Oh [$DEITY]! the size of the unfiltered Feed

I have just spent 4 hours filtering the first page of the Feed, and I’m almost done, with the first page. Then I have the second page to wade through, and then the specialized searches that hit places I don’t have online subscriptions for. I’m fortunate that my last haircut left my hair too short to grab and pull out, else I just might do that. The biggest problem is all the non-bike stuff that comes with the unspecialized news outlets, the stuff that makes me angry, or sad, or gives me a feeling of schadenfreude. I have to process the stories and the feelings before I can get back to filtering, and that takes time. As some of you know bike infrastructure and safety is not my only Social Justice project, just the one I spend the most time on, and these other concerns also come up while I’m filtering for the post. Fortunately I have lots of time on Friday as I deliberately stay up late to get that last search of the day filtered and any links posted to my blog. I might be still composing the post at 0500 but the post will get done with the latest information before I go off-air for the weekend.

Up first Yehuda has rebooted! Huzzah!

From PA this is why it’s so hard to get an indictment for killing with a motor vehicle, much less a conviction. The law of criminal homicide The way the law is written combined with bias about motor vehicle operations pretty much prevent anyone from getting prosecuted for killing with a motor vehicle absent stuff like social media posts about going on a killing spree in their car (don’t laugh there was somebody who posted that to their FB status).

An abbreviated Daily Ted. All hands on deck! Planning Comm to consider anti-bike LA Mobility Plan amendments Feb. 11th

Still in CA. Cyclist killed in latest hit-and-run I can’t tell if the “casual clothes” was a “not a spandex warrior” or “not wearing a GITDCS” statement.

Also in CA. Cyclist Killed in Eureka Not being able to see the wrecked bike I can’t say if this was an accurate narrative or another variation of the SWSS. Assuming the narrative as presented was accurate a simple notice that “Idaho stop” requires cyclists to yield to oncoming traffic that has the right of way is sufficient.

Bikes can do a lot of things, maybe this is also one of them? What can Seattle’s bike movement do to help end homelessness? As the article points out only if we don’t decide every homeless person with a decent bike is a bike thief, any more than we decide every person living in their car stole that.

Also in WA. Sumas boy, 14, on bike hit by pickup, killed near Paradise When I lived near there back in the mid 1960s Paradise was a wide spot in the road with a co-op dairy that sold really good milk. If they have enough people to contemplate installing a bike path beside the highway they are a lot more populous than when I knew the place. The narrative is suggestive of the cyclist getting blown off of the paved shoulder into the travel lane, but not substantive about it. And another narrative placing blame on the cyclist’s clothing rather than the driver’s headlights.

Over in AZ. Mesa police: Bicyclist hit, killed in crash Again with the useless information that there were no crosswalks where the cyclist was hit. As cyclists are not required to use such things, why include that information? Again without seeing the wrecked bike the narrative is in question.

Now in NYC they are using the data from Citi Bike to determine bike commute patterns. What 22 Million Rides Tell Us About NYC Bike-Share

A cyclist is identified after a CO wreck. Cyclist ID’d from Friday Fort Collins crash The text described the cyclist as “dodging through traffic” but the video said she was preparing to make a left turn. Gee it almost sounds like the writer for the web article was told to blame the cyclist, doesn’t it? To me it sounds like she had to wait for a hole in traffic to let her merge over and someone filled the hole after the cyclist was already committed to the merge. You would not believe how many times his has happened to me her in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, only the hole-filler was able to haul it back down before hitting me.

Crap infrastructure only designed to get people cars out of the area as quickly as possible. Designing City Streets to Suit 47 MPH Drivers Is a Recipe for Failure Best quote from the comments: “Given that cyclists and pedestrians cannot attain driver rates of speed, it is consistent with the studies that led to the 85th percentile rule that urban streets be designed for low speeds to minimize these differentials.”

Atlanta is trying to do something about their crap infrastructure. Atlanta’s Bike Czar

Crap infrastructure in America’s Copenhagen. Videos show difficulties navigating TriMet’s swing gates That last video was scary as the rider was so engrossed with getting the gate open she failed to notice the train coming until one of her kids spoke up. I like the creative use of the sandwich sign as a doorstop though.

Still in Portland and still talking crap infrastructure. The westbound path of the Broadway Bridge will be closed for a month And for most of the month vulnerable users will be left to their own devices as to how to cross that river. The flaggers seem to be on duty as they are not required for other things.

This was our day to have lots of crap infrastructure from Portland. Gap Week: Cully, Columbia and Alderwood to Portland Airport Best quote from the article: “If only there were some type of ultra-low-cost personal vehicle that could help lower-income Portlanders reach the sorts of jobs that could make them middle-income Portlanders.”

Finally some good news from Portland> New era for off-road cycling begins as master plan committee meets for first time

And this is not unusual with car shows. Portland Auto Show entertains their customers with… Bikes!

Scary news from the Great White North. VIDEO: Police release video of hit-and-run SUV that seriously injured cyclist If you watch the video you can tell the wreck happens just out of frame at the end.

Not-so-jolly story from Jolly Olde. Motorist ‘drove off’ after colliding with fundraising cyclist in Tamworth The cyclist was not seriously injured in the wreck, but that was only by sheer luck.

Unknown if this was a cyclist or pedestrian, but still awful. Woman in ‘critical condition’ after collision with car near Tamworth The article has updated since filtering and they now say the victim was a pedestrian. Still a terrible wreck.

This is our day for crap infrastructure it seems. Here’s Benidorm’s new ‘cyclist-friendly’ roundabout – what do you think? I think it’s terrifying to have bicycle infrastructure go straight across a roundabout and expect drivers to yield to cyclists.

Infuriating story from Oz. Driver texting repeatedly before she hit and killed cyclist, Perth court told and WA woman jailed over cyclist death “Lawrence will be eligible for parole after serving 18 months behind bars.” Really? She killed a human being because she couldn’t pay attention to where she was driving (distracted by the median flora or texting) and she’s out in less than 2 years? TANJ!

Legal infrastructure news from Oz. NSW motorists and cyclists face new road rules Some of the changes are preposterous.

More on self-driving cars. Driverless cars work great in sunny California. But how about in a blizzard? It will get solved, it just will take some time and engineering talent.

And another history article about my favorite form of hot rod. The World’s First Fiberglass T-Bucket Hot Rod: Buzz Pitzen’s “Glass Image” – Part I That’s right, the guys that made the first fiberglass bucket body did not make the first fiberglass bucket car.

And that’s all I got again. It’s way late again so I’m not going to tag this one.

Billed @$0.02 Opus

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I sent the order off today on Grocery Day, and the Feed

I ordered some resin engines, and parts to detail the SBC for the main version (AKA the “this could get built” version) from VCG Resins today. Plus we have money to restock the pantry and a vehicle large enough to carry that much food so grocery shopping. I’m going to try to get this post done before midnight so I can get to bed at a reasonable time.

Up first a TX program originally intended to pay for hit-and-run victims’ medical expenses turns into a gigantic tax on being poor, whodathunkit? Texas driver offense fee program gets bipartisan blistering I have a solution for how to pay for hit-and-run: Raise the costs of registering a vehicle so that hit-and-run victims are paid for out of the costs, and label that increase so that people know they are paying for other people’s stupidity. Once people get a feel of how much hit-and-run is costing them personally there will be a much greater drive to investigate and arrest hit-and-run drivers so that they can pay instead of everybody else.

I might have to look into attending one of these sessions, I’m not as young as I used to be. Want to Be a Better Bicyclist? First, Learn to Fall This would be useful in solo falls where the cyclist has some control of their body, but in any collision with another vehicle YMMV.

Howabout Our Daily Ted? Morning Links: New app for navigating LA, advice on running for your local NC, and pointing the finger in Westwood

Still in CA. Honeymooning cyclist injured in Jan. 20 hit-and-run near Barking Dog also Cyclist injured in Sonoma Valley hit-and-run crash Classic left cross narrative. Get well quickly, honeymooner.

Still in CA comes this conundrum. Which Are More Dangerous: Scofflaw Cyclists, Or Bad-Mannered Drone Flyers? In sheer numbers it’s a draw, there are more drones than cyclists, but cyclists have about a 60 year head start over “drones” (which now seems to apply to all R/C airplanes and helicopters), and while records on people getting killed by R/C airplanes, helicopters, and multicopters is a bit difficult to come by, there have only been 2 recorded fatalities in SF history caused by bicycle riders hitting someone. That’s according to SFPD records that go back as far as the big quake at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Over in ABQ a cyclist was hit from behind in what looks like a punishment pass. Injured teen cyclist is still in a coma There were 3 cyclists riding a tight paceline with the middle and front riders getting hit, and the lead rider taking the brunt of it. This has a very strong flavor of a buzz job or punishment pass.

Another infrastructure article from WI. Highway 41 and Lisbon Is a Mess Basically 90% of the problem with this intersection is it is the last remnant of a failed freeway project that was not integrated into the urban grid.

And driverless cars may fix parking but leave roads hopelessly gridlocked. Driverless cars: Utopian idea could lead to commute from Hell If people continue to insist on SOV commutes then about half of all trips will be “deadhead” with nobody in the car. VMT will basically double (maybe 1.5 if we are lucky).

There are easier ways of seeing that your employees are doing their jobs. Freak accident left Valerie Morton impaled on a bike near St Neots – and thankful to her rescuers The victim was a high-placed executive of the ambulance service that was assigned to the wreck.

Still in Jolly Olde. Motorist who deliberately drove at cyclists jailed for two and a half years Not that it will make much difference but he will have a 2 year driving ban that starts with the completion of his sentence. Because of course he can’t drive for the 2½ years he’s in prison. Having his driving ban run while he can’t get to a car to drive anyway would just be stupid. Along with the actual enforcement of the ban, if he can just curb his antisocial tendencies he could get away with driving for 2 years. Oh who are we kidding? I would be shocked if he managed 6 months without making a swipe at a cyclist. I wouldn’t be surprised that he blames the cyclist with the camera for his arrest and imprisonment, not the act of driving at them on the wrong side of the road.

First I agree that it’s not good that he had to pay for getting his teeth put back in after the wreck. Injured cyclist angry he had to pay NHS to repair his teeth Second, do you know how much that would have cost here in the US? In 2001 I was quoted a cost of about $5k to repair my teeth after my wreck which is why they are falling out right now.

You might wonder what this has to do with my blog. Drone maker seeks UK fuel cells Well as the guy who sent it to me wrote, the cell package for this drone would also work pretty good for an e-assist bike and have the same advantages for e-assist biking as it does for drone work.

Speaking of e-assist biking. Review: Cube Touring Hybrid 400 electric bicycle It must be terrible to have something that works so well for you and then you find something that just ruins it because the new works so much better than what you had.

Another e-assisted bike review, but not quite as glowing. Cruz E-Bike A little too fast and at $5K a little too expensive. But if you govern it down to the Federal limit of 20 MPH that would help the anemic range of “up to” 30 miles.

And we are done for the night.

Nilled @$0.02, Opus

Paying my taxes was a nightmare, and the Feed

Yep, I was out paying taxes today. About $3k gone in a whoosh. Several hours spent waiting in lines. I don’t mind taxes, because that’s how I pay for things like schools and libraries and bicycle infrastructure. Then I went and paid off some bills, which was mostly a case of waiting on the next bus, sometimes for over an hour because of broken busses on the route meant that the next schedule was there before the replacement bus.

Let’s open with this lovely item from NYC. Hope You’re Not Planning On Biking Anywhere Today A big part of the problem is snow removal changes depending on the chunk of infrastructure covered in snow.

Hmm. Maybe if I made a recumbent version I could get some base miles in and still post the blog? Portland software company rigs up a way to publish its blog posts by bike I need to do something, we are coming up on a year since I rode any distance over a block on a bike.

Sorta local, I think these guys play basketball. JaVale and J.J. take tandem bike ride on the Santa Monica Pier (Photo) Pro hint, don’t call a tagalong a tandem.

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: LA chosen Vision Zero Focus City, another Glendale cyclist threatened, and a special bike offer

And Ted Part 2. Bicyclist killed Tuesday in Ojai Valley

Still in CA. Law firm says settlement is reached in cyclist’s death, but Newport says nothing is final Doncha just hate it when your settlement can be derailed by people not even involved with the negotiations?

I think this is the same highway where a cyclist was killed back in 2011. Cyclist killed after hit-and-run, 2nd strike Again they blame the victim for not wearing the GITDCS instead of the driver not driving at a speed they could see to stop in the distance that could be seen clearly.

Back to America’s Copenhagen for more infrastructure. Gap Week: 82nd Avenue and Burnside

Another link on that cyclist hit from behind in PA. Bicyclist killed in Wilkinsburg identified

National infrastructure news for US readers. These U.S. Reps Want to Redefine Bike-Share Ideally bike-share would be run by transit agencies and be colocated with transit centers as well as areas of high transfer from bus to walking and destinations to serve as last-mile gap fillers.

Infrastructure news from far West Canuckistan. Cycling sign impedes bikes Windshield bias heavily in evidence in the comments section.

Remember that Mythbusters episode where they compared drowsy driving to drunk driving? Ultra-Cyclist Dies While Training on Rio-Santos Road in São Paulo

This UK story deserves a Triple Facepalm! Banned driver spared jail after ‘foolish’ car chase through Nunsthorpe estate About the only good thing to say about this was the driver was sober. Having said that, Holy Crap he drove like that sober!

Also from Jolly Olde. These Moving Photos Show The Moments Before Cyclists Were Killed By Cars Long exposures with flat light and a bright headlight leave a ghostly impression.

A pedestrian dies after getting hit walking on the sidewalk, must be NYC, right? Elderly woman dies after crash in Greenacre, another pedestrian injured Nope, it was in Oz. The driver was weaving on and off the sidewalk, and was taken from the scene by ambulance. I’m assuming DUI or medical emergency, with a strong bet on the medical emergency.

And last link is a bit of uplifting news from Enn Zed. Almost killed by bee sting; now legally blind mountainbiker aims to conquer epic bike race

And I’m outta links and ready to crash, into my bed…

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Got my toes done in preparation for paying my taxes, and the Feed

I just returned from getting my toenails cut so that when I walk from one tax office to the other I don’t get the nails pressing against the inside of my shoes. The walking I did over the weekend was very uncomfortable because of this. So because I’m paying the taxes tomorrow I’ll be running a bit late again for posting to the blog.

Up first is a low-information wreck report from about 40 miles to the west of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Boy riding bike hit by truck in Haltom City As of this posting nothing on the victim’s injuries or on the mode of the wreck. I sincerely hope the little guy is not injured too badly. More Haltom City man arrested on DWI charge after boy hit by truck

This is another thing I have to deal with as a TX cyclist. Injured cyclist hopes trial will lead to state ban on distracted driving That’s right someone cab run me over with their face stuck in their cell phone and it’s all like “whoopsie!” because there is no law against distracted driving in TX.

Another link to the cyclist killed by a hit-and-run driver in Houston. HPD: Hit-and-run driver kills bicyclist near Southwest Freeway at Westpark

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Glendale driver brake-checks cyclists; Newport Beach legal settlement could fix deadly intersection

And Part 2. Update: Bicyclist killed in Santa Ana collision Monday evening

Over in AZ the family of a cyclist killed by bad infrastructure as much as by the inattentive driver hopes to get the infrastructure fixed. Family of cyclist hit, killed by car hopes to make roads safer The intersection has a smooth wide-radius turn that puts drivers across a bike lane at high speeds. The solution is to keep the separate right turn lane but to extend it closer to the cross street and make the radius about 4 feet instead of the 50 or so feet of the current lane. And to confiscate and crush the cars of anyone who hits a vulnerable road user. We gotta protect those pedestrians, motorcyclists, and tow truck operators along with the cyclists.

Over in America’s Copenhagen, a bizarre infrastructure problem. Willamette Greenway path north of Steel Bridge closed “until further notice” – UPDATED The “problem” here is not cyclists but homeless campers, but cyclists are the ones that have to suffer for it. The really aggravating thing is the campers are not even in the area that cyclists are being kept from accessing, but are just off of it. I don’t know what could be done to remedy the problem, homeless people are kinda out of my field of specialty.

Still in Portland and still on infrastructure. Gap Week: Westbound Burnside Bridge between Naito and 3rd The most dangerous thing about bicycle infrastructure is when it ends, partcularly when it ends wothout warning or directions.

And our third infrastructure article from America’s Copenhagen (I keep thinking about tobacco products when I use that name, too much time in the SE USA). Guest article: The 20s “bikeway” project through the eyes of two 12-year-old girls

That guy who decided to ride a CitiBike across the country from NYC to LA has completed the trip despite getting attacked outside Tulsa for riding a bike somewhere near an idiot. Cyclist Punched, Injured In Sapulpa Finishes Cross-Country Journey This trip showed one of the problems I faced when I was planning a trip to the World Human Powered Speed Championships a few years back, as I would have been crossing the Rocky Mountains about the end od October with sub-freezing temps during the morning hours.

A NC cyclist severely injured a few years ago finally succumbs to injuries he never recovered from. Cyclist known for support of downtown Winston-Salem dies

Cyclist killed in bad road conditions in PA. DUI not suspected in Wilkinsburg crash that killed bicyclist There was a ot of angle in the hit-from-behind wreck, and the impact showed the cyclist was in position to be seen by the driver as he impacted the windshield directly in front of the driver.

Infrastructure from WI. To Fix Roads, Use Conservative Approach This guy is saying that if you want things you have to pay for things, not get them now and let someone else pay for them later. Since cars tear up the roads let gas taxes pay for keeping the roads up, not borrowing.

Another link about that strange bike wreck in far West Canuckistan where a man going through a garbage can for recyclables threw out something that hit a cyclist on the head and killed the cyclist. Composite sketch released in bizarre incident that killed cyclist He wasn’t throwing anything at anybody, just not paying any attention to where things went when he tossed them from the can.

Still looking for that person with the black coat, white pants and black shoes spotted in the area where a cyclist was killed in Jolly Olde. Witness appeal after dad-to-be killed while out cycling

And speaking of bizarre wrecks, this cyclist wandered off after getting hit, leaving his bike behind? Urgent search for injured cyclist hit by car this morning in Hounslow A car hit both the cyclist and a pedestrian in the same intersection, but the cyclist just wandered off and they fear he may have been severely injured but in too much shock to realize it.

Bad enough to have to worry about getting hit by the vehicle without having to worry about getting hit by the people inside the vehicle. Cyclist Knocked Off Bike In Brentwood After Helmet Grabbed That could have gone so bad, they are very lucky the cyclist’s neck wasn’t broken.

DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS! Boy, 4, injured by cyclist in Grimsby underpass who then sped away Especially don’t hit-and-run the pedestrians.

And this just makes me want to strangle the idiot driver. Death crash driver told police he ‘did not see’ cyclist, jury told and Louise Wright death: Cyclist ‘dragged underneath lorry’ The cyclist was sitting at the intersection before the truck, they aren’t sure if the truck was signalling or if the cyclist was in position to see the signals if they were in use, and the driver “couldn’t see” the cyclist because you could hide the horn section of the UCLA Trojan Marching Band in the front blind spots of the truck. The truck/driver combination should not have been in the city in the first place…

Infrastructure news as a debris net is hanging down enough to snag cyclists on the bank and rowers on the river. Network Rail’s bridge net by River Cam ‘dangerous’ to rowers and cyclists – video

This looks interesting. Have you seen KerVelo’s front-wheel-drive recumbent? This drivetrain could also be used to make an 18 speed unicycle 😀

Meanwhile in Oz. Cyclists are climate-change heroes but we are often treated as villains

And infrastructure from Oz. Sydney Road gets safety upgrades to cut car doorings one year after cyclist’s death

And once again I’m tired and ready for bed because tomorrow will be a busy day.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Doing another burn test on strobe mode, and the Feed

Just to do due diligence on the new light I’m doing a second burn test on the strobe mode. It’s beginning to look like I’m going to need extra battery packs if I have to do trips that involve starting early and staying out late. And there were a lot of links from Twitter this morning, so here we go into the rest of the filter process.

Up first is a court case from down the road in Austin. Family sues driver after 2013 collision with cyclist

Still in TX. CYCLIST KILLED IN SOUTHWEST FREEWAY HIT-AND-RUN The cyclist was on his final approach to his place of employment on the frontage road of the freeway when he was killed.

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Bad weekend for pro cyclists, a crib sheet on protected bike lanes, and OCR’s David Whiting nails it

And part 2. Riverside bike rider killed in Sunday collision

Still in CA. Roadshow: White ‘ghost bikes’ honor dead bicyclists

Not done in CA yet. Cars vs. bicycles: The struggle to break a fatal cycle

Still in CA? VIDEO: Cyclists Assaulted on Chevy Chase Yep, that’s CA

NYC infrastructure. Evidence That Split-Phase Signals Are Safer Than Mixing Zones for Bike Lanes Wait, they don’t use separate phases at all intersections because it costs too much and takes away parking? How much is a life worth?

One of the most highly frustrating things about living in the City. Most Roads Are Clear, Why Not The Crosswalks? Nor the bike lanes, which seem to get used for snow storage as long as needed for workers to “eventually” get around to clearing them.

Infrastructure news from CO. Guest Commentary: Bike lanes are about more than just bikes Yep, bike lanes done right make things better for people that never rode a bicycle in their lives.

Unless this was gang-related this driver was an idiot. Man on bicycle in east valley shot and killed; assailant unknown Why do a drive-by shooting when you can just do a hit-and-run and claim you never saw the cyclist you hit and get grief counselling, if caught.

AZ cyclist is hit from behind in an area of bad infrastructure design. UPDATE: PCSD identifies driver, victim in fatal bicycle collision

AR mayor needs to get infrastructure right first, then do bike share on safe streets. Fayetteville mayor announces bike share program push

Over n Jolly Olde have you seen this person, or are you this person? Passer-by may have seen crash which killed Rugby cyclist Sam Davies

Still in the UK. Four in every five sets of traffic lights should be removed, report claims Delays of 2 minutes are crippling the economy, but pedestrian and cyclist deaths have no economic effect. Got it. Got that these clowns are roughly equivalent to the south end of a northbound mule.

Cyclist injured in illegal “punishment pass” in Oz. Cyclist reveals injuries after clash with ute in Brisbane As the cyclist pointed out, another 8″ over to the left and the cyclist would have been a greasy smear on the side of the road. That’s more than 1 meter too close (on a required 1 meter (39.37″) clearance.

Over in the PI a cyclist is killed walking her bike through a dangerous intersection. Death of a cyclist spurs new campaign for safer bike lanes As was pointed out in the comments even if they did put in bike lanes drivers would just use them to cut traffic jams.

In places where the bike lane has to go in front of the bus stop cyclists are required to wait for bus passengers in Denmark. LED Busstops in Copenhagen

Taxi companies could have cars on the roads any time they weren’t getting recharged, and would be convenient enough that people wouldn’t buy their own cars in this vision of the future. No parking? Self-driving cars could have a huge effect on our cities

I don’t see what problem this TX startup was solving, there are 3 e-assist bike stores in the Metromess. San Antonio electric bicycle startup gears up to start cranking out hybrid bikes Unless there just aren’t any dealers willing to put a kit on an existing bike, or build up kits for sale…

And that’s it for links today (tonight). I almost forgot, the burn test was almost exactly twice as long on strobe as it was on high, so strobe is a 50% duty cycle. And pretty freaky to wave your hand in front of.

Billd @$0.02, Opus

Lots of church today

We had lots of church today and I had a lot of e-mail and never got around to making the post. Also the cats tore up my office when I couldn’t get them out before morning service, and the cops asked Mrs. the Poet if she was OK when I was doing a burn test on the strobe setting on my new light. Yes, it’s that bright. BTW the strobe setting lasts about 1.9 times as long as the “high” setting, so the duty cycle in roughly 50% ± a bit.

Other things happened, and I missed dessert.

PSA, Opus

Another day spent pounding pavements, and the Feed

This was a rough one as I went to the bank to get some money out of the firewalled account, and then went grocery shopping for the stuff we couldn’t get yesterday because we didn’t have the $ in the non-firewalled account. And I still forgot the yogurt, so no yogurt for me and the poor little kitties. 😦 And I discovered that I really need to get my toes done because my toes hurt like mad from getting the too-long nails pressed against the inside of my shoes as I walked. I really wish I could still get to all my toes by myself to trim my toenails.

And I keep writing about the Sprint-T (both sizes) but many of you don’t know how long this desire has been fermenting in my brain. U.S. Speed Sport “Instant T” T-Bucket History Not quite this long, but not very long after this.

Up first in the bike links is Out Daily Ted. Morning Links: Notes from Neil Storm Stephany sentencing, and update on new Camp Pendleton bike policy

Still in CA is this infrastructure link. They’ve Invented An Ingenious New Type Of Intersection That Could Save Lives The don’t noticeably slow bike or car traffic and protect the cyclists from the cars. Good show.

With SnowmageddonII hitting the entire east coast north of FL this weekend here’s a cheery thought about the road conditions. Why rain is more dangerous than snow

This SC hit-from-behind wreck may have involved excessive speed. Woman Killed While Riding Bicycle to Work The driver had to be hospitalized, this usually means the cyclist caused a spray of glass inside the passenger compartment which requires a fair amount of velocity. LEO are not elaborating on this aspect at the time of filtering.

Meanwhile in NYC. 15-Year-Old Boy In Critical Condition Following Williamsburg Hit-And-Run When I filtered this link there was a bicycle in it, but I can’t find the bicycle now. Just a body in the street, and a red minivan.

Still in NYC a driver moving an SUV at a service garage manages to hit several parked cars in the street and two pedestrians pinning one to the side of a building. NYPD: Gas Station Worker “Lost Control” Of SUV, Ran Over Cop’s Foot, Pinned Woman To Wall I can’t believe they didn’t say “No criminality suspected” on this one. I guess that’s because he ran over a cop.

Not done with the city yet, here’s some infrastructure bad news. Say Goodbye To Jay Street’s Vital Bike Lanes “Do any of these lane designers actually ride bicycles in the city? Or is “bicycle lane” just a button in their CAD program?” j44ke. He (she?) said it better than I could. Making the street more dangerous so that cars had easier access to the BQE. (SMH)

Over in SD they are trying to force cyclists off the roads. Bicyclists Belong in the Traffic Lane

They finally got around to charging the driver in this case in MI. Suspect charged after hit-and-run death of cyclist in Ann Arbor At least they didn’t wait until the driver killed himself in another wreck like in my case. October to January…

Up there in West Canuckistan they gots an attempted killer on the loose. RCMP seek hit-and-run driver who injured cyclist in Willowbrook They turned the Mounties on him, and you know what they say about Mounties and suspects.

Still up there in the Great White North. Killer of LaSalle cyclist sentenced to nine months in jail I don’t think there is an “m” in years. There is a serious disconnect between the seriousness of the crime and the severity of the sentence.

When the building used to store your bike gets condemned, while you’re recovering from a severe chronic illness they might lose the bike. Disabled woman’s lifelong dream of cycling across Canada dashed after bike vanishes Woman has a relapse of the disease that left her riding a hand bike and had to put the bike in storage while she went home to recover and then the bike turns up missing.

In Jolly Olde a cyclist is stopped for having a flashing light 10 years after the law was changed to allow flashing lights. Police mistakenly stop cyclist for flashing rear light “We Googled it and we were wrong.” Really, the law changed in 2005 and you’re just now finding out about it?

Good news from the UK. Yeovil cyclist who suffered head and leg injuries thanks mysterious Good Samaritan When you’re hurt don’t try to “tough it out” like this guy. He had serious injuries that needed attention from medical personnel, not a home fix-up.

Rider down in Malta. Cyclist, 79, seriously injured in Birzebbuga traffic accident and Cyclist, 79, hit by car in Birżebbuġa And that’s about all LEO are saying about the wreck.

A bus hits a cyclist and takes out 3 more and leaves the scene in Oz. Gold Coast bus hits cyclists, one injured The hit-and-run is barely mentioned. “It is believed the Surfside Buslines driver was unaware he clipped the cyclist, with the bus continuing after the incident without stopping.” Seriously, WTF?

Useful art from discarded bike parts. These Awesome-Looking Chandeliers Are Made From Salvaged Bicycle Parts Used chains and wheels and a few eectrical bits, et voila! Let there be fashionable light.

Old post just brought to my attention today. So I Went Automobile Shopping… What if car buying was like bike buying? How many cars would get sold?

As the weather gets colder your e-assist bike (and your EV) will lose range because batteries don’t like cold> There’s a worrisome problem with electric cars that no one’s talking about For cars there are a couple of things you can do, pre-heat the car interior while the car is still on the charger so you are using grid rather than battery power to do the heating, and switch over to seat heat rather than cabin heat while on the road to stay warm without using as much battery power. On an e-assist bike you provide the heat inside your clothing, but the battery losing range because of the cold slowing down the chemical reactions inside the battery still applies.

Last link, this is why I have to take so many mental health days from this blog. Feeling More I know to some it seems like I can report on some serious $&(^ and it doesn’t phase me, but I have to take a lot of breaks and go read comics or other stuff between making links on this blog.

And on that note I’m going to throw a couple tags on this post and try to unwind a bit before bed.

I’m fuzzy on Grocery Day, and the Feed

We are in the depths of Winter, and my bear-ness is approaching magnificent 😉
We spent more on cat food and kitty litter than we did on human foods at the grocery, but that’s OK because we has cats and they luvs us. We can eat $1 frozen pizza.

Up first NYPD actually finds a hit-and-run driver and arrests him. Cops Arrest Driver Who Allegedly Killed Brooklyn Cyclist & Kept Going and Hit-and-run truck driver kills Chinese immigrant riding bicycle in Brooklyn also Truck kills cyclist Can Reng Ma, Junior Hicks charged with hit-and-run: police this, too Driver Arrested in Brooklyn Hit-Run That Killed Father Bicycling Home After Work: NYPD TBH I am shocked that this much (read “any”) effort was expended on this wreck.

Infrastructure from NYC. Video: One Simple Trick To Stop NYC Drivers From Killing You Why is it drivers put so much effort into avoiding a hunk of plastic but not a fragile human body?

Still in NYC. Report: Vision Zero Won’t Meet Its Goal By 2024

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: An in-depth look at PCH bike wrecks, helmets make you blow up balloons, and they’re onto us

Still in CA, LEO capture a bike thief with the “goods”. Police Grab Two Suspects With Pricey Stolen Goods

Also in CA a memorial ride for a fallen cyclist. Memorial bike ride held in honor of Loma Linda cyclist, ‘SteveO Eleven’

Infrastructure news from America’s Copenhagen. City’s latest experiment to protect NE Couch bike lane has failed I suggest something like this or some tire shredders like they use in pay parking lots.

Still in Portland. Bikeways, interrupted: Get ready for Gap Week This will get more links next week.

WI infrastructure news, as a law that had held out some hope for creating bike infrastructure turns out to be total crap in final form. Problems With Pothole Repair Act Since bike infrastructure is a part of the street I think the bill can be used to pay for it.

Cycling has a perceived attitude problem part 1. Chip on our shoulders?

Attitude problem part 2. Bicyclists Want to Slow Down Cars Even More

And attitude is shared on both sides of the windshield. It’s all fun and games until you honk at a LEO on a bike.. Ha Ha Ha!

Justice in Canuckistan. Southern Alberta man sent to jail for hit and run that killed cyclist Only 15 months, but that was about the limit allowed by the law.

Infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Cycling, congestion charge and a ban on big buses: John Hipkin’s solution to Cambridge growth agenda

Remember that guy that crashed into the ditch and drowned in Enn Zed? Family of killed cyclist Darrel Thomas works to make Hagley Park pathway safe

And I didn’t know Dallas had a women’s pro bike racing team. Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling announce roster, show off new kit – Gallery

And I’m finally out of links.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Still just plugging along and nothing much happening, and the Feed

I’m still prowling the web for raw stock to build the Mini Sprint-T after failing to find local sources for single-project size lots of sheet, rod/tube, and strip polystyrene. None of the local hobby stores carry anything in plastic raw stock, and the local plastics distributors won’t sell anything resembling hobby lots of supplies. Deja vu all over again, this was the same thing that happened a few years ago when I was buying raw stock for making custom bicycles that I couldn’t get by cannibalizing bikes left on the side of the street.

Up first, NYPD decides hit-and-run is legal. Cyclist killed in Brooklyn hit-and-run and Brooklyn Cyclist Killed By Hit-And-Run Rental Truck Driver also NYPD: Still Defending Hit-and-Run Drivers to the Press [Updated] Why is it that when a crime is committed with a car NYPD falls all over itself to absolve the driver of criminal charges? This wreck was a hit-from-behind wreck after the cyclist crossed the intersection with no escape route. the way to the left was blocked by the truck, the way to the right was blocked by a high curb.

Still in NYC is this counting of accumulated death and injury for last month. DOT: 1,445 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 16 Killed in December [Updated] Vision Zero only works when LEO is signed on to enforce laws, but as we saw in the previous paragraph NYPD actively works to not enforce traffic laws that protect vulnerable users.

Our Daily Ted part one. Morning Links: Possible murder on Irvine bike path; public meeting tonight to discuss traffic in Griffith Park

That murder Ted was talking about. Police: Irvine man’s death on bike path is investigated as a homicide

Daily Ted part two. 69-year old bike rider killed in Calexico; first bicycling fatality in Imperial County since 2012

Still in CA. Caltrans seeks 5,000 volunteer motorists for mileage fee pilot program The proposed program will extract user fees from vehicles proportional to the damages done by the vehicle without depending on a gas tax since electric vehicles don’t use gas.

Also still in CA, red light running cyclists are a menace, drivers doing the same thing… [Update] State Senator Seeks To Reduce Fine For Red-Light Violation So the year after raising the red light fine on cyclists they reduce it for drivers who actually killed dozens of people in CA from failing to stop before making a right on red. RIiiiGHT

Seeing the MO flag on a 15 foot pole bill as the victim blaming it really is. WHY THE MISSOURI BICYCLE FLAG BILL IS NOT AS FUNNY AS YOU THINK

Up in the Great White North. Quebec coroner issues 3 recommendations after 2014 cyclist death

From Jolly Olde what appears to be a punishment pass. Maidstone cyclist captures near miss in Dean Street

Still in Jolly Olde, today’s our day for murder/attempted murder on the roads. Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after woman found injured in the road Don’t you just hate when the news outlet feels compelled to tell people that the person inside the light armored vehicle used to seriously injure someone was unharmed during the commission of the mayhem?

And burying the Big Story way down in the post, deliberate assault in Oz. Female cyclist injured in road rage attack on Beach Rd, Beaumaris and Coke bottles thrown at cyclists in shocking Beach Road attack also Woman hospitalised after shocking road rage incident Chuck a full bottle of cola soft drink at someone’s head should be classified as an assault, if not a terroristic act.

Are you worried that you are not as green as you could be on your bike? Is there such a thing as eco-friendly bike lube? As pointed out in the article, riding a bike is already seriously green even using the “worst” bike lubes, there is only a tiny bit to be gained by going to another kind of bike lube.

One thing heavily touted about driverless cars is eliminating drunk driving, but now you’re telling me that won’t happen? Are self-driving cars legal? And if so, can I drive home drunk in one?

More stupid infrastructure tricks. 12 of America’s Biggest Highway Boondoggles There are an uncomfortably large number of TXDoT projects on that list.

High hopes for e-assist bikes’ future. 1 in 3 bicycles will be an e-bike by 2023: Study Possibly too high hopes, the projections seem unrealistic.

Last link is something that is on every parent’s mind when their kid(s) is(are) out on two wheels. What to Do When Your Kid Crashes a Bike

And that’s all I got today. Apparently I missed Penguin Awareness Day, not that I need any more awareness of penguins with my name. More tomorrow.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Back from a date with Mrs. the Poet, and the Feed

Mrs. the Poet and I took in a movie and dinner this afternoon and evening, so I got a late start to filtering the Feed. I finally saw “The Force Awakens”, then we went to a local burger place to get dinner. We got home just before 2200, and I got right to filtering and making the post.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Examining 2015 SoCal bicycling fatalities, and San Diego mountain bikes seized by Marines

The most deadliest state in the US to ride a bike kills another one and nobody can figure out how he died. Authorities investigate death of bicyclist struck on Copans Road When I filtered this link they were saying the cyclist might have been dead before he was hit by the car that stopped, and they don’t know why he was in the street.

Also from the most deadliest state. Father of killed cyclist in Fort Myers speaks about arrest “Longoria was charged with leaving the scene of a traffic crash involving death, vehicular homicide, arson, two counts of tampering with evidence, filing a false police report and driving on a suspended driver’s license.” Um, yeah, if this is the guy he needs to go away for a very long time, especially with the two counts of tampering with evidence…

Infrastructure news as CT prepares to waste more than 10% of their transportation budget adding a lane to one highway. Highway Boondoggles: Widening I-95 Across Connecticut To give an idea on the scale of this project I submit this quote: “$100 Billion would Build 100,000 miles of protected bike lanes in CT. Instead of adding a couple of lanes to I-95, the same money could create a dense network of protected bike lanes in Every city, town, and Hamlet Which could do more to reduce congestion than squandering billions on failure.” Alexander Vucelic

This “cyclist” was riding an e-scooter, but in the bike lane and at bike speeds, so this still applies to us. Man charged with ‘dooring’ cyclist The scooterist was thrown directly in front of a truck that had no time to avoid him. Since this province has a mandatory sidepath law and an anti-dooring law to protect cyclists stuck in the sidepath the usual advice to not ride in the door zone is not applicable. The only thing that can prevent wrecks like this given the legal infrastructure is charging and prosecuting and applying the maximum sentence to drivers or their passengers who open doors unsafely, particularly when the incident ends up with a dead cyclist.

A hit-and-run driver in Jolly Olde is “given strong words of advice“? Cyclist and child hit by a car – but elderly motorist drove off after accident on Cambridge bridge Am I going nuts or is everyone else?

Still in the UK. Cyclist tailgated by car – on London Cycle Superhighway Not by just one vehicle, look at the back and you can see the glare from the headlights of another vehicle tailgating the first. Insanity.

This is one traffic hazard that is not very common in the US. Cape Town cyclist in ICU after attack

Presented smugly 😀 A Study Finds Cyclists to Be Six Times Healthier than Other Commuters My commute increased by 150% recently as I moved my office from my bedroom to the room across the hall. It literally takes me minutes longer to get from my bed to my computer by way of the coffeepot.

And I’m both out of links and energy to type links into the post.

Billed @$0.02, Opus