I can hardly lift my arms, but here’s the Feed

Well, I pruned some more today, on the live oak out back. I don’t have much upper body strength or endurance any more, so I lopped a few branches off with the pruner and had to call it quits. Then I filtered the Feed and now here I am to post the reports and make comments.

Another SWSS/SWCC wreck in the Pelican State (Louisiana). Cyclist killed at 171 and La. 394 and Bicycle rider killed near DeRidder I find the description of the wreck highly suspect. Especially the part where he was going east on 394 and then turned around to go east on 394…

What sounds like a left cross wreck in CA. Cyclist killed in traffic accident identified CA has the same laws about turning vehicles as TX that requires turning traffic to yield to traffic that is not turning, whether that traffic is oncoming traffic on the same street or road or traffic on the street or road that is being turned on. Hopefully there will be at least a ticket filed against the driver that killed the cyclist.

Another report on the DC cyclist killed by a cop cruiser. Md. cyclist who was killed by police cruiser identified Yeah, anyone that believes the cop was going under the speed limit, I have some oceanfront property in El Paso I would like to sell. I’m not saying the cyclist wasn’t at fault, just saying the likelihood of the cop driving under the speed limit is so low as to be invisible. The fact that they made the statement thus renders all of their other statements suspect. The grain of salt required is about the size of a semi-trailer.

Another report on the kid killed in DE. Teen cyclist killed on 273 ID’d Again the rider was thrown into a car that was in front of both vehicles. This indicates to me that traffic was stopped and the kid did not run the red light like the cops say.

More on the NY state cyclist that was hit by a transit bus. Cops: Greenburgh cyclist was riding alongside bus; bikers invited to ride at funeral The cyclist appears to have been doing exactly what he should have, I still don’t know why LEO haven’t charged the bus driver with running down the cyclist. NY law requires the passing vehicle to pass safely, which means far enough away that you don’t scare the other operator to death. That didn’t happen this time. So why no ticket or charges?

A TX lawyer thinks that Gov. Goodhair’s veto of the Vulnerable Road Users Bill (SB488) may have contributed to the driver that killed 2 people on a tandem bicycle not getting any kind of ticket or charge. Texas Governor Perry Vetoes Safe Passing Bill: Cyclist Deaths The Result? I just want to know what the Helotes LEOs were thinking when they decided that the guy in the truck did nothing illegal when he killed the 2 cyclists.

A case in Scotland that just floored me as the police report wasn’t allowed to be read into evidence. Scottish jury finds case against driver who killed cyclist ‘not proven’ Of course it wasn’t proven, the judge threw out the most important evidence against the driver. Again, what was he thinking?

Again I had to pick myself up off the floor when I read about a multiple repeat drunk driver was facing in the way of charges in Enn Zed. Drink-drive charge ‘appallingly inadequate’ “Downer, who has two previous drink driving convictions, could face a maximum of five years behind bars.” Five years for drunk driving that killed somebody, that’s just a travesty.

And a trio of people that train together for bicycle riding suffered similar wrecks. Cyclist tells of horror crash The man was killed while the wife was recovering from a previous crash, and the personal trainer was in a coma for 5 weeks from the wreck that killed the man… What a mess.

The 2010 Tour of the Battenkill will have a stage dedicated to Veterans. 2010 Tour of the Battenkill Announces Ride to Benefit Injured Veterans If you can do this next year Witch on a Bicycle says do it.

And that’s all for tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Billed @$.02, Opus

After a break for me, more bike wrecks for you

I really should take more days off from this blog, the serenity of not reading about dead and injured cyclists was so nice. So show of hands, how many would object to my going to a 6 day a week update schedule? This isn’t like a web comic where I can build up a buffer for days off, I have to do these on the day they get posted. That means I have to read the day’s Feed, filter it, and then come up with cogent commentary about the reports I read, every day I make a post.

Up first because it’s stupid, a cyclist crashed trying to avoid a car that cut her off and the car ran over her head. Helmet saves Oregon rider Crediting a few ounces of styrofoam with saving a life when the head gets run over is stupid. The only way this could have actually been of help is if the shell was strong enough to either support the wheel on its own or to distribute the forces evenly around the skull. The average bicycle helmet can’t do that.

Is there something in the water in Greensboro? Cyclist Seriously Injured in Accident Of course Faux news is going to try to blame the cyclist, but LEO is saying “Not so fast, the car might have been at fault here.” All I know is the car was in front of the bicycle moving to the side. Whether this was because the bike ran the red or the car left-crossed the cyclist is not known at this point.

A cyclist that might have been drunk was riding too fast on the sidewalk and hits a tree. Santa Rosa bike crash critically injures man Do I really have to tell you what to do or not do to avoid this kind of wreck?

What is it with the Carolinas and bike wrecks? Bicyclist hit, killed in Dunn Nothing about the actual wreck, but as this was a hit-and-run on an Interstate highway access road it was probably a hit-from-behind. And the driver was probably drunk. Prepare the kittens!

More on the NY cyclist hit by a transit bus. Man killed by Bee-Line bus was bicycling advocate Still nothing on the mode of the wreck, other than the cyclist was crossing the road. Nothing mentioned about running a light or stop sign for either vehicle Very strange…

An unidentified cyclist runs a red light in CA. Unidentified cyclist dies in crash And other than that there’s nothing I can tell you.

Lots of anger about the Boise wreck that killed Kevin Pavlis. Boy will face charges in accident that killed cyclist Kevin Pavlis Anger is being displayed by both sides in this battle, but I don’t see what the car drivers have to be angry about. Nobody driving a car has even been injured in any of the fatalities this year in Boise. Bicyclists have sustained all the injury and death, the only thing that drivers have lost has been a few minutes of time waiting for a safe place while passing a cyclist.

A bike wreck where they aren’t even sure if there was another vehicle involved in Jolly Olde. Teenage cyclist injured Typical UK media report, long on useless details but short on the 5W’s.

Another one of those reports with no real news in them (have I mentioned how much I hate UK media laws, this post?). Cyclist injured after collision in Exeter Same as it ever was.

And another case of ranting about the thing that is not a problem except in your mind, when other things you don’t worry about are much more dangerous. Daily Mail calls for prosecution of anti-social cyclists Cyclists kill almost nobody, drivers kill thousands, and the newspaper complains that drivers get thousands of tickets while cyclists get almost none. Hmm, I think I see a pattern here…

From Oz I’m not sure if this is the same woman killed I reported on before or if these 3 are 3 new people killed in a different part of Australia. Deadly 24 hours claim three more lives Don’t hit the pedestrians! Especially don’t kill little old ladies out walking their grandkids in strollers. It’s really a bad idea folks.

And finally is another memorial ride for more cyclists that were killed and injured which couldn’t wait for the Ride of Silence in the spring. Killed and injured bicyclists remembered at Mesa ride Sometimes you have to get the word out that drivers are getting careless and killing cyclists.

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

More strange referrals, and a normal Feed

Of course “normal” is subjective, much of the stuff I get in my Feed has little or nothing to do with what is “normal” otherwise it wouldn’t be in my Feed.

Up first because it so definitvely illustrates how not normal “normal” is around here, a man in OR is hit by 2 drunk drivers and there is a possibility he was hit before that by another driver. Fatal Bike Crash in North Portland Last Night and AHS grad killed in Portland Yes, both of the drivers that were seen to have hit him were drunk, and there is some difference of opinion about how he ended up in the road where he got hit. This is another one of those that I can’t tell you what to do to avoid a similar situation because the whole situation is so bizarre as to defy understanding.

Just down the road a bit from that wreck we find this wreck. Bike rider injured in Gresham accident Apparently 3 drivers saw him and stopped while he crossed the street, but one didn’t and hit him. Again this is one of those wrecks that can’t be avoided by the cyclist because it depends on the other driver(s) obeying the law. The cyclist was obeying the law by using a crosswalk as permitted under OR laws, and the other 3 drivers were obeying the laws by yielding to someone in a crosswalk who had waited for traffic to yield, and then comes this last yahoo with no brains at all and just runs over the guy in the crosswalk. I say this calls for at least a one year loss of driver’s privileges with a mandatory written and road test for at least 5 years after the privilege is conditionally restored, with a permanent loss if he fails either test at any time. I would also put a zero wrong limit on the written test, miss any and you fail, forever.

More lawyer blather on the Greenville SC rider killed in vehicular assault. Update: Arrest Made for Greensboro Cyclist’s Hit-and-Run Death Again, why would they catch this person just to let them go? If someone had been shooting people at random on the freeway, would they have just let him go after paying a small bond, or would they lock him up and wait until trial to determine if he was innocent to protect society?

And another pedestrian is injured by a cyclist, fault not determined yet. Pedestrian hospitalized after being struck by bicyclist At this time, the mode of the wreck and even the location of the pedestrian are in dispute. The only thing that isn’t in dispute is the cyclist was not drunk or on drugs at the time of the wreck, which means that the cyclist hung around long enough to get tested.

Treehugger has a report on how cyclists get killed, and amazingly enough 70% of cyclists are following the law when they were hit. How To Get Killed On A Bicycle Of that 30% who were breaking the law, an unknown number would not have made any difference because they were already squarely in front of the driver when they were hit because the driver was looking in another direction than where they were going.

Nothing about the wreck in this update on a report linked here earlier. Burnham-On-Sea cyclist’s injuries more serious than originally thought I’m sorry that the woman was hurt badly (when is it ever good to be hurt?) but I really wish that UK media laws would allow for more information about the actual wreck.

In Portland OR an Episcopal church creates a shrine to a pre-Roman mountain Goddess that was made a Catholic saint of bicyclists, is that ecumenical or what? OREGON: Portland church dedicates shrine, space to Our Lady of the Cyclists The Lady Ghisallo’s original name has been lost to posterity, but Her followers still remember Her Spirit and honor Her.

The LA Times still doesn’t get it. Cyclists and motorists on collision course The majority of traffic laws were written for cars and don’t really apply to bicycles, but the writer expects cyclists to obey them anyway,

Philadelphia is having a hard time getting out of the car-head psychology and into complete streets. Bikers, walkers, drivers: Can’t they all get along? First, do something so that it isn’t like a jungle out there with everybody fighting for space either on the street or on the sidewalk, make a space for everybody somewhere. Then when there are spaces for everybody where those spaces intersect you will get more cooperation between users.

Some concern about the increase in the number of cyclists killed and/or injured in the UK this year. Sharp rise in number of cyclists killed on roads

Some shop owners have a hard time separating problems with infrastructure from the general downturn in the economy. Bike lane’s killed shop, says owner I loved Vancouver BC back in 1968, but I haven’t been back since then but people are people wherever you go, and some are going to blame changes they don’t like on things going wrong even if the two have nothing to do with each other.

And we finish up with a lifestyle report from Philly. Freewheelers Old people on bicycles, you gotta love it, especially since I’m (becoming) an old guy on a bicycle.

And that’s all I got today. Just a note I will not be doing posts for the next 2 Sundays, as I will be doing a non-computer gig Sunday nights. This gig is not open to the public, so don’t be looking for me, or Gigi

Billed @$.02, Opus

Another light Feed today

The conviction of the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree has sucked all the air out of the bicycle stories today. The usual “bicycle hit in middle of street, rider at fault” reporting has lost a lot of its credibility after the conviction on 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon and many of the reports are coming back with no details aside from the collision.

Getting to the good news first are more reports on the conviction, starting with the USAToday writer eating crow after his diatribe from last week in favor of the TTTWLAMWAMD. Bicycle justice: Doctor convicted of causing road-rage accident that injured two bicyclists Notice it’s still an “accident” not an assault Second Edition Cycling News, Tuesday, November 3, 2009 For these guys the conviction was small potatoes, and placed well down the list of cycling news. I still can’t find any joy that Dr. Thompson is going to prison, I mean I feel some vindication, but I’m not happy about it. You would think that after all the times I got run off the road or hit I would be doing cartwheels over someone getting caught and punished for the deed, but even if I still had the ability to do them I don’t feel like that. The curse of being a thinking being with morals and scruples.

In other convictions, (I love typing that) a MI man that had been putting away a lot of beer gets a minimum of 20 years sentence for killing a cyclist. 20 beers nets 20 years for driver who killed teen cyclist That must have been some really cheap watered down beer for him to consume that much and only have a 0.18% BAC. That might have been a factor in the lack of judgment in getting behind the wheel with a BAC more than twice the legal limit, besides the impaired judgment that comes with BAC over .08%. As for how to avoid this wreck, you can’t and still use the roads. The driver ran a red light and hit the back end of a group ride crossing the road in front of him, making not being there the only way to avoid getting hit by a drunk driver running a red light. If you start to follow that path, you might as well stay in bed with the covers over your head. and that still won’t protect you from drunk drivers as the Queens man who was hit in his 2nd floor bedroom by a drunk driving a Lexus SUV can testify. I’m going to let you Google that one because I don’t have a valid URL for that article.

This must have been the most excitement in Anoka MN in quite a while, here it is over a week later and they’re still talking about it. Bike rider killed in Blaine identified As of this report this is a SWCC wreck, but at least we know the name of the cyclist.

Another hit-from-behind wreck in CA. Truck rear-ends bicycle, kills rider The lack of information forthcoming from LEO is a bad indication to me that something is being covered up.

More lawyer blather about the NC hit-and-run by the woman in the Dodge Durango that killed the cyclist, only this lawyer is still using the story that the cyclist was hit from behind instead of the now known cross the road to hit head on before the U-turn vehicular assault. Guilford County Hit and Run Kills Greensboro, N.C. Man I guess stories like this are the reason I don’t feel happy about TTTWLAMWAMD getting convicted, it was just a drop in a bucket, and a very large bucket at that.

It turns out the cyclist hit by the bus in Hayward was a bike ninja. Two fatalities in separate Hayward accidents Lights might have helped the bus driver see the cyclist, but coming from where he came from there was no way any reflectors would have helped. From the description of the damages to the bus, a helmet would not have helped either. When you ride after dark have lights on front and rear because you won’t always be in the headlights for a motor vehicle to see you before the wreck. And don’t drink and ride.

Another ride for someone hit by a car, but nothing being done about the cars. Ride memorializes bike-car collision victims At least the transportation department is aware of the issues and is part of the ride for the injured cyclist, even if they aren’t doing anything about cyclists getting hit in the bike lanes at the moment. But I’m really being too harsh on the transportation department, as they don’t enforce the laws they just build the roads.

Things weren’t that different at the turn of the 20^th Century. Gossip of the Cyclers, and Other News of the Wheel The big difference was there were no cars killing pedestrians and cyclists wholesale, the main source of traffic fatalities was horse drawn conveyances, and we all know how smart horses are.

Lastly someone has found a good use for bicycle helmets. Bicycle helmet saves the day — on foot My colleague at examiner.com points out that pedestrians are more likely to get head injuries than bicyclists or motorcyclists and nobody makes a fuss that they don’t wear helmets, because pedestrian head injury is rare, almost as rare as bicycle head injury.

And that’s all I got today, more later.

Billed @$.02, Opus

More on the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree, and other news In The Feed

The last 2 days have generated more traffic to this blog than I have ever seen, what with Dr. Christopher Thompson (the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree) being convicted of all 7 counts against him and BikingInLA telling me about it so I could link to their breaking story. Well that wasn’t the only story breaking in LA yesterday about people using their vehicles as weapons against cyclists.

But the big news first (other than the Blog reports) is still the conviction of TTTWLAMWAMD of 6 felonies and one misdemeanor. E.R. Doc Guilty in Road Rage Attack on Cyclists and Physician accused of deliberately injuring two bicyclists is convicted and Dr. Thompson is found guilty of all counts in LA road rage trial. and comments here Mailbag: Road rage, getting along and Floyd Landis I hope that this is just the first of many prosecutions that have previously been ignored by LEO and prosecutors for assault with motor vehicles.

Lost in the hubbub of TTTWLAMWAMD’s conviction was this tidbit. Texting Driver Guilty in Death of 14-year-old Boy He was driving under the influence of 2 powerful prescription drugs, and texting at the time he killed a cyclist, and the defense tried to make this look like an unavoidable accident due to a medical condition. I have heard some mighty weak defenses in my day, but this one is less than a kitten.

They identified the bike ninja that was hit Sunday in Austin TX. Guns, drugs found during arrest; cyclist killed on Texas 71 identified Ignore the comments unless you already have brain damage…

In the other big story of the day they finally arrested and charged the driver of the SUV that hit a cyclist head on and then made a U turn to escape. Woman charged in hit-and-run death of David Sherman and Driver charged in fatal hit-and-run of bicyclist, released on bond I love it when they publish the booking pictures of drivers that hit cyclists, they invariably look like something the cat drug in and the kittens tried to bury. From the description of the wreck released by LEO it seems this was a deliberate action on the part of the driver to try to kill or hurt a cyclist, why was she given a bond at all unless the Durango was the only vehicle she had access to. I also love that the accused’s home address was given in the article. I’m not saying to do anything bad to the person or her home, but if you happen to have a dump truck load of male bovine digestive byproduct and you need a place to get rid of it…

And in what is almost positively a cut and paste from one news source to another we have the same article from 2 very different sources. Bicyclist struck and killed by AC Transit bus in Hayward and Bicyclist Struck And Killed By AC-Transit Bus In Hayward It could be they both did the cut and paste from a press release, not one copying the other. As to the wreck I can’t tell you who was doing what from this article. Or if the cyclist was lighted and reflectorized, but since the only lights mentioned were the defective streetlights I would say the cyclist had all the legally required lights etc.

Last report if from Jolly Olde where news reports are required by law to be missing 2 Ws and the H out of the standard news reporters 5Ws and an H. Cyclist injured after Toxteth collision And people wonder why I have a tag about UK news reports.

That’s all I have tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Interesting search results, and some bicycle articles, The Feed

Well, if the search strings used to find articles are any indication, there will be a lot of witches using Cat Stevens in their full moon rits tonight Not a lot of bike related stuff in the Feed, mostly infrastructure articles.

More reports on the MN rider killed crossing a road, still nothing about traffic controls or what the cyclist was doing, which usually means the driver was at fault because the MSM loves to tell us when the cyclist is at fault. Bike rider killed in Blaine while crossing street and Bicyclist Killed In Blaine for the lawyer take on the wreck.

More on the trial of the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. Cyclists have a lot riding on L.A. driver’s trial I don’t see what other cyclists do has any bearing on what the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree did to these particular cyclists. If cyclists in general are on trial here, why not all drivers as well?

And other places are trying to figure out what to do about finding a cyclist in front of you on a road. Bicycles, cars need to share the road The thing that is missing from all these articles is the fact that “Share the Road” doesn’t mean for bicycles to get the hell out of the way. It means that drivers should pass safely when they come up on a cyclist that is riding slower than they are driving.

And to wind up the post, a really cool, if not very useful, bicycle. Eco Bikes: Cadillac bicycle gets half the looks of a car and full bicycle functions I wonder if it comes in pink?

And as short as it was, that’s all I have for you today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Strange referral, and the Feed

I had a couple of strange referrals today. For some reason Facebook has a click on their home page that directs people to my blog. I’m not on Facebook so I have not a clue why there would be something for people to click on that directs them here. Facebook users, could you post a comment and help me out here?

Up first is a wreck where a cyclist crossing the road was hit by a car. BRIEF: Cyclist killed in crash with car in Blaine and Bike Rider Killed In Blaine While Crossing Street And that is pretty much all I know about it at this point. Nothing on if there was a signal light, who had which signal if there was a light, stop signs, nothing.

And after what must qualify as one of the slowest lab analysis in human history, charges have been filed against the Boise teenager that left crossed a cyclist in the bike lane. Officials promise justice for cyclist Kevin Pavlis They promise justice, but because the killer was a minor we will never know about it even extending to the name of the killer…

And the man that claimed to not see a 6 foot tall driver in an orange bunny costume and her brightly lit pedicab gets a trip to jail. Man convicted in orange rabbit pedicab hit-and-run Apparently hitting someone while digging for your cell phone is OK but hit-and-run is still illegal. From this and previous reports on the wreck there wasn’t anything the pedicab operator could have done to avoid the wreck since the driver wasn’t watching and didn’t slow down.

A pair of reports on the wreck near Toronto reported on here ealier this week. Memorial in Cambridge for cyclist killed And UPDATE – Cyclist killed I fail to see where sidewalks would have made any difference in this wreck, but bad infrastructure is bad infrastructure even if it’s not our (bicyclist) infrastructure.

Apparently somebody has decided that it’s OK to have huge blind spots on big trucks because it would cost too much to fix…Cyclist Death Ruled “Accidental” Why is not being able to see an “accident” and not a defective vehicle?

A motorcycle/bicycle wreck in India puts the motorcycle rider in jail. Biker held for Shivranjini mishap A little confused as to who hit whom, but the guy on the bicycle came out the worst for it.

A loudmouth in Oz changes her tune after making a massively untrue statement on Australian national TV earlier this week. Going berko over a bisycho Yes, she did say that cyclists had no legal place on the roads earlier this week, which is contrary to the laws of every civilized nation which includes Australia, and now she’s back-pedaling so hard if she was actually riding a bicycle the tire would be smoking.

SC cyclists try to remind drivers that cars are not the only thing on the road. Cyclists urge motorists to share the road “People aren’t watching,” Connelly said. “We’re not getting any respect out there. We do have a right to the road. We’re considered a part of traffic, and drivers don’t seem to understand that.” He said it better than I could.

Same song, different verse in CA. Bikes and cars: Can we share the road? Between 1998 and 2008, for example, bike commuting in Marin County increased 66% as bicycle crashes declined 34%. The best practice is to get as many bikes on the roads as possible.

Still in LA is an article on cyclist safety that is highly car-head. Bicyclists should stay on the defensive to stay safe Watch out for cars, but don’t give up the road to them.

And that’s it for tonight, have a spooooky Halloweeeeen [evil chuckle].

Billed @$.02, Opus

Do people lose their minds when they turn the ignition key? And the Feed

After filtering the Feed today I have come to the conclusion that everyone that drives a car is Goofy. Goofy in ‘Motor Mania’ (1950) Yep, it has been one of “those” Feeds. I advise just ignoring the comments section of every article, unless you already have brain damage and then you’re immune, like me.

Up first is not directly bicycle related but more “Why can’t they see me?” related as a psychology experiment involving a clown riding a unicycle asks people talking on their cellphones if they saw anything unusual. Perceptions: What Clown? I Was Talking With My Mom This is why cell phones should be banned, because the people on the other end of the conversation can’t change their behavior when you are doing something that requires concentration and expect you to be hanging on their every word in utter rapture. Tip of the chapeau to Mad Dog Media for alerting me to this article.

Another report on the multiple DUI killer getting the maximum sentence possible, plus another 20 years probation. Woman Gets 20 Years In Prison For DUI Death Of Bicyclist What didn’t hit me at first on this case was a woman was really smacked down hard in this case, which is a rarity. Most killer female drivers get even less of a slap on the wrist than their Y-chromosomed counterparts, but this one got the maximum prison sentence plus the maximum probation, plus a lifetime ban on driving. She must have been a real horse’s patootie to the judge either during the trial or during sentencing.

Nothing else about recent wrecks in the US this time, but a cyclist hit in the bike lane in Montreal ain’t happy. Cyclist with no helmet, lights injured in Rosemont I’m really sure the lack of helmet contributed to the driver driving into him in the bike lane! Lights might have helped, but to be honest, really? It was a well-lighted street, would a bike light less than one of those miniature stadium lights really have stood out enough from the clutter for the driver to see the guy riding his bicycle? Does that mean the driver would have hit a pedestrian on the sidewalk if one had been there to be hit? I refer you back to the video at the beginning of the post.

And what appears to be a hit from behind wreck near Toronto. Cyclist killed in Cambridge identified You would think this was a UK paper instead of a Canadian one.

They finally charged the driver that ran over 4 cyclists in a pack in Enn Zed. Woman charged over cycle crash on Tamaki Drive Charges are one thing, getting to trial and punishment are another.

And front channel confirms what I was told on back channel about the driver of the Toyota that killed a doctor out cycling was involved in another hit-and-run against a different cyclist. Hit-and-run driver ‘targeting cyclists’ The reach of the Witch on a Bicycle is just amazing, but the fact that the same vehicle has been used to hit-and-run at least 2 cyclists in separate wrecks is just disgusting.

Whee! more infrastructure going in in Huntsville. Bicycle safety rolls to forefront in aftermath of Huntsville cyclist’s death I love the picture they put up of the RoS from this Spring, with the recumbent tricycle followed by the penny-farthing. But cute pictures aside, cyclists are over-represented in fatal wrecks in Huntsville. Something needs to be done, and if the drivers won’t share then they will have to be kept out of parts of the street so that others can get to where they have to go without getting killed.

Bike lanes in Philly get enthusiastic cheers from cyclists, mixed reviews from drivers. Changing Skyline: Pedaling in a lane that’s their own I love the preliminary finding that removing a lane from cars didn’t reduce car throughput because of poor driving before the bike lane was installed. I again refer you to the video at the top of this posting.

And another look at the findings that bike wrecks are getting more severe. Phys Ed: Do More Bicyclists Lead to More Injuries? This is the other half of the equation, as more cyclists use the streets and roads the types of wreck changes from the bicycle equivalent of the fender-bender at low speed, to impacts that involve major trauma to many parts of the body that require significant intervention to repair enough to make the cyclist mobile again. Fewer people are getting hurt but the ones getting hurt are getting hurt much more severely. The answer? Well, so far the best practice has been to make the driver of the more dangerous vehicle responsible for wrecks unless he can prove that the more vulnerable driver was breaking the laws and that that led directly to the wreck. It’s not enough that the vulnerable user was at fault, the vulnerable user has to be at fault and breaking the law. Places that have done this have reported significant decreases in both the frequency and the severity of wrecks involving vulnerable users.

And finally a school principal rides a bike to school every day regardless of weather, to set a good example. Principal pedals 700 miles to and from school Actually 700 miles since the day after Labor Day in the US is nothing to sneeze at. The principal is the skinny guy with the big legs wearing the obnoxiously colored jacket.

And that’s all I got today. I have a Samhain ritual to attend at my church tonight, so no late updates. FYI we are having the Dumb Feast to honor the departed and our ancestors, and I spent hours trying to match place settings from the yard sale castoffs we have as flatware at my church. The only complete setting with all the forks and spoons was set aside for the Seat For The Dead, but everybody else has a knife, fork, and spoon with at least two of the three matching, most with all three. I also am baking a special loaf of bread for the occasion.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Same stink, similar “stuff”, different day, the Feed

We had another stinky Feed today, stunk up by the thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. Well he had some help, but truth be told he did most of the stinking up all by himself.

Shoving that putrid pile out of the way as quickly as possible. Doctor denies trying to injure cyclists And VeloNews’ reporter had this take LA road-rage defendant says he stopped to try to take a picture I wonder what the penalty for perjury is in CA? Right up until the trial he was saying the cyclists deserved it, but now that he’s facing the music he denies he was trying to hurt anybody. So that makes him a two-faced thing that walks like a man with a medical degree. His title grows while his reputation shrinks. Again when he is found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon (or whatever the charges are against him) I hope that he is forbidden from ever owning or driving a car or other motor vehicle again for the rest of his miserable life.

Still in the state of CA. Bicyclist Injured in Collision at Market and Ellis Streets this Morning Actually that would be yesterday because of the time lag involved. Nothing much known about this one, maybe a car, probably a car, but maybe not. If there was a car involved the driver stayed at the scene because nobody notified the hit-and-run investigators about the wreck.

Apparently the only way to get charged with a crime when you hit a cyclist is to be on something at the time of the wreck that can be found with a blood test. East Tennessee man charged with vehicular homicide in bicyclist’s death and from MS Man charged in death of bicyclist from Netherlands The MS report is another on the cyclotourist killed on the NTP bike route this spring. But seriously, is the death of a cyclist only meaningful if the killer was drunk or on drugs? Or does the feeling that the killer could be the cop or the prosecuting attorney because everybody drives like that make only deaths with chemical impairment prosecutable? I don’t know the answer, I’m just glad that impaired killers are prosecuted. I would like to have all killers prosecuted, but at the moment that’s just not possible. Until we get prosecutors that can identify with the cyclists over their killers we are up the unsanitary tributary without visible means of locomotion.

Another cyclist is hit in the most dangerous state in the US to ride a bicycle. Bicyclist hospitalized after struck by SUV in Fort Pierce Another one of those driverless vehicles hits a cyclist and nobody says anything? And this one had 4 people sitting in it while it drove around all by itself.

Another right hook crash that is getting blamed on the cyclist… Cyclist killed by city water vehicle “Based on witness statements, the bike pulled into the path of the vehicle,” Guitron said. Yeah, and I bet all the witnesses were either on the truck that killed the cyclist, or employees of the city which would have been liable for the death… TANJ!

And in spite of the relative dangers for cycling under the influence the fine is the same as DUI. Cycling under the influence? In Sacramento, it can cost you $570 Around 17,000 people died last year because of drunk drivers, but less than a dozen were killed by all cyclists, drunk or sober. But to be fair they have to stop the drunk cyclists just like they do the drunk drivers.

A memorial was held for the cyclist killed in NC. Memorial Service Held Tonight For Killed Cyclist I don’t see why they don’t just arrest the owner of the vehicle that hit him, which they found this week. Had a gun been used to kill him the registered owner of the gun would have been responsible for the death unless he could prove that the gun had been in someone else’s possession at the time of the killing, why not the same standard for death by WMD with nice seats and A/C?

From Jolly Olde, a cyclist wins the door prise and wants to share the bounty with the driver of the vehicle, who drove off without leaving contact information. Appeal after cyclist injured in accident Yep it’s pretty low to injure a cyclist by flinging a door in his path and then leaving the scene.

Someone else knows the right thing to do, still in the UK here. Oaklands College student praised for helping injured cyclist Yep kudos from the Witch on a Bicycle blog for doing the right thing. Keep up the good work.

A cyclist in Oz is hurt in a wreck. Cyclist seriously injured after highway collision Apparently the driver didn’t see the cyclist until just before impact, from what I have been able to determine. Now whether this was because of the path of the cyclist, lighting conditions, or driver inattentiveness is unknown as the cyclist’s path prior to the impact with the car is not known at this time (not known publicly). So, continue to ride like drivers are blind and stupid, because mostly they are.

They finally charged the driver that ran into a pack of cyclists after she ran a stop sign in Enn Zed. Charge after allegedly driving into cyclists I hate to tell them but somebody ran into those cyclists and whoever did it was driving the car she was in. Unless it was another one of those DARPA cars that was joyriding around with someone in the passenger seat, that kinda makes the only person that was in the car that hit the cyclists the one that was responsible for the wreck. Alleged doesn’t enter into it.

And an INFRASTRUCTURE article, from TX. Avid proponents of walkability want to ‘get there from here’ I thought it was a Federal law, and a TX law that all new or rebuilt roads in TX were supposed to be walkable and bikeable. I have a PDF dated 2002 that states as much, that under a law that went into effect in 2001 all TX roads and highways that get state funds must have walking and cycling facilities, except those roads that are prohibited for walkers and cyclists. Silly me actually expecting government to obey their own laws…

And that’s it for today. I have a lot on my plate this time of year so the next few days my be a little spotty on the new posts.

Billed @$.02, Opus