I think the plants are finally starting to get tired of sex, because I could almost see where I was going when I woke up this morning. I’m still congested and have a runny nose, but all my symptoms are abating even before I take a pill. I’m mostly functional after I take a pill, except for the drowsiness caused by the meds. I have a doctor’s appointment with the Lab Rat Keeper this month, I’m going to enquire if there are other OTC allergy meds I can take with this study med that don’t make me fall asleep at the drop of a hat.
Also, today starts Bike Month, which will include personal appearances of yours truly at local events. I think they’re more interested in my bringing Francis/es as a hauler of materiel than my (not so) sparkling repartee, but as of now I’m committed to being at the local Bike to Work Day, May 16 at the Downtown Garland Station, and another event later in the month that has not be confirmed. If this event goes off I’ll be there and give everyone a heads up ahead of time.
I’m going to break my usual order of things because there was a very serious and terrifying wreck in Oz this week that deserves maximum attention, the left hook of a cyclist by a HGV. Chaotic scenes after cyclist hit in Sydney and this one Hurt NSW cyclist recovering in hospital and this Cyclist fighting for life after becoming trapped under truck at St Peters in Sydney’s inner west As reports stand right now the cyclist was proceeding straight at the intersection in the designated area for bicycles (the Oz version of AFRAP except backwards) when the truck made a left over the cyclist. Where the cyclist was in relation to the rear axle of the truck as the truck signalled its turn, or even if the turn was signalled, is not known. Worst-case-scenario on this is the truck was waiting at the light without signalling when the cyclist pulled up or with less than one signal cycle visible as he passed, leaving the cyclist next to a truck he didn’t know was about to turn while completely hidden from the driver in the passenger side blind spot. Intersection protocols would have been useless as there was no way to react to the turning vehicle. Best case would have given the cyclist a few seconds to move away from the truck, which might have been enough to avoid collision or at least reduce the amount of his body under the truck.
Back to the US for this hit-and-run (with arrest) in CO. Hit-and-run injures bicyclist, driver caught and Cyclist hit on Bannock in Denver; Witness helps police find suspected hit-and-run driver Driver runs red light and hits cyclist on cross street. Cyclist screened from seeing vehicle (and vice versa) because driver made a sudden lane change to pop out from around a stopped car. Intersection protocols mooted because of lack of visibility, and infrastructure mooted because driver ran a red light. Vehicle sold to assist cyclist in covering medical expenses and to prevent the driver from having access to the weapon he used to cause death or injury.
Closer to home we get another TX driver leaving death and destruction in his/her wake. Cyclist injured in Broadway hit-and-run Hit from behind wreck so maybe the protocols would help reduce injury and getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent. Make drivers actually have to pay for their “problems”.
A suspicious FL wreck. Witnesses: bicyclist hit by Orlando Police patrol car Interesting that the PD has no comment on this one. Right hook so intersection protocols to avoid or reduce damages, get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent. But if the driver is part of the people who are supposed to be enforcing the laws against what he just did…
Update on a WA wreck. Prosecutors: Driver who killed cyclist may have been on phone Now they have the cell phone records of the driver to go with the body of the cyclist and the forensic evidence of the vehicle speed at impact, proving the driver is a sphincter.
Update on the wreck that led to the driver suing the estate of the cyclist she killed for the psychological harm she caused herself. Crash that led to driver’s lawsuit against dead cyclist to be reviewed My fervent hope is this lawsuit will end up with the driver in jail for failing to see what was plainly in front of her and desperately easy to avoid.
Another wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist Seriously Injured Nothing on the cyclist’s direction or location, but the hit-and-run aspect make it the driver’s fault. Unfortunately not enough information to tell you how to avoid with the built environment, but getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” will prevent another wreck like it.
Moving over to Jolly Olde, this video shows a driver drive right through a cyclist waiting at a red light. Shocking video sees 12-year-old cyclist hit by car The driver was convicted and given a gentle caress on the back of the hand for his transgression.
A driver in Malta regrets speaking to police after running over a cyclist. Coast Road cyclist tragedy: Accused loses plea to have police statement dropped Drunk driver with no license, insurance, or privilege to drive (previous conviction) kills without remorse until it looks like he might have to spend a few days in jail.
Another drunk driver kills another cyclist in Enn Zed. Charges laid over cyclist’s death Multiple previous convictions on drunk driving failed to convince him to not drink and drive, perhaps a long stint in jail will. From the looks of the remains of the bike there was not a great deal the cyclist could have done to avoid this wreck, as the debris was spread from one side of the road to the other, with the weapon vehicle on the wrong side of the road after the wreck. To be honest it looks like the guy deliberately hit the cyclist and lost control trying to stay on the road. I believe the operative phrase for this one ends with “… and the horse you rode in on.”
A wreck in a bike race as somebody got blown into somebody else and chaos ensued in the rest of the pack, like Talladega in Sprint Cup having “The Big One” at least once a race. Eighty bicycle racers involved in crash near Silver City during Tour of the Gila Yeah one wreck that put 25 people in the ER and 2 in hospital without even a single car involved merits a mention on this blog.
Our Daily Ted (there’s a pun in there, but don’t go looking too hard for it). Morning Links: CD1 City Council Member tries to trade North Figueroa bike lanes for sharrows
Infrastructure! news from just down the road a hard day’s ride from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Austin is Not a Pedestrian or Cyclist-Friendly City; That Needs to Change Change that from “Austin… City” to “The US… Country” and it would still be true. In spades.
Last link made me giggle, as there is more than one way to keep your feet dry in a flood. Hilarious Pensacola news clip Watch the left side of the screen.
And those were all the links that gave me fits or giggles today.
Billed @€0.02, Opus
Witch on a Bicycle 