After my mental health day, I need a mental health day just from reading 2 days’ worth of Feed

Some days you just can’t win. I took a mental health day away from the blog to re-charge, re-lax, and re-cuperate, and after reading 2 days’ worth of Feed I’m re-volted, which has nothing to do with re-charging.

Anyway as part of my “mental health day” I took part in a class to find out how welcoming a person I am to the LGBT community. If the web comics I read are any indication about the only way to get more welcoming would be to become a transgendered lesbian. I had a list of comics that either had “out” LGBT main characters, LGBT storylines, or story arcs that featured LGBT themes, and the list of URLs went on for over a page. When I included the ones that the LGBT characters were just minor parts of the cast, the “lesbian friend” or the “gay friend” of one of the main characters, well we’re talking a very long list. More than half of the web comics I read regularly fall into the latter category, and all told about 3/4 have something to do with LGBT themes or characters. And I just thought I was a straight man 😉 😛

Mental health issues aside it was pretty bad out there over the weekend. Lots of dead and near-dead (talking in inches between death and walking away from the wreck, not lingering on life support) cyclists out there.

Up first because of geographical proximity is this report from near El Paso. Horizon City bicyclist killed by alleged drunk driver Of course you should know that El Paso is closer to Los Angeles than it is to Dallas. And from the description of the wreck the cyclist was about halfway to L.A. after the initial impact. Yet another hit-from-behind hit-and-run wreck even though they eventually caught the drunk that did it, still wasted on the booze. The bike appears to be a drop-bar roadie with skinny tires, and from the remains that’s about all I can tell, except that because the surviving portions of the frame are straight but not aligned with the other parts of the frame the bike had a Carbon Fiber frame. The damage to the other vehicle in the pictures suggests the impact was with the front part of the right fender and the windshield struck the cyclist’s head at a high rate of speed. To avoid, use standard hit-from-behind protocol, mirror(s), escape route and be willing to use the bicycle as a passive weapon against the aggressor’s vehicle. Steel frames especially are good at inflicting disabling damage against a vehicle when they go under but still upright, the seat tube of a WalMart BSO can go right through the floorboards of a Hummer 😉

A terrible wreck, with multiple reports. Iowa cyclist killed in crash and UPDATE: Authorities identify cyclist killed near Cumming also Friends Remember Bicyclist Killed This is a terrible wreck, a true crime, and yet many of the people commenting on it are saying that bikes should be banned from IA highways. News Flash- it wasn’t a bicyclist that killed a guy in a pickup truck and fled the scene, if any vehicles are to be banned it should be the ones doing all the killing, both slowly by obesity and pollution, and quickly by collision. I’ll miss cars… I really did like them, but they just had too many problems to deal with in the long run.

Speaking of killing and destroying things with cars, one left the road and hit another cyclist. Cyclist injured in collision Standard hit-from-behind advice on this one: Mirror(s), escape route, and willing to use it at any time…

And in a terrible wreck (again) we get a SWSS. Longmont cyclist killed on Colo. 119 In the comments section they quote the police report that the cyclist was drunk and on drugs… Don’t drink and ride.

And another WMD-mobile takes out a cyclist in VT. Putney cyclist injured in crash with SUV Fortunately this wreck was not fatal or even seriously injuring. Since they didn’t mention how the cyclist got hit except that the driver hit the cyclist with a 1996 Jeep, I can’t offer any advice except maybe to avoid riding a bike in VT anywhere if possible. The comments indicate the roads are not very safe, even where they are relatively good, “good” in this case being a very relative term.

Another cyclist obeying the laws gets clobbered in IA. Teen cyclist injured in crash with van Wet weather contributed to this wreck, remember wet weather will increase you stopping distance and reduce your visibility, both the distance that you can see and how well, and how well others can see you. Ride accordingly.

And what has to be one of the worst cases of adding insult to injury, a cyclist hit in a crosswalk while waiting for a red light sees her bike destroyed and gets injured herself, and is only offered $10 for her Trek hybrid. Minneapolis cyclist left in the dust The cyclist was hit by a city bus that then backed up to get untangled from the bike and drove off without stopping to render aid. The driver was fired, but the cyclist is getting no joy from the insurance carrier. I would like to see the insurance guy that offered the $10 buy a Trek, any Trek, in ridable condition for that amount of money. To avoid a similar wreck, don’t wait in the crosswalk for the light to change, move into the lane with the cars so they can see you and not hit you.

A bicycle speed limit in Nashville TN. Nashville parks enforce bicycle speed limit as walkers, cyclists clash Interesting that when bicyclists are at risk there isn’t enough money to do anything about it, but they seem to find the money to harass and set speed traps against cyclists.

They had a CM up in the Great White North. Mass ride celebrates pedal power While I’m not a fan of Critical Mass, I can see the need for it in areas that are not bicycle friendly. I was busy doing work at church when they had the first CM in Dallas in at least 20 years if ever.

First of a batch of UK reports. Cyclist seriously injured in South Lakes collision The driver of the Mini was uninjured, really?

And another one. Injured cyclist has lucky escape Need I add that I hate hit-and-run drivers even when they are half a continent and an ocean away?

And even now relatives are requesting witnesses to a fatal bike wreck in London. Family of woman cyclist killed at Oval in June issues witness appeal The wreck was a terrible tragedy, and the information blackout caused by UK media laws makes it worse.

And that’s all I have today, sorry for it being so late, most of you won’t even see this until Tuesday, because it’s almost Tuesday as I type this in 😛

Billed @$.02, Opus

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Still a Feed, just not very tasty

The Feed today was a bit nasty, with the car-heads out in force in the comments sections claiming the roads were built for cars with all the money coming from cars, bicyclists are stupid and suicidal, etc. It was enough to turn my stomach, but I have to read it because frequently there are things that witnesses report that don’t make it to the “official” report and they sometimes will tell people in the comments section on the article about whatever it was they witnessed.

Up first are multiple reports on a Delaware wreck. Bicyclist injured in DUI hit-and-run crash is the least sensational about it, and Driver charged after bicyclist struck Has more information on the charges and the condition of the driver at the time of his arrest. Comments were funny as many tried to blame the cyclist for not being on the road and getting hit anyway. And this update changes it from a wreck to a homicide. Cyclist, 16, Brain Dead After Car Crash Yes, the cyclist was not on the road and was hit by a drunk, stoned driver, and some of the comments tried to blame the cyclist. I wonder if they blame the woman for being raped? Or the bank teller for getting robbed? I also love the guy that claimed cycling was a hobby, not transportation. The rest of you can just not read the comments, better for your digestion if you don’t.

Multiple reports on a wreck in CO, from the same newspaper. Bicyclist killed east of Longmont and a later update Bicyclist killed in wreck identified No way of knowing if the cyclist was wearing reflective clothing (that’s the cyclist in that lump under the crime scene blanket) and what I could see of the bicycle I couldn’t even tell if that was the front or the back or if there were lights or reflectors on the bike. And this qualifies as a SWSS because of the claim the rider came off the shoulder into the lane of traffic.

A quick-thinking passenger saves the life of a former co-worker. Quick action saves injured cyclist in East Providence Witnesses reported the driver did not give clearance for the cyclist and only attempted to evade collision at the last second before impact. The wreck caused broken glass to injure the driver’s infant child in the back seat. This was entirely the driver’s fault for making an unsafe pass. To avoid such a wreck the usual hit-from-behind cautions apply: mirror(s), escape route, and be willing to let the bike inflict as much damage to the other vehicle as possible while you bail to the side away from the car or truck if there is no other way to avoid the wreck. Also wear a helmet, this wreck was a glancing blow at a low impact speed and a helmet would have prevented some of the injury in this wreck. Not the blunt force trauma to the torso, but surely the most serious of the head injuries could have been mitigated by even a CPSC Standard bicycle helmet. Had the cyclist been wearing my Bell Bellistic full face helmet, all he would have sustained would have been the blunt force trauma to the torso.

Another cyclist killed in the most deadly state in the US for cyclists. Cyclist killed in Fort Lauderdale crash Another hit-from-behind by what appears to be a drunk driver. The comments section is best to ignore. AAaanndd, typical hit-from-behind avoidance tactics.

First of 2 reports on wrecks from the Tribune in SLC. Bicyclist killed in Park City crash identified The Tribune and the Deseret News post their web and newspaper articles at different times, the Trib had some news on this posted to the web before the News, but the News got this one to the web first.

Second Trib post. Bicyclist killed after being hit, pinned by train I asked this before, but how do you not see/hear a train? The cyclist went around crossing arms to get hit, what can be done to prevent this? Augghh, the stupidity is just overwhelming.

More on the hit-and-run death in Portland. Portland police release name of bicyclist killed in hit-and-run Another hit-from-behind… and another hit-and-run.

More from Portland with a SUV hitting a cyclist, and apparently on purpose. Police investigate after cyclist injured in collision with SUV Not much you can do when the driver is trying to hit you with a deadly weapon…

More research on the causes of bicycle wrecks. Who Causes Cyclists’ Deaths? This study only applies to a single Canadian city, but the results are telling.

First of our infrastructure articles looks at the bike path next to a major highway with no physical barrier between the path and high speed motor vehicles where at least 2 and maybe more people have been killed by out of control motor vehicles that left the highway and ended up on the bike path. Hempstead town officials call for repairs to ‘deadly’ bike path before expanding it As I posted in an earlier article, had this been a regular motor vehicle road no way would they have built a low speed road next to a highway without a physical barrier between the two.

Our other infrastructure article is from Va. Beach. Virginia Beach faces uphill climb in call for more bike lanes I love the comments about roads being built for cars and bicycles should stay off when the discussion is using taxes from the general fund to pay for making the roads safe for bicycles. General fund, you know the money that comes from non-car sources, that bicyclists contribute to just like everybody else.

And that’s all I have today, I might have to take a mental health day tomorrow. Ordinarily I would have taken that mental health day today to ride the Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred, but my legs were not up to riding that far so I didn’t go.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Buying something with PayPal

My job with examiner.com requires I get paid via PayPal. I don’t get much, but when I try to spend it I can’t. Let me explain and then maybe someone can tell me what’s happening.

I tried to purchase a manual on making an electric motor from a junkyard alternator from a company on the web. I won’t name the company because I don’t think this is their problem. The item in question is $19.95 after all charges are added to the order, I indicate on the cart that I’m paying by PayPal, I get a PayPal logon screen with the amount of the purchase showing, I enter my PayPal password, and I get a screen asking for a credit card saying my balance is too low to purchase the item, which it isn’t, it’s a bunch more than $19.95 (well, not a bunch but more than the purchase amount plus what PayPal has as the maximum charged to transfer funds out of my account).

So, what gives? Am I being scammed? Is my hard-earned money stuck in PayPal’s claws forever? I put in a lot of hours for this pittance, and I want to buy stuff with it. I have been working for examiner.com since the end of February, I didn’t make enough to get paid until the end of July, and here it is the end of August and I still can’t enjoy the fruits of my labors (and anybody says writing ain’t work can come search the TX legislature listings for bills related to bicycles by doing word searches for “bicycle” and related terms and also for TX VC section numbers that concern bicycles, and for bunches of other things that might pertain to bicycles and e-assist or ICE assist bicycles (that only took me 14 hours to do over 2 days) and then write a cogent article about what you find. Lobbyists get paid $50-100K/annum for this, I got $0.27 for the day the article was published)

Anyway, to get back to the question, am I being scammed? If so, by whom? If it’s the company I was trying to buy stuff from, they will get it from both barrels because “Witch on a Bicycle” is not just the title of this blog, it’s a description of the author. Grrr!

PSA, Opus

Updates, synopses and new wrecks, it’s a perfect Feed

OK I don’t know about “perfect”, but it is a pretty informative Feed today, and nicely compact after removing articles about skateboarders and bull riders. I’m not unsympathetic to your plight guys, but I just do bikes here, no skateboards, and definitely no bull(s).

Up first is the hometown paper reporting on the death of a cyclist hit from behind. Virginia Beach doctor dies in bicycle crash in Harrisonburg They are saying now the vehicle that hit him was going so fast the cyclist was probably dead before his body stopped moving from the impact. How fast do you have to be going to do that?(!) Information I’m getting back-channel says the driver was speeding at the time of the crash, enough that charges might be upgraded. Unfortunately my person communicating on this back channel does not have any say in any charges.

From the information in this article, you would think it was written in the UK. Bicyclist injured in crash No word in the article about who was at fault in the wreck or even what kind of a wreck it was, but that didn’t keep the haters in the comments section from blaming cyclists, for existing in their world. 😛

Another salmon cyclist gets hit, but as he was not actually in the road at the time the driver was cited. Bicyclist injured in crash You read that right, it happened in FL, and the driver was cited for violating the cyclist’s right of way in the bike lane. I guess someone has decided if they want cyclists to stay in the bike lanes they should punish drivers that drive in the bike lanes.

A synopsis of old but recent wrecks in UT near my old stomping grounds. 3 killed, jogger hurt in separate accidents Nothing new here, but a re-hash of events to refresh the memory never hurts.

A new wreck from the same source. Bicyclist hit by FrontRunner train dies Another cyclist and another train, what’s up with this? It’s big it’s loud and normally it is garishly colored so you can’t miss it, and yet people are still getting killed by this embellishment on 19^th Century technology. This is not acceptable people. I don’t care if it’s a human interface issue or an engineering issue, or just a Darwin issue, whatever the problem is somebody has to fix it, short of summary executions. This can’t be allowed to continue.

And finally, the Deseret News decides to report on the bike wreck in Park City that the Tribune reported on yesterday. Park City man dies after bike crash Day late and a dollar short, but they did finally get a report in. At least now we know without a doubt the cyclist hit something on the street that caused him to fall, and before someone makes the comment, this is exactly the kind of wreck a bicycle helmet is supposed to prevent injury in.

That’s all you get today, stay tuned for more rants and rambling.

Billed @$.02, Opus

More death, destruction, mayhem, and updates, the Feed

We had a more typical Feed today, plus I threw in a non-cycling specific article just to show that the bigger the vehicle the bigger the problem on the roads to other users. We had some updates on earlier wrecks, and we have a RoS report that’s only about 4 months late.

Up first is a hit-and-run outside the nation’s capital. Cyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run in Gainesville The rider was hit sometime before 10PM and died the next morning. Speculation in the comments has the driver DUI, and will shave shower and put on a suit and tie before turning himself in with his lawyer and claiming to not have known he hit a person… To avoid a similar wreck use typical hit-from-behind tactics, mirror(s), escape route, and ready to use the escape route or to bail from the bike and let the bike do as much damage to the other vehicle as possible and hope you are clear of the carnage.

I wonder about any possible charges for a driver that left the road to hit a cyclist in TN. Bicyclist killed in Roane County crash This is a different county than the one that decided that just because a cyclist had reflective gear and bright blinking taillights you still didn’t actually have to avoid hitting the cyclist in compliance with the 3-foot passing law in the state. Also this driver didn’t just fail to pass safely, the cyclist was not even on the legal part of the road but on the shoulder. As someone pointed out in the comments section, had the driver used a .38 instead of a Tacoma they would have put him under the jail, instead of letting him wander around loose. He also would have been much less likely to have killed the cyclist, as gunshot wounds are only 9% fatal and at the posted speed limit for the road motor vehicles are approximately 98% fatal, add the 10 MPH “tolerance” and fatalities exceed 99%. For how to avoid, once again we have a hit-from-behind wreck, this time at high speed on a straight road with no oncoming traffic. Mirror(s), be ready to bail, etc. Having a video camera pointing backwards with solid state (memory chips) recording might be a good idea also. It won’t help you avoid the wreck but it might help the prosecution put away the driver that hits you.

Another report on the WI cyclist that dumped his bike at a relatively high speed and died in CO. Cyclist killed in Monument accident From reports that have come to me back-channel the cyclist hit some road debris and lost control of the front wheel, loose gravel is suspected. As loose gravel is pretty much the same color and texture as gravel that is part of the actual road surface particularly on roads that have been chip sealed, this becomes a very difficult wreck to avoid. The only thing I can suggest is to not ride faster than you want to hit the road with your body, not very constructive advice.

About all we know in this wreck was there was more than one vehicle involved, at least 3 perhaps more that didn’t actually hit anything, and that one vehicle prevented the 2 colliding vehicles from seeing each other until they hit. Once again the question is why the one motor vehicle did not stop when there was another vehicle stopped in the inside lane. Bicyclist injured in Tuesday Bemidji accident To avoid, don’t pull out into lanes where you can’t see clearly.

From the description of this wreck they are blaming the victim for actually trying to cross the road. Bicyclist Injured After Struck By Car At this point it is unknown if the cyclist entered the intersection on a green or yellow light or if he ran the red.

Mayhem and murder in Portland OR. Cyclist killed in hit-and-run crash in NE Portland Gotta love the comments section, people blaming the cyclist for the wreck because, well he was riding a bicycle in the street! What did he expect? From the initial description of the wreck sparse as it was this was probably another hit-from behind wreck. Read the other hit-from-behind wrecks again if you can’t remember what to do.

A wreck in UT they can’t figure out what happened, except the rider is dead. Bicyclist killed in Park City crash The rider may have been hit by a motor vehicle, but probably not as the other rider in front did not report hearing a motor vehicle. It’s a mystery… But not to the people commenting.

More on the wreck in VA. Car Kills Bicycle Rider slightly more information than the initial report yesterday Bicyclist Killed By Car ID’d updated report Killed cyclist was doctor, surprise-minded father was a separate comments section to both articles. There is speculation the driver in this case was on the cell either talking or texting and not paying attention to driving. Yet another hit-from-behind wreck! [sigh]

A cyclist is hit in the UK Cyclist injured after crash with car After all the US reports it’s almost nice to read a report that someone didn’t blame the cyclist for being a cyclist as the reason for the wreck…

They are having a bit of a wrangle over bike helmets in South Korea. Bike Helmet Bill Causing Stir There was some mis-information in the article (misinformation from a politician?) about the fines for not wearing a helmet, as well as places that mandate helmet wearing.

I know they are “slow” in AL, but really, how long ago was the RoS? The Ride of Silence The article mentioning the RoS is actually in response to a bike wreck from last week, so no Auburn jokes.

A running and road race for charity in far western NY. 1,500 cyclists, runners expected for Thater races If you’re in the area the Poet says “do this”. And have fun.

And even SUV drivers cringe at 40 ton trucks being driven by sleep-deprived Zombies. Trucks can make for a deadly harvest This would be a good time to ride somewhere else if you have that option and are not living in the area.

And that’s all I have today, I’m going to take a mental health trip and de-stress a bit.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Multiple articles on death and mayhem, the Feed

Well, this was a really ugly Feed today, with a capital UGH! Dead cyclists all over, with updates and new reports, plus some really bad injuries that will leave the victims crippled for life. Not a fun way to spend your morning, if you ask me…

Starting things off is a report from the Christian Science Monitor about conflicts over the roads. Can bikes and cars share the road? I have to question some of their assumptions, but the initial question is a valid one to ask. If bikes and cars can’t share the roads, who leaves? The vehicles that don’t pollute, pose a minor risk of death or injury to other roads users, and which have been experimentally proven to do no more damage to the roads than the weather, or motor vehicles? From the phrasing of the question I think you know my answer.

A cyclist in Seattle (maybe) runs a red light and gets clobbered. Police: Injured bicyclist may have run red light and Cyclist seriously injured in downtown Seattle I don’t suggest reading the comments section of the second link unless you have a strong stomach. OK guys, I’ll say it again because it appears some of you are not paying attention: before you run the red light you have to stop first and make sure the way is clear before you ride through the intersection. And while I don’t know that it would have helped this guy, you should wear a helmet, unless it’s the law in which case you shouldn’t unless you really wanted to in the first place. Umm, did you understand that, because I’m totally confused now 😉

More updates on the cyclist hit by a pickup truck in MI. Bicyclist Hit and Killed and Lansing bike rider dies after being hit by truck Another hit-from-behind wreck by a driver not watching for other road users. Usual hit-from-behind advice, mirror(s), escape route, and be ready to use the escape route or bail from the bike and hope the bike disables the other vehicle.

Another report on the cyclist hit from behind by a UPS truck. Bicyclist Killed After Being Hit by Tractor Trailer I just don’t know what to say about this one, the cyclist was wearing clothing that made him highly visible in the prevailing light conditions, the bicycle was “covered” in reflectors, and the driver admits to seeing the cyclist well in advance of the collision, so why did the collision happen? Was this a case of the driver wanting to “teach the cyclist a lesson” on not being in the road in front of him, or what? Are assault charges warranted in this case? Stay tuned…

And in another town with the same name… Bicyclist Killed On Port Republic Road Not enough information to know what happened in this case.

Yet another hit-and-run in AZ. Driver arrested after bicyclist injured in hit and run ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! Driver most deserving of death by kitten is the drunk (progeny of unmarried parents and a female dog) that knew he hit “something” but drove off anyway. I propose a little “warm up” of all the surviving victims of hit-and-run beating this total waste of human skin with bicycle chains and then a little alcohol and salt water rubdown afterwards, you wouldn’t want the guy to die of infections before we kill him with kittens. Bonus if the ones in wheelchairs run over his feet and/or fingers while beating him with the chains.

And a wreck report that is impossible to interpret. Bicyclist injured in accident at Sixth and Main Hit a vehicle that was stopped in the intersection? Did the bike run a red light or stop sign, did the car? Did the car stop short when the light changed and the cyclist run into it? OK checking views of the scene, there was a light, but until I know where the car and the bike collided, and the direction of the bike I can’t say what happened or how to avoid the wreck if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Another report but no new information on the MTB wreck in PA. Bike rider killed in Brady’s Run Park Sometimes I think they just post the same article with different URLs to get more site traffic…

Another wreck on a closed course race, this time between one of the support vehicles and a competitor. Triathlon cyclist, two motorcyclists injured Forrest Gump would have had a field day with this one. And I don’t mean “Life is like a box of chocolates” either, more like “Stupid is as stupid does”.

On the same note that I expounded upon here a week or so ago someone is suing the state of NY on the faulty design and construction of the bike path where a cyclist fixing a flat tire was hit in the head by a motorcycle from an adjoining freeway, for an entirely different wreck except for the flying motorcycle and adjoining freeway. Oceanside man injured on Wantagh bike path sues DOT Really, had this been a plain road would the DOT have built it along side a freeway without a barrier between the 2 roads? And why not install Jersey barriers between the 2 after the first 2 wrecks from the same cause? Place the Jersey barrier 8′ from the white strip indicating the edge of the road on the freeway, anchor it, and you’re done. A few thousand dollars per mile that should have been figured into the cost of either the freeway or the bike path when it was constructed and there would have been no deaths from uncontrolled motorcycles hitting people on the bike path. Now you will have lawyers and court costs, damages paid to the victims and their survivors for medical bills and loss of income and wrongful death for the ones that didn’t survive, we’re talking about millions that NY doesn’t have right now, because they went cheap when construction was done…

And lawyers continue to weigh in on the recent spate of wrecks in HI. Can We Afford NOT To Build More Bike Paths in Honolulu?

And that’s all I have so far this time. Come back tomorrow, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

Billed @$.02, Opus

Lots of links today, both updates and new reports

I thought a descriptive if wordy headline best suited today’s Feed. We had several stories that had multiple reports, and some updates reports on old stories as well as new stuff. Hopefully I will get this all straightened out and not put reports in separate paragraphs that belonged together. 😉

Up first is another report on the American Fork canyon incident in UT. Mesa Cyclist Injured In Utah Crash This doesn’t add much to the reason for the crash, but it does tell us more about one of the victims.

There was a bad bike wreck in CO. Madison cyclist killed in Colorado accident and Cyclist crash fatality is first in monument It appears the cyclist hit something in the road that caused a front washout throwing the cyclist to the pavement where he sustained fatal head injuries. There were no other vehicles involved in the wreck. How to avoid: watch for road debris and ride in the clean line even if that requires riding in the lane with cars.

An elderly MI an suffers head injury in a wreck with a slightly less elderly woman driver. Elderly bicyclist injured in crash Not clear here why the cyclist proceeded in front of the car nor why the car failed to stop in time to not hit the cyclist.

A PA cyclist is killed by a UPS truck. Harrisburg bicyclist killed in crash in Swatara Township No verifiable word on the cause but from the comments section I think we can rule out not seeing the cyclist. The bike was reported to have been festooned with reflectors, and the driver reported no trouble seeing the cyclist according to another comment. Why the driver failed to avoid the cyclist he had no trouble seeing is a question best left to the courts.

The other PA wreck was a single vehicle wreck on a bike trail. Maine man killed in W. Pa. mountain bike crash and Maine biker killed in Beaver County accident Another reason to not ride off road without a riding partner. His helmet was not very effective either. Wear a helmet but wear it right to prevent facial injuries. The bottom of the front of the helmet must be no more than a finger width above the brow ridge on your skull.

Another hit-from-behind wreck, this time in MO. Bicyclist injured after being struck by car near LaGrange Usual precautions against being hit from behind, plus because this was a night wreck add a bright taillight to the list. I recommend the Honkin’ Huge Taillight^tm. Click the tag to find a list of materials to build your own HHT.

Another drunk hits s cyclist head on, this time with a twist. Joliet bicyclist seriously injured; motorist detained Yes another salmon cyclist gets hit. There was lots of blame to go around in this one starting with the drunk driver and extending to the cyclists riding the wrong way on the street. Hasn’t the news gotten out yet? Ride with traffic on the right side of the street/road. Don’t drink and operate a vehicle (car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle…). Just don’t.

A cyclist in CA gets hit while crossing a road in the crosswalk. Bicyclist struck, injured in College Terrace Since we don’t know which direction the cyclist was traveling in this wreck it’s hard to say who was at fault. Using Google Street View we can see the intersection was between 2 light controlled intersections, so the cyclist may have started crossing the 6 lanes of traffic when the way was clear, but been caught out after the light changed.

LEO aren’t saying much about this wreck in NC. Bicyclist Injured In Greenville Accident About all we know from this report is a cyclist was hit by a motor vehicle and was not killed.

ID LEO are busting speeders that endanger children. Law enforcement cracking down on speeders in school zones As I pointed out in an earlier post, going from 20 MPH (most school zones) to 30 MPH (speed at which cops will ticket you for speeding in a school zone) raises the fatality rate from 5% to 50%, and reduces the walk-away rate from 45% to 5%, not to mention that drivers have 50% less time to react at 30 MPH than they do at 20 which means that hitting those kids is more likely. It’s a bad combination of more likely to hit and more likely to kill if you hit.

It has been a bad year for cyclists (relatively) in HI. Bicycle Riders Face Grim Statistics Of Injury Or Death In Hawaii Notice that the statistics were drawn from a very bad year for cyclist deaths. Lately the numbers have looked much better.

This was just brought to my attention today, even though it’s more than 7 months old. OYO RESTAURANT TREATS CYCLISTS LIKE PESTS Well restaurants have the right to refuse service, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it when they do.

Cyclists ride for a good cause. Riders take to streets for Special Olympics “Shave your legs and saddle up!” We have good deeds to do. 😉

A rather breathless helmet-centric “safety” article from my SF colleague at examiner.com. Save Your Life! Always Wear Your Bike Helmet! Yes, always wear a helmet when you ride, just don’t expect miracles from it. Mine saved my life when I was attacked and left for dead by a pickup truck wielding terrorist back in 2001, but it didn’t prevent my brain damage. I have about 2/3 the mental ability I had pre-wreck, mostly lost in my ability to communicate verbally. I’m alive but no longer able to find work outside of posting to the internet. And if you think posting to the internet will make you money I would like to show you my last paycheck for 5 months of work for examiner.com of just over $26.

And another in a inconsistent series on why I consider motor vehicles to be WMDs. Vehicles crash into buildings Monday and Tuesday I wonder how the reinforced cinderblock garage is doing after getting hit @80MPH or so? And what caused the homeowner to build a reinforced cinderblock garage in the first place, most detached garages are barely enough structure to survive twice the expected snow load in that area.

And that’s all I have for today.

Billed @$.02, Opus

The Canuckistani have spoken, and their silence is deafening

OK all you up there in the Great White North, I asked you last week if you cared about my labeling the provinces west of and including Manitoba as Canuckistan, and Ontario and east as Canadia. Well the votes are in and the results are (drum roll): You don’t care enough to contact me about it.

So henceforth all of you from MB on to BC will be Canuckistani, and I will not be getting any of that free medical care up there in the GWN. It’s a rather long bike ride from TX to the Northern Border, so it’s not like I was going to get the free health care anyway even if I was made a citizen of Canada.

And Gigi was looking forward to wearing studded tires in the winter, not.

PSA, Opus

Many updates and one new wreck

The Feed was in update mode this morning as almost all the links were about wrecks that were already covered here in earlier posts. So for those of you who just can’t get enough of a bad thing, we have more of it.

The first bad thing we are updating is the wreck in American Fork canyon that left a cyclist in critical condition Saturday. Crash in bike race hospitalizes Mesa riders and a lawyer’s perspective Tragic Accident During Utah Bicycle Event- Was it Avoidable? Summary of what I know about the wreck from reading reports I already linked and from reports I can’t link to because of technical or copyright issues: 1000 Warriors was an amateur bike race held on the same course as the 4^th stage of the pro Tour of Utah. Advertising for over a year had stated this was going to be a closed course event. At some point UDOT or UHP decided not to close the course, either the day before or the morning of the race, but nobody told the racers, or some of the racers were not informed of this. There was 2 way traffic on the course and an SUV was cut off by a driver towing a trailer in the opposite direction and had to make a sudden stop in front of a pack of riders doing about 45 MPH down the canyon (they were racing, remember?) One of the cyclists went through the back window of the SUV and ended up partially inside the vehicle with life-threatening head injuries in spite of his bicycle helmet. One of the other cyclists in the pack was an EMT and was also one that wasn’t hurt too badly, and immediately stabilized the cyclist that went through the back window of the SUV. The injured cyclists were all transported to area hospitals and were either treated and released or admitted for treatment. The cyclist that went through the window is scheduled for facial surgery. As to how to avoid, if you are told that the roads are closed for your race and you see vehicles on the roads you are supposed to be racing on that are supposed to be closed, stop racing. Contact organizers and find out what the heck is going on, and request the race be neutralized and ride to the finish. That of course is only MHO.

More from lawyers about that wreck in HI where the truck crossed the road and hit a cyclist head on and killed him, apparently there was another cyclist on the scene who was only injured and not killed. Truck Driver Crosses Centerline in Ka’a’awa and Kills Pearl Harbor Sailor This is new information that wasn’t in the other news releases.

I’m not sure which province this wreck happened in, just that it was near a town named Hamilton. The big town I know of named Hamilton is in ON, but my knowledge of Canadian place names is limited. So, anyway this was up there in the Great White North. Cyclist hit by mirror serious This is pretty obviously a hit from behind wreck by a person that either did not know how close they were passing a bicyclist, or who did know and wanted to “teach her a lesson”. Standard hit-from-behind avoidance procedures apply to this wreck, watch your mirror, have an escape route and be ready to bail at any time either from the bike or to use your escape route.

A Ghost Bike was installed to commemorate a cyclist killed by a drunk driver. Ride Honors Avid Bicyclist There are factual errors in this report big enough for the entire TdF peloton to ride through, but I’ll let that pass to remember the man being honored. A greater honor would be the drunk driver being taken off the roads permanently.

And that’s all I have for you today, and I have to get tonight’s dinner started. We are having my famous beans and rice that take more then 5 hours to slow cook to perfection, and dinner starts at 7PM.

Billed @$.02, Opus

A lot of wreck reports for a Sunday in the Feed

Sorry this is late but church and tax-free weekend combined to keep me out most of the day. On the upside, I now have 3 pairs of shorts that won’t fall off my butt if I stand suddenly. Trust me, this is a major improvement over the shorts I just got rid of.

Up first is a wreck in Paradise AKA HI. Bicyclist Killed While Riding Along Kamehameha Highway and Pedestrian, bicyclist killed in separate traffic accidents and even Man arrested in death of cyclist Yet another driver crossing onto the opposite shoulder to hit a cyclist head on. These kind of wrecks are really not avoidable except by superhuman levels of reflexes and/or ESP. I feel bad about the pedestrian, too.

A wreck in UT on what was supposed to be a closed race course that wasn’t. 1 critically injured as cyclists crash in Utah and 5 cyclists injured in canyon crash The road was supposed to be closed, the racers thought it was closed, and there were non-support vehicles on the road that didn’t know there was a bike race going on. One of those made a sudden stop and racers went into the back of the vehicle or hit the pavement trying to not hit the vehicle.

A wreck I don’t fully understand near Pittsburgh PA. Harrison cyclist killed in freak accident in New Kensington As near as I can figure the cyclist was playing gutter-bunny and hit the curb with the front wheel for some reason (startled by a car that didn’t move over?). This is why you should be riding in the middle of the lane.

Baltimore PD actually said the cyclist killed by a van that didn’t even complete a pass before turning right, right into the cyclist… Police determine bicyclist at fault in fatal downtown accident I don’t get this, just a couple of days ago they find video that showed the cyclist was along side the truck, and now they say the cyclist was at fault.

A cyclist dances with a bus and survives in the UK. Cyclist injured in bus collision Not a good dancing partner, other than that a typical UK wreck story.

More helmet-centric “safety”. Shore cops issue fines, warnings to bicyclists without helmets Yeah, helmets will really protect them against right hooks and left crosses, and all the other stupid things that people do in cars around cyclists. Sorry guys, I think you should wear a helmet every time you ride but until and unless they raise the standard of protection the government (any government) has no business mandating helmet wearing…

Riders remember one of our own killed by a drunk driver on a closed race course in KY. Cyclists honor fallen triathlete I hope they “forget” to let the perp driver out for his trial, or anything else for about 200 years.

And that’s all I have for you today.

Billed @$.02, Opus