Laundry and grocery day, and the Feed

I have been shuttling back and forth between the washer and dryer, and my office, while trying to get the laundry cleaned before my son gets here to do his laundry and take me grocery shopping. I’m going to go minimal today and only get what I need to buy before Mrs. the Poet returns on Saturday so she can decide what to get when she does the shopping. I tend to get cheap frozen pizza and canned veggies I can throw in a bowl and heat in the microwave, she gets produce and more from scratch ingredients than I do. That’s mostly because when I bought produce most of it went bad before I could eat it, so why waste the money?

Up first because why not destroy your hopes and dreams right off the bat with Our Daily Ted? Juries, Judges and Your Bike Crash I still think that they need to be able to just remove every driver from the jury pool when a cyclist is involved, since the “other side” removes any cyclists in the pool.

A little infrastructure lament from CA. Same Old, Same Old Repaving a street is the perfect time to change the striping and do a road diet or other reconfiguration for free because you have to stripe anyway, doing bikeable lanes doesn’t cost any more to do than putting it back the same.

In the same state (CA). Sebastopol police seek hit-and-run driver in crash who injured cyclist All they are saying now is it involved some kind of turning movement on the part of the weapon vehicle, plus a detailed description of the weapon vehicle. If you see a white Taurus with a plywood passenger side window driven by an older male with long hair, call LEO and set your spike strips. J/K about the spike strips, sorta.

Another CA wreck at another intersection. Teen on ‘Fixie’ bike seriously injured in crash Apparently the cyclist was riding salmon into the intersection and the driver was not looking for a salmon cyclist.

Another fun time in MS. Ghost Bike Memorial Honors Pascagoula Cyclist As I read the article they think this was a buzz job gone bad.

A killer driver faces the first verse of the music. Chanute man in court for traffic accident that killed Washburn professor Now if some of my KS readers could just tell me what the penalty is for”second-degree reckless murder” we will be all set.

I have heard some reaching for a reason to harass cyclists, but a wreck from 7 years ago pretty much takes the cake. More warnings, tickets for Asheville cyclists, pedestrians I’m being serious here: Among cycling accidents, in 2008, a father of three was killed on a bicycle” so in 2015 that gives them cause to do stings against cyclists.

Good people in IL. Community Rallies for Family of Steger Boy Killed While Riding Bike If you are local, this would be a good place to not look too hard for a bargain.

A little CT infrastructure news. McCarthy Vahey: Bicycle safety legislation now law Biggest change? Going from “practicable” to “safe” on the exemptions to AFRAP, making it AFRAS instead. Next biggest would be narrowing lanes to reduce motor vehicle speeds and allow for a bike lane to be installed.

IL infrastructure news. Going against the flow: Chicago cyclist grudgingly supports Edgwater bike lane Good infrastructure WORKS. Hell even mediocre infrastructure helps like this stuff. It’s a long way from being CROW compliant, that’s for sure. Would a contraflow bike lane be a “salmon run“?

We are bike people, we take care of each other. Bicyclists pull for injured friend Even when you get hurt off your bike, someone is looking out for you.

Cyclist dodges death in the Great White North. Cyclist injured trying to avoid collision Sounds like a hook or a cross wreck that almost happened, except for the cyclist’s reflexes.

Still in the GWN. Cyclist Seriously Injured In Crash How does a driver hit a cyclist from behind at that time of day? Unless the driver was not looking out the windshield…

This guy is insane, in a good way. Cyclist rides the iconic Tour de France on a RALEIGH CHOPPER (but the 1970s classic left him with an injured ankle) Seriously, I think the only mods he made to the bike was an extended seatpost with a “normal” bike saddle, and moving all the controls to the handlebars. The original was much like the Schwinn Krate series with a top bar mounted T-handle shifter, which could change one’s vocal range in a wreck.

Another car parts supplier expands into the e-assist market. Car Supplier Brose Starts E-bike Motor Production This uses the motor that turns the steering wheel when your car is equipped with electric assist instead of hydraulic. This motor is designed to function efficiently when stalled.

And I’m outta links finally.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

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Ghisallo! it was a hot day to be out walking, and the Feed

In case you are wondering, the Lady Ghisallo is my personal feminine deity, a pre-Roman mountain goddess whose worship survived mostly intact at least into the 8th Century in the mountains north of Rome, when a nobleman set upon by bandits retreated into one of Her temples and was granted sanctuary by the bandits, who respected Her temple. The noble was so impressed by the devotion shown by the bandits that he lobbied the Vatican to declare her a Madonna or a Pagan mother of Jesus. This was the same way that Bridget became St. Bridget in Ireland, couldn’t stomp her out so she was made a part of the church. She is a protector of travellers and the RC patroness of cyclists.

And the reason I was out wandering in this heat was I had to change my phone provider, so that I could upgrade my phone to something smarter. And in the process I got a better plan, unlimited texts and calls, with 1 GB of 4G LTE data and unlimited 3G data, none of which I touch while connected via WiFi like I am now while listening to a 10 hour Derpygroove video while composing this post. whoops I got an ad in the middle of the first go around of the song so now I’m listening to Plastic Beach from the Gorillaz. I’m still learning how to use the phone so there may be interruptions in the composing of the post.

Up first, just like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps going and going… Brian Koonz: Marine loses legs, finds strength in bike ride across America And going and going… Keep on trucking Marine dood. Is it just my imagination or has his chest gotten bigger since he left Sandy Eggo?

Normally these two-wheeled modes are not in conflict with each other. BICYCLIST, MOTORCYCLE RIDER CRITICALLY INJURED IN NORTHWEST SIDE CRASH and Bicyclist, motorcyclist injured in Old Irving Park crash this too Bicyclist Injured In Crash With Motorcycle In Old Irving Park [UPDATED] As I read the reports now, the guy on the motorcycle was speeding and hit the cyclist from behind, causing both to go down hard. No word on how the two conflicted because there is plenty of room for both modes to share that stretch of street unless the motorcyclist was excessive speeding.

Still in the Windy City a drunk driver who killed a cyclist while driving 50 MPH on a city street with a 0.127 BAC% will not face one of the many charges against him because expensive defense lawyer. Driver Who Killed Cyclist Bobby Cann In Alleged DUI Won’t Face Homicide Charges According to the comments this was one of the lesser charges and since IL doesn’t “stack” sentences it wouldn’t have made much difference in how long he stays in prison.

Another cyclist hit by a drunk driver in NYC. Cyclist In Critical Condition After Getting Hit By Allegedly Drunk Driver In Long Island City and Cyclist Seriously Hurt in Collision With Car Near Queens Plaza, FDNY Says The pictures pretty much tell the story, drunk driver (and passenger?) hit cyclist from behind because nobody was paying attention to what was in front of the vehicle…

More on that CO dump truck driver hitting and killing a cyclist while passing illegally. Dump truck driver charged for fatal cyclist crash The cyclist was killed because the driver literally could not wait for the 20 seconds it would take to clear the bridge and pass safely. Hang the driver. And possibly a few of the people leaving comments on the article. Gigi would love the “Stoopid and H8” there.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Busting on Beverly Hills and its San Diego soulmates, and a Chitown writer busts on bikes

Meanwhile in eastern WA. Cyclist found dead on State Route 2 near Leavenworth I like whoever is running this investigation. Dead cyclist beside the road, suspect a hit-and-run.

And in Seattle. Cyclist’s Helmet Cam Captures Moment SUV Hits Him Then Speeds Away That was a scary wreck.

Another link to the ride for a cyclist killed winning the “door prize”. Patricia Keenan, P.E.I. cyclist killed in B.C. crash, honoured at rally

I would like to see our state level politicians doing a city-to-city ride, just to see what it’s like to use the built environment. Duceppe, Peladeau kick off 100-km pre-election bike ride through Quebec

Bad infrastructure link of the day. NZTA abandons cycle safe trial after a day I think someone needs to read that CROW manual again. Bike lanes on either side and a single car lane is for 20 MPH speed zones or slower.

Better, but still crap. Is Vision Zero Skimping On Bike Lanes? There is too much real estate devoted to storage of private motor vehicles. One lane of parking should go for a decent bike lane protected by parking.

Dangerous crap. NYC’s Most Dangerous Area for Cyclists Is Fort Greene-Clinton Hill

More UK crap infrastructure, systemic this time. Calls for action to halt rise in cyclist casualties

I think I have run out of links (checks, nothing on the other window except a Twitter Feed) Yep, all gone.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Another day “interrupted” with D&D, and the Feed

I took part in another D&D session today, and as I was the only one that had to work today I filtered while I played and let everyone else just play. My 5th Ed. Warlock3 was not challenged by the encounters because everybody was suffering a case of mediocre dice. Nobody rolled any 1s when it counted, but that was about the best thing we could say about the game today. I have never seen so many 2s and 3s on attack rolls as we had today. And it just dawned on me that I was using the wrong column for computing my attack rolls because “Eldrich Blast” is a spell attack in 5th Ed and calculates as Performance Bonus + Charisma Bonus + 1d20, where in D&D3.5 it was Attack Bonus + Feats Bonuses + 1d20 and I was leaving the Charisma bonus off the attack. That meant I was rolling 1d20+2 when I should have been rolling 1d20+7. Considering the number of times I missed by 2 or less, I could have done a lot more damage than I did (none).

Up first, a cyclist disposing of used toilet paper may have caused a massive wildfire. Pooping Cyclist Blamed for 73-Acre Idaho Wildfire Maybe digging a cathole latrine and burying the paper would have been a better idea? Do they even teach digging a cathole latrine any more?

We cyclists know roads were not built for cars, and neither were cities. European Mobility Week: The capital cities that are banning cars from their roads – for one day So for one day cyclists in a few European cities will get a few streets that are blissfully free of death machines.

LEO are “aware” of a video showing an assault on an Irish cyclist. Gardai ‘aware’ of video showing thug knocking cyclist off bike As was pointed out in the comments, that shirt is very distinctive and shouldn’t be too hard to locate. Now if “aware” translates to “give a shit” we might see some charges, maybe even some prosecutions.

Over in Jolly Olde a particularly egregious hooking wreck sees a trial date set. Trial date set for lorry driver from Willesden accused of killing cyclist at Ludgate Circus I’m sure the defense is going to use “activating an automatic speaker system which said ‘this vehicle is turning left’” as an excuse for running the cyclist over as the truck passed. This is especially egregious because the signal did not activate until the weapon vehicle was already making the turn across the cyclist’s lane, leaving less than zero reaction time to the signal.

This Brazilian cyclist hulks out over a car parked in the bike lane, and then does something about the car. Hero cyclist picks up and moves car blocking bike lane I think that might be the rear bumper cover in the foreground of the video that the cyclist removed from the car to get a better grip on the subject.

Our Daily Ted. Update: 36 year old bike rider killed in Newport Coast From the later comments this appears to have been a solo wreck on a trail near the highway. No word on exactly how or where the wreck happened.

Guess who has a bike culture now? Detroit Bike Culture Is Unstoppable It’s a lot easier to keep up two 5 foot bike lanes than a 70 foot wide street, especially when there is almost no traffic on the street anyway.

One of the biggest problem facing cyclists is getting the light to change so that running the red becomes optional rather than mandatory. City and state working to help bicycle users get the green Maybe if they put beg buttons on the side of the street for drivers to use as well as cyclists… Make the infrastructure as convenient for drivers as it is for cyclists. Or even better put a detector in a protected bike lane and make cars wait until a cyclist shows up to trigger the light. Or is that schadenfreude on my part?

Language is important. We don’t say “plane accident.” We shouldn’t say “car accident” either. Changing the language of crossing the street caused what was once normal behavior to be criminal. See “jaywalking”. So, don’t call them “accidents”, call them “wrecks”. Or “death machine tangos” 😀 “Death machine tango leaves two injured, one seriously” has a lot more impact than “Traffic accident leaves…” And how about “Death machine tango with cyclist causes life-threatening injuries”? “Death machine tango in crosswalk leaves two pedestrians dead, another seriously injured”. You don’t even need to be specific about what kind of vehicle any more, because they are all “death machines” to one degree or another.

More Portland infrastructure. City advisory committees oppose TriMet’s plans for swing gates on Orange Line Remember that article two paragraphs ago about making the signal change for cyclists like it does for motor vehicles? Same theory on this one. They want cyclists and handicapped people to work their way through spring-loaded gates trying to not get caught on any protuberances on either the vehicle or the gate that slams shut behind them and hoping a train doesn’t pass while they are trying to get unhooked from the gate on the train side of the gate.

NC residents say “Nuts” to 45 day limits on Ghost Bikes. Residents spurn policy for removing ‘ghost bikes’ As it is now, one determined bike hater could get any ghost bike removed 45 days after it goes up.

Things are very different when a local celebrity is the one injured in a bike wreck. KXLY radio host Ken Hopkins recovering from bike accident I like they are spending $$ to remodel the studio to make it ADA compliant, but why wasn’t it compliant already?

Dude, you got way too much anger about this. Thief Hacks Down 25-Foot Tree to Steal Bike, Locals Say That’s $thousands of tree destroyed to get a bike that will fence for $20.

Last link, BMW designed an e-assist that could be installed on full suspension bikes and retain the clean benefits of a Gates belt drive, but wasn’t in the e-assist business. BMW i Develops Drive Unit Swing Arm For Heisenberg XF1 E-Bike So, shared technology. Yay!

And that’s all I got and I had to do some crawling around to find that much.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet.

I’m inundated by links and I haven’t even half finished filtering the Feed

I had to stop and compose the opening paragraph before the Chromebook locks up completely. Way too many flash ads in the tabs and everything is closed except links that I hope to use in today’s post. I really need to see if this computer can be upgraded with more memory, because I rapidly run out of resources with all the flash running in the background. That’s what irks me the most, that this is blinking whirling image-swapping resource-hogging going on in tabs that aren’t even visible. When G-Mail has to reload, you know things have gotten bad.

Up first because I need to dump something and Ted is good to lead off with. Morning Links: Graphic testimony in the case of a fallen PCH cyclist; riding the Reseda protected bike lanes

And just as I was closing down the Feed this came in. Anaheim Hills bike rider died from solo fall last year; his family makes moving video calling for helmet use Hey, if a helmet would have made a difference in the wreck, promote away!

And just over the border from WoaB in Sooner land. Cyclist hit by pickup, injured The cause of the wreck was listed as “driver’s ability and age“.

This was caused by bad infrastructure. Bicyclist killed Friday in causeway crash and Bicyclist struck and killed on bridge on St. Simons Island causeway The cyclist was hit because someone parked a car in the bike lane, completely blocking it in both directions. This would not have happened had the bike lane in question been built properly with a solid barrier preventing motor vehicle incursions.

This cyclist was apparently not looking when he entered the intersection. Bicyclist killed in Tacoma intersection and Cyclist killed Friday in Tacoma identified The cyclist apparently went into the intersection completely oblivious to what was going on around him.

I used to race my 10-speed down this road, and had no problem keeping up with the cars. Cyclist injured in hit-and-run hopes to find driver of car responsible for crash But back then I was 16YO and fearless, our bike tires had much more grip compared to the car tires of the era and if I used the rim brakes too much I ran the risk of blowing the tires off the rims before I got to the bottom of the canyon. These days standard passenger car tires for “transportation appliances” have more grip than full-blown race tires had back then, and bike tires are about the same as they were 40 years ago as far as levels of grip are concerned. But that still makes the driver that sideswiped this cyclist a douche canoe for leaving the scene.

More on a FL ride for a cyclist killed riding on the road. Cyclists honor swim instructor who died and Ride to honor cyclists killed in collisions with cars

A memorial ride in MS. Bike ride and memorial honors cyclist, educates motorists

Stumbled on this report by accident. Kitchener women say they were stopped by police for cycling topless At least they weren’t stopped for Cycling While Brown, as that can get a person killed.

Followup to the memorial ride for the Canadian cyclist killed “winning” the door prize. Memorial ride held for cyclist killed in downtown Kelowna That was a large ride.

UK infrastructure news. Cyclist knocked off his bike at ‘dangerous’ Chichester junction calls for change I looked at the “street” where the car came from and I think that would be a good place to put some bike infrastructure and ban cars.

This came up a few hours after I finished Friday’s post. Cyclists banned from stretch of A19 – but is there a viable alternative route? The cyclist was hit in a designated bike lane, so they are going to ban cyclists from the bike lanes? How does that work?

And I’m finally out of links to crazy, which means I’m totally out of links I generally get one or two “not crazy” links a day on a good day.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I had a nice dream last night on Wreck-Free Sunday

The details are a little hazy, but the gist remains. I got hit (again) and died (again) but this time when I rebooted from being dead it was hours if not days after the wreck. And I came back invulnerable, shoot me and the bullets bounced off (but still hurt like a *)^&#$%*$(#$ ), hit with a truck and I would bounce down the street cursing like a sailor every time I hit the ground, but then get up and punch out the truck, with Terminator levels of self repair. So I decided to take over the country, marched into the White House and told Obama that I was taking over and the country would be a constitutional monarchy, with me as Emperor. I abolished separate laws between the Federal and local levels, no more states except for certain historical functions. I declared the TBTF banks and oil companies to be “Terrorist organizations” and nationalized their holdings, and abolished all political parties. The government was completely reorganized so that all judges and LEO were federal, with judges subject to appointment and approval by feds with limited 10-year terms, LEO subject to charges any time they discharged a weapon away from a training range.

What I did to the legislative branch was something I consider brilliant. Since the states no longer had separate governments and laws, the state houses were the new House of Representatives, where the full-time state reps would propose and debate laws that would be submitted to the Senate in DC, with States getting 2 Senators and territories, possessions, and commonwealths getting one each, who would then vote the laws submitted from the states up or down but without changing them, so if states tried to cram too much into a bill it would most likely get shot down, as it would take a 2/3 majority to pass a bill. But neither body would be allowed to pass a budget.

Budgeting would take place in the old House of Reps, with the new reps elected to a single 2 year term and not allowed to run again with half the states electing their reps on even years and half on odd years, also the Senate was limited to a single 10-year term and also not allowed to run again. Just remembered that bit. The big thing was not to allow a political class to take hold again like we have now.

Of course I, as monarch, had full veto over anything the legislators or budgeting assembly tried to pass. If I didn’t understand it, I would submit the proposed law to the Representatives of the 12s, a group of 50 12 YO kids, one from each state. If they couldn’t figure it out either, then the bill would get vetoed. You would get appointed by your state at 11, serve at 12, and be replaced when you turned 13.

Part of the new constitution was things making common things that currently get laws passed against them totally legal, like not having a fixed address. Cities would be required to set up campgrounds with public bath houses and toilets so that homeless people could have a place to stay without getting hassled, and since they would need to get fed I would require the people making MREs for the military to create 3-meal packs of balanced nutrition to issue to the homeless once a day. Anyone could request a day pack of food at the homeless camp, no questions asked. The only requirement would be to register when you enter the camp so that we could find you in an emergency and so that your relatives would know you were safe.

Marriage would no longer exist except as a religious ritual. When people decided to become “attached” they would form a corporation. Corporations would all be taxed on net take, like they are now, except that for “domestic corporations” things like food and shelter would be subject to a “Standard exemption” based on the numbers of partners in the corporation. Children could be counted as “partners” or “products” depending on how your particular corporation was set up. Also you could have as many members of your domestic corporation as you wanted in any distribution of genders you want, subject to the bylaws of the corporation. How you wanted to organize your “domestic corporation” would be completely up to you and your partners, not the government. All the government would have a say over was minimum care requirements for progeny, much the same as we have today. Vaccinations and education, etc. would be the business of the government but assigned to the “domestic corporation” that created or adopted the kid.

Another thing I changed was road laws. Bicycles ALWAYS had a right to a full lane, and hitting a cyclist from behind, or a pedestrian at any time, would be a felony punishable by loss of your vehicle and jail time. No more highways could be built until there was a network of segregated bike paths of equal utility to the existing road and highway network in place, but maintenance would be placed at a high priority right after building the bike network. This would be in the constitution, not the laws. Projects that were in progress when I took over would be allowed to be completed, but nothing that wasn’t already in the “tearing up the old street/road/highway/Interstate” stage or further would be allowed, except repair projects that neglect had made imperative. Even after that the budget for building new roads would only be considered after funding for building bike infrastructure and maintaining existing roads and bike infra was covered. Nothing new until all the old stuff had been taken care of except for the bike infrastructure, because we have basically zero bike infrastructure now. Even after the bike network was built out, bike network projects would always have priority over other roads, but only just one priority. If there were two projects that were equally needed, the bike project would get built first.

Another thing I changed was DUI laws. You get ONE DUI, with a maximum BAC% of 0.05. With your first DUI you would lose your license for one year, and your vehicle would get recycled. When you registered your replacement vehicle after completely taking driver’s ed all over again you would get a distinctive license plate that would allow LEO to pull you over and check your BAC% at any time. If you get a second DUI that would be it for driving a motor vehicle, one year of prison and never allowed to own or operate a motor vehicle for life. And since DL would be issued at the Federal level, no moving to another state to get a “clear” license. When you get that second DUI you are permanently barred from driving. Also driving after license suspension would be the same as illegal possession of a weapon, instant prison time…

I set up my palace at an old race track east of Nashville TN that you may have heard of. After all I’m not against motor vehicles, or even having fun with motor vehicles, just against irresponsible use of motor vehicles. Driving fast at a race track, with access strictly controlled to prevent wrecks with pedestrians and cyclists, is what I consider one of the ways to responsibly enjoy motor vehicles. In my dream I added a flat ¼ mile oval using the pit lane as one straight and adding the turns and back straight to the infield between the pit lane and the trioval, so that I could have races sanctioned by the ISMA once a month. The other 3 weeks would be split between NASCAR, SCCA/IMSA (notice the switch between the S and M with the other organization) and IndyCar/USAC so that the big oval and the road course would also get used regularly. About here it starts to get fuzzy and shortly after watching the first ISMA qualifying race on the ¼ oval I woke up.

I really did not want to wake up from that dream.

PSA, Opus the practical Poet

Gonna go dance to drums tonight, and the Feed

Tonight is the monthly drum circle at my church, so I’m going to stop and take a break in the middle of composing this post to get my Pagan on and shake it to the beats. I meditate to polyrhythmic drumming, so this is a calming experience for me. Just FYI, my favorite meditation CD is the first Blue Man Group CD, Audio. I pick out the different rhythms from the music as focal points for my meditation. It sure beats how I learned to meditate, focussing on my arthritis pains as a kid. Now I barely feel pain…

Up first, have you ever looked at pictures or videos from places like anywhere in the Netherlands or Copenhagen and just drooled? Lane Envy

Rough day at work for Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Good news on Mt. Hollywood Dr; Calabasas driver busted for DUI after injuring two cyclists

The Stoopid is strong with this one. Officials ID Cyclist Killed in Carlsbad Crash “No fault has been determined” means “we still haven’t figured out a way to blame a cyclist for using the infrastructure the way it was designed for him to use it, without also blaming the poor defenseless driver”.

Someone must have hit WY LEO with a clue-by-four. Authorities charge Casper man for hit-and-run that injured bicyclist This is the third wreck in a row where criminal charges have been filed against the driver in an injury wreck with a cyclist. This was the idiot that claimed he wasn’t driving when it happened when two passengers said he did, and made the claims on Facebook… Speaking of Stoopid, this one is death-penalty Stoopid except for the grace of his victim surviving the wreck.

OH LEO aren’t quite up to RCMP standards, but the got their man this time. Troopers identify suspect in hit-and-run of VeloSano cyclist As someone suspected, he was driving illegally when the crime happened. “He’s charged with false statements, tampering with evidence, driving under suspension, fictitious registration and leaving the scene of the accident.” Basically there was not one thing legal in his being there to hit the cyclist.

When a driver swerves off the road in front of you do you go to their aid? Albemarle Co. Cyclists Happen Upon and Help Driver After Accident Well these cyclists did, but I check the license plate against my list of drivers that buzzed me before I do anything… 😛

And after that Monday report we got all the way through to Thursday before another report of a wreck at RAGBRAI. RAGBRAI riders injured in separate Linn County crashes One was a cyclist hitting the back of a truck that stopped unexpectedly, the other a hit-and-run.

This wreck was about a half day’s ride to the east of WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell. Teenager killed on bicycle identified Another hit-and-run on a barrier to human-powered transportation.

Cyclists in NOLA protest bad infrastructure and worse drivers. Bicyclists memorialize killed bikers No word on how many of the deaths were due to bad infrastructure and how many were due to bad driving, my guess is about 50/50.

This was a hard article to read. Two bikers harassed by driver on Butler Street, biking advocates seek improvements Yelled at and pushed to the ground, or “assault and battery” in the “throw the book at him” language.

Update on a VA wreck. Stratford Hall’s executive director dies from injuries suffered in accident I can’t believe it has taken so long to charge the truck driver. VA has a 3 foot law. I think this is definitely a chargeable wreck, if you hit a cyclist you obviously did not have the required clearance.

If you think hit-and-run is bad for cyclists in the US… Revealed: 1,000 cyclists injured and two killed in London hit-and-runs in last year alone and More than 1,000 cyclists in London injured in hit-and-run collisions in 2014 this, too Number of cyclists injured in London hit-and-runs up 13% More than 20% of all London cyclist collisions were hit and run, higher than any US location except CA.

Talk about victim blaming. Cyclists banned from stretch of A19 after several serious accidents in last few years Do they make women stay indoors so as to not get raped in the streets? Geez that is offensive to the victims and their survivors, especially when all the victims were hit from behind while riding legally. Basically they are punishing an entire class of road users because other classes can’t stop hitting them.

Drivers in OR are getting quite the shock. Injured cyclist sues driver who waved truck through Since drivers who “direct traffic” from inside the vehicle are going to be blamed for resulting wrecks, I see a good chance that not many will continue to do it.

I can think of a couple of dozen things that drivers do that are wrong and could get cyclists killed…The dangerous mistakes bicyclists (and drivers) make on the road The main thing is that when drivers make mistakes cyclists and pedestrians die. When cyclists make mistakes cyclists and (rarely) pedestrians die.

Sometimes it really does feel like a war zone out there. ‘Real Sports’ Examines the War Between Cyclists and Drivers Between the potholes and the crumbling road surface, and the small but not zero number of drivers that want to kill cyclists, it is a wonder that anybody rides in the streets and roads.

Speaking of riding in a war zone. Bike Rider Describes Perimeter Built By Marines During Shooting

One Of Us. Patricia Keenan, killed cyclist, honoured in Critical Mass ride

Infrastructure from S.F.CA. S.F. Spends $5 Million to Make Pedestrian-Friendly Freeway Fix It is a small thing, but it is a thing that makes both human-powered modes (cycling and walking) safer.

I keep saying this and posting this, and writing letters to the editor about this, and finally someone who has the credentials to back it up agrees with me, sorta. #CityCycling: ‘There are accidents where helmets are a great thing. There are others where a helmet doesn’t work’ – hospital consultant A bicycle helmet is built to a 20 km/hr impact standard when human skulls can normally endure a 15 km/hr impact without breaking. That does not require a great deal of impact protection, and the soft shells on most modern (cheaply made) helmets don’t slide like the separate shells of the helmets used in the ’80s and ’90s that a lot of studies used in determining relative safety. I want everyone to know that when I get my neck mobility back I will be wearing a full face BMX helmet with a heavy polycarbonate plastic shell that can slide over pavement on every ride I don’t need my ears free to troubleshoot a problem.

And I’m outta links, patience, and my back hurts. See you Sunday.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Grocery Day again, and the Feed (now with more raisins)

Yeah, I have no idea what that means except I’m still loopy from posting after 0300 this morning. But today is the day I restock my comestibles. Which reminds me I need to check on my special card deals before I leave for grocery shopping. I had some very strange dreams after finishing the blog post last night… Let’s just say that if this was a prophetic dream like I sometimes have I have some relatives I didn’t know about. Which can be a good thing.

Up first is part 1 of Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Killer OC hit-and-run driver jailed, Westwood Blvd bike lanes threatened, and Beverly Hills lanes fail

And Part 2 of Our Daily Ted. San Diego-area bike rider killed when minivan driver drifts into bike lane [facepalm] Another one hit from behind in the bike lane.[/facepalm]

More Ghost Bikes in AZ. ‘Ghost Bikes’ placed on State Route 95 after deadly accident There was one comment that really needed the writer slapped because of that comment, the one about cyclists having to swerve around the Ghost Bike and into traffic when the bike was chained to a guardrail at least a foot off the shoulder of the road.

“Nice guys” can get you killed on the roads. Injured cyclist sues well-intentioned driver who waved, allowing truck’s driver to turn and hit her The “nice guy” in this case directed oncoming turning traffic directly into the cyclist going straight through the intersection with the right of way. Other “nice guys” direct cyclists to cross when they don’t have the right of way getting the cyclist hit by a car going through the intersection with the right of way. Fortunately the driver who directs traffic that causes a wreck is partially at fault in any wreck from that directed movement in the state of OR.

While we are in OR, here’s something from BikePortland. Talk of a disastrous earthquake got you down? Just keep on biking As was pointed out elsewhere, when the earthquake hit Fukushima for weeks and some places months after the quake the only ground vehicles moving were bicycles because those were the only things that did not depend on a perfect road or railbed, and also not dependent on fossil fuels which had to be shipped in from outside the country.

A witness to cop car/bike wreck says there were 2 cop cars. Motorist describes accident involving bicyclist, police cruiser All I know for sure on this one is the cyclist died.

Another reason to not ride on the shoulder of the road. Bicyclist killed in collision with garbage truck in Exeter identified I suspect the reason the cyclist “fell over” had to do with the construction project leaving dirt and trash in the shoulder. The subsequent secondary collision with the garbage hauler was just topping on the cake.

Moral of this link is even when you get right hooked by a truck violating your right of way, if you are over the limit on BAC%, it is your fault. Vacationing Woman Was Intoxicated When Killed In Bike-Truck Collision: Police

Earning to day’s “crap infrastructure” tag is this bike lane. Mayor says it’s time to scrap Central Parkway bike lane The biggest problem is they tried to do it on the cheap and also not reduce parking, which resulted in what would be double-parking in the traffic lane and people hitting parked cars. Simple solution for this is remove the parking from the areas where people are running into the parked cars. And cite all the drivers who hit the parked cars with violating the basic speed law that requires drivers to be able to stop in the distance they can see clearly.

A driver in West Canuckistan finally pleads guilty to killing a man back in 2012. Woman pleads guilty in impaired driving death of Maple Ridge cyclist Wow only 3 years after killing the guy, what’s the rush? 😛

Since when has a traffic death ever made any sense? Family calls cyclist’s death ‘senseless’ Seriously, stuff like this with children instead of adults is why the Dutch got their bike infrastructure. See “stop the Kindermoord” on Google.

This is just a nightmare. Cyclist died in hospital five years after lorry overtaking him knocked him off his bike He never left a hospital except to be transferred to another hospital for treatment for five freaKING YEARS!!!

Last link is from Oz again. Accused hopes hurt cyclist recovers Yeah, because if he doesn’t recover that will cause the charges to be upgraded severely and make the punishment that much worse considering she was drunk and left the scene of the wreck.

And now I’m “all done” until tomorrow.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Getting a horrendously late start, and the Feed

I did not even begin filtering today until 2300 because I have been busy all day. First I had to mow the lawn again, in 90+°F heat, which required frequent breaks to cool off and rehydrate, then a shower and laundry because I was down to one pair of underwear and the “emergency” pair of house shorts, the one with the small split up the back from when they were baggy bike shorts I wore for the pockets. Then it was time for the second-biggest NASCAR race of the year, the Mud Summer Classic at the Eldora dirt track in Rossberg OH. This is a big deal because this is the only dirt race on any of the NASCAR national touring series. NASCAR started this race in 2013 after their last dirt race in 1972 (won by Richard Petty, of course) and people come from all over the world to see the Camping World Truck Series race in the dirt. And the reason this is the second-biggest race of the season is not because of speed, or violent wrecks. This is the second-biggest race of the year because it has the best racing, and because people you never heard of could win the race by out-racing the competition. The tires they use for this race don’t have much grip, being built more for durability than traction, and nobody can use all the power from the engines because the back tires will lose traction and cause the truck to spin out so the teams that spend the big bucks for more horsepower have no advantage here. Everyone has the same suspension components, shocks, and springs, and the crew chief that makes the best adjustments to those combined with the best driver will win the race. Tonight it was a former USAC Midget champ making his fourth start in the CWTS, but he almost got beat by an 18 YO dirt modified driver making his first CWTS start. I’m sure if the rear deck lid hadn’t gotten knocked loose so that it covered his rear spoiler the 18 YO would have won.

Up first some infrastructure news from the next town over from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. League of American Bicyclists Presents Richardson With Our Bronze BFC Certification

If this doesn’t make you angry, you should check for a pulse. Cop’s Drunk-Driving Wife Won’t be Charged for Killing Cyclist I covered this earlier but I didn’t realize that the driver is going to get away from killing a cyclist while DUI with no charges whatsoever. You know how I say that a cyclist should never hit a pedestrian? There is an exception to every rule.

Cyclists and advocates in AZ are outraged. Friends of killed cyclist react to driver’s 9 year sentence That is actually pretty harsh for any driver killing anybody with a motor vehicle.

I wonder what those cyclists and advocates from the previous paragraph would think about this sentence? Man Sentenced in Hit-and-Run Crash That Killed Mother of Eight Three years, and nothing for obstruction of justice for repairing the truck to destroy the evidence. Why nothing for destroying the evidence?

Another SWSS wreck in NY, not far from whee my wife is visiting her relatives. Police: Cyclist hit, killed after swerving into oncoming traffic in Lake Ronkonkoma Standard response to reports of “swerving” cyclists getting hit, who saw it other than the driver of the weapon vehicle.

UK infrastructure news from a US source, StreetsblogUSA. After Another Cyclist Dies, David Cameron Considers Truck Ban in UK Cities This story is mainly notable for introducing me to a new troll, Keith Peat. Now I’m following his dog on Twitter.

Another door prize “winner”, but why show a track bike on a velodrome for an article about a road wreck? Cyclist allegedly injured by opening car door sues driver A similar effect would be dicussing a pedestrian injured by a truck running over the curb at a corner while showing a picture of an F1 racer.

Speaking of door prizes, lots of links to this one on Wext Canuckistan. Patricia Keenan, Kelowna Cyclist, Dies After Crashing Into Car Door and Patricia Keenan, Kelowna cyclist, mourned after fatal crash into car door also Event Will Honour Kelowna Cyclist Killed When “Doored” finally Bike riders to mourn cyclist Some of those links have very toxic comments sections with many people blaming the cyclist for getting hit…

And also speaking of mourning a dead cyclist. Funeral held for Army veteran, 26, killed when truck hit his bicycle in Mount Pleasant “The bicyclist was wearing dark clothing, and inclement weather appears to have been a factor, police said.” Edited to remove “truthiness”.

Back to the Great White North for an exercise in the absurd. Montreal police remind cyclists to follow the safety code Apparently the “safety code” has a heavy emphasis on helmets and HiViz.

A cyclist in the UK couldn’t get even a ticket issued when he was run over. Cyclist left permanently injured after crash hits out at Met for failing to prosecute driver who ‘admitted liability’ How do we force LEO to live up to the first two letters of the designation?

Is the government in Oz schizophrenic? Riding into a storm: Sydney cyclists face politics on two fronts

Last link. How Bicycles Gave us Freedom

And I’m tired so I’m sending this one out unproofed.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Pooped Poet

I’m including a funny link today that had nothing to do with bicycles, and the Feed

OK I was sent this link from the source, and I thought it was freaking hilarious, especially the funny looks the marchers gave the guy playing the Sousaphone… and the other comments from people walking with them… See? I DO have a life outside of bikes and D&D. Kinda sorta. I mean it’s a “life” like ramen is “food” right?

Up first is Our Daily Ted because Why Not? Morning Links: Suit filed in death of Granada Hills teenager; Biking Black Hole considers SaMo Blvd bike lanes

I’m “sceptible” of this article about the PROK. Un-icyclists rejoice: North Korea installs bike paths throughout Pyongyang as pedal power grows in popularity among citizens Let’s just say that some (most?) of the pictures look like Photoshop or the people in them do not look even remotely Asian, so probably fake.

Remember that guy that basically scraped a cyclist across a brick wall and spun the tires off the rims of the weapon vehicle? Well the media outlet that blamed his drug cocktail on pot has another article about the story. $250,000 bond for driver in fatal bike crash Reefer Madness was disproven years decades ago dudes, you lost, let it go.

Another driver three sheets in the wind when they hit a cyclist makes a stupid claim about the cyclist. Driver pleads not guilty to DUI in crash that killed cyclist And LEO insist that a 0.12BAC% and prescription drugs had nothing to do with the driver hitting the cyclist from behind, that it was the cyclist’s fault for “pulling in front” of the drunken spouse of a LEO.

Update on that cyclist injured by a hit-and-run driver on a charity ride in OH. Family of VeloSano cyclist injured in hit-and-run issues statement and Bicyclist injured in hit-skip during VeloSano ‘Bike To Cure’ event recovering I’m still trying to figure out how the cyclist failed to yield when there were no witnesses and the driver left the scene, it could just as easy been a driver turning onto the road where the cyclist was hit from either direction of the road he was riding on, left cross or right hook.

OH just was not the place to be on a bicycle this past weekend. Cyclist Injured In Hit And Run Not much on the second wreck but plenty on the hit-and-run that sounds like a buzz job gone very south.

This sounds like someone got beaten up and robbed. Police trying to identify woman found in Milwaukee park No cars in the area and the woman was missing her wallet and phone when she was found with facial wounds and bruises.

CO has a dangerous infrastructure and attitude problem that has gotten several cyclists killed. Kechter I-25 overpass dangerous stretch for cyclists You can see the infrastructure in the pictures with the article, and read about the attitude problem in both the article and the comments to the article.

They caught the GA driver doing doughnuts in the middle of the street and jumping the curb to hit a sidewalk cyclist in Hotlanta. Alleged Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Atlanta Cyclist and Suspect charged in fatal hit-and-run crash with Atlanta cyclist The driver appears to be caucasian and was injured in the wreck. There is a possibility the driver may have been under the influence of some intoxicating substance at the time but there are no reports verifying the truth of that statement from early on in the story.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike, these kids survived. Girl, 7, boy, 11, injured when pickup strikes bike in Zephyrhills Other than blaming the kids for not stopping at a stop sign there isn’t much to report in this wreck.

A little NY state legal infrastructure under construction. These Four Bills Do Deserve a Vote in the Assembly I don’t see what the holdup is on some of these bills, especially the one on making NY e-assist laws comply with federal regulations defining an e-assist bike. That was passed early in the BushII administration, shortly after 9/11 and we are approaching 14 years since that. And I still don’t see what the problem is for raising the sentencing for killing while driving without a license, that just seems like a no-brainer.

Some good news from the Great White North. Critically Injured Days Apart, London Cyclist, Skateboarder Both Out of Hospital I’m glad they are both on the mend and doing as best as can be expected.

I know I’m getting tired of refuting these lame memes, how about the rest of you? 5 Anti-Bike Arguments That Should Be Retired

Last link, two new battery chemistries for EV and e-assist bikes. Challenging Lithium-Ion Batteries With New Chemistry The Lithium/Sulfur is more energy-dense, but the sodium ion has the advantage of being able to run all the way to flat without damaging the cells and being cheaper. Which one will win? Who knows, certainly not me.

And today wasn’t too bad, I only felt like gouging my eyes out over one link.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet @opusthepoet

Having allergy problems again, and the Feed

I’m having allergy problems again (deja vu!) with my legs this time. I have an itchy rash around my ankles and slight swelling of the right leg with the left one looking like I’m smuggling oranges in my calf. When I take a diphenhydramine the swelling and the rash mostly go away, but I get a little sleepy and slightly loopy until the pill wears off, which happens in about 3 hours. The the rash and swelling come back. Yay! consistency.

Up first is yet another link to that heinous murder of a cyclist just a few miles away from WoaB World HQ. Cyclist dies after being stuck in windshield as driver fled The author of this piece remembered the killer nurse who left a man stuck in her windshield also, there is a link to that wreck in the article. Not the same as my link, though.

This story is a little further away and somewhat of a palate cleanser after that last link. Waco cyclist, cancer survivor overcomes obstacles to set world record The bad thing about melanoma is it can kill you quickly, the good thing is it can be easily treated without impairing your ability to function as a human being after treatment. As demonstrated in this story.

And I immediately take you back down again with this link from the same area, ain’t I a stinker? Bicycle rider robbed at gunpoint This is kinda inevitable, really. I mean they attack people inside cars and rob them or steal the cars, which are like mini armored vehicles now. All cyclists have are wits and situational awareness, and sometimes that just isn’t enough. With the M.O. used in this robbery there is no amount of situational awareness that could protect you. Once crooks started identifying cyclists as having enough money and “stuff” on them to be worth robbing, they started robbing us.

An internal debate made public at StreetsblogLA. Man is Shot and Killed by the Officers He Called to Help Search for Stolen Bike. Is it a Livable Streets Issue? When does police racism and brutality become a livable streets issue? IMHO when people are in fear of LEO, then streets are no longer livable. When people are in fear of anything when they are out on the street, that area is no longer “livable”.

Since we need some good news to balance the previous link and paragraph, people raised a ton of money for the survivors of the victims of a hit-and-run in CA. Nearly $80K Raised For Family Of Afghan Immigrant Killed While Riding Bike If you give people half a chance they can and usually do good.

And this looks like a good place to put Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Scofflaw drivers and bike riders break laws at the same rate; too much news from Tour de France

A cyclist hit in MT has been transferred to Seattle to treat her injuries. Cyclist injured in downtown Missoula stable in Seattle hospital And for those whose geography is a little weak Seattle ia almost 500 miles from Missoula, and you’re basically crossing 2 and ¹/₃ states to get there. That’s roughly equivalent of transferring a patient from Belfast to London for my UK readers, or Antwerp to Paris for readers on The Continent. Stop and think for a moment what this says about the level of treatment available in Missoula…

A cyclist is almost “taken out” on a charity ride. Braden Tucker: Bicyclist critically injured in hit-skip during VeloSano ‘Bike To Cure’ event and UPDATE: Injured VeloSano rider in fair condition There is no way the driver that hit this cyclist does not know he hit someone especially looking at the level of destruction of the bike in this wreck. The rear wheel was ripped out of the dropouts during the wreck, that kind of impact is going to make a lot of noise.

Speaking of large group rides, we have our first drunk driver hitting someone in RAGBRAI on the first day of the ride. Hudson couple on bike injured by drunk driver Can’t say for sure, but there is no way the driver did not know there were a lot of bicycles on the roads that day, so it might be a case of drunken road rage.

Speaking of RAGBRAI, did you know that an ambulance company started to provide coverage to the ride went on to become a state-wide provider? I didn’t. Local ambulance service keeps RAGBRAI riders safe How about that?

The wheels of justice grind very slowly, and sometimes you think there isn’t anybody at the controls. Woman arrested for cyclist’s death Is that a bike flag stuck in the front bumper of the weapon vehicle? The crime scene pictures don’t show very good sight lines for the cyclist, who may (probably) thought the way was clear when he started crossing the road. The degree of damage makes me think the drunk and distracted driver may have been speeding at the time of the wreck, further reducing the cyclist’s clear crossing window. Drunk drivers who kill need to be handcuffed to the steering wheel of their cars while the cars are run through a metal shredder. On fire.

Continuing on the drivers that need to be fed through a metal shredder topic… Suspected drunk driver hits, kills prominent Albuquerque homebuilder This cyclist was hit riding on the sidewalk inside a gated community. If there is any place safe to ride a bike in ABQ that should be it.

On the other side of the country we have another one. Atlanta police searching for driver who hit, killed cyclist And by “another one” I mean a cyclist hit riding on the sidewalk by an out of control driver. This guy died because the driver decided to do some doughnuts in the middle of the street when he lost control and went over the curb and ran down the cyclist.

FL puts another notch in the gun. Bicyclist critically injured in crash with car and Weston man, 51, struck and killed while riding bicycle The cyclist was hit with the driver’s side of the car, but the cyclist ended up on the right-hand sidewalk after clearing a hedge. Either the bike was moved after the wreck, or there are some strange physics going on here.

This link is not for the squeamish. Bicyclist impales neck on fence after pothole crash in Queens The cyclist did not impale himself during the wreck but as an aftermath to the wreck, staggering around after picking himself up off the sidewalk. That is going to hurt, long term, but since it looks like critical blood vessels were not hit or the cervical spine damaged he should live a fairly normal life after the initial recovery.

This ‘hood is too dangerous for kids to be kids. Girl on bike injured after collision with car in Lowell The damage visible on the weapon vehicle shows it was traveling too fast for a residential neighborhood, but still people blame the victim for not wearing a helmet when her arm was injured. SMH The damage to the bike and the weapon vehicle are much too severe for the claimed “25 MPH” impact with a “little” 13 YO girl. I will say this in the driver’s favor, the apparent geometry for this wreck did not allow any reaction time to stop or even slow down.

How do you keep people in cars from hitting people on bikes? Turn down the volume. We must change the car vs. bike culture we have created Part of the problem is the Culture of Speed we have developed. People in cars expect a road clear of slow-moving vehicles, not to have to move around a bicycle in “their” lane.

What can you do about drivers backing blindly across the bike lane when leaving parking? My Turn: Downtown parking not good for cyclists How about reconfiguring the stripes so the driver is looking the direction traffic is coming from? Simple in concept but getting drivers to change the way they have done things for decades will not be easy. Why change the way you’ve done things for decades just because you kill nearly 100 people a day every day doing it like that?

A sad update from West Canuckistan. Injured cyclist passes The injuries were too severe for the cyclist to recover from her door prize. Helmets are just not built to survive that kind of concentrated force.

Well one way to prevent HGV from killing any more London cyclists would be to ban them when the concentration of cyclists is highest. PM To Consider Banning Rush Hour Lorries After Cyclist Death

Gee, maybe it has something to do with a poor state of driver licensing? Growing numbers of cyclists being killed or seriously injured on Welsh roads Perhaps raising the standard of cereal they hand them out from as premiums will improve that somewhat. Something more adult with less sugar in/on it

How stupid do you have to be to get out of a car and chase someone down with a knife? Family of ‘road rage’ victim Don Lock pay tearful tribute to him

People sitting in the bus saw the cyclist, why didn’t the driver with a much better view out the front? ‘Shattered’ bus driver admits causing cyclist’s death That’s all I have to say about that.

And I think I have run out of links. [checks] Yep, all done.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet @opusthepoet