The trees are killing me, and the Feed

I’m still having problems seeing because of this allergy attack, and weather.com says the only pollen in the area is tree pollen. To make things worse we are having a pretty stiff breeze in the area keeping the pollen flying around instead of letting it settle like it did last week when the mailbox was tinted yellow. The interesting thing about this year as compared to previous years is I can breathe pretty well, I just can’t see very well. Most of the time I can see the TV or the computer not too bad, but if I let my hydration drop below a certain point, that I don’t know where it is until I pass it, then all of a sudden I get a white veil across my vision. It’s super annoying.

Ted is taking a Mental Hygiene day so no Daily Ted. Sending best wishes to Ted.

Normally I would say still in CA. Buena Park bicyclist killed by pick-up truck identified Not a whole lot of information about this wreck, aside from a general location, the type of weapon vehicle, and the identity of the victim.

Also still in CA. Cyclist hit by car in Pacific Beach suffers head injury At this point LEO believe the cyclist ran a stop sign while the weapon vehicle was on a through street.

Still in CA (lots of links from CA). FiDi & North Beach Crime Roundup: Hit & Run, Stabbing, Violent Fight Over Tips I assume this “Munchery” is some kind of food delivery. I’m extremely happy the pedestrian was uninjured. From the limited narrative given the wreck was partially due to a congested intersection, and restricted sight lines.

And guess where we haven’t left? Bicyclist critically injured in collision with UPS truck in Baldwin Park Either a cross or hook movement given that the truck was turning into a driveway. Intersection protocols to reduce damages. Drivers watching where they are going to prevent.

Yep, still in CA. DEVORE: Bicyclist hit and killed by vehicle (UPDATE) Left cross wreck, the most frequent cause of death for motorcyclists, 3rd for bicyclists. Always the fault of the driver for not looking before turning.

From America’s Copenhagen. Bicyclist struck and killed in SE Portland Witnesses say the weapon vehicle was turning and going fast enough that the cyclist was thrown into the air. While no charges were made public in this link the driver was arrested and taken away in handcuffs.

And from the Portland on the other side of the country/continent from America’s Copenhagen. Portland police arrest man on suspension of fatally hitting cyclist This was really confusing for me because the two cities are both in counties of the same name, with neighborhoods of similar names. Nothing on the mode of wreck, but that bike in the picture looks like it was hit from behind, and the several charges involving impairment suggest the cyclist was hit from behind. And someone really needs to proofread that headline. Ugh!

Moving from ME to MA. Bicyclist killed in downtown Holyoke Friday morning and Bicyclist killed in Holyoke crash Friday The first link just says the cyclist hit the truck, second says this was a left cross wreck, which is always the fault of the driver for failing to wait until the lane is clear before crossing it.

Moving south to FL. Teen on bicycle killed after being hit by car in Apollo Beach Cyclist hit from behind, comments blaming cyclist for being there at 0239…

Still in FloriDUH. Victim in fatal Merritt Island hit-and-run crash identified Hit from behind, BOLO for a Chevy S-10 P/U with fresh heavy front end damages. Speculation the cyclist was either drunk or trying to get to safety after getting hit and run before…

And we got a lot of similar links from different outlets. Cyclists upset about lack of penalties for drivers who hit bikes and Cyclists seek heavier penalties on errant drivers also Amid Cycling Boom, Penalties for Errant Drivers Remain Light Totally expected calls for bicycle license plates with the NOLA link’s comments section.

Update on the victim of a CO hit-and-run. Cyclist injured in hit-and-run near Boulder released from hospital Wishing the cyclist a quick recovery from all injuries, not expecting anything like that.

Wreck in KS. Teen bicycle rider hospitalized after hit by Kansas driver and Teen bicylist struck by car suffers serious injuries in Riley County There was no excuse for this wreck, hit from behind in late afternoon with the sun off the driver’s right meaning the roof would have blocked anything from shining into the driver’s eyes. He should have seen the cyclist and either slowed down or moved over. Instead he just plowed right into the cyclist.

This SC infrastructure test is the absolute worst-case situation, installing a bike lane by removing a travel lane for motor vehicles with nobody using the bike lane (in this case because they aren’t allowing bicycles to use the blocked lane because it “isn’t safe”). Ashley River bike lane test set for April to May

From the Great White North. Birthday horror: ‘Shattered’ mom learns son killed by minivan while riding bike The wreck was so bad that there was no viewing at the wake or funeral.

And a serious Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot moment for me when I read this link. No charges expected after Leamington cyclist killed on County Road 31 Are they seriously not going to charge the driver for overdriving their lights when they hit the cyclist from behind because the cyclist was wearing dark clothes? Do deer and moose wear reflective vests when they wander about at night?

This is just appalling. Bike courier launches fund to pay rent after hit-and-run driver left him too injured to cycle He should be getting some kind of temp disability while he recovers enough to do his job or gets another job.

This is one of the things I loathe about UK media laws. Cambridge woman stole 11-year-old’s bike as he and his mother gave chase Yeah, this would have been a good story, back in August when it happened, not in late March when she got sentenced for it.

A fitting memorial is in the planning stages. Syd Barrett memorial exclusive: spinning bike wheel artwork planned This is the song being commemorated with the artwork.

Wreck in Scotland. Teenage cyclist killed in collision with car on Moray road Typical UK report.

The money grab from cyclists doesn’t seem to have changed much in the first month. ‘Shock and awe’ tactic not helping in bicycle safety campaign

This is just low. Rebekka Meyer’s ghost bike disappears, found dumped nearby Who would do such a thing?

And I’m out of links finally.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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Unlike Garfield I have a reason to hate Mondays, and the Feed

I love my job, but I really hate to do it on Monday, mainly because there is a whole weekend of accumulated links to filter through and analyse. That means there is a lot of death and destruction to wade through, only some of which applies to the topic of this blog.

And I did notice the big mess over in Paris (I got my first report from the Eagles of Death Metal Facebook page). I’m not doing a big thing because first, I’m not that big a deal in the blogosphere, and second my personal feelings about generalized terror attacks are not really pertinent to the blog. If they had attacked a Velib station I would have said something because that was a specific target of bike infrastructure. But a heavy metal concert and a soccer (football) game are just generalized terror attacks.

Up first is a subject that has been bouncing around the bicycle blogosphere like a ping-pong ball at supersonic speed, what is appropriate criminal punishment for a death from vehicle wrecks? Cyclists Question Decision Not to Press Criminal Charges Against Driver Who Hit, Killed Bethesda Bicyclist I put the link to the BikePortland article on a similar wreck on this blog late last week, and now we have this link to a wreck in MD. And drivers in both cases basically get away with a homicide because there is a huge gap between the mens rea required to prosecute a vehicle operator and a person with a gun. If you read this blog for long you know which one is the more deadly.

Similar questions on a CA wreck. Fatal crash in which Sacramento judge struck cyclist prompts questions First we have to overcome windshield bias of investigators to get charges, then the bias of prosecutors to get to a trial, then the bias of potential jurors to get a conviction.

The drunk driver who killed a cyclist “making a u-turn” in VT is sentenced for the death. Woman sentenced for driving drunk in crash that killed cyclist

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bikes aid Paris healing, Calbike wants to know what you want, and Wilshire bus/bike lanes open Not as many CA links as I have been getting lately.

More on the tour bus that went on a killing spree, seemingly all on its own. Tourists injured in San Francisco bus crash I keep reading reports that the bus was practically driving itself against the inputs of the driver. Was this a case of a hacked computer-controlled vehicle used as a weapon?

A bit closer to WoaB world HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell is this from the Big Easy. NOPD investigating bike attack in the Bywater The article says this has been escalating over the last several months.

Still in LA, away from NOLA. Bicyclist dies after being hit by vehicle Saturday night on Lee Drive Assuming the damaged vehicle in the pictures was the vehicle that struck the cyclist it looks like the cyclist was about 2 feet off the edge of the road when he was hit from behind.

A climate zone away from NOLA we get this MN wreck. Bicyclist critically injured in Mac-Groveland collision Nothing from the article about the mode but one of the comments said the cyclist was riding on the sidewalk and failed to stop for the motor vehicle on the main road he was coming up on.

A cyclist killed in NYC restores the vision and visage of a firefighter in MS. FACE OF CYCLIST KILLED IN CRASH TRANSPLANTED ONTO DISFIGURED FIREFIGHTER I hope when I go there is enough useful tissues left after the autopsy to do someone some good. And yes I am sure there will be an autopsy because of the latest study I’m working to find out some basic science for hypertension. I get a free autopsy so they can study my brain and kidneys.

Infrastructure news from DC. Why are bike lanes such heated symbols of gentrification? I have no idea why bike lanes that do nothing to the buildings on a street are fought more than freeways that destroy entire neighborhoods. I mean they are mostly stripes on the street, not bulldozers gouging out the pavement.

That study in Canada continues to reverberate around the world. Female cyclists less likely to be injured than men finds study Now we find that this study mirrors other studies of vehicular violence that also report female drivers are less likely to get killed or injured.

Several links from the Emerald Isle today, including these about a cyclist killed in County Kerry. Cyclist killed after horror crash with car in Co Kerry and Cyclist killed in Kerry collision Other than the fact the cyclist was hit and killed without harming the occupants of the weapon vehicle LEO are very tight-fisted on this one.

Talk about LEO making up new laws, they have just decided to make wearing headphones illegal in Ireland. Cyclists face €40 on-the-spot fines if they’re caught using earphones while on a bike. “Minister Paschal Donohoe confirmed that although it is not a specific offence under road traffic legislation, using headphones could be seen as dangerous to other road users.” If there is no legislation saying it is illegal, why are you handing out fines on the street for doing it? There are laws against running red lights, riding on the sidewalk, and the other things but unless they also start fining drivers with the radio playing which has been proven to cause wrecks they have no business fining cyclists for doing something that is not technically illegal. In fact driving with earphones is legal, but much more dangerous than cycling with headphones. IOW they are fining cyclists for doing something that is legal while allowing drivers who are controlling much more lethality to do the same thing unimpeded.

Still in Ireland the families of the victims of road violence come together. Families gather to remember loved ones killed on our roads

Meanwhile in Jolly Olde a cyclist responds to the constant clamor for registering cyclists. LETTER: No other country has legislation requiring cyclists to have registration plates “You know who really liked bicycle registration schemes? The Nazis during World War Two. They were also extremely keen on cars.” I also like the question of the size of the license plate required to be readable on a bike when combined with the number of letters and numbers needed to have a unique combination for every one of the 27 or so million bicycles in the UK now plus the ones that will be bought in the future. My calculations are that 4 letters and 4 numbers would handle the current population of bicycles, which would require a plate about 9″ wide and 2″ tall, but it would not handle the expected number of bikes to be sold in the next 2 years so the plate put into use would have to be even wider.

Cyclist without ID found lying in the street in Oz. Do you know this tattoo? Police want help identifying critically injured cyclist Considering the number of reports I have gotten this year of cyclists’ wallets getting stolen after they get hit this report does not come as any surprise to me.

We may see a practical H2 powered e-assist bike sooner rather than later. General Motors Sending Fuel Cell Research Vehicle to U.S. Army For Use as Reconnaissance Vehicle

And I’m all outta links tonight. Tomorrow I check other sites that I don’t do on Mondays and also Twitter. “Bleah”, to quote Peanuts.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Grocery Day again, and the Feed

OK today’s opening paragraph is both non-bike and non-humor. There was another theater shooting yesterday, only this time I know the location. Know as in have been to that theater several times to see various movies. The “shooter” this time was a real loony, he only brought a non-lethal training rifle, pepper spray, and a hatchet to the theater, and a fake bomb. The theater was showing the new Mad Max movie, the “feminist” one. I don’t know if any of my friends from when I lived in the area were at the theater or anyone I knew even tangentially because, well it has been close to thirty years now and my memory for names is pretty bad. You can ask my kids how many times I have used one of the cats’ names while talking to progeny. So, anyway, prayers and energy to the wounded in body and spirit.

Up first is more on the murder of a cyclist in NC (yes, I went there). Memorial created for cyclist killed by motor vehicle Drugged out driver crosses several lanes of traffic to hit a cyclist riding on the sidewalk? YES I’m going to call that a murder.

Our Daily Ted comes back after a day off with medical issues. (Writer’s block is a medical issue, right?) Morning Links: Mobility Plan passes but defers battles, Tito’s Tacos owner battles Culver City over CicLAvia The taco stand is going to be inundated with hungry cyclists unless the owner manages to totally piss them off before the event.

There aren’t enough bike lanes in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell to make parking in them an issue, but I “get” the rest of this comic from Bikeyface. Whatever “Dude, you almost got me killed there!” “Whatever.” [cyclist beats driver to death with u-lock] “Whatever, dude.”

And the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike adds another fatality to the total. Teen on bike killed by hit-and-run driver in east Orange County and Teen killed on bicycle – search for hit&run driver also, late to the Feed FHP finds car that may be fatal hit-run vehicle Apparently a witness to the wreck was a car guy and was able to identify the make and model of the weapon vehicle. Debris at the scene verified the ID.

LA (the state, not L.A. the city) has some seriously bad drivers. Returning from memorial for bike rider who was struck and killed, another bicyclist is hit Hit by a driver running a stop sign. The irony here is the cyclist would not have been there to hit if he had not stopped for his own stop sign… More Bicyclists remember friend who was killed in crash

From a little south of that wreck. After 5th cyclist death, increased safety on City Council agenda

From down the road from where I used to live, a survivor. MTSU AD Massaro injured in bike accident, back at work The guy broke his neck in two places and rode home… I think I may have found competition for my “unkillable badass” title. Actually there is no competition for that title, you either are or you are not an unkillable badass.

Joisey is seriously not bicycle friendly. Cyclist from N.Y. injured in collision with car at Clark Street and Route 46 in Wharton Another classic left cross wreck, but watch it get blamed on the cyclist (again).

An injured VA cyclist has the $$ to offer a reward for the driver who left him to die in the road. Augusta County Cyclist Injured in Hit and Run Offers Reward for Suspect “This person won’t be able to keep their mouth shut, since they evidently did it on purpose, so eventually they’ll have to brag about it and that will lead to their demise,” Steve.

A low-information report from the Great White North. Cyclist struck, seriously injured in Mississauga Love the comments section (not).

A cyclist in Canuckistan crashes next to a road. Invermere cyclist with no ID in coma after being found at the side of the road I keep harping on having wearable ID (not so much any more, but there is a limit to repetition). Seriously, this happens all the time it just doesn’t always make the news.

Remember that driver who spent several seconds looking at his phone instead of the road out his windshield? Lee Mill cyclist-death trucker cleared of dangerous driving Apparently driving with your nose in a phone instead of looking where you’re going isn’t “dangerous driving” when you are driving a semi.

The cyclist who went over the edge of a bridge is memorialized. Tributes paid to Ilkley cyclist killed in bridge fall I still think they need to fix that bridge.

No government in the world has ever made bicycle licenses work. Australia: Licensing cyclists will not ease the pain of being hit by vehicles But that doesn’t keep the crazies from trying, over and over.

Way back when, driving was considered anti-social. Before “Accident,” Deadly Driving Was “Homicide By Automobile”

Bob Mionske (as usual) is on it. Legally Speaking: At least three feet

Hydration with a full-face helmet is a problem, but this system can keep you from dehydration. No-drill Motorcycle Helmet MotoGP Hydration Mod One of the things I had the most trouble with was getting a drink while riding with my full-face helmet was getting the water bottle around the chin bar.

And I’m all out of links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet

I’m not dead yet, and the Feed

Here it is day two of living alone without even a cat to keep an eye on me and I’m still alive. 😀 If the blog goes off the air more than the regularly scheduled breaks on Saturday then you’ll know what happened. But I really don’t think there will be any problem with maintaining life support here at Casa de El Poeta. One of the things I have been doing is leaving dishwater in the sink all day so that food doesn’t get dried to the plates and silverware and so I don’t have to run a sink full of water for a plate and a glass and a fork, saving water. One thing we are going to check on this vacation is how much more electricity and water gets used when Mrs. the Poet is here and constantly cleaning up things instead of letting things accumulate to where it can all be done at once. This will take place over a full billing cycle from the electric and water people, so a valid comparison can be made. This will be interesting to see.

Up first is yesterday’s Daily Ted as he posted after I got done filtering. Morning Links: Brake-checking driver harasses cyclist; curb-jumping drivers don’t get Redondo bike lanes

From NYC they caught the woman in that video from a couple days back who ran over a man and got out to look at the body, then got back in her car and left. Woman Arrested After Running Over Elderly Man, Getting Out To See Him Bleeding, Then Driving Away She hit him, stopped and backed off the body, got out to look at the body, then drove away to leave him to die in the street. As one commenter put it, “There is a special place in Hell for her…”

Also from NYC, a guy is just sitting waiting for the bus when all of a sudden there is a car on his head. Vietnam Vet Killed By Alleged Drunk Driver While Waiting For Staten Island Bus The driver of the weapon vehicle was cut off by a left cross driver and then lost control of her vehicle because SHE WAS DRUNK AT 1300. Then for whatever reason she was not hauled away for killing someone while drunk but given a city citation for driving while ability impaired. Seriously NYPD, WTF!?!?!?

Apparently riding around stupid rednecks is dangerous. Cyclists nervous after several deaths in South Mississippi “Cyclists should be treated like people, not animals” Hell treated like an animal would be a step up, at least people stop when they hit an animal. As pointed out in the article there are two problems here, people who don’t know the laws, and LEO who won’t enforce the laws. And then there is the complete and utter lack of any infrastructure other than the Natchez Trace Parkway federal bike route, and a short bike path connecting some casinos on the Gulf.

And another report that UK drivers are not improving, but their cars are. Cycle serious injuries rise 8% in 2014 Overall killed on the roads goes down, cyclists and pedestrians KSI goes up (again), what other conclusion could be drawn?

More good news from the UK. Revealed: Birmingham’s most dangerous roads for cyclists All those people getting killed just trying to get from A to B… Well not ALL of them were trying to get from A to B, some were riding for “fun”, just like some people driver for “fun”.

Another massive protest of infrastructure not fit for use in Jolly Olde. PICTURED: Hundreds protest at Bank junction after death of cyclist Ying Tao who was hit by tipper truck Well they have attracted the attention of the media, at least. Now if they can just get the attention of the people in charge, the oligarchs who really run things.

And some people are just “not nice”. Motorcyclist refuses to stop engine during silence for dead cyclist

Presented without additional comment. Widow of cyclist killed by Crossrail lorry considering civil action after driver found not guilty of causing death by careless driving

More on that government report in Oz that initially I only found out about the “cell phone” provisions mentioned. Turns out there was a whole lot more. Report to VicRoads recommends cyclists be blameless in any crash with a driver After checking out police reports and that wreck study done with the video cameras the researchers decided that cyclists wer so seldom at fault that drivers should have to prove that a wreck was the cyclist’s fault instead of allowing the only witness left alive to come up with a song and dance about “coming out of nowhere”.

And cue the vitriolic outrage from drivers. YOUR SAY: Should drivers always be held accountable for crashes involving cyclists? Arrgle garble licenses, rego, insurance, road tax, suicidal Lycra louts terrorizing grannies in the crosswalk!!!!!1!!!!!!!11!one!!

Will cars go out of fashion? Buying a car could soon be a thing of the past, and Ford is desperate to find what’s next Oh that I could stay healthy long enough to enjoy that!

Last link, there was an e-assist world championships? E-bike… Worlds?! The bikes were EU street legal, which meant that most of the time the riders were on their own as the speeds were too high to get assist, or the trail too steep for the motor to do anything except carry its own weight. Good for testing the athletes, not so much for improving the bicycles.

And I’m all done tonight.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Missing Pagan Fellowship Night tonight, and the Feed

The tight financial situation of the last couple of months has had a negative impact on my social life tonight. We have a tax preparer appointment on Monday that both of us have to be present for which means that both of us will need a bus pass, which means that I can’t spend $5 for a pass to get to the gathering at church tonight. I will be so glad when I get the money to repair Blue so I don’t need to keep dropping $ on bus fare for a slightly over 3 mile trip each way, plus when I take the bus I have to leave early, which won’t happen when I have Blue back on the road. Speaking of Blue, I’m currently putting some charge cycles on the cells in the headlight to try to save the one cell that was drawn down to 0.2V during the time the bike was stolen. The first test I had 3 cells at over 1.3V with that bad cell at 0.2V when I stopped the test and recharged. I’m working my 6th cycle now and I have 2 cells at 1.22 and 2 at 1.20 and I stop the test when the first cell reaches 1.1V or less. The 6th cycle has already gone twice as long as the first test, so things are looking better on that front.

Up first, just down the road from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell the folks in Austin say you can’t depend on drivers actually driving at a safe speed around people unless the infrastructure forces them to slow down. Neighbors want safety improvements after cyclist’s death And the first comment was asking if the cyclist cut off by the truck was wearing a helmet… TANJ!

Our Daily Ted came late today, and was not pleasant. 44-year old bike rider killed near LAX I still feel sorry for Ted whenever he posts these, because he rides those streets

One thing that has been consistent ever since I started this blog was admonishment to “Don’t hit the pedestrians”. Northampton marathon runner has cut the ‘size of tennis ball’ after being knocked over by cyclist at Pitsford At this point I can’t say for sure if this was a collision or a close pass, but either way, stop and render aid.

The recent action to exclude MTB from an area that had been one of the few places in Portland where a person could ride MTB inside the city before the city bought it has raised many questions about what happened to the process. Closed-door Parks bureau committee was set to recommend bike trails at River View So, up to the last meeting of the advisory committee MTB were good to go, then Amanda Fritz declared in March that MTB would not be allowed anywhere in the park that MTBers had invested hundreds of thousands of man hours in maintaining up until the city bought it and after. Something is rotten in the state of Portland.

Other people are wondering what’s going on with their infrastructure. Tucson and the Case of the Missing Bus Lanes Bus lanes in the plan right up until concrete and asphalt are poured then all of a sudden Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot?! no bus lanes. Just like the parks that Dallas voters voted for back in the ’90s where the Trinity Tollway is being planned for right now.

Some good news from the US DOT. DOT Rule Change Lets Transportation Dollars Stay in Local Communities Instead of outsourcing the labor this will keep the money circulating in the community longer. That’s a good thing for the local economy.

Some infrastructure issues from the Great White North. Egan: High time the NCC looked at Canal’s low cycling curbs I love that people are demanding licenses and registration were first in line to comment about this hunk of bike/ped infra.

This just makes me think of criminal charges that should be filed. Cyclist killed at roundabout where Westminster Council rejected safety overhaul When money is offered to rebuild an intersection that gets refused, and then a very predictable death occurs at that intersection, are the politicians involved culpable for the death?

Other UK infrastructure news, proposed changes in the legal infrastructure. Lorry and cyclist accidents: HGV drivers must prove innocence, says Green Party leader Natalie Bennett The HGV industry has fought changes to their vehicles tooth and nail for the last several years, so payback should be expected.

Still more legal infrastructure from Jolly Olde. PedalSure offer cyclist insurance policy focused on you, the rider

Moving on we have a bit of real lifestyle. 13TH ANNUAL FILMED BY BIKE TRAILER PRESENTED BY ORP See what I mean? This is Bicycle Lifestyle, the essence of riding a bike as part of your life. Lots of beer in that film 🙂

Another Wounded Warrior event. Inspirational Cycling Event Helps Injured Service Members Heal

More on the response to a Canadian cyclist’s death. Bowmanville’s Roman Manko’s death ‘a huge loss’ to cycling community

The Canadian version of the Wounded Warrior project. Tribute to British invasion of a musical variety

A Philippine lifestyle story. Police chaplain on nationwide solo bike ride to honor SAF 44

One of the limitations on e-assist bikes is the rate at which the batteries can accept charge. New aluminum battery for smartphones can be charged in a minute This shows the cell can accept a C60 charge rate (60 times the ah rating of the cell), which is a good indication of how it would work as an e-assist battery. At this point the chemistry is only being developed as a power source for mobile devices, but then again so was all the Lithium chemistry at first, except the LiFePO4 and a couple of other chemistries.

And I’m all out of links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Are we having fun yet? and the Feed

Today is Grocery Day again, and we saved a whole lot of money on “stuff” because I’m on a diet until I get enough money to rebuild Blue. I was nearly 220 at the doctor’s office on Monday and all the extra weight is causing other issues with my legs and feet. So I’m deleting all the soda and salty snacks from my diet as well as other things I used to nibble on from time to time. Since I can’t get more exercise until I can see where I’m going I have to go the other route and restrict caloric intake, or to use the vernacular, “Stop stuffing my pie hole!”

On the “See where I’m going” front, I have an appointment Tuesday for an MRI to see how big and/or invasive the thing on the back of my neck has become. This office is even further away than the PCP, I have to walk by that office about a quarter-mile to get to the imaging center. That means about 2 miles round trip on foot with no sidewalks from the closest bus stop to the imaging center. I’m hoping for good weather but late March in Texas is a crapshoot on weather.

Up first today is a double update on the “reflective clothing” bill in OR. Reflective clothing mandate, other bike bills up for hearing in Oregon house – UPDATED and the update to the update Oregon House Rep gives up on mandatory reflective clothing bill This bill was completely gutted with all the original language removed. “HB3255 bill will not be moving forward in its original form, and will have nothing to do with reflective clothing. The bill will be amended to fully delete its original language, and only require a red light to be visible from the rear of the bicycle at night. This is an amendment to the existing law for bicycle equipment requirements, ORS 815.280 (http://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/815.280). Current law already requires a rear reflector at night.” There is a link in the article to the full text of the bill.

Are you a bike hacker? BICYCLE CONTEST Make something awesome, take step-by-step pictures that someone else could use to figure out how to do it themselves, write instructions that fill in the gaps not covered by the pictures, submit, and with a little luck “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!”

Another follower of WoaB is probably a better writer than I am. Barging in TriBeCa, a Top Gear boor – and why I’m proud to be a Roundhead worrywart See I’m mostly a stream of consciousness writer when I’m not writing fiction, or translating Geek to English, but this guy can actually write with historical references and everything.

Our Daily Ted touches on a few sensitive topics today. Morning Links: Justice for San Diego thrill kill victim, Griffith Park feeder ride, and CD4’s Ryu finally responds Seriously, that guy that killed the cyclist in SD was a real stupid git, all he needed to do was hit the cyclist from behind and either claim he “swerved outta nowhere” or that the cyclist was invisible (I didn’t see him) before the wreck, et voila random murder without consequences beyond a little sheetmetal work and a new paint job paid for by insurance. But no, he had to pass the cyclist, stop and get out and shoot the cyclist with a shotgun, the idiot.

Something I have been advocating for a while and wish had been available when I was hit in 2001. Cyclists mounting cameras on bikes for their protection Seriously a rear-facing camera would have gotten at least the basics of what happened possibly even a license plate number as well as the make and color of vehicle that hit me and documentation of the damage sustained by the weapon vehicle. Instead I get months of flack from the LEO assigned to my case and nothing in the way of justice.

More on the cyclist killed by a dump truck driver while she was on a charity ride. No charges in Ride the Rideau crash that killed cyclist, police say I’m not sure I remember this wreck correctly out of the thousands I have covered but I think the cyclist was either left-crossed or right hooked in the wreck, both violations of the Highway Act, but apparently not applicable if the victim was riding a bike.

After another call for bicycle licenses for riders by candidates for alderman in the Windy City, someone dredges up actual facts about the subject. Why Bicycle Licensing (Almost) Never Works The only way it works requires changing the laws on retail sales statewide and somehow closing borders to bringing in bikes from out of state. So, nope, not gonna work in Chi-Town. For all those thinking that bicycle registration or rider licensing is such a good idea, why not require a Chicago -specific driver’s license? After all there are special Chicago laws for driving that drivers need to know about, so why not make sure people know about them by charging a couple of thousand dollars to take a test before entering the city limits?

And this tasty tid-bit from OR. Bike theft ‘kingpin’ admits crime to local TV reporter The problem is fueled by people buying the stolen parts cheap, because, duh, they are stolen. Stop the trade in stolen goods and you cut the problem off at the knees.

Some Portland infrastructure that does not pass the CROW manual test. Another use for green? City adds bike refuges at SE Ankeny/Sandy/11th I know, something had to be done, and there was (next to) no budget to do it. But I’m getting disgusted with the whole process that doesn’t actually get more butts in bike seats and only marginally improves safety for people already riding bicycles.

Another link to the driver that got out of his car to commit attempted murder in Jolly Olde. Police hunt driver who punched cyclist who was then hit by oncoming car Seriously, this guy could have gotten someone killed or permanently injured. He needs to be found and then held without bail as a danger to himself and others.

Why are they installing bollards in the middle of a car-free space? Cyclist’s fury at ‘unnecessary’ new posts which knocked him off his bike in Redhill Not just bollards but black bollards that are almost invisible in low or flat light. I would be incensed as well even if I didn’t get hurt in the incident.

One of the Good Guys. Hero cyclist foils mugging gang by chasing them on his bike… while filming them flee

The survivors of a deceased cyclist go for a “sue ’em all, one will crack and testify against the rest” strategy. Family of cyclist killed in Stanley Park files suit This was an unnecessary wreck, there is plenty of room for a bike lane in each direction in the street, that sidewalk is way too narrow to use as a MUP, and the speed limit is too high. Also there were pedestrians that may have caused (pushed) the cyclist to leave the sidewalk. That has been my theory from the get-go.

Justice or Just Us? Hong Kong court rules murdered cyclist deserved what he got The cyclist was hit head-on by a driver attempting to pass a vehicle going the other direction and who had a driving record that to put it bluntly stunk to high heaven.

Eulogy for a cyclist. ‘Everything about him spelled New Orleans,’ says family of cyclist killed in Terrytown

And I think I have run out of links or sanity, one or the other.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

On a Friday dark and dreary as I pondered weak and weary, and the Feed

Don’t worry, there are no talking ravens or any other birds speaking to me here at Casa de El Poeta in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. It’s just a chill and grey day here. I’m actually wearing a shirt with my usual shorts and socks to fend off the chill, and I had to turn on the lights in the office/bedroom where I work. That’s how chill and grey the day is. The “weak and weary” part is up for speculation, but I submit for your consideration the lump on the back of my neck and the Rice Krispies noises coming from the muscles in the close vicinity of that lump. I’m getting tired of having my neck sounding like someone punching out a bowl of potato chips nearly every time I move it, does that fit the “weak and weary” part of the rhyme?

Up first, Y’all can stop sending me the links to this video now. Cyclist’s Camera Catches The Moment He Was Hit by a Deer and WATCH: Cyclist collides with deer during ride in California Also CHRISTMAS CONFLICT I have seen the links and the video. You know because I have posted them here. Stop sending me links to this video. PLEASE!

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike, why that is so in two articles. Collier County staffer suspended after threat to plow cyclist off road and Punishment issued for staffer who threatened cyclists The “staffer” basically threatened a cyclist with murder, so she got a paid vacation (leave with pay) before getting a few days off without pay and no jail time… And that’s another reason why FL is the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bicycle.

To go along with the threatened violence in FL, a teen convicted of attempting to assault a cyclist in OR is arrested in conjunction with shooting up a school in the same state. Teen involved in throwing bricks at bike riders implicated in high school shooting Violence against cyclists is not just “road rage”, it is violence, assault or attempted murder. And violence against cyclists that goes lightly punished or completely unpunished leads to violence elsewhere.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Arrest made in Anaheim hit-and-run; saddle up for Selle’s Christmas party in San Diego

One of the links mentioned in Ted’s post also showed up in the Feed. Opinion L.A.’s cyclists should need a special ‘info’ license in order to ride How about drivers should need a special license to drive in LA? Incidentally Gigi would love the comments section, the Stupid is strong with this bunch, except for Bill from SD…

Speaking of Stoopid… EFR tells riders to strive for helmet hair How about drivers should strive to not hit other road users? That would save about 30K people a year if 100% effective.

A driver right hooks a cyclist and complains about the traffic ticket? Halifax councillor fights traffic ticket The driver right hooks the cyclist she just passed and then leaves the scene and she’s fighting the ticket? I could give her 3 tickets and a felony charge if I was on the scene. She got off lucky.

Infrastructure! news from America’s Amsterdam. With or without Vision Zero, a safer Barbur might be an economic win What is the $value of a human life? Because they kill an average of 2 people a year on this stretch of road, reducing that by half would save the $value of that life in addition to the economic benefits.

It happened again. Cyclist left waiting over two hours for an ambulance after crash in central London Last time was about an hour and a half, so things are deteriorating for cyclists. Eventually they are going to be so late that a cyclist that would have lived dies from something that could have been caught had they gotten medical attention sooner.

FB page to a cargo HPV. Johanson3 SA

Another “safety” innovation that depends on you having the right kind of cell phone to work. Volvo to Demonstrate In-Car Cyclist Alert System at CES I’m sorry, but I can’t get behind or otherwise in favor of “safety” developments that are dependent on my having the right kind of ceel phone to protect me from a light armored vehicle.

E-assist fat bike for when you want to ride in snow or across loose sand. iGO Electric FatBike I never rode a fat bike, but they tell me they’re fun in the conditions I mentioned at the start of the paragraph.

And I seem to have run out of links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

What kind of incentives would you like to see from my Patreon, and the Feed

I’m giving hard consideration to the Patreon process, specifically what kind of incentives to offer. The $1,000,000/yr incentive was easy, you get a bike named after you and your name goes above the blog title as in (your name here) Presents Witch on a Bicycle. And your picture would be bigger than Ms. Gulch in the banner. But the lesser (ha!) levels of support are somewhat more troubling. $10/month, $120/an should get something nice, a physical token of some kind that you can display your support of a wacky, off-beat blog that you supported before it got famous, like an annual t-shirt or something (I have a t-shirt for Witchstock 2, as an example I think last year they had something like 16 or so). The problem is my graphic design chops are pretty much non-existent. I did the banner with a graphics program that came with the Winspire computer I got in 2004 and pretty much just used stock pictures and the fonts loaded with the program. I mean seriously, I just shrank some pictures to fit the banner and typed in the name sort of centered in the banner with the pre-Gigi left picture, then used GIMP to replace the original picture with me and Gigi and the same font in GIMP to label the pictures. I’m pretty sure that won’t fly for an incentive graphic. So that means I need to pay for a graphic artist to design me something that will be of enough intrinsic value that you would support the blog to get it. I’m open to suggestion here. What do you guys want besides lots of blog posts in exchange for monetarily supporting the blogger?

Up first is another video on that hit-and-run in San Antonio. Cyclist injured in Broadway hit-and-run No new information, just a slightly different video.

Moving a bit west, we find two CA cyclists injured after one flatted on a rock, taking them both down. Two bicyclists injured in San Dimas bike crash Not much to go by on this one, were they practicing drafting or riding side-by-side and the “lead” bike was just the one that went down first? at any rate this link shows the benefits of making sure your equipment is up to snuff before a ride, “ABC Quick” check and all that.

Our Daily Ted is pretty good today, in spite of the delay. Morning Links: California leaps to top 10 bike friendly state; opposition withdrawn to MyFigueroa project “Morning” links didn’t post until this afternoon, but who cares? It’s good stuff today.

Ted reports on a cyclist that may have died as the delayed reaction to getting doored. Bike rider reportedly dies weeks after South Bay dooring

A cyclist is killed in Far West Canuckistan and LEO are sitting very tight on the story. Vancouver Island cyclist killed in collision Besides the facts of a dead cyclist and he was hit by something there’s nothing here. He was “in collision with a vehicle” at roughly 4PM. And they gave a town name, Campbell River. whoopee. Normally when I see this much secrecy in a media report I suspect the driver of the weapon vehicle was a local bigwig, definitely not one of the proles.

Things have been nasty this week in Oz. Cyclist killed in collision with bus latest in long list of accidents and Shocking footage shows last decisions that cost cyclist his life Shocking indeed Cyclist killed on main Sydney road and also Sydney transport chaos after two road fatalities, light rail outage and this one too Police appeal for witnesses after cyclist injured – Hamilton The “shocking video” shows the cyclist leaving the sidewalk via the crosswalk because there is a railing blocking any other exit, just as the bus turns the corner. No actual blood is seen, but several customers in the store can be seen reacting to the wreck as it happens and just after. I have already commented on how to avoid wrecks like these, but with the new information about the bus wreck from the video I have to add that even in a crosswalk you need to enter the street the same way you enter the street from mid-block, cautiously and looking in all directions that a motor vehicle could come from.

Infrastructure! news from the Great White North. Road safety starts with cyclists and ERIC DUHAIME Road safety starts with cyclists It took me a while to figure out what the author was trying to say, but if I’m reading this right, when a pedestrian or driver gets killed people just yawn, but when cyclist riding exactly as directed by the laws gets killed, action gets taken, or at least people look busy. I would prefer that every death be treated as a chance to improve the infrastructure, even when caused by a drunk driver. After all keeping drunk drivers off the roads is part of infrastructure, too. And making sure the streets are safe is a multi-disciplinary task, with parts being done by engineers, some by legislators, some by teachers at all levels of education, and some by law-enforcement. There’s no “Magic Pill” that fixes everything in one swell foop, it takes time and a lot of different people each doing their jobs. The fact that they treat cyclists as indicator species or “canary in the coal mine” situations is just an indication of how bad their infrastructure has been allowed to get.

Same wreck, different reaction to it. Mathilde Blais cycling death spurs calls for safer crossings Not the picture where the sidewalk that had been blocked earlier in the week is now a designated Shared Space for cyclists and pedestrians. Not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, but an improvement over the state of the infrastructure when the cyclist was killed trying to use it as designed.

Infrastructure in the UK is so insane you have to act insane to use it safely. The only way to survive as a cyclist is to behave like you’re suicidal Assume every driver is trying to kill you and ride appropriately has been common advice for a while now, but this is a bit beyond the pale.

And another case of windshield bias rears its ugly head in Oz. Duncan Gay considers cyclist licences Since 90% of Aussie cyclists already have driver’s licenses this is just an obstacle and a money grab rather than an actual way to improve cyclist safety. There is one way I think this will work: require everyone who gets a driver’s license to have a cyclist’s license, or no go. If you’re not fit to ride a bike then most likely you are not fit to drive a car for the same reasons. The overall health of drivers will go up and everyone will get used to being on a bicycle in traffic, making drivers more aware of cyclists when they are not on their bikes.

And lifestyle from one of the institutions of higher learning I attended growing up. Family of USU cyclist killed in slackline accident files lawsuit Old Main Hill is the place where I turned my tailbone into tiny bits of gravel one winter’s day in 1977. That injury bothered me for years after.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today,

Billed @€0.02, Opus