What is going on in Florida?

I mentioned this in the morning post, that FL is killing cyclists at an accelerated rate, but really, enough is enough! I’m trying to pull up a second link but there is one link to the fourth fatality in just more than 3 weeks. That’s why I’m asking the question in the headline. Today is the 23rd day of the new year and so far in FL there are 4 dead cyclists that I know of from the Media. At this rate there may be more cyclists killed in FL than there are in TX, which considering the bias against cyclists in LEO and in infrastructure and the difference on both size and population. Would my readers from FL please comment about what is happening?

And getting to those (that?) link(s). Bicycle Rider Struck and Killed By School Bus and This was the link that didn’t pull up The first link had a comment that drivers just could not be bothered to keep aware of people not driving cars on the roads, and that if we get killed well that’s the breaks…

The reward for the driver that killed a SoCal cyclist last year has been increased. Reward increased for information in Martinez fatal hit-and-run I hope they find the waste of human skin that did that.

Grants are given out to cycling organizations. Bikes Belong Awards $40,000 in Grants Lots of money given to good people that do good things to put more bicycles on the roads, and roads under bicycles.

And that’s all so far. I’ll have more tomorrow, I have a church function to attend tonight. OK it’s a drum jam and I’m going to spend most of the time shaking it around the fire or drumming, but it’s at church and it is an official church function.

Billed @#.02, Opus

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Ain’t this just ducky?

The morning Feed was thick and heavy, but had a very poor signal to noise ratio. Seriously, I’m so tired of wading through huge articles here the only search word that brings it into my inbox was that somewhere along the line someone in the article had an injury, or got killed.

I don’t know how recall notices made it into my Feed, but as peanut butter items are mainstays of cyclist nutrition I thought you should get a full list, or as full a list as possible. Recalls: cookie dough products, oil-fired furnaces If you bake your cookies from commercial dough instead of making from scratch then you need to read this recall.

Speaking of recalls they have one in the Great White North for suspension forks. Consumer Product Recalls This is an extension of the recall on Rock Shox forks in the US, and can prevent you from doing your George Hincappie 2004 Paris Roubaix wreck impersonation. You remember that one, where the fork broke and poor George was left holding handlebars not actually connected to his bike?

Another update on that story about the British MTB rider that ran into a truck. Injured professional cyclist: Helmet broke before ride started Yes I know this was almost identical to the update from yesterday, the Murky does a lot of cut-and-paste “journalism” only with more typos in the second and third generation copies. I don’t know how they manage to do that. Time for my (near) daily rant on helmets. Helmets do not prevent wrecks, never have, never will, don’t protect much where they cover and don’t protect at all where they don’t cover, and are the only PPE we have. Wear your helmet, because it is the best we have.

And a wreck that I don’t understand why it hasn’t resulted in arrest and assault charges. Young cyclist hit by SUV still in critical condition If I’m reading the article right the kid was on the opposite side of the street from the SUV, which crossed the street and hit him and then dragged him over 100 feet. From what I understand the kid wasn’t even rolling on the bike and was stopped at the stop sign. Arrest the driver, put him in jail for a long time, take his SUV and crush it, and never let him drive again. This was nothing less than assault with a deadly weapon on a minor.

And that’s the morning Feed. I’ll keep an eye on the Feed and update this blog as soon as I see them, because I have a drum jam to attend tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus

OK we have some seriously broken priorities out there

There are some people with some seriously warped if not completely broken priorities out there, as displayed for all to see in tonight’s Feed. There’s also the usual levels of insanity as well as updates on earlier stories from yesterday and this morning.

Getting to the case of warped until broken priorities first. Truck hits bicyclist, plows into condo; family puppy killed Nothing on the cyclist, but “Awwww, the puuupy died”. BTW the drunk wasn’t hurt. I actually got more information from the comments section than the actual article…

An update on the case of the drunk driver returning to the scene of the crime in SoCal. Witnesses: Man charged with running down cyclist was on drinking binge I don’t understand the dismissal of the DUI charges, those were slam dunks, his BAC was .19% when the legal limit is .08%. What was the judge thinking?

And 3 weeks into the New Year we have a third cyclist killed in FL. Bicyclist struck and killed by car in Davie Another cyclist killed crossing a street in FL. What do they give the drivers there, cyclist hunting licenses? As for you not ending up in the same condition, remember that in an intersection you have threats coming from at least 4 directions so keep the head on a swivel and use a helmet or glasses mounted mirror so you can look 2 ways at once. Keep sharp for rapidly moving targets that are converging on your position and be ready to use your out to avoid a wreck. And stop living in FL, stupid people drive there who don’t give a flying fig about whether you live or die if you’re riding a bicycle. Using Google Maps Street View I don’t see anything particularly hazardous about the intersection, clear sight lines and only a small 2 lane road coming into a major highway again, just like the last 2 bike deaths. Either all of a sudden FL cyclists have had major attacks of the stupids (which I admit is a possibility, I used to live there and the climate can cause rational thought to take a vacation) or there are serious infrastructure problems that are becoming apparent with the increase in bicycle usage due to the depression. At any rate, be super careful out there in FL.

There is noise being made about actually enforcing the 3-foot passing distance law in TN. Do you Know The Three Foot Rule ? The law has been in effect for just over 2 years now and they have started telling people about it just now? And why do people have to die before getting a passing law that specifies a distance? Was the old “If you don’t actually hit him you’re far enough away” law working so well that nobody thought it needed fixing? Sorry, but this is an issue that really gets my blood boiling…

From Jolly Olde another cyclist is killed getting to work. Cyclist killed in accident – inquest Another SWSS taken as fact by LEO, even in the UK. Assuming the report was backed up by physical evidence, you can avoid this situation by looking carefully before moving across traffic. For the UK right turn substitute a left turn in North America. I have a left turn that I have to make across a 4 lane arterial street going to and from the grocery store (one each way) and getting into position to make the turn is one of the hardest traffic tasks I have to perform, as I have to signal my intention, wait for traffic to clear, and get over the 2 lanes going my direction before I can get to the left turn lane and then wait for oncoming traffic to clear. This requires paying close attention to my mirror as well as riding one-handed while I signal. The speed differential between my bike and the car traffic (40MPH speed limit, actual speeds in the 55 MPH range) is in the instant fatality range, so my first mistake is likely to be my last, what I go through for my beans and rice.

In the Emerald Isle, calls for restrictions against large vehicles with bad blind spots grows as another cyclist is killed. Number of cyclists being killed grows Remember if you can’t see the driver in the mirror the driver can’t see you, and even if you can see the driver the driver has too use that mirror to be able to see you. Semis and other large vehicles in the US have blind spots you can lose a platoon in, or a peloton the size of the first stage of a major tour like the Giro or the TdF.

And that’s everything this evening. Keep one of those oculars peeled on this site for more later.

Billed @$.02, Opus