Doing the Sunday post early because, reasons

OK, these are dangerous times. I mean really dangerous times, I have been THINKING!!!

I have been contemplating 2 seemingly unrelated problems that could be solved by combining them.

The first problem one that this blog mentions way too often, is drivers killing without repercussion, literally getting away with murder after running over a cyclist or pedestrian, sometimes leaving the scene and sometimes staying and claiming blindness as an excuse for killing.

The second problem is LEO shooting people in the streets for imaginary assaults.

What I’m proposing is that we use the second problem to solve the first problem. We have people in light armored vehicles literally using them as weapons against cyclists and pedestrians with no way of fighting back. Well we have a bunch of trigger-happy cops out there too, that could really use something they could usefully shoot at. My proposal is to give the cops semi-auto carbines chambered in .50 cal AP, sit them in sniper nests at intersections, and tell them they can shoot cars or trucks that endanger pedestrians or cut off cyclists. All they need to do is use a video recorder to prove the perp had it coming before they start shooting. I mean there doesn’t seem to be any way to keep these guys from shooting up the towns, why not have it put to good use? Have them shoot something that is an actual danger to real people out in the streets.

Of course you will still get the occasional nutcase shooting people for no good reason, but knowing that they will get stuck up away from people with nothing except a big gun and a camera that has to be turned on and recording all the time they have any ammo in their station will put a damper on the more bloody-minded of the bunch. And they will have the satisfaction of knowing they will be doing actual good protecting unarmed civilians against light armored vehicles. That’s why I specified the .50 AP ammunition for the carbines, that’s simultaneously the largest man-portable round that could be fired and the lightest single-shot kill against a motor vehicle.

While I’m making this proposal in somewhat of a jesting mode. I’m thinking that it might do some good if really enacted. Instant karma against dangerous drivers, and an outlet for shoot first and question the corpse LEO. The problem is there is never a cop around when you need one even when they are stationed over intersections, because you know that would be the one intersection in the city where drivers drive like they had sense.

On other fronts, Mrs. the Poet is trying to get Clint and Clyde to behave by being logical with them. Might I remind you that C&C are 11 weeks old at this point, and have no logic to appeal to? And besides, they are tiny kittens. Anywho it’s amusing to listen to her berate the kittens for getting into things and calling them “bad children” for not listening to her. And also for fighting, she’s yelling about them fighting each other especially the “chewing on heads” part of kitten-fighting. She’s either having fun, or losing it. I don’t have enough evidence for either conclusion.

Well, I have to get my stuff together for the Patron Pageant tomorrow evening so this breathless prose has to end.

Early PSA, Opus

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I took care of some bills, now the Feed

I spent the afternoon taking care of bills that went overdue because my paycheck from one of the gigs I was working was delayed a couple of weeks then took several days to clear because it was drawn on a brokerage account. Don’t ask, I get some strange gigs to say the least, and they pay strangely to boot. That’s just part of the territory when you’re undead.

More on that fatal wreck in LA where they charged the driver with homicide before the victim’s body was even cold. Dutchtown High student killed in Ascension Parish bicycle accident; 26-year-old arrested I noticed two things from the article: The evidence is such that they don’t think the driver could have avoided the wreck even if the cyclist was lighted and wearing that GITDCS because of his speed, and the driver was Black. I’m not sure how much the latter fact weighed in determining the previous fact, I would hope it weighed nothing and the evidence spoke for itself.

Another article showing that cars are getting safer, drivers not so much. More American Pedestrians and Cyclists Are Getting Killed on the Roads I really don’t have any better explanation for the phenomena. Cars are safe, drivers are killers.

This totally looks like a good place to put Our Daily Ted . Morning Links: A Vietnamese bike flute, up on the rooftop with St. MacAskill & a self-pumping bike tube

Meanwhile elsewhere in CA. Poor street design makes California city liable for damages in cyclist’s death Yep, in CA you can sue for bad street designs. Here in TX we can’t because of “sovereign immunity”.

Still in CA, a fatal wreck in Buck Owens’ home town. Bakersfield cyclist hit by truck, killed The cyclist was apparently crossing legally when hit by the drunk driver. If you get the time to react intersection protocols might help in a wreck like this.

It took a while but they finally charged a driver in a fatal MA wreck. Turners woman charged in cyclist’s death The driver was observed wandering in and out of her lane before hitting the cyclist from behind on the shoulder of the road.

Another wreck in FloriDUH! from a driver not paying attention to where the vehicle is going. UPDATE: Laurel Hill driver strikes bicyclist near Shoal River east of Crestview LEO in this case are placing ALL the blame on the driver for failing to move over to pass or slow down until a safe pass could be made.

Over in OH someone killed a cyclist Bicyclist struck, killed in Dayton and Bicyclist hit, killed in Dayton ID’d The cyclist is being blamed for not wearing the GITDCS required by Imaginary Laws when he was hit violently from behind. Some LEO need a refresher on the Basic Speed Law. AKA as the Don’t Hit Things law.

Another cyclist fatally hit in OH. Bicyclist Struck & Killed In Newark Another SWSS wreck where the cyclist “darted” through traffic in the right-hand lane of travel.

I wonder how they decided the driver was the one running the red on this one. Utah man charged with running red light, killing cyclist Ah, I see. There were two cyclists and one wasn’t badly hurt and testified the driver ran the red after they waited for the light to change…

Update on a wreck in ND. Driver who killed Fargo cyclist, victim’s widow, daughter featured in ESPN special on distracted driving If something good can come from this…

A MN cyclist tried to beat the train and failed. Bicyclist dies after being hit by Blue Line train at 46th St. Station [facepalm] The gates were down and the lights were flashing and there was a bell ringing, multiple visual and audio cues that there was a train coming. When presented with this just stay off the tracks. That’s how hard it is to not get hit by a train.[/facepalm]

Canadian cyclists have an infrastructure goal. A Billion for Bikes – That’s What We’re Asking For While a billion dollars will buy a lot of bicycle infrastructure, it’s peanuts for motor vehicle infrastructure, like 1¹/₃ freeway interchanges between two freeways, or ¼ a CRC project. (You might want to Wiki that one)

Over in Jolly Olde, don’t hit the pedestrians! Dog walker injured after being hit by cyclist I don’t know where the wreck happened so I can’t say if it was a shared path (which usually are very poorly marked) or a pedestrian-only area. Still DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS! even if they are on a shared path and blocking the way.

Another link to the driver getting away with murder in the death of a cyclist in Jolly Olde. Lorry driver who killed cyclist spared jail over crash at City black spot No signal, just cut over and go for it and if someone doesn’t get out of your blind spot well it’s on them for being there.

This report from Oz just floored me. Coroner pushes for improved safety for cyclists after inquest into Danish cyclist Rebekka Meyer’s death Did you see it? “In handing down her findings, Ms Clements recommended heavy vehicles be banned from roads unless they were fitted with appropriate technologies that would warn the driver of road users within the truck’s blind spot.” Or, do something to eliminate the blind spot in future vehicles especially when there is an area 7 meters long (23 feet) in front of the vehicle and almost as wide as the vehicle where the driver can’t see what is there to get hit. And I don’t know if that’s at cyclist head height or down to the pavement, but I sincerely hope it’s the latter… because the former is terrifying to contemplate.

More on the lady cyclist hit walking her bike through a confusing intersection in Enn Zed. Cyclist in serious condition after hit-and-run and Cyclist still serious after hit-and-run Nobody has come forward to identify the SUV or driver thereof…

And I’m outta links again.

Billed @$0.02, Opus