OK some explanation for the headline. One of the games I play in has a Sanity stat for both the character and the encounter. Levels of Sanity are 0-2 with 1 being “Normal” and levels less than .5 or greater than 1.5 being “Insane”. Interestingly enough when characters of 0.5 or below have an encounter of 1.5 or above, to the outside observer everything looks quite calm and collected. Yes it’s one of Those games, where half the combat takes place in the characters’ minds. And it’s a great deal of fun to play, although I imagine actually living in that reality would be a close approximation of Dante’s Inferno. As this applies to my home though since certain people went back to work the levels of hostility have plummeted because the main combatant is simply not there to antagonize people. Interestingly enough this is also one way to cause Sanity to return to 1 in the game play, by simply removing one of the combatants from play. Let’s see how this works out long term, because this experiment will end 2015/4/30 as we shut down the shared housing for Mrs. the Poet’s sanity (non-capitalized).
Up first a story we have been following for several months here at WoaB. Injured cyclist walks months after being hit by a truck I’m wishing this cyclist the very best and a speedy recovery.
A BOLO for my OR readers. Witness photographs hit-and-run driver fleeing The driver was a male caucasian 20-30 YO with a slim build (caution, excessive levels of snark may be present) driving a dark penis-extender with 4 wheels. There seemed to be some kind of decal adorning the back window that is common among penis-extender drivers. This driver is assumed armed with a WMD, approach with caution if required to verify identity.
For some drivers, being in control of a WMD isn’t enough to threaten cyclists. SUV nearly hits five cyclists, driver pulls out gun Cheesus, you are already using a WMD to threaten and harass cyclists, you have superior speed to escape with, and you still feel the need to pull a pistol out? [insert slightly homophobic/misogynist comparison here]
Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: A bike riding Bono goes boom in Central Park; your kid’s next bike could be made from carpet
Better late than never department has a report: Focus for FDOT is reducing bicyclist, pedestrian deaths Maybe they could start by blaming bad infrastructure that leaves no safe place to ride or walk and puts miles between crosswalks (marked or otherwise).
NC has a similar problem as FL (and as the other 38 states and DC) but people are still getting killed unnecessarily. Wilmington, NC Car Accident Attorney Richard Flexner Weighs in on Bicyclist Fatality Report Highlighting Dangers in North Carolina
For evidence-based investigations of bicycle wrecks there is nothing that beats video. Rideye: Like a plane ‘black box’ for your bike, providing evidence against dangerous drivers The technology to do this was not widely available when I was hit, but the record would have been worth the camera’s weight in gold, platinum, iridium, and silver. And a few other precious metals as well. I figure my losses are around $1 million since the wreck if you count just the direct medical costs and my lost income for the last 13 years.
Another band-aid on the sucking chest wound. Cambridge cyclist and engineers experiments with helmet lighting to support cycle visibility campaign The UK version of that would be “a sticking plaster on a sucking chest wound”. Still the same level of effectiveness.
A chance to own a piece of cycling history. Grivko to auction off Tour de France bike in aid of injured Ukrainian soldiers
The next two links are presented without comment, my version of a moment of silence.
Bicyclist memorialized with 4-mile ride in Beaver County
‘Ghost Bike’ shrine to cyclist Daniel Squire killed in A258 accident at Ringwould
For those not wishing to reinvent the wheel, a reminder of what is available. Design manual for bicycle traffic Yes, this is the official English translation of the CROW Manual.
And those were all the links I could find today that did not contribute to my angst level.
Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet
Witch on a Bicycle 