directions from a LEO… or immediate execution on the spot for ignoring a traffic cop.

From Western WA via far West Canuckistan many links on a cyclist hit during a charity ride. Teen cyclist killed in collision with car during Ride to Conquer Cancer and Teen cyclist from Victoria killed in collision with car during Ride to Conquer Cancer also Teenage cyclist killed in Ride to Conquer Cancer not done yet Teen cyclist from Victoria killed in cancer ride mishap at Arlington, Wash. I had a link to this wreck for the Saturday post, but the picture of what was supposed to be the debris of the wreck was of a Suzuki sports bike, so I ignored the link. Turns out the picture was wrong. I don’t know why the rider fell off the bike, but there are wildly different stories that range from his getting buzzed in one link to crossing the road and hitting the weapon vehicle head on, and to be honest either or both of those stories could be true the buzz job could have caused the cyclist to cross the centerline trying to regain control over the bike. Without a reliable cause for the wreck I can’t say how to avoid, but getting the infrastructure right would have prevented this wreck.

Another sidewalk cyclist is killed this time in Oz. Schoolboy cyclist, 11, killed in morning crash in Nollamara apparently the driver was not paying any attention to the existence of the sidewalk or anyone on it. The only thing that could prevent a similar wreck would be smarter drivers paying attention as they cross sidewalks and bicycle paths. More Child on bike killed in Nollamara

Another wreck in Oz creates calls for tougher licensing standards. Husband of cyclist killed by epileptic nun calls for tougher licensing of older drivers

More CARnage from Oz. Cyclist fighting for life after crash Yet another hit-from-behind wreck, use the protocols to avoid, get the infrastructure right to prevent.

A sort of infrastructure article from Oz. Surge in cyclists’ injuries, deaths on Adelaide roads The “safety in numbers” hypothesis rests upon the ability of licensed drivers to learn that cyclists are sharing the roads and that drivers need to be careful. There must be something in Oz that prevents this from taking place as drivers are increasingly at fault for an increasing number of wrecks.

Last link, one of the many advantages of riding over driving from Bikeyface. THE REAL WORLD Yes, there is a real world out there, and riding a bike puts you right in the middle of it.

And those are all the links that gave me fits.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Short post because not much left over from the late post yesterday, and the Feed

First up, customer service for the vendor I bought those books from almost 2 weeks ago sent me a nice e-mail saying they couldn’t track my package either once USPS got their hands on it, but that I should expect it yesterday. I got that message after the mail had run without my package. If I do not see my package today I’m going to request the vendor give me a physical description of the package so that I can go to the local PO and ask for a physical search of the facility. I have nearly $100 worth of reading materials floating around in a USPS facility somewhere in the Metroplex, and I want them in my possession. Unless my package fell off a conveyor somewhere and can’t be retrieved the only other explanation that makes any sense is someone stole it for some reason. And even that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, because why steal stuff from a random package? If it is beginning to sound like I’m a little obsessed about this it’s because I am. I don’t get to buy a lot of stuff. It takes me months of thinking about the purchase and squirreling away the funds or waiting for funds to arrive, and then I wait in dread that something will happen to my purchase in transit. This particular purchase I have been thinking about for several years, so you can imagine the buildup I have been experiencing.

Another hit-and-run assault against a cyclist in CA. Teen bicyclist hospitalized after Anaheim hit-and-run; driver sought The cyclist was visible to drivers after the wreck, which means he had to have been visible before the wreck if the driver was looking. The bike looks like it was hit from he left side which means that head and tail lights would not have been visible but the white shirt and reflectors on the bike should have been visible, had the weapon vehicle been using the headlights. I don’t know enough about this wreck to say what procedures may have avoided or mitigated the wreck or if infrastructure would have prevented it. The Street View of the crime scene shows a road that certainly needs some bike infrastructure as it is an arterial surrounded by mixed-use zoning with commercial on the street backed by residential one street over in either direction. More Teen Bicyclist Injured When Struck By Hit And Run Driver

A right hook in VT. Police: Cyclist injured after slamming into car The video showed a bike lane but Street View showed that bike lane was for the intersecting street. VT has a strict AFRAP law that forced the cyclist to stay in the right even when moving near the speed of motorized traffic, making this wreck pretty much inevitable sooner or later. anyway intersection protocol to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

More information on that kid hit in an intersection in ND. Child reportedly on life support after bike accident in Hettinger, N.D. The intersection is no being described as uncontrolled, meaning a third-grader might believe he had the right of way when entering the intersection before the motor vehicle. He may very well have had the right of way.

Two cyclists are critically injured in LA. Two boys seriously injured in Tulare bicycle crash Local knowledge from a comment left on the website stated that this is a “stroad” with a high speed limit through a residential area and that drivers routinely exceed the generously high allowed speed. Infrastructure caused wreck, fix to prevent.

A SWSS in the Great White North. Cyclist injured in Oshawa accident The Google Maps view of the crime scene showed a road with 1 lane in each direction, making the narrative of the incident physically impossible. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, get the infrastructure right to prevent, and stop believing cockamamie stories from the person that just injured someone with a deadly weapon.

Also in the Great White North a cyclist is hit-from-behind while trying to make a left turn. Cyclist seriously injured after collision in East York The Street View shows 2 lanes in each direction and no turn lane in a heavily residential area, so the cyclist may have entered the lane in front of a vehicle without giving the driver time or space to stop. This is a special subset of intersection protocols, you have to change lanes well in advance of when you need to make the turn to make sure you get a big enough gap in traffic in the other lane to make a safe lane change.

A lifestyle article and update on a wreck in AZ. GHOST BIKE DEDICATION TONIGHT FOR SUN TRAN DRIVER KILLED RIDING TO WORK The driver was in jail for a while, and may still be in jail AFAIK.

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Woah this is late, and the Feed

I’m dragging buns bringing this one in. I was doing physical labor helping a lady friend move unwanted husband detritus out of her house (she can’t throw it away, but she’s tired of looking at it) and my bum leg is trying to end me. I’m serious, my leg feels like six kinds of pain right now, three of which only exist for people with conditions like mine (three flavors of phantom pain). I spent all day moving heavy boxes around and building shelves to put the boxes back on after I moved them. And sweating as the high for the day hit 97°F. So if the snark gets a little venomous, well you have been warned.

This was down the street from Casa de El Poeta. Child critically injured after bicycle struck by SUV in Garland and UPDATE: Garland boy remains in critical condition after being hit by SUV while riding bicycle also Boy on Bike Hit by Vehicle in Garland last link Child Hit By Car In Garland I know this intersection intimately, there are overhanging tree branches that limit visibility for pedestrians trying to cross the road and the road has a 40 MPH speed limit that most drivers ignore. Top that with 2 lanes in each direction and a turn lane in the middle and a grassy median, and you have a highway running through a residential area, my residential area. I place about 15% of the blame on the kid not looking, 25% on the driver not looking, and the other 60% on the infrastructure. This was the incident that backed up traffic on my way home yesterday.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 9 years running (longer then I have been doing this blog) an unusual but not unheard of incident. Man Fatally Shot While Riding His Bicycle This is the first one I can remember in FL this year but probably not the first one that happened. I have no clue how you avoid an incident like this.

It happens every day in NYC, but the press have been slavering for it to happen to someone riding a CitiBike. Woman injured riding Citi Bike in lower Manhattan Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent. And do something about the idiots trying to make bicycle riding look like an extreme sport. More Citi Bike Rider Headed For Hospital Can’t Stop Stressing About Time Limit

A young MI cyclist is the victim of a hit-and-run while riding her brand-new bike. Child hit by minivan while riding bike in Bloomfield Hills The wreck appears to have been either a cross or hook wreck at an intersection, so intersection protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent..

From the Great White North, another “balanced” rant about road safety. Letter: Cyclists and drivers each have a role to play in making cycling safer Who do you think has a greater responsibility for road safety? The person on a bicycle that kills maybe 5 people a year in the US, or the person at the controls of a WMD used for transportation that kills an average of 35K people a year in the US this century.

Also from the Great White North a cyclist is left crossed in a crosswalk. Oakville cyclist struck by car That could have been a pedestrian, a mother pushing a baby carriage, a senior citizen, but this time it was a cyclist. Intersection wreck, use the protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right so that people don’t feel the need to ride on a sidewalk to prevent.

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

Billed@€0.02, Opus

Summer has landed, and the Feed

The post is getting a late start today because I was Doing Things today. First I mowed the lawn again, took a break and answered some e-mail while I cooled off enough to stop sweating for a few minutes, then showered and dressed to go run errands on Blue. I went to the local Post Office where they told me they couldn’t track my package that has been AWOL since Friday of last week (I would call that LOST), then picked up my new shoe from getting the lift installed at the shoe repair. After I got caught in a massive traffic jam caused by some kind of emergency near the house (complete with fleets of TV news helicopters hovering overhead) that all I could see of was several police vehicles and a fire engine, I managed to roll back into Casa de El Poeta just before 1830. And the headline? I was riding in 95 degree weather with a heat index of just under 100°F today, with the heat index in the high 90s while I was mowing.

What was breaking news when I got it, a cyclist was struck by a motor vehicle in PA. Car strikes bicyclist in Carlisle this morning At this point the only thing known is the cyclist was hit in an intersection and was centerpunched by the driver. So intersection protocols to avoid, but I don’t know if infrastructure would have prevented this wreck. I need more information to make that assessment.

More on a wreck in KS from last month. Cyclist’s death should be a lesson for all drivers: don’t kill people with cars One would think that this lesson would be obvious…

In CA a car runs a stop sign and hits a cyclist that had the right of way. Crime Blotter: Bike and Car Collide, Minor Injuries Only I can’t believe that LEO said this wasn’t the cyclist rolling the stop… Intersection wreck, use the protocols to avoid, but since the driver ignored the existing infrastructure changing the infrastructure would not have improved matters any.

More on a fatal CA wreck. Cyclist Killed in Pleasanton “Bright, Loving Person” This was the cyclist that was hit from behind while riding in single file in the bike lane. This was the driver that claimed the cyclists were riding side-by-side all over the road in spite of the evidence provided by the skid marks.

Another SWSS wreck in CA. Cyclist injured in collision on Alpine Road This is an area that has killed at least 2 other cyclists in the recent past, and was scheduled for a serious upgrade in infrastructure this summer…

Still in CA a cycling hazard that is very hard to avoid. Bicyclist shot at, but not injured What is ironic in this wreck is the driver was already in control over a weapon that could have killed the cyclist with no danger of prosecution had he just claimed the cyclist “swerved” in front of him.

A IN cyclist is severely injured in a hit-from-behind wreck. Huntington Co. Bicyclist Airlifted To Fort Wayne Hospital After Hit By Car There is some speculation that it might have been deliberate on the part of the driver, in the comments section.

Another hit-and-run in NYC. Police Search For Driver In Alleged Brooklyn Hit-And-Run Involving Cyclist I fail to see what is “alleged” about the hit-and-run. Since the direction of travel was not given for the cyclist I can’t say if this was a hook or a cross, but intersection protocols either way, and infrastructure to prevent. And make hit-and-run equal in severity to attempted murder if the victim survives, murder if the victim dies. And the hit-and-run was a fact not an allegation.

Another hit-and-run, in CO this time. Family Of Cyclist Struck By Car Makes Public Plea LEO made the statement that the driver could not have helped but know he had hit someone in this wreck, the picture of the bike showed brackets for a headlight and a tail light that were empty, and one additional tail light and reflectors. I would say the cyclist had his bases covered prior to this wreck. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get ALL the infrastructure right to prevent.

A young cyclist is injured in ND. 5-year old West Fargo boy injured when bike struck by car Intersection wreck, but the age of the cyclist suggests that infrastructure would not have been much help. Going with the age of the victim I would say the wreck was in a residential area that would have a 12.5 MPH speed limit under the Dutch model of infrastructure. This might have prevented the wreck or mitigated the damage.

From the Great White North, a cyclist wearing rain gear in the rain is hit from behind. Cyclist in fatal collision identified Update I think the investigation is relying too much on the testimony of the operator of the weapon vehicle on this one, we know from the CO wreck in a paragraph above this one that things like headlights and tail lights tend to not survive violent wrecks. Anyway, hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

More on an old wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist killed in collision I can’t see the back of the bike but I don’t see a headlight bracket in the crime scene pictures of the bike, so I can’t say anything about the reported lack of a tail light.

A UK driver is exonerated by claiming against the physical evidence that he was on the right (left) side of the road. Driver cleared after cyclist killed in crash Apparently juries in the UK will believe a driver’s word over the physical evidence to the contrary. I just hope the octogenarian doesn’t run one of them over.

Another link about the report from Enn Zed that HiViz clothing is well-nigh useless in preventing wrecks. High-vis clothing makes little difference for cyclist safety – expert As I posted earlier I wear HiViz mostly as a defensive move for the lawsuit to show I was doing everything I could to avoid a wreck (the full-face helmet is because I don’t want to have to get my face sewn back on a second time. Once was more than enough this lifetime, thank you.

Some good news about bike infrastructure in TX. On the Lege: HB 200 Signed Into Law This law frees up the cleared right of way under power lines for use for bike trails, giving large wide swaths of land that can’t be used for any other purpose than bike trails and power lines. The power companies can use the paved trails to maintain the power lines as part of the deal. This means the trails have to be strong enough to support heavy trucks, which means the trails will probably outlast the power lines.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today. Programming note I will be working Thursday morning and part of the afternoon, so the post will be late again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Lots of stuff and still waiting on that package that should have been here last week, and the Feed

Things are looking very busy today, there are tons of reports in the Feed folder in my e-mail, and that box of books I bought that should have been last week is still MIA as I compose this sentence but the mail hasn’t run yet. Yep the box that should have been here Thursday is still MIA on Monday. I am very protective about my printed reading materials, especially when the total cost was over $90… The UPS center is about 8 miles from Casa de El Poeta in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell and they handed off to the USPS Wednesday morning of last week. I’ll let you figure out how long that has taken to travel that 8 or so miles assuming it gets here today. EDIT TO ADD It did not make it today meaning it has taken more than 5 days for a package to get from one adjoining town to the other.

More on the cyclist hit by a hit-and-run driver fleeing cops in NYC. Cyclist Seriously Injured After Hit-And-Run Driver Struck Him While Fleeing From Cops and Hit & Run Driver Took Out A Cyclist & Light Pole But Remembered To Pick Up the Dry Cleaning This brings the story up to date as to why the driver was being an idiot (besides the fact that he’s an idiot). There was no way to avoid the wreck for the cyclist, and since the idiot in control of the WMD damaged a building I don’t think anything short of a massive barrier would have prevented the cyclist’s injuries.

A cyclist in NJ is injured by debris from someone else’s stupid wreck. 2 Brick men killed when car strikes tree, police say OK the original report hd the cyclist hit by the front end of the car after it separated from the rest of the car, but now the report is the cyclist was hit first, then the tree that caused the front end of the car to separate from the rest of the car. Still no way to avoid this and no way for infrastructure to prevent the wreck. The driver pulled a Forest Gump (stupid is as stupid does), and the cyclist suffered for it.

An OH cyclist apparently ran a red light. Cyclist seriously hurt in crash The description of the wreck implies either a very low-traffic intersection or a cyclist crossing on a stale green. Or the driver could be lying. Anyway intersection protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. As this was physically near a large institute of higher learning there should have been bike infrastructure there already.

Another case where murder charges are being brought against a driver that hit a cyclist, this time in CA. Coroner identifies cyclist slain in fight with driver The cause of the fight is still not known, but the cyclist was trying to leave when the driver hit him from behind, then got out and kicked the cyclist (a report I can’t link to said the driver kicked the cyclist in the head). The driver is now charged with 1^st degree murder (again from the report I can’t link to). As for avoiding, this was a murder, a human cyclist could not have avoided the wreck.

Most of the story is behind a paywall, but there is enough I can read to know that this was an infrastructure-caused wreck. Naperville man injured when bicycle flips over The front end slid out in loose gravel, that is one of the definitions of a wreck caused by bad infrastructure. I’m going to assume the gravel was road aggregate from the road the cyclist was riding on at the time of the wreck which is basically invisible until you hit it at which time it’s already too late to avoid the wreck.

Another CA wreck that has an appearance of a deliberate act as 2 cyclists are hit. Police: Woman bicyclist struck and killed by teen driver in Pleasanton and Cyclist killed by car in Pleasanton identified Hit-from-behind wreck, use the protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. I suggest that as part of that infrastructure the standards for driver’s licenses be raised considerably as the current standard does not weed out drivers that can’t avoid hitting another vehicle in front of them in the road.

Another CA wreck. Cyclist Seriously Hurt in Novato Crash Not much here to chew on, intersection wreck so intersection protocols may apply. I don’t know if there was anything that could have been done to the infrastructure that would have prevented the wreck because of the lack of information.

Still in CA we get a SWSS. Oakley: Bicyclist killed in traffic collision another link Bicyclist Dies After Being Hit By Truck In Elk Grove Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid remembering that trailers cut to the inside of a curve behind the towing vehicle. Get the infrastructure right to prevent.

I think anti-bike bias pervades LEO in the entire state of NY, not just the NYPD. Bicyclist Seriously Injured On Lakeshore Blvd The cyclist was severely injured while riding along a major road and they don’t think a motor vehicle was involved? Are they really that stupid? Buzz job, use the hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent. And word the wording worders that can’t recognize a hit-and-run unless there are car parts strewn about the crime scene even with a severely injured victim.

Justice of a sort in the UK. Lorry driver jailed for death of cyclist on A18 The driver had a dirty windshield that he could barely see through at the tie of the wreck. Also this is extremely rare that a driver gets any jail time for killing a cyclist. Most of the time the offense is treated like a littering charge because the driver failed to remove the cyclist’s body from the side of the road.

A hit-and-run in South Africa has a better ending than it looked like it was going to have. Bakkie smashes into cyclists in Cape Town Translation, a bakkie is what they call a pickup truck in South Africa. The sole uninjured cyclist managed to get someone to chase down the weapon vehicle and get the plate which led to an arrest. Hit-from-behind wreck, but as it appears at this time to have been a deliberate act I don’t know that a human cyclist could avoid it, get the infrastructure right to prevent. As a hint the weapon vehicle should be shredded and recycled first… in any wreck with a vulnerable road user.

A wreck in Oz. Cyclist Maria Defino who died after being struck by a car in Pagewood had a ‘heart of gold’ and Cyclist killed by car in Sydney’s south-east also Cyclist killed in Sydney accident even Cyclist killed in Sydney road accident still more Cyclist killed in Pagewood, in Sydney’s south not done yet Woman killed as cycling couple hit in Sydney road accident last link Woman dies after car hits cyclists Apparently a hit-from-behind wreck at a choke point caused by a parked vehicle. Protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. There was some concern in the early links that the driver may have been impaired by infirmities of old age.

The legal infrastructure for the state of KS. Bicycle Rules Of The Road Unless you can connect the ID of a comment to a person involved in a wreck with a bicycle I suggest not actually reading any of the comments. More Of pedals and petrol Much better article. No comments left.

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Running through life with one good eye again, and the Feed

I woke up again this morning with my left eye glued shut and requiring both hands to pry it open. The sinus and ear congestion from yesterday seem to have cleared up leaving just the eye to deal with. Most of the symptoms are of an allergy attack, but the fact that it’s only in one eye and not both also make me think it might be an infection. It could be caused by flying “stuff” from when I mowed the lawn, which is another thing that makes me think it might be an infection. When I get an allergy attack the reaction is within minutes of contact with whatever allergen caused the reaction, this was 3 days after I mowed. Not that I haven’t had my share of reactions from mowed grass (including having my lower legs covered in welts after getting caught in a discharge from a lawn mower), I am just thinking that this isn’t one of those times. Anyway I know from yesterday that keeping hydrated will keep the eye functional and being slightly over-hydrated will reduce secondary symptoms like the obscuring of vision caused by the discharge and also keep the eye from getting glued closed again. I just have to stop using coffee to stay hydrated.

A PA cyclist is lucky to only get minor injuries when he was hit-and-run by a semi. Mechanicsburg cyclist injured in hit-and-run and Bicyclist reported injured after hit-and-run involving tractor-trailer in Mechanicsburg Since the cyclist was hit crossing an off-ramp this counts as an intersection wreck, so those protocols apply to avoid. However the second link says the cyclist was hit-from-behind in mid block so …? Getting the infrastructure right so bicyclists don’t need to share space with semi-trailers will prevent a similar wreck.

A salmon VA cyclist is seriously injured. Bicyclist Injured in Crash Near Fair Oaks Mall It isn’t obvious from the narrative if the cyclist’s direction of travel had any actual impact on the cause of the wreck as this was also a SWSS. AAANNNyyy way, don’t ride salmon, and use hit-from-behind protocols to avoid. Getting the infrastructure right will keep old guys from getting hit by people driving motor vehicles near malls…

Another VA cyclist was in a hit-from-behind hit-and-run. Injured cyclist wants answers Cyclist was left with no time to react by a vehicle that got too close going too fast. The protocols would be of limited utility in a case like this leaving getting the infrastructure right as the only solution.

Update on a MA wreck. Southborough cyclist seriously injured in crash on Saturday Still a left-cross, still the fault of the driver, still use intersection protocols to mitigate the damages and still needs to get the infrastructure right to prevent.

A KS bike commuter is injured. First payday was a bad day for young bike ride Another left-cross by another oblivious driver puts another cyclist in hospital with broken bones. Intersection protocols to avoid or mitigate, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. At least this time the cyclist survived.

More on that NC case where the driver that killed a cyclist is getting off without even a conviction on her record. Cycling Community Outraged With DA’s Deal For Woman Who Hit, Killed Katherine Shubert

A little bit more on the FL wreck that killed a cyclist earlier this week. Cyclist Struck And Killed In Thomas County The road where the cyclist was hit was just awful, with the shoulder completely ruined for bike travel with full-width rumble strips from the fog line all the way to the grass…

More on the moron that hit a cyclist with what is now known to have been a daylight-visible blinky light on the back of his helmet. Wisconsin: Chippewa County sheriff says driver who killed bicyclist had been at bar I love a pun. I am doubleplus unlove with this driver.

OK one of the weirder stories I have linked to. Groupon offered in memory of cyclist killed in Old Town

Last link is Lifestyle from Dallas. Dallas pro cyclist commutes by bike I look forward to seeing her in kit during my trips around the lake.

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Running way late with a deadline, and the Feed

Last night was another visit with the widow women so she can cry on my shoulder night, that ran until very late and resulted in not waking up until after 1300. Breakfast was “interesting”, with corn, mashed potatoes, and chicken stuffing with a little bit of chicken in it. Different in flavors from what I normally have by about the same in nutrition as far as calories, fat and carbs.

One thing I’m still slightly buzzing about is the new welder I got. The arc welder I had before and still have is about 40 years old and replacement parts are becoming hard to find, an old Sears Craftsman 70 amp transformer unit that weights slightly less than my last car, but at least it runs on 110V AC, standard house current. Well the new 90 amp wire welder does that too, but the plus side is the flux is contained inside the wire instead of the outside of the stick electrodes. This is good because it means my welding consumables stay fresh longer and I end up throwing less away. When you pay $20 for a pound of high-tensile electrodes that can be used to weld 4130 steel safely, and you end up throwing most of the pound away because the flux has gone bad, well that kinda burns. This welder the flux will last as long as the wire stays intact and dry. I can get the same kind of wires as I used to buy as sticks, and the welder will go as thick as 3/16″ steel without overloading (but I can only run a bead for 15 seconds at a time). This will make building the frame of the car, or customer bikes much easier.

An elderly man is killed cycling in NYC. Elderly cyclist dead after SUV collision in Brooklyn The NY Post has not been a reliable reporter of wrecks involving bicycles in many years, in this one they changed the age of the cyclist between the opening and closing paragraphs from 74 to 88. Cyclist, 74, is killed by car in Bensonhurst also 74-Year-Old Cyclist Killed In Bensonhurst Cyclist Struck, Killed By Car In Brooklyn last link Shameless: Daily News Tries Linking Death of Senior Cyclist to Bike-Share Intersection wreck, use the protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent. “No criminality suspected” means they need to look harder next time.

A wreck that does not make sense from the information given in the narrative. Boy on bike killed in DeKalb traffic accident I can see the kid crossing the centerline and getting hit by the SUV, but how did he get hit by the second vehicle? Unless he did what I did in my wreck and went way over the top of the first weapon vehicle. Anyway, not much about avoiding this wreck except not crossing the centerline, and getting the infrastructure right to prevent.

From Canuckistan more on the driver getting sent away for a long time after killing a cyclist. Man sentenced to 4 1/2 years for killing cyclist The one thing I’m very happy about is the 12 year driving ban that doesn’t start until after he gets out of prison. I may not be reading the article correctly but I think it also implies that the ban doesn’t start until all the sentence is complete if he gets parole. So that would mean 16 1/2 years of road that are safe from this drug addict and drunk (actually I think “and drunk” is redundant because a drunk is just addicted to a different drug).

A wreck in Oz. 11-year-old Vic boy dies in school crash Since this wreck was at an intersection that had a crossing guard the wreck itself is a bit suspicious. Get the infrastructure right including what minimal instruction should be needed to cross the street, to prevent.

Last link, because I’m a nerd Who will be Miss Nerd America? I gave up on looking for a nerd girl, and just went looking for a woman who could tolerate my nerdiness. These “girls” seem a bit more than what I would have been looking for back when I was looking.

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus

It’s another Monday, and the Feed

I’m not cooking beans today because we had so much left over from last week. For some reason I just didn’t feel like my usual 3 bowls last week for dinner (I actually had about half that) and nobody had more than a single bowl during the week. So, we have lots that can be put in a 210°F oven in a casserole dish with a dash of soy sauce to spark up the flavor and add a bit of liquid while the mix slowly reheats. Any dangerous microbes don’t stand a chance when I cook because I cook a just enough heat to keep the cooking process going until the food is cooked, thus also killing anything that might be living in the food before I eat it. This also preserves the flavor of my food by not over-cooking it.

Also I have to make a quick run to the local Best Buy to put more minutes on my phone. Apparently the concept of “annual activation” does not mean the same thing to Virgin Mobile as it does to me. To me it means leave my phone turned on for an entire year or until my minutes run out. But to VM it means keep plugging in monthly payment cards or we turn your phone off anyway… I will have to discuss the matter with the VM representative when I get to Best Buy.

I’m not sure if this was a bicycle or motorcycle wreck at this point. Minor Injuries Reported Following Bike Vs. Car Accident The weapon vehicle was reportedly moving at a very slow speed and the bike hit the back of the car which really confuses me as to what happened. And since the video shown with the link never showed the back of the weapon vehicle to have any impact marks (although the right side was never shown) I can only speculate. LEO have not released anything more about the wreck and the reported mode and location (cyclist hit the back of the vehicle mid-block in front of a church) makes me think that this might have been a right hook the cyclist never saw coming. You can see in the video that every space in that parking lot could be reached from the street by making a right turn. But this is just guesswork on my part.

A wreck report that has changed considerably since I first saw it last night in pre-filter. MIT scientist riding bicycle struck, killed in crash The original headline when I first saw the link was “Pedestrian struck by truck in hit-and-run crash” with the existence of a bicycle at the scene mentioned in the second paragraph. Now it’s all MIT Scientist visiting from Japan hit on a bicycle, with nothing about the actual wreck. The pictures indicate an intersection wreck, so maybe intersection protocols to avoid, and get that abysmal infrastructure fixed to prevent future wrecks. Boston streets were never intended for motor vehicle travel, I still say that motor vehicles should be forced to use pilots on foot with waving red flags front and back when driving in the old part of Boston. At the very least it would do something about the unemployment problem in MA.

Another dead cyclist in NYC, at least they aren’t using the “no criminality suspected” line (yet). Cyclist Killed By Livery Cab In Prospect Heights You would think Gothamist would have figured out by now that the driver hit the cyclist with the cab instead of apportioning all the blame to the vehicle… SWSS hit-from-behind wreck, use the protocols to avoid. There was supposedly a center bike lane in the median but I’m still trying to find out how a cyclist was supposed to get to those bike lanes other than at the beginning or end of the lanes. So bad infrastructure may have had a role to play also. More links Cyclist struck and killed near Brooklyn Museum and Fatal bicycle accident in Brooklyn The pictures from that link showed the weapon vehicle was nearly dead-center on the bike when impact occurred, which kinda places the SWSS story in jeopardy. Cyclist struck and killed by livery cab driver in Prospect Heights At least that one managed to mention the weapon vehicle had a driver. The NY Post blames the cyclist for existing Bicyclist stuck and killed after swerving in front of livery cab in Crown Heights At least in that link you get a better look at the impact site just to the left of the license plate with the skid mark from the tire lined up perfectly with the broken grill, and the tail light or rear reflector visible under the seat. Cyclist Struck, Killed By Livery Cab In Brooklyn and Bike Rider Fatally Struck by Livery Cab in Brooklyn last link Taxi Hits, Kills Bicyclist on Eastern Parkway

Salmon cyclist killed in CA. Bicyclist dies in collision with big rig in Industry There’s just not much surviving a head-on wreck with a semi. Don’t salmon to avoid, and it looks like there isn’t much bicycle infrastructure where the cyclist was hit.

The TX fund that’s supposed to take care of people injured in hit-and-run wrecks is depleted less than 5 months into the year. Injured cyclist’s family seeking donations for medical expenses

Another hit-and-run, in VT. 2 cyclists injured in Burlington hit-and-run This one appears to be caused by a driver that did not know where the edges of the vehicle extended possibly combined with under-estimating the speed of the cyclists he was passing. Other than hit-from-behind protocols there ain’t much a human cyclist can do in a wreck like this, but getting the infrastructure right would have prevented the wreck.

A MD wreck that sounds an awful lot like a hit-and-run. Carroll County Man Injured While Riding Bicycle Yeah that hitting the mailbox hard enough to knock it out of the ground doesn’t sound like a single-bike wreck. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

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

Billed @€, 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