This, That, and the Other thing, Wreck-Free Sunday

Today will be a bit of a meander as I just let my mind wander without a leash.

First of all I still haven’t found anything on the person that was hit by the train on Friday night, it’s like the wreck never happened. I keep Googling with a variety of search strings, but apparently nobody covered this wreck because of the other wreck involving a DART train just one station down on the same day. The only report I have found online was the one I made right after I saw the wreck. Since I have no idea of what happened to cause the person to get hit by the train I find this turn of events frustrating to say the least.

I have been using the Clif Mojo bars as a recovery after a ride, and I find them tasty if a bit rough to chew for a guy with no molars. The bars that work for the tooth-impaired of us just taste like an old tire, so I think I will take good flavor and hard to chew over the alternative.

Not much to choose from as the racing seasons are coming to a close what with IndyCar coming to an end a couple of weeks ago, Grand Am ending yesterday, and SCCA winding up their season last week at The Runoffs and most other sanctioning bodies either already finished or down to the last race in a couple of weeks. All I have at the moment is the Sprint Cup race from Dover.

I went to the church RPG meeting last night in a light rain that was cool enough that I could wear rain gear without being wetter with the rain gear than without it. I got some incredulous looks when I rode up, including an “Opus, what are you doing?!” from a couple of people. I think it’s a bit sad really that some people just can’t comprehend not riding in a car when the weather isn’t absolutely perfect. Or even when it is absolutely perfect…

Speaking of the RPG, I got a few licks in with my 5th level warlock but still didn’t make my character very effective, but that was because there were mist spells and Utterly Obscuring Mist spells getting thrown around like candy at a Christmas parade. Of the three spells used, one was a permanent part of the landscape before the party came there, one was a temp spell that was used in the battle, and one was an “Oops!” when a spell cast by a monster we were fighting came up a Natural 1 AKA a Flub, creating a permanent Utterly Obscuring Mist around his character and mine, and I wasn’t even the object of the flubbed spell, just too close to the monster when the spell was flubbed. I still managed to get off a “shot in the dark” so to speak that did significant damage to the monster, and also took some damage when the monster did the same to me.

The contract has been put out for bid for the bike path from Mesquite to Richardson through Garland, that seems to have significant amounts of profit built in to it…

I have been doodling on an “ultimate” car for me. My last car was a Hyundai Excel, this time around I would want something with more range and power, and fewer seats. What I have been thinking about was a LS7 engine (505 HP) and a shortened C6 drive train on a T-bucket with my own particular design constraints. The constraint that causes the oddest appearance is the one that the car still has to be able to roll with no tires on the car, nothing can drag on smooth pavement, and nothing under the bottom of the main frame rail except rims, but the engine has to be right at the bottom of that with maybe a skid plate under it. Obviously the taller the wheels the more room there is to work with inside the car. The C6 has 18″ wheels which gives 9″ from the axle center to the bottom of the frame rail or tub. For this build I would have a cross between a tub and a rail chassis with a small rail to mount the roll cage to at the bottom of the tub and mounting the body to a flange on the top of the tub, making the “tub” a very deep frame rail through the cockpit area and a full monocoque ahead of the firewall and a full space frame behind the cockpit. Now just because I would be using a Corvette drive train doesn’t mean I would be using the C6 suspension geometry. I mean I have a computer, I designed a spreadsheet template back in the AppleII era that would do camber curves and bump steer as long as the pickup points were known, and I have a bit of a renegade in me (really!). Also this car would be lighter and shorter than a C6, so I would need to tweak the geometry in any case. But I would be using the C6 uprights and brakes, because these are sorted components with a known high reliability factor. Of course this assumes a budget with pretty much no restrictions, which is a total fantasy in my current situation. I don’t even have the budget to replace the flush arm on the toilet without dipping into my B-Day money. So this little project is something I do to keep my mind off how little money I actually have. You aren’t poor if you can still dream rich. I’m rich enough that I can dream about using a Corvette to build my “ultimate” car.

I also have a plan for something less expensive using a FWD engine and transmission as a mid-engine like the old Pontiac Fiero or the Toyota MR2 on my T-bucket more Home> T-Bucket

PSA, Opus

Well you read how I ended my evening, and the Feed

If you saw the previous post you read how I ended my evening yesterday. I still haven’t found anything on the wreck online, but I haven’t looked that hard. Wait a second, and I’ll check again. Nope, there were 2 people hit in Garland by trains, and my victim was only covered by moi. There was a woman that ran into the side of a moving train trying to get the door open and get on so she wouldn’t be late to work (and had to go to the hospital so she was really late, like more than 24 hours) but that was 3½ hours earlier than the wreck I saw.

Other stuff, I’m still trying to find something to replace the sound card on this computer, I can see the videos now but still not hear them, which does some good but not much. All I need is something with a stereo out jack since all I have on my computer speakers is a stereo in plug, you know the same plug you get on a set of ear buds for your MP3 player. I have a big fancy computer with a Creative 5.1 system that will eventually replace my stereo system when I get the hard drive for it, but right now I need a simple card that will let me plug my speakers into my computer. Or a USB sound device that does the same thing…

Up first, a girl hit by a car has died in CA. Child Bike Rider Killed Heading Home From School Since it doesn’t say the rider was riding salmon when hit by an SUV going to opposite direction, I’m going to assume this was a left cross wreck. That’s the only thing that makes sense, there being three ways this could happen: cyclist riding salmon, left cross, or the SUV crossing the centerline and hitting the cyclist head on. Since either the first or last would have merited a serious comment from the article, that only leaves the left cross (probably by a “blind driver”). That would make this an intersection wreck, use intersection protocols to avoid and fix the freaking infrastructure to prevent. One thing that has to be fixed as soon as possible is eliminating the “blind driver” defense. The reason drivers “don’t see” cyclists is the complete lack of penalty for failure to see a cyclist. I suggest a lifetime ban on driving with a mandatory prison sentence equal to a felon in possession of a firearm should that ban be broken. More 12-year-old Girl Killed in Novato Bicycle Crash

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 8 years in a row, a cyclist is hit riding to school. Student injured after being hit while riding bike to school The girl was hit from behind while riding on the shoulder of the road, and it wasn’t even mentioned until halfway through the article that this was a hit-and-run where the victim lay in the middle of the outside lane for 5 minutes before anyone came to her aid. A cyclist can’t avoid idiots like this, the only way to prevent or avoid a wreck like this would be major changes to the infrastructure including making hit-and-run a major felony akin to attempted murder or murder if the victim dies.

A cyclist in SLC runs a red light. Cyclist injured after getting hit by car Yeah, don’t run red lights.

Another red light runner in AZ. Man on bike hospitalized after he’s hit by truck Second verse, same as the first.

A mixture of LifeStyle, Infrastructure!, and economic activism. A Cross-Country Crusade Against Pointless Bike Deaths

LifeStyle in AZ. Widow hopes to raise bike safety awareness at event Ain’t it a shame when going to funerals is considered part of the bicycle lifestyle.

More LifeStyle in PA. Bicyclist In Erie Ride to Raise Awareness

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus

With luck like this who needs lottery tickets?

On the way home from church tonight I saw my fifth serious/fatal wreck at the DART station when a train hit someone on the tracks in the station. I knew the guy was dead because they weren’t moving very quickly getting him(?) off the tracks and into an ambulance. As I stated this was the fifth time I was either first on scene, saw the wreck happen, or got there before the body(ies) was(were) removed.

Don’t I have great luck, or what?

PSA, Opus

A rush job, and the Feed

This is going to have to be a quickie, because I had mule duty today after a gig of being a crying towel this morning and making a run to the hardware for a flush arm for the master bedroom bath toilet. So basically I spent more time away from the house than in it today, and since the house is where the office and the computer are, the blog had to wait.

Up first a cyclist is hit just down the road from WoaB World HQ, a cyclist is hit by a speeding driver. Police: Cyclist struck and killed by teen driver This was the wreck where the driver screamed at the dead cyclist for getting in his way. I’m sure he also swore at the telephone poles he hit after the cyclist, too. I would say hit-from-behind to avoid but this was not an avoidable wreck, and fixing the infrastructure would only work if “fixing” meant getting idiots off the roads like this driver… More 17-year-old driver arrested in crash that killed bicyclist identified as Devin Smith The driver was released from jail before the victim’s body was cold. And Northeast Side crash kills bicyclist Also Cyclist blindsided in fatal crash; family says he knew the dangers

Another reason why every driveway is an intersection. Girl injured after riding bike into side of moving vehicle It was never elucidated if the cyclist was right-hooked or if the cyclist ran into the side of a vehicle already on the street she was entering. Intersection protocol to avoid with existing infrastructure, get the infrastructure right to prevent, in the Dutch model the school would have been served by a bike route that was completely separate from the motor vehicle access.

A MA cyclist is hit-from-behind in broad daylight. Man on bicycle struck by car, injured on Rt. 169 in Charlton Not much to say here, the cyclist was hit from behind, obviously the driver’s fault for hitting the vehicle in front of him, driver loses license permanently and gets to watch car crushed. If the cyclist dies the driver gets to watch the car crushed from behind the steering wheel. Now in the real world the driver probably won’t even pay for the cyclist’s medical bills…

A driver deliberately hits a cyclist that he thought was a child molester, real child molester already in jail/ Man charged in crash that injured cyclist This is why people should not be taking the law into their own hands, while the driver was trying to kill the cyclist, the real person he wanted to kill was already in jail. There is so much Stupid in this wreck Gigi would just laugh and point (however it is she does that without hands).

Infrastructure! news from NYC. The ‘Boulevard of Death’ must be transformed, say slain cyclist’s kin and New York City campaign warns taxi passengers of danger of opening doors in path of cyclists (+ video)

Not sure how to classify this link from the UK. Road deaths rise in Great Britain: get the data More people getting killed walking, about the same killed while inside the cars… While drivers get worse, cars get better at protecting them?

And infrastructure-ish from Shampoo-Bannana (as one of my friends refers to it). PE teacher’s students bringing their bicycles to school — to learn on This needs to be done at least once a year until high school, twice a year in high school. Cover the simple stuff at first like this class, then get into the actual laws as the kids get older. And for crying out loud, stay off the sidewalks!

And that’s all I have time for today, I’m off to the showers and then clean clothes and off to another church function.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

The Clif bars came in the mail, and the Feed

Those Clif bars I won from BikingInLA arrived in the mail, and I tried one after mowing yesterday. Not bad taste, a little sticky on the texture from the stuff that stuck all those nuts and things together but overall not bad at all, much better than most of the granola bars I get from the store. Also from reading the nutrition information they are a heck of a lot better for you that grocery store granola bars in terms of vitamins and minerals per Calorie. Also much bigger than the grocery store bars to resupply Calories burned during exertion.

Speaking of mowing the lawn, the leg that was injured in the wreck is complaining mightily about the effort required to walk the moonscape terrain that is my lawn during a drought. Seriously I have cracks in the soil you could lose a Yugo in, or at least a moped. Wrangling a mower across those cracks takes a lot of core and upper body to keep the mower moving in the right direction, and leg strength to keep the mower moving, period. And the bum leg is complaining about the level of exertion required to move the lawnmower over that mess. Riding a bike is much less effort, seriously. I can ride 21 miles and not get the kind of after pain I get just from going to the local c-store to get the gas and mowing the lawn.

Up first we find out the real reason the DA decided not to prosecute the “driver” that killed 2 cyclists on the sidewalk as an adult. Teen driver admits killing 2 bicyclists When tried as a juvenile the perp can be held until 21, or basically 3 ½ years. If tried as an adult he could get 7 years and be out in 1 with no guarantee that he would even get the 7 year sentence. This way they have him off the streets for that 3 ½ years and also have a hold on his license so he can’t drive for an extended period when he gets out.

Also in CA a cyclist is hurt outside San Diego. Cyclist seriously injured in San Marcos crash The cyclist pulled out in front of a car when leaving a parking lot. This wreck would have been the same no matter what vehicle the cyclist had been using. Intersection protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent. And don’t be stupid…

A SWSS between a motor- and bicycle in NH. Motorcycle, bicycle collide in Wilton; two injured Seriously, unless we can do something about narratives like this, where an unsafe pass by a motor vehicle is blamed on the cyclist for “swerving”, we aren’t going to get very far in preventing wrecks between bicycles and motor vehicles. Hit from behind protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

From the Great White North, a basic misunderstanding of what a fixed-gear bike is. Tyrell Sterling riding brakeless bike in fatal accident The bike in question did not have a separate mechanical brake, that’s true. But the braking system was included in the drive system that made the bike go. Calling fixies “brakeless” actually makes about as much sense as calling them “motorless”.

Infrastructure! from Oz. Melbourne cyclists plan protest against Australia’s compulsory helmet laws Another politician trots out the “88%” figure that has been repeatedly discredited but refuses to go away. If that figure was true then wearing a helmet would also result in 77% fewer broken legs for cyclists, which everyone knows is impossible.

And light day today, those are all the links that gave me fits, and very nearly all the links in the Feed.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Blinking away tears, and the Feed

First of all, no it’s not what you think. Unless you were thinking that I had to mow the lawn when the grass was blooming and the pollen was causing my eyes to water copiously, then it’s exactly what you were thinking. I’m hoping this was the last time I have to mow the lawn what with the fall usually being fairly dry in this part of the state. I don’t understand the people that water their lawns all summer long (even when it’s been banned) and into the fall just to have green grass. Just plant a different species of grass, dummies. You can hardly tell the difference between my lawn that never gets watered and the lawn across the street that gets watered as often as the law allows and mowed twice a week because it would be too tall otherwise. If the grass hadn’t decided to bloom after this last batch of storms came through I wouldn’t have had to mow it because it just wasn’t that tall except for the stems for the blooms. Actually just between you and me and the fencepost, if I had had my ‘druthers I would have allowed the lawn to go to see to cover some of the bald patches without having to make a trip to buy grass seed and without having to spend the extra money to buy the seed. I’m not sure I can even buy that species of grass any more, even if I could remember what the species was.

Up first another GA cyclist is hit with (by) a car. Bicyclist Struck by Car at Canton, Piedmont Intersection Absolutely nothing about the mode of this wreck as it was still being investigated when the link was posted.

Another hit-and-run death in NYC. Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Cyclist in Queens No mode given, not even an exact location but what little information given suggests a hit-from-behind wreck since it was “near” but not “in” the intersection. Also that particular road is known as a haven for speeders with cars sometimes reaching more than twice the 30 MPH speed limit. NYPD has little enthusiasm for traffic enforcement, perhaps tying the pension fund to receipts from traffic tickets would change that attitude. More Father of 2 Killed in Hit-Run on Birthday

A NH wreck that shows why you need to know and use the ABC Quick check. Two cyclists injured in Durham crash OK the wheel falling off is totally preventable by just paying attention before you ride. Seriously, just use the ABC Quick Check . It only takes a few seconds and could save your life, or at the very least a nasty scrape and a bump on the head…

A VA wreck reported by a Boston paper with no mode of wreck given. Army secretary injured in bike accident I’m starting to really hate articles like this…

Infrastructure! from NYC as cars become safer but kill more pedestrians and cyclists. Cars Keep Killing People in New York City More people dying on the streets, fewer of them inside cars means more pedestrians and cyclists dying because NYPD can’t be bothered to do traffic enforcement. Even when there is ample evidence in the form of piles of dead bodies around town.

Update on a KS wreck I had links to yesterday. McPherson College student killed in bicycle accident Nothing new in the link, except it explicitly named the state where the wreck happened.

Update on a bike wreck in the Great White North that I linked to yesterday. Elderly bicyclist killed by mail van So while we still don’t know the mode of the wreck, we at least know both vehicles involved. ETA: since I filtered and created this link the mode has been declared as a SWCC as the cyclist made a u-turn in front of the van. Very convenient considering the only witness to the wreck that can still talk to LEO is the driver of the van…

Infrastructure from CA. Commentary: In light of cyclist deaths, invest in safety Perhaps a lawsuit filed by the survivors of wrecks and the survivors of the deceased in bike wrecks would re-align priorities?

Lots of infrastructure, even from the farthest reaches of the US. Bike accidents poorly tracked in Anchorage I could not believe the most recent data on bike wrecks they had was 2004.

BAD infrastructure in SC. Bluffton bike riders hobbled by May River Rd. rumble strip Needless to say this would be a great article to not read the comments?

Infrastructure in Canuckistan. Cyclists call for bike lanes on Whyte Avenue I saw a number of comments that cyclists should just ride one block over, but I never saw any mention that drivers should just cede the entire street and drive someplace else. That would be silly to ask, but it seems to be par for the course when discussing bicycle infrastructure.

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

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Just trying to keep things moving here, and the Feed

Grass needs cutting, blogs need posting, and yr fthfl svnt is running low on energy because the coffee ran out and nobody put any on the grocery list when I went shopping. Add to that I have a part-time gig as a sponge for a woman to cry on and >BLEAH!< Just trying to get focused here on the big picture and to put everything in perspective, then move on. Add to that the reason the grass needs mowing is because it's blooming and trying to seed, and I'm deathly allergic to grass pollen, so there's another energy drain. I went to the local c-store and gas station to get gas and a lottery ticket, and now I feel like warm jello, not very substantial. Add to that I have a meeting to attend tonight that will require riding my bike to… Well I guess you get the picture.

Up first is a hit-and-run in OH. Bicyclist hit in Boardman I don’t recognize the picture of the weapon vehicle shown in the article, but I do know a headlight when I see one and that vehicle hit the cyclist with the driver’s side of the vehicle. In my eyes that makes this an assault with a deadly weapon, not a hit-and-run. From what little I could pull from the article LEO may have been thinking the same thing as the vehicle was impounded. From the bare-bones description of the wreck and the impact marks on the vehicle I’m going to place this wreck in “unavoidable with current infrastructure” category and demand that the infrastructure be changed to prevent homicidal maniacs from driving deadly weapons of mass destruction.

From CA a cyclist is hit in an intersection that had 7 stop signs, making knowing who did what when , where, and why almost impossible. Cyclist hit by car in San Clemente It was noted in the comments that there are 5 streets intersecting here and 7 stop signs controlling them, so it’s entirely possible the cyclist was legal and the car didn’t wait until the cyclist had cleared the intersection (or maybe even the stop sign before the car left its stop sign), another case of blind driver syndrome. There was a picture of the bicycle under the front of the weapon vehicle on the driver’s side and the final stopping point of the wreck was several feet past the intersection.

I’m not certain but I think this wreck was in KS. McPherson College Student Killed In Bicycle Accident No mode given, nor even a location that can be narrowed down to a specific street, because LEO are sitting on the story.

A cyclist is killed in the Great White North, but the driver was severely shaken up needs time to come up with a good story so there has been nothing released about the mode of the wreck. Cyclist Killed on Grate’s Cove Road Nothing to see here, move along…

From the UK a cyclist hit by a drunk driver is having difficulty collecting from the driver’s insurance… Simon Richardson in court battle with insurers after hit and run At this rate the driver will be out of prison before the cyclist can collect on the wreck.

Infrastructure! from TX after a cyclist is killed. APD tracks cyclist-versus-car crashes In most wrecks drivers were at fault more than cyclists to the tune of 21% cyclists, 79% drivers. TX drivers are idiots, whodathunkit? I mean aside from anyone that has ever ridden a bike in TX traffic more than a mile per trip.

LifeStyle for that slain TX cyclist. Candlelight vigil for biker killed on Congress LEO have charged the driver with intoxication manslaughter, which is more severe than a straight manslaughter charge but not as strong as murder. And it was a hit-from-behind wreck as I guessed when the story was first released.

LifeStyle and common sense from the PGH. Cycling commuter advises patience to all motorists Slow down and we’ll all get there…

And those are all the links that gave me fits not involving a motorcycle. There were a few left-crosses that involved motorcycles instead of bicycles and they blamed the motorcycle rider for those, just like they blame cyclists…

Billed @$0.02, Opus

I’m back and not hung over, and the Feed

Well, this was a disappointing B-Day. Basically it was Saturday, with cake, no ice-cream. I forgot to get the paper so I can’t post my year-in-advance horoscope on my monitor this year. I got a Cars2 Pez dispenser for my only gift, of the 2 cards I got one was from a car dealer thanking me for all the customers I had steered their way (and they are welcome, my last car was that make of car). Oh and I got a broken computer that I had to fix to make it usable, the box I’m currently abusing.

I also got warned that next year will be more abusive as I turn 55 then, and the day falls on a Sunday that will be celebrated just because it’s a pagan holiday and my church celebrates those in a big way. Also Mrs. the Poet is looking to get back at me for the “Flaming cake o’ death” I did last year when her B-Day fell on a Sunday. Did you know that when you put 116 birthday cake candles on a cake you can make the frosting burn? I didn’t even know cake frosting was flammable. The joke was I was trying to make with the doubled number of candles was “time flies when you’re having fun, so this is how long you really lived while you were having all that fun…” What that was all about was the church was showing their appreciation of what Mrs. the Poet does for the church by having a celebration of her birthday during service. well next year is going to be my turn, I have been warned.

Up first is a blotter notice of a hit-and-run wreck down the road a day’s ride from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. The Blotter: Cyclist killed in hit-and-run; Resident injured in apartment fire From the location I can presume this was a hit-from-behind wreck, use the protocols to avoid and get the freaking infrastructure right to prevent. From the amount of water and detergent cleaning up the blood from the wreck (human blood is a hazmat situation here in TX) I would say this was a very messy wreck. And from what little else I could read in the article it looks like LEO is going to allow the blind driver defense if they already haven’t. TANJ!

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike for the last 8 years running, a bike ninja is killed. Bicyclist dies after being hit by two cars in Pasco County Ordinarily I would point out the drivers either had improperly aimed headlights or were overdriving their headlights, but this numb-nuts was riding around in black clothing at night on a bike with no reflectors. Don’t do that. Reflectors are cheap and do not require batteries to work, only properly aimed headlights on the cars behind you. More Bicyclist killed on Pasco County road identified

Another blind driver in FL. Panama City Beach Man Killed in Bike Accident I can’t say for sure but it looked like there were reflectors on the back of the bike that was hit, so yeah, blind driver syndrome strikes again. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, get the infrastructure right to prevent, and start throwing drivers that can’t see a cyclist in the road in front of them in jail, or crush their cars with the drivers inside.

From CA a cyclist injured in a left cross wreck has finally died from the injuries sustained. CYCLIST DIES FROM INJURIES IN VALLEY CENTER COLLISION And nothing will happen because the driver has already been absolved from the wreck because he was blind… More Bicyclist injured in Valley Center crash dies also Triathlete Riding Bike and Hit by Car Dies Sunday and Cyclist dies after being struck by car

Another OR wreck between a bike and a train. Police identify cyclist in fatal train accident I have said it too many times, this is the easiest kind of wreck to avoid, even with headphones on. All you need to do is LOOK before crossing the tracks. It’s not like the train is invisible even if you can’t hear it…

A wreck in rural WA that so far hasn’t even generated a ticket. Bicyclist struck by pickup killed near Brier Once again if you aren’t impaired and remain at the scene of a fatal bicycle/motor vehicle wreck you can pretty much get away with murder. No mode given for this wreck, but since they were so nice as to give an intersection as the site of the wreck I’m going to assume that intersection protocols would have helped avoid this wreck, and getting the infrastructure right would have prevented it.

A wreck in KC with no mode given, but it seems like it’s probably a hit-from-behind. Two Girls Injured After Being Hit by Vehicle AFAICT this was 2 girls riding on one bike with one girl standing on the stunt pegs while the other pedaled. This is not an invisible thing, if anything the rider standing on the pegs is even more visible because of the added height. I mean seriously, this shit about not being able to see people on the roads has got to stop. If you can’t see a 9YO child standing in the road in broad daylight you need to stop driving. If you can’t see an adult riding a bicycle you need to stop driving. And let’s face it there are a lot of people out there that seriously need to stop driving.

From the Great White North a pedestrian with a bicycle (walking the bike) is hit with a car. Police investigate after cyclist, 20, injured in hit-and-run crash No clue on how to avoid a wreck like this, once you get off the bike you’re a pedestrian and I don’t know what to do to keep cars from hitting you on the sidewalk where this wreck happened. Fortunately the car left paint on the scene of the wreck (probably on the curb it had to cross to hit the pedestrian on the sidewalk). More Cyclist struck in hit-and-run crash

The reason I don’t do more UK reports is this is the only time they actually say what everybody was doing in the wreck, after the trial. Almost four times over the limit drink-driver Christopher Hogan jailed for killing OAP cyclist The cyclist was hit from behind by a driver with a 0.135% BAC which is 4 times the UK limit and almost twice the US limit. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent including making DUI that kills the same as murder with the same penalties. Personally I would add “depraved indifference” to the aggravating factors of this wreck, because the driver was riding on the rim for quite a distance before hitting the cyclist, which severely impaired his control over the car above and beyond his being drunk.

Infrastructure! of the legal kind in GA. Are Georgia’s Cycling Laws Adequate Protection for Motorists and Cyclist? Don’t read the comments

More infrastructure from LA. Attic Salt for Sept. 23, 2012 Two dead cyclists and another that might as well be dead because he’s never going to get out from under his medical bills that are pushing $500K. All because someone decided that bike lanes cost too much, that “someone” needs to be paying the injured cyclist’s medical bills right now…

Infrastructure news from CA. State report: Newport rates high in bike accidents It’s a bit of a slog to read, but worth the words… Something less wordy but the same subject Back-to-Back Bicycle Deaths Shine Spotlight on City’s Fatality Record

Lifestyle from CA. Public Invited to Saturday Memorial for Cyclist, Shape-Up Nutritionist Sarah Leaf

LifeStyle from AZ. Chandler festival all about bike safety Amazing, an article about “bike safety” and no mention of the word “Helmet”.

A bit of LifeStyle from the UK. Hall for Bridgwater cyclist killed earlier this year

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, plus or minus.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

OK that was a bit of a ride, and the Feed

I just got back from depositing older daughter’s B-Day money in her account with her US bank (elder daughter lives in the UK) which put about 14 more miles on Blue (with another 7 to come tonight) and it’s amazing what not having to fight a headwind for half a trip does for your average speed. I was only dealing with a light crosswind for most of the trip and had cruise speeds in the 18-20 MPH range. At my turn-around point I was averaging 13.4 MPH which is higher than my cruise speed on trips with a headwind (we get mighty strong winds in TX since there isn’t anything between the Gulf and here except a couple strands of barbed wire, ditto between here and Canada). When I have a route that is mainly crosswind, and fairly light crosswinds at that like today, well I just fly even with that garden shed on the back.

Speaking of Blue, I had some pictures taken with him that should be ready to assemble into the new banner for the top of the blog. I’m going to ditch the “Witch on a Bicycle” text and just go with bikes, witches, and me, because WP is so kind to announce the name of the blog for me I don’t need to put the name in the graphic. I’m sure many of you are wondering just what I have done to Blue, and want to see him, and others are just tired of the graphic that has graced the top of this blog for 3 years now. I’m a little tired of it too…

Up first a little justice for the victim of a hit-and-run in PA. Family of cyclist hit by socialite gets $635,000 That should cover most of the bills that come with a wreck like that, speaking as a victim of a serious hit-and-run myself.

A MA man is injured by a passenger side mirror. UPDATED: Bicyclist seriously hurt in Concord This appears to be a buzz job by an impaired driver on a narrow road with little escape opportunity for the cyclist. From what some people have told me this might be a popular place for cyclists. I haven’t pulled the location up on Google Maps, and I haven’t installed Google Earth on this box yet. Hit from behind protocols to avoid, get the infrastructure right including keeping drugged and drunk drivers off the roads to prevent.

A cyclist is injured riding outside a college in MI. GVSU swimmer hurt in car-bicycle crash at edge of Allendale campus No mode given, and the wreck site appears to be a road through a sea of parking lots. Not an ideal place to ride a bike what with all those driveways from the parking lots creating intersections and places for conflict between road users. Remember to use intersection protocols when riding in areas like this.

About what I expected to happen. Acquittal For Postal Worker Accused Of Killing Bicyclist Marilyn Dershowitz You just about have to be drunk or stoned to get convicted for killing a cyclist, even in NYC. Also blind driver syndrome is a valid legal defense (apparently) in NY. More Jury Clears Driver Who Killed Cyclist As Post Compares Bikes to Guns and Pedestrians & Cyclists Die While NYPD Focuses On Broken Headlights

Another teen killed in a wreck in Upstate NY. Teen Neil Hoover hit and killed while riding bike to school in Galen As the mornings are getting darker drivers are paying less attention to people in front of them. This is so similar to the other wreck except for the different day and place.

The defendant in a hit-and-run is continuing to claim he hit a deer and that he wasn’t the one that hit the cyclist, in spite of no dead deer being found in the area. Defendant will offer alibi in cyclist’s death And I have a bridge I would like to sell you…

From the Great White North comes a report that a man riding a bicycle and wearing a helmet has died for apparently no reason. Hamilton cyclist’s death deemed misadventure No apparent impact injuries not consistent with just falling from the bike, no cars seen in the area just before he fell, plus he’s like old ( 😛 ).

A wreck on Oz. ’15 minutes later, I’d have been killed’: cyclist’s lucky escape This was the cyclist that was run off the bike path and fell into rush-hour traffic after being knocked over a rail that was too low.

A different wreck in Oz with a much worse outcome. Child killed in cycling tragedy Wrecks like this are why I keep harping on every driveway from a parking lot being an intersection, and applying intersection protocols when you cross them.

Infrastructure! news from CA as people are starting to wonder if maybe the condition and layout of the roads has something to do with all the cars running into people riding bicycles. Cyclist Hit by Car on Port Chicago – Sign of Concord’s ‘Driver Culture’? There’s something about the first comment that really bothers me. I know what it is, it’s the “Drivers are too stupid to not run into people on bicycles even when the cyclists are obeying the law so we should just not even try” attitude… More Parents or Police: Who is the Best Authority on Bicycle Safety? Don’t get me started about helmet laws… Bike Safety Improvements Discussed at Residents Meeting

A little infrastructure news from the UK. 75 per cent of driving instructors approve of cycle awareness test I would be ecstatic if the blind driver syndrome was eliminated as a defense in a wreck

And final links from a day’s ride west of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. White bike a haunting reminder for motorists to share the road and Memorial ride planned for Friday for Mineral Wells’ cyclist

And those are all the links that gave me fits today. Programming note, there may not be another update until Monday. Tomorrow is my B-Day, so I may just let the whole weekend go.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

New box o’ rox is stable, and the Feed

I did a test yesterday to see if this used “new” computer was going to be stable by leaving the browser open for 36 hours, something the old box could never do. I had multiple windows with multiple tabs in each window open, and had some very flash-heavy pages on them with nary a hiccup from the system. There’s still no “Pending” folder in the Crash Reports folder, and nothing in the minidumps folder that used to have the incomplete crash reports on the old system when the system failed to create a complete crash report. Well this computer has never crashed FF since I installed the new OS. So I’m declaring this computer to be a success, until it crashes. I haven’t installed the FEA program that stress-tests bike frames (and does a whole bunch of other things) before they are built, that one crashed the old box on startup about half the time and as soon as a file was opened to test the other half. I never even got to test my own designs, because I couldn’t even open the example files that came with the program. Since this box has about 4 times the computing HP as the old box, I think maybe this box can do it.

Up first I heard an Internet rumor that some cyclists had recorded a driver that spent 5 minutes tailgating and honking at them and using profane language but since that came out when I was using the old box that could not view video I didn’t pass it on because I couldn’t verify the veracity of the report. Now even with no sound on this box I can verify it. Driver charged with harassing bikers after YouTube video showed him honking for several minutes I still can’t hear the video, but I can see the driver never attempts to pass at any time in the video, and if the cyclists got any further over they would be riding in the grass. I think the driver should also be charged with brandishing a deadly weapon because that is what a motor vehicle that size really is, a deadly weapon capable of taking out a house, forget injuring or killing fragile humans not using an Suburban Ussault Vehicle (yes I know I spelled assault wrong, I was riffing on the SUV) as armor. It’s even dangerous to people riding in a compact car like a Cruze, Sonic, or a Smart car.

The driver that killed a cyclist and left a second to die in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 8 years running, has pled guilty and thrown himself on the mercy of the court. Driver Pleads Guilty in Fatal Rickenbacker Hit and Run Unfortunately the charges preclude handcuffing the driver to the steering wheel of his car as it gets recycled in a crusher or a shredder, he’s not even eligible for life without parole for the killing and maiming attack, because the choice of weapon is not included in those statutes.

A cyclist is injured when he’s rear-ended in IL. Bicyclist injured on Route 66 near Normal The cyclist was making a right turn, leaving the road on which he was hit, when a driver hit his back wheel and sent the cyclist sprawling off the road and shoulder. I’m still trying to process why the driver did not even get a ticket for failing to pass with 3 feet of clearance much less the assault with a deadly weapon charge he so richly deserves. Hit-from-behind, use the protocols to avoid but it doesn’t look like this was an avoidable wreck for the cyclist. Get the infrastructure right to prevent including filing charges when a driver hits a cyclist like this.

Another IL cyclist wrecks on train tracks. Bicyclist rides down CTA station ramp, winds up on tracks Yep, those wheelchair ramps can be dangerous if you ride a bike, especially if you don’t have/use brakes.

And in another alarming report, a cyclist was hit with a thrown brick in MT. Bicyclist hit by brick in Bozeman; More car windows smashed Notice that as much attention is placed on property damage as the assault on the cyclist. I have no idea how you avoid something like this. Even concealed carry would not prevent something like this, just give you a way to fight back.

Another report on the kid hit on his way to school in Western NY. 14 Year Old Boy Struck And Killed Even less information in this report than the WSJ yesterday.

A cyclist is dead after getting hit from behind in GA. Mother Remembers Son Killed In Bike Accident Another wreck with no consequences to the driver of th weapon vehicle. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, get the infrastructure right to prevent, including charging drivers that hit cyclists from behind with assault with a deadly weapon.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, a light load compared to most days.

Billed @$0.02, Opus