[Banging head against wall] and the Feed

There are days when writing this blog feels like banging my head against a wall in solitary confinement, it hurts and almost nobody notices it. I’m seriously looking forward to riding my new bakfiets down the street with my blog logo painted on the side thanks to the anonymous benefactor that sent the money to build it, which is physical proof that at least one person reading my blog thinks I’m doing a good job. But I read the Feed and keep seeing the SOS day after day with SSDD and nothing changing but the names of the victims and the places. And it causes me anguish.

And I’m not the only one, either. Thirteen fallen cyclists in the City of Angels, and no one even seems to notice — or care Sorry Ted.

A left cross in CA and the driver claims blindness as a defense. Bicyclist injured in Santa Cruz crash Once again a blind driver proceeds into a space he can’t confirm as clear at unabated speed and a cyclist pays the price for a driver’s stupidity.

Still in CA a cyclist runs into a car in S.F. Cyclist Injured In SoMa Wednesday Night I used the link posted in the article and there are two right turn lanes with through bicycle traffic in the left-hand right turn lane. This looks like the perfect place to do a swoop and squat (AKA Dr. Thompson maneuver) on a cyclist. Until I learn more about the wreck I’m placing equal blame on all 3 parties (driver, cyclist, and infrastructure).

Moving a bit east to PA. Bicyclist injured after being hit by car in Upper Allen SWSS wreck, so that would be a hit-from-behind protocol to avoid and infrastructure to prevent.

From the Great White North a world-class athlete in an unfortunately named sport is killed. Elite squash player killed riding bicycle and Cyclist killed in North York crash a top squash player also Elite Canadian squash player killed cycling to training facility As of this posting the narrative is the weapon vehicle ran the red light and broadsided the cyclist, for which I have no protocols. Infrastructure changes would have been of little import here as the driver ignored the built infrastructure that prohibited his being in the intersection so why would changing the traffic signals and putting some paint on the pavement make any difference to that?

Update on another wreck in the Great White North. Man charged in cyclist’s death to appear in court Thursday LEO in Canada take their jobs seriously… Unless a former member of the DA’s office is involved.

The scourge of hit-and-run almost kills a cyclist in Oz. Cyclist lucky to avoid serious injury after collision with hit-run driver I couldn’t decipher the mode of the wreck from the narrative, so … Infrastructure!

From the Department of DUUHH! Pt. 1. Distracted Drivers Killing More Pedestrians, Bicyclists

Department of DUUHH! Pt. 2. Biking continues to have bipartisan appeal, baffling D.C. media Outside of the Tea Party who see “takeover by the One World Government” cycling is seen as “progressive” by liberals, and “exercising choice” by libertarians, and “morally conservative” by real conservatives, or basically in line with the core values of every major party (and quite a few of the minor and “fringe” parties).

And those were all the bicycle links that gave me fits today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus