Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and the Feed

This will be the last post of 2015, and I have to say that I’m slightly surprised at having survived this year as a blog and as a blogger. There were car wrecks and tornadoes, food poisoning, muggings and other mayhem, and none of it actually touched yr fthfl srvnt author. It all kind of swirled around me so that I could see it and report on it, but not have to suffer through it. Another bit of evidence that I’m a character in a story reporting back on what I see and feel as others live the story. I really need a better writer for my sex scenes…

Up first, the driver who killed a MD cyclist was violating two traffic laws to cause the wreck. ‘It’s Just So Unreal’: 19-Year-Old Cyclist Dies After Crash With SUV The two laws? Failing to obey a traffic control, and not stopping for a car stopped in front of a crosswalk. The cyclist had no chance to avoid this wreck as his view of the weapon vehicle was obstructed by the car that was following the law.

A NYS resident doesn’t have to leave the house to get above the legal limit for BAC. NY Woman Beats DWI Charge Because Her Body Is A Brewery This is an actual medical condition that I have been aware of for at least 25 years because I read about it before I moved to TX back in 1989, and again some time during the “Aughties”. So, rare, but not unheard of.

Cop hit cyclist in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Cyclist, Patrol Car Collide In Miami Gardens Cop claimed to have the green light when the cyclist “pulled out in front of him”. The geometry of the wreck indicates the cyclist was in the intersection for several seconds before the patrol car got there, meaning this could have been a stale green crossing where the cyclist had the right of way over the cop car. But since the comments have been closed for the article the only place you will see that is in this blog.

A WV cyclist is blamed for getting right hooked. Keyser man injured in bike/van crash at Memorial Bridge Nothing more I can say about this.

CT LEO are asking the public’s help in finding a cyclist’s killer. Shelton PD Seeks Help Finding Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed A Cyclist

DiYDoT in action in Portland. Activists use traffic cones to improve safety of bike lane along new Orange Line MAX Yay DiYDoT! Doing what the regular DoT can’t or won’t do to make streets safer.

Lastly, did anyone order a box of kittens?

And that’s it for 2015. Here’s hoping 2016 is at least a little better.

Billed @$0.02, Opus the Poet

Advertisement

I’m definitely a niche blogger, and the Feed

I got my annual report from WordPress and I could be called “niche” at best with only 11000 views for a full year. That’s a lot of people, but in internet terms I’m just a drop in a very large bucket. So I have been thinking, should I drop the weekday-and-Sunday routine spending every day at my computer and just write when I have something to write about from my daily life, or should I stay inside where there is a huge tree and high curb between me and traffic? Or maybe something in between with a less-frequent update schedule and more life to write about? What do you readers think about it?

The big story is still Ethan Couch’s capture in Mexico. ‘Affluenza teen’ Ethan Couch and mother busted after ordering Domino’s pizza in Puerto Vallarta and ‘Affluenza teen’ Ethan Couch and his mother block extradition from Mexico They caught them because somebody couldn’t live without their phone and it was tracked when they called for pizza delivery. And an “explanation” of “affluenza” for those of us who are “puh” as in “too poor to buy a vowel”. What is affluenza? An explainer for the 99%

After that mess have some massive cute courtesy of BikePortland. Wednesday Video Roundup: commuter bike makeovers, a bike wheel on a car, and more I saw the bike wheel on a car video a couple of months ago from a wheel-building forum.

Another victim in CT. Dedicated bicyclist dies of crash injuries This wreck is unexplained at the moment, because he was hurt in places that are almost impossible to get injured in a solo fall, but there was nothing left behind to indicate a vehicle.

Legal infrastructure from “Famous Potatoes”. Idaho Adds Bicycle Questions to Driving Tests Question from the test: “How many feet should cyclists ride from the edge of pavement to avoid accumulated edge debris? (3 feet)”

Infrastructure news from West Canuckistan. Vancouver aims to reassert itself as a North American cycling leader

Bicycle infrastructure news from Germany. Germany gives green light to bicycle highways and Germany gives green light to bicycle highways Again we see the biggest problem with bicycle infrastructure is paying for it. And their “bicycle autobahn” seems to be more of a rails-to-trails project, which makes sense when you think about it. They’re making limited access bike roads in an urban environment, which means they need to stick in something that was limited-access to begin with, like a railroad right of way.

And this:

It says something about the kind of economy we've built that 'recovery' means rebound in number of people dying in fatal traffic collisions.

— Gary Kavanagh (@GaryRidesBikes) December 30, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

And here I am again with no links left to share.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Good News, Bad News on Ethan Couch, and the Feed

Nothing of any great importance in my life today aside from getting some stuff for the Mini Sprint-T on Amazon, a new desk chair, and a new crock pot to replace the one that had a lid going bad from age and rusting around the bottom. Interesting thing about plastic lids on cooking vessels, they craze and crack after a few years exposure to heat.

Since I put it in the headline you know I’m going to put it first in the links. ‘Affluenza’ Teen Ethan Couch Detained In Mexico and ‘Affluenza’ teen Ethan Couch captured in Mexico with his mother also Ethan Couch, the affluenza kid too rich to go to jail was arrested this one too ‘Affluenza’ Texas teen Ethan Couch detained in Mexico not done yet ‘Affluenza’ teen’s mom will face charges for taking son to Mexico after going-away party US Marshals, could we please, PLEASE, PLEASE, get a “shot dead while attempting to steal officer’s gun” in this one, preferably while still in Mexico (so it would only get investigated by Mexicans who don’t care about stupid rich brats getting killed)? _please?

Our other big story is a cyclist run down while crossing from an MUP with the signal. Bicyclist identified in fatal Md. crash and Cyclist dead after collision in Montgomery County also Police: Driver who fatally hit cyclist didn’t stop at crosswalk There is a beg button to activate the crossing signal but as was demonstrated in one of the links drivers ignore the signal without consequences unless they actually hit someone.

Up in the Great White North… Ghost Bike serves as stark reminder

Feel good story from Jolly Olde. Injured cyclist appeals for Good Samaritans to come forward If any of my UK readers recognize the Scout badges on the blanket contact the number in the article so that the good samaritan can be identified and honored.

And really, Telegraph? The terror threat on two (or three) wheels…Dutch police warn of risk posed by bikes As if there weren’t enough people scared of cyclists for nonsensical reasons. But seriously Daesh could get 5-10 times the explosives in a subcompact that would barely raise an eyebrow on the street. BTW they hate being called Daesh even more than they hate getting called Isis which is the name of an Egyptian pagan goddess (being both pagan and female is hated beyond all reason).

From OR, we are apparently “problem children”. UPDATED – ODOT says bikers, walkers, people with disabilities are “problem children” in work zones I don’t feel like a “child”… and the update was that the offensive presentation has been altered to treat people not-in-cars as fellow adults that need different facilities than the people wearing cars.

Good stuff that happened this year. 2015’s Top 10 New Bike Projects in North America Some things to feel really good about.

Is your city partially responsible for cyclists getting killed? California Case Study: Are Cities Responsible for Cyclist Deaths?

And I’m out of links again.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

The post-Christmas CARnage hasn’t shown up this year in the Feed

I can’t claim to be disappointed in the development, indeed just the opposite, but the complete absence of kids-on-new-bikes-getting-hit stories does bother me on another level. I haven’t seen the sales reports for this Xmas but I suspect that there were fewer bikes sold this year. Or the generally rotten weather we have had this year after Christmas has kept the kids off the roads on their new bikes. I like that idea a lot better than kids not getting new bikes to ride.

Up first is Ted taking a break and thanking his supporters. Merry Christmas. And thank you. That means no Daily Ted this week. And Happy New Year to you, Ted.

Staying in CA, we get another wreck in the SF area. Another Cyclist Killed In San Jose

From America’s most deadliest state to walk or ride a bike. Palmetto bicycle rider in critical condition after accident in Sarasota on Saturday I have a question, when does falling down become “overturned”?

From America’s Amsterdam even there they are having problems with “engineers” who don’t understand bicycle infrastructure. Despite objections, TriMet installs swing-gates at 11th Avenue rail crossing The claim is that automatic bike/ped gates would be vandalized where motor vehicle gates last for years. But as I said in the comments section I have an easily man-portable welding unit that could fuse the hinge on the gate in the open position permanently, such that the only way to make the gates swing again would be to cut the hinge off and replace it, in just a few minutes of late-night vandalism. And as I also pointed out I have a rock-solid alibi of being stuck here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell should that actually happen.

Also from Portland and also infrastructure-related. Metro edits ‘Bike There’ map after man’s death in bike lane gap Again the point is not that the map was not accurate, the point was that cyclists need a map to avoid deadly infrastructure that forces cyclists to merge into 60 MPH traffic without warning to either cyclists or drivers, with the secondary point that there was deadly infrastructure that bicycles needed to avoid in the first place.

Bikes are good for the economy even in red states like WI. BICYCLING IS MOVING WISCONSIN FORWARD Billions of $ in revenues from bicycle sales and manufacturing, billions more in savings on health costs, all in a state that doesn’t “believe” in the environmental benefits of bicycles, but apparently can believe in the $ coming in.

Over in Jolly Olde a man saved his life with cycling. Cyclist puts type 2 diabetes into reverse following 7 stone weight loss For those who aren’t familiar with medieval English weights, 7 stone is 98 pounds. Or a useful amount of weight loss.

Still in the UK a cyclist gets hit trying to cross a railroad crossing. Cyclist injured in crash with van at Wool level crossing This is a location that presents a worst case scenario of having to have eyes in the back of your head while you watch to make sure you don’t get stuck or slide on the rails. Realistically you don’t have the ability to watch for impatient drivers and watch your tires so you don’t fall at the same time, leaving waiting until overtaking traffic is gone, risking falling, or risking getting hit as your alternatives, none of which are palatable.

Supposedly this deadly crash in Enn Zed did not involve a motor vehicle. Cyclist injured in Christmas Day fall dies I’m still unconvinced the severity of the injuries could be caused by anything except impact with a motor vehicle except in the most ridiculous circumstances.

Last link, do you feel a need to ride more? 40 Reasons to Ride More in 2016

And this was the thing I got for Christmas that I’m most proud of.

And I’m out of links and I can’t find any more.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

I survived the tornado, on Wreck-Free Sunday

If you have been following the news then you know we had tornadoes in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. The one actually inside the city limits was about 5 miles away from Casa de El Poeta. The one that got closest was about a mile away over in Rowlett. That one was an EF3, and we could barely hear it with the tornado sirens going off and Mrs. the Poet, the kittens, and me in the bathroom. And that is as close as I ever want to get to a tornado.

Getting the kittens and Mrs. the Poet into the bathtub was comical, and futile. The kittens’ bed, food dish, and litterbox are in the bathtub in the front bathroom which is also the structurally designated “safe area” in case of tornado. Mrs. the Poet wasn’t as enthusiastic about getting into the tub with the litterbox as the kittens were. To be honest I wasn’t that enthusiastic about getting in the tub either, but as the tornado was not actually at the door we were OK.

Then we had what happened when we tried to get to church this morning. The lady who came to pick us up in the rain this morning lost power steering when she picked us up and thought she was running out of gas. But when she put gas in the car she still didn’t have any power steering. My instincts said “thrown belt” and started looking at the temperature gauge but I got distracted making sure I got all the captures I could on my mobile game. About a mile later the check engine gong went off because the temperature gauge was about to hit the peg. We pulled over and popped the hood and yep, that serpentine belt was laying loose off the front of the engine. So help was summoned while the ritualist at church was called and told to not hold up service. I have to admit I was dressed for inside the church rather than outside so I was mainly trying to stay warm in my shorts and T-shirt with a high wind and a cold rain falling.

And I’m out of stuff to write about.

PSA, Opus

I made out like a bandit for Christmas, and the non-wreck Feed

I got what I really wanted for presents this year, gift cards and chocolate. My Amazon balance alone is $149.79, mostly from presents (and a small amount from a mobile game I play almost constantly). I also have coffee cards and hamburger cards. I’m card rich.

The Feed had only one link from a PA paper complaining about bicycle infrastructure. 5 Questions: Santa delivers thoughts on Carlisle road diet and more Really, using Santa to promote your backwards agenda is just stooping too low. What are you, Fox News?

Getting back to Christmas, we had a lovely feast, ham, yams, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, brussels sprouts a vin, and the one Southern thing my wife can’t live without, Sweet Iced Tea. We had dessert at my daughter’s house.

And that’s it. I sincerely wish you and yours a happy holiday, and a joyful new year. From Opus, Clint, Clyde, and Mrs. the Poet.

Tomorrow will be wreck-free We had an OG grocery day, and the Feed

Let’s start with the program note first. I will be posting tomorrow, but I will not be posting anything from the Feed that has anything to do with a wreck. Nothing but good news and sunshine tomorrow. Consider it my gift to me that I share with you.

Second, that “OG” Grocery Day. That means that since our son was working the second worst day of the year for a grocery store and was not going to get off until late at night we had to walk to and from the store and only bring home what we could carry on our backs my back. I have a cargo bike that I still can’t ride because my neck is still not recovered from the ravages of “Chris Christy”.

Up first is another hit-and-run against a cyclist in the most deadliest state in the US to ride a bike. Woman on bicycle critically hurt in Vero Beach hit-and-run crash and Woman on bike injured in Vero hit-and-run crash That bike looks like it was hit from the right side at about 30 MPH. If the cyclist was northbound on the road was there a driveway she was passing when she was hit? I see one in the background but I don’t think the bike could have ended up where it did if that was the driveway in question. If you look at the left side of the picture there appears to be a bicycle headlight on the road, still lighted.

And I have NORAD Tracks Santa going in background while I compose this and I heard the strangest mashup I have ever heard. Vocal: Little Drummer Boy. Orchestra: Ravel’s Bolero. I commend their music person.

A wreck in CT. Ansonia Cyclist Badly Injured In Shelton A witness claims there was a silver Chevy involved, LEO are “said in a prepared statement there is no evidence to suggest a vehicle was involved.” So who are you going to believe, the cops or your lying eyes?

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Cyclist injured in apparent non-hit-and-run, and LA bicyclists appear to be fair game

Infrastructure from the Great White North. Cycling Infrastructure One of the Smartest Investments a City Can Make The cost per daily trip chart is staggering, at how little cycling infrastructure costs per trip compared to highways and transit.

A reason to be jolly in Jolly Olde. Robbery victim has no memory of harrowing attack – now crowdfunders raise enough to replace cycle

Another link to the pathetic sentence handed down for a drunken hit-and-run in the UK. Hit-and-run driver who left cyclist for dead banned from driving

This one’s from Oz. Hit and run drunk driver who killed cyclist in 2012 freed on parole The fact that the driver even spent any time in jail tells me this was taken as seriously as any bike wreck ever is.

And in Enn Zed, another hit-and-run. Driver flees after injuring a cyclist and Driver flees after injuring a cyclist

And I seem to have run out of links again, thank [$DEITY].

Billed @$0.02, Opus

My neck feels better, and the Feed

I took advantage of the slow season for links and the warm weather to go do a little stocking stuffer shopping and get a massage. The massage tech had to get on top of my back and use her knees on most of my back and upper legs because I had such thick, tight muscles. She was leaning on me with the full force of her arms and not even making a literal dent. That included working “Arthur Dent” on my neck. So I would say I was a little overdue for a trip to the table. She was a skinny little thing though, maybe 40 Kg at most.

Up first, another link to the death in Austin earlier this week. Pickup hits rider; 2nd bicyclist killed in Austin traffic this year They’re still not sure of the direction of travel for the cyclist, and I still can’t find any pictures of the wrecked bike to tell them.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Still more new bikes for good girls and boys, and real Long Beach UPS workers deliver by bike

Another hit-and-run in IN (I still love that pun). Police searching for driver who hit cyclist in South Bend The picture of the wrecked bike wasn’t much help in determining the direction of impact, so I’m going to assume this was a buzz job or punishment pass that went wrong. That’s the mode that best fits the picture of the bike.

In NYC, the next of kin of a person run down by a car on the sidewalk want stiffer charges filed. “It’s Murder”: Family Of Woman Killed By Reckless Driver In Fort Greene Seeks Justice “Marlon Sewell made a conscious decision to get behind the wheel and drive his vehicle without a license. He should be held responsible for any and all consequences that are a result of that action.” Really responsible, not just a ticket with about the same fine as driving without a seatbelt. Seriously, he would have had a stiffer fine for riding a bicycle on the sidewalk without hitting anyone than he’s facing driving a 3 ton SUV and hitting 3 people, leaving one dead, and one seriously injured.

Meanwhile in Portland they are getting going on upgrading their bicycle infrastructure. Advisory group backs bike lane separation on outer Powell, co-chair says The comments section for this article has a much better grasp of the situation than most such.

Better infrastructure in the Great White North. Toronto Showing the Way With Year-Round Cycling Network – Raise the Hammer

Feel-good story from the UK. ‘Cambridge still has my heart’, says charity cyclist Callum Fairhurst on return to UK for Christmas

You don’t have to have known the cyclist to do this. We Dare You: Honor a Fallen Cyclist with a Ghost Bike

And a last-minute gift idea for someone who is both a cyclist and a wine drinker. THE CAMPAGNOLO CORKSCREW GETS A MAKEOVER It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Shame “I don’t drink… wine.” /Boris Karloff

And that’s everything in the Feed for today. I’m just enjoying the relative peace and quiet before the inevitable slew of “kid hit on brand-new bike after X-mas” stories.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Another rough day on the road, and the Feed

I took advantage of accidentally including the first report for today’s Feed having been used yesterday to go out and make a run through the “mall” with my cell phone to get as many of the high point targets as possible so I get that gift card quicker rather than later. And I stopped at the grocery store to pick up coffee, soda, and I grabbed some Christmas Tree Cakes for stockings.

Up first a cyclist is hit just feet before reaching the relative safety of a bike lane in Austin, a couple days’ ride south of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Man Killed in Crash Between Vehicle and Bicycle on Brodie Lane They didn’t say the victim didn’t have lights, just that they couldn’t verify the cyclist had lights on. Nothing confirmed about the mode but as the initial impact was just off the road on the shoulder and the bike ended up in the grass off to the side I would say there’s a real good chance he got hit from behind, so the usual protocols apply.

Over in NYC they killed another one, but wonder of wonders they actually arrested the driver. MTA Bus Driver Arrested For Killing Pedestrian In Brooklyn Crosswalk You would think that bus drivers would be more careful what with all the forward-facing video cameras recording every move.

Just outside NYC another hit-and-run driver kills another cyclist. Ramapo police ID bicyclist killed in Rt. 202 hit-run The description of the wrecked bike indicates either a right hook or a left or right cross, and the moment the driver left the scene it became his fault.

Over in Portland a demonstration of the biggest problem of bike infrastructure shared with motor vehicles: They tear shit up and it needs to be replaced. Paving project adds gravel, bumps and closures to 50s Bikeway route Again the biggest hurdle is motor vehicles tearing things up and getting in the way.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: LA cyclist dies from heart attack, Finish the Ride comes to the Valley, and I talk bikes on Bike Talk

Still in CA. Is a raised bike lane a protected bike lane? Why go through all this expense just to replicate what has been done in the Netherlands?

Victim statement from a trial in the Great White North. Parents, widow describe anguish over death of cyclist Tom Samson The words of the survivors are haunting.

Still in the GWN. Cyclist seriously injured near Grande Prairie At this point they know it was a hit-from-behind, but they haven’t determined why (aside from the fact that the driver was not paying attention to what was on the road in front of him).

Over in Jolly Olde a guy hits and runs against a cyclist. Hit-and-run driver Alexander William Coombes gets suspended prison sentence for A29 accident that left cyclist badly injured and Rustington driver left cyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run crash in Shripney also from Road.cc Speeding motorist who hit cyclist and left him at the side of the road sentenced I’m just going to quote a comment left at the second link: ““he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months; ordered to complete 140 hours of unpaid work for the community; disqualified from driving for 15 months and required to take an extended re-test.
He was also ordered to pay £6,382 compensation to the victim and costs totalling £3,500.”
So he barely received any punishment for a collision that left someone with serious injuries. Mr Bumble was right: ‘the law is a ass – a idiot’ [sic].”

And on the same island. Man arrested over alleged hit-and-run in Corfe Mullen This article shows why I hate UK media laws, there is nothing in here aside from the fact the wreck happened, not even the names of the victim or the perp.

More on that bizarre package of laws passed in Oz. NSW cyclists face big increases in fines – and will have to carry photo ID

Still in Oz, a cyclist dies in mysterious circumstances. Cyclist found critically injured by Sunshine Coast road dies of his injuries They still don’t think he was hit by another vehicle, though.

It’s official, cyclists need to eat moar choklit. Official: Daily chocolate consumption makes you a better cyclist Curious that they used the exact same dose of dark chocolate as I got in the depression and BP trial. (BTW bitter chocolate works great at fighting depression and reducing blood pressure.)

There’s more to cycling than can be found in your philosophies, to mangle a quote. The Three Worlds of Cycling To answer the debate about working cyclists, I put them in a similar category to commuters trying to get from A to B so they could work, their work is going from A to B. Sometimes by going through points C through Z’ inclusive.

I can honestly say that I have never been in a situation where I could use any of this advice. Crash Course: How to Handle a Car-Bike Collision All of my wrecks have either been hit-and-run, something I could ride away from, or both. and most were from times when I didn’t have a cell phone, much less a cell phone camera.

And I think I’m probably done now.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Another day another $0.70 after Medicare and SS, and the Feed

For the self-employed even when we don’t make enough money to actually pay taxes, we still have to pay taxes on income specifically the Social Security and Medicare taxes, which come to roughly 30%. Interestingly enough if I made enough money I wouldn’t have to pay any SS or Medicare taxes… But my income is so low that I’m almost off the bottom of the scale for paying it. My income from wages is so low that I’m not actually paying all that much in SS or Medicare, I think maybe $2 or $3 a year, and the rest doesn’t count as “wages”. Kinda like those hedge fund guys that pay a fraction of the income tax and none of the SS and Medicare tax on their incomes because they don’t count it as “wages”. I mean really, the amount quoted in the headline is about how much I make in “wages”.

Up first, a TX man gets so drunk he forgets that he has the perfect weapon and uses a gun instead. Texas man went on deadly shooting spree while drunk driving in Oklahoma, killing two motorists I would say he’s a dumbass, but he would have to gain about a dozen IQ points to get that smart.

Meanwhile in Sin City. Car Mows Down Pedestrians On Las Vegas Strip, Killing 1 And Injuring Dozens and Driver who mowed down crowds on Vegas Strip asked valet to call 911, police say More than 50 injured or killed, and people scoff at me when I call motor vehicles WMD.

The driver that ran down a cyclist in S.F. CA is in court on murder charges. Man accused of murder in Tenderloin car theft collision back in court

Since we are in CA anyway, here’s Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Hard-hitting real-life safety PSA, and Big Blue Bus leaves bike-riding boy stranded in the rain

Still in CA. On the Mobility Plan and rush hour bus bunching: equity for bus riders? Good transit helps make streets safer for cyclists, too.

Over in KY. Family of Lexington cyclist killed in accident donates bikes to kids

US infrastructure on the Federal level. U.S. Gov’t. May Get More Serious About Cyclist/Pedestrian Deaths in 2016 They still don’t know if the problem is huge, really huge, or enormous, and when they find out they might actually do something about it. Or they could just buy the CROW manual and follow that and everything would be wonderful.

Low information article about a bike wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist struck, injured at Dufferin and Davenport The headline contains most of the actual news in the article, which is kinda sad, really.

Three years, and they still haven’t reached sentencing yet? Man in 2012 hit-and-run that killed cyclist could face year in jail The really annoying thing is the maximum sentence is still less than half the time the cyclist has already been dead. He died more than 3 years ago, the maximum sentence is 18 months, which he won’t even start serving until next year.

More on the insane suggestion that cyclists should be charged congestion fees when there are too many cars for the roads. ‘Cyclists should be considered for a Cambridge congestion charge’, says highways boss Since you can move 8 people on bicycles in the same space as one in a car, if there is a congestion charge for bicycles it should be ¹/₈ as much as for a motor vehicle, or since bicycles are smaller than motorcycles charge what they would charge the motorcycle, which was nothing. And that right there shows the hypocrisy of charging bicycles for congestion. It has been suggested the “expert” who said bicycles should also pay congestion charges was Keith Peat, noted anti-cycle motorist.

Meanwhile in Oz, they are almost s insane but they carried through. Cyclists in NSW can now be hit with massive fines and have to carry photo ID and NSW cycling laws: metre passing laws a win, but others are bewildering I’m trying to figure out why “raising of the fine for riding without a helmet from $71 to $319 – an increase of 350 per cent” is a good idea while the fine for failure to wear a seat belt remains the same… What is it about the Aussies and their weird compulsions about bicycle helmets?

And that’s all I got today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus