Twelve years gone

I moved this blog over from MySpace November 23 2008. That makes twelve years since I did the move. I had been looking for a new place to home the blog since MySpace started censoring the blog for having too many links, back when I was reporting on bike wrecks by linking to articles on other sites that had first or second-hand reports about people getting hit on bicycles. I’m not going to say I was in any way responsible, but this was shortly before MySpace went down the proverbial tubes.

Twelve years, at least eight of which I spent mired in virtual gore and broken lives, trying futilely to keep what happened to me from happening to other people. It might not have been futile, I might have saved one or two people from getting hit because of my protocols for not getting hit. But that was only a drop in the bucket, comparatively. Thousands of people still got hit every year and had their lives permanently altered, and almost never for the better. Hundreds more had their lives ended every year. And that was just in the US. It felt like I was swimming upstream in a Mississippi of blood, and I had to stop for my own mental health.

Which brings us to the current phase of the blog. I almost never mention bicycles, because I’m still not quite over when I got hit on mine. As you might have noticed I’m letting another old obsession run wild, my obsession with hot rods. I used to be a sports car racer way back when, and there has been some cross-pollination between the two cultures with my favorite competition, autocross, becoming the “new thing” for hot rodders as shown with the Optima Ultimate Street Car Battle, and Goodguys Rod and Custom shows, and minor or major gatherings of hot rodders all over the country having autocrosses as part of the show. I used to be pretty good at autocross, winning class and placing high overall, so this time I’m planning on building the type of car I’ve wanted since 1968 to run the type of racing I was good at since the early 1980s, with a few touches of my own. The biggest “touch” is an exo-skeleton frame inspired by sprint cars, mostly because the rectangular tube ladder frame of most T-buckets had the torsional stiffness of cooked pasta and was very heavy for what you got in structure, and the suspensions that you got from most kits was rudimentary at best, with high roll centers and a habit of jacking the inside rear tire during hard cornering causing a sudden transition from plowing understeer to oversteer in the blink of an eye. Not the vehicle for making FTOD runs on an autocross course. And putting a roll cage on for safety made putting the body on an exercise in full scale building ships in bottles.

So, there you have it. A nutshell look at where we came from, where we are, and maybe where we are going.

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Going back to my roots for a post

Longtime readers will know this blog was originally started as a bike safety news amalgamation site, but I had to stop because of all the blood and gore and stupidity. Well, I manage to avoid most of the blood and gore these days, but the stupid, teh stoopid it burns us.

Seriously, the people in charge of keeping cyclists from getting hit on a national scale have proposed a national helmet law. But the other national body charged with safe streets says they’re full of donkey dust not in those specific words, but politely.

And as I have pointed out in this blog in the distant past (4 or 5 years ago?) even if bike helmets were made that prevented 100% of head injury in wrecks with motor vehicles, most cyclists would still die anyway from massive blunt force trauma to the torso or legs. In my wreck if I wasn’t dead for 2-4 minutes and my heart was still pumping I would have bled out from the massive holes in my legs, because as soon as they revived me I started gushing blood from my leg. And as I have discovered I’m basically a superhero without a supervillain to face, so my experience is way off the end of the bell curve on both the severity of that wreck, and on surviving it. Seriously how many times can you count on the cyclist getting hit having such resistance to blunt force trauma. “Nah, it’ll be OK, he’s basically Superman.” Seriously THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE.

So fight helmet laws in your city and state, and most definitely fight a national helmet law.

We now return you to the usual nonsense this blog posts these days.

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

What’s that bright thing in the sky? And the Feed

In case you can’t tell from my sarcastic headline it has stopped raining here at Casa de El Poeta and the sun is shining. As I type this the “feels like” temperature is a delightful 74°F with almost no wind. If I had a bike I could ride and someplace to go I would be riding it, instead of sitting here pounding on this keyboard. Believe me if I could be out there instead of in here on this day I would be. But, alas, I don’t have a bike I can ride right now.

Up first because I have ridden that intersection in the last decade… 74-year-old bicyclist injured in Allen hit-and-run The cyclist was hit because the weapon vehicle failed to clear the entire line of cyclists when trying to pass. Nothing the cyclist could have done about the driver not driving to conditions.

Next up, a PA cyclist is killed in a pinball wreck as she waited in line at a red light. Cyclist Killed In Oakland Crash and Man whose SUV was involved in fatal Oakland bike crash says he tried to help victim also Memorial Held To Honor Cyclist Killed In Oakland As with any pinball wreck there was nothing the cyclist could have done to avoid this one except to not be there. The actual wreck was with the car behind the cyclist, everything else was just bad luck.

More on the CA cyclist killed by a vehicle pulling out from a parking lot. Family of Boy Killed While Riding Bike to School Needs Help and Paddle out held in memory of 12-year-old Oceanside boy What little I know about this wreck indicates the driver was not looking when he pulled across the bike lane. I have one (and only one) report that the cyclist was caught in the driver’s side rear wheel, none of the other reports say which side of the vehicle the cyclist was killed.

Since we are in CA why not check out the Daily Ted? Morning Links: Ask for your $1,100 road rebate, and SGV Bicycle Education Center officially opens

Still in CA. Bicyclist killed in Redding identified LEO can’t figure out why a driver would hit a cyclist from behind, and the cyclist isn’t alive to give his half of the story. And the wreck has to be the cyclist’s fault somehow because he wasn’t wearing a helmet.

Portland OR infrastructure. ODOT faces ‘incompetence or dishonesty at the highest levels,’ former Metro president says

More PDX infrastructure. New Orange Line crosswalk raises concerns in SE Portland The biggest problem with this intersection? Cars have priority and cyclists have to use inconveniently placed beg buttons to get a signal to cross. After that drivers in one direction literally can’t see what might be in the intersection until they are almost on top of it, particularly in the lane next to the retaining wall.

From the city where my kids’ first babysitter moved after reaching retirement and where I worked for a while. Bicyclist Killed In Hit-And-Run Crash Nothing about mode, but there was a mention that the cyclist’s death might be related to another wreck nearby.

Another cyclist is killed by gunfire in OH. Man shot and killed while riding bicycle in Akron and Authorities identify man shot Saturday while riding bicycle in Akron At this point LEO have no idea why someone would shoot a man riding a bicycle and then drive away.

Apparently killing a cyclist in WI while driving drunk “doesn’t count” if the cyclist was drunk, too. Alleged drunken driver won’t be charged in bicyclist’s death Umm, the drunk driving part isn’t “alleged”, that part is established.

More on a NJ hit-and-run. UPDATE: Authorities Seeking Vehicle That Struck Bicyclist in Morris County Friday

Cyclist on a cross-country tour for neuromuscular diseases has a wreck in AZ. Spooner injured in fall during bike ride Maybe riding a bike with ALS for extended distances every day is not such a good idea?

Small-time jock is killed riding a bike in Chuck SC. A.C. Flora graduate killed in Charleston wreck His major achievement was backup catcher on the local HS baseball team that won State in 2012. That and quitting a state school’s baseball team to return to the local 4-year college to concentrate on his degree. The wreck report doesn’t make sense mainly because it’s another variation of the SWSS. Instead of “swerving” this cyclist “fell over”.

The most deadliest state in the US killed another one. Belle Glade man killed in hit-and-run accident The detailed description of the driver tells me the driver stopped and got out before leaving the scene. Local cyclists should keep an eye peeled for this murderer before you become his next victim.

Wreck in Cape Cod MA. Police identify bicyclist killed in Eastham Another SWCC wreck, as indicated by the damage to the weapon vehicle. I could verify she wasn’t “crossing” if I could get a picture of the wrecked bike. Or conversely I could validate the driver’s story.

Remembering a cyclist killed in PA. Cyclists ride in honor of man killed in Kensington hit-run

Don’t hit the pedestrians! Pedestrian hit by bicycle, suffers serious head injury Nothing about the cyclist except that he or she hit the pedestrian. Nothing about the mode, except the pedestrian was hit by a cyclist. Looking at the other articles on the site makes me think this media outlet is not cyclist-friendly.

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around a driver cutting off a cyclist riding where the law tells her to ride is not at fault in her death. Apparently I’m not the only one. Memorial ride for Halifax cyclist killed in crash calls for changes to infrastructure, education I think the first round of “education” needs to be about bicycle law with the people charged with enforcing it. You can’t turn right and run over a cyclist without the driver being at fault.

They almost missed hitting the cyclist. Cyclist injured in near-miss collision with car near Queenstown Almost but not quite missed the cyclist, as the Black Knight said [Monty Python]”It’s just a scratch[/Monty Python]

Next time someone tries to give you grief about how cyclists don’t pay for the roads, give them this link. The True Costs of Driving Because of declining gas tax revenues combined with inflating materials costs and labor, the share paid by drivers has declined precipitously over the last decade. The last year that drivers paid for “their” streets and roads was 2 years before I was born. I was born in 1958, and drivers last paid their weight in 1956.

And I’m outta links, finally.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet.

Any time travellers out there want to give me winning lottery numbers that haven’t been drawn yet? and the Feed

I’m not in dire straights (and I don’t know Marc Knopfler so I’m not in Dire Straights either) I’m just in a situation that having a large supply of money available would make the situation “go away”. And by “large supply” I mean several thousand dollars of disposable income. I understand the concept of “disposable income” in theory, but my experience of it in practice is sorely lacking. This situation is NBT, first world problems to be honest, but the problems would all vanish with having enough money.

Also, wishing everyone a happy Indigenous Peoples Day. When I was young and ignorant I used to celebrate this as the anniversary of the day Columbus discovered America, before I found out that Leif Ericson discovered it 500 years earlier, and before someone pointed out that if there are people already living there that means someone else discovered it many many winters earlier. Now I don’t do that. Columbus was the point man for the invasion, not the guy who discovered the New World.

Up first is a report from Oz, because they had the story with the most links. Cyclist killed in collision with car at Springton, in the Adelaide Hills and Cyclist killed in collision with car at South Australia intersection also Toddler, cyclist and motorcyclist killed in separate SA accidents this too Cycling collision at Springton kills vibrant grandfather Michael Tully The wreck narrative and the damage to the bike look like a right cross (Ozzy version of our left cross because they drive on the “wrong” side of the roads).

Major wreck in NYC that nobody knows how it happened. Citibike rider seriously injured after fall from Queensboro Bridge and from Gothamist Man Seriously Injured After Falling From Queensboro Bridge Bike Path One of the things I love about Gothamist is that is the media outlet where witnesses love to report on wrecks. “It’s worth mentioning every story seems to think he fell from a path, which is only on the outer lane of the lower level. But, he was in fact on the upper.” So the guy was riding in heavy, but very slow traffic on the upper level and somehow ended up on the lower level sans Citibike, with the bike resting undamaged against the rail on the upper level. ?!? A previous wreck injured a motorcyclist who fell from the upper level so maybe there is a railing problem where people can fall off a bike or motorcycle and leave the bike on the rail as they fall over the rail? This is just a SWAG on my part at this point.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Unannounced Orange Line bike path closure, Go Human in the wild, and still more legal cases

Still in CA a disgusting display of lawyers taking care of other lawyers as a judge reduces felony charges that come with years of minimum sentences to misdemeanors. San Ramon attorney’s conviction over killing of Chinese tourist reduced to misdemeanor “Everything has gone so much in favor of the defendant, it seems like some shenanigans are going on.” Really.

As if that wasn’t bad enough for Bay Area cyclists. Separate Bicycle Collisions Leave One Dead, One Injured The fatal wreck was covered by several video recorders including the weapon vehicle, the other all they say was it was at an intersection, so maybe a hook or cross wreck?

Meanwhile the non-lawyer driver is going on trial for murder. Huntington Beach man charged in hit-run death of cyclist to stand trial Granted, he deserves to go on trial for murder as he was indisputably drunk high on heroin at the time of the wreck.

Still in CA, another cyclist hit by a train. Cyclist Killed By Union Pacific Train While Crossing Tracks In Richmond I have posted many times how to not get hit by a train, I think I even made a separate page about that about the same time as I did the protocols on how to avoid getting hit by cars. But somehow people still get hit by trains while riding bikes.

Over in NC the Ghost Bike for a cyclist killed in a pinball wreck was wiped out by another pinball wreck. Memorial for dead cyclist damaged in yet another crash Something has to be done about idiots on the road. But looking at the intersection in the video, and the median between the two directions of travel on the street, something has to change on the street. If you can’t get to your destination without making a U-turn then intersections have to be wide enough to make U-turns, or the medians need more cut-throughs so that U-turns are not required to reach a destination on the other side of the street.

Hit-and-run in KS. Hutch man injured after car hits his bike and leaves This was a really low-information report.

ALWAYS take the ambulance to get checked out when hit by with a vehicle. 15-year-old boy injured after car hits him on bike at Kwik Shop When something hurts you need to get it checked out so you can file for recovery. If you don’t get checked out and something is wrong the driver’s lawyers are going to claim you did something after the wreck that caused the injury, not the wreck.

Over in CO another hit-and-run wreck. Police looking for hit and run suspect who injured 76-year-old cyclist Right hook of a highly conspicuous cyclist at an intersection signed to warn drivers cyclists have the right of way over turning vehicles, and then the driver left the scene… More Cyclist injured in hit-and-run recovering after surgery

For all those who say MI doesn’t absolutely cater to drivers and give lip service for cyclist and pedestrian safety I present this article. Police: Warrant issued for driver who hit, killed bicyclist I read the headline and said “Warrant, that means arrest and maybe a night in jail for killing a cyclist.” “Michigan Legislatures changed the law from neglect homicide which was a two year Circuit Court misdemeanor to moving violation, causing death which is a one year misdemeanor.” One. Year. Maximum sentence. For killing. And not even a year in prison, a year in jail. TANJ!

Infrastructure problems in VA. Intersection where VT cyclist was killed highlighted as ‘problem area’ near campus Cyclist on the left (of the picture, right in the lane) is way too close to the parked cars, right in the most dangerous part of the door zone where he could get hit by a driver throwing a door open without looking. The cyclist in the middle of the lane is just barely outside the door zone but still might clip a suddenly thrown open on a vehicle parked too far from the curb, like the two red vehicles in the picture.

Another hit-and-run, this time in LA. Update: Baton Rouge police identify bicyclist struck, killed Sunday while riding on Plank Road; pickup truck driver accused of DWI No license and DWI, we have a winnah! All he needs for the Trifecta is a social media profile riddled with comments about cyclists “not belonging” on “his” roads.

I wonder if they got the expected turnout? Organizers expect 1,300 cyclists to turn out Saturday for bike ride around New Orleans

WI is still struggling with how to deal with vehicles without motors on the roads. Bicycling advocates renew push for ‘vulnerable user’ law And the comments section shows just how bad they need this law.

And IA isn’t much better. Update: Police Say Driver Not Cited In Sioux Falls Car vs. Bicycle Accident Cyclist was hit riding salmon on the sidewalk while the driver was making a right turn out of a driveway. This is why I keep saying sidewalks are not bicycle infrastructure.

Infrastructure in Portland OR. In their own words, here’s what Portlanders are saying about Clinton traffic diverters Personally I prefer mid-block diverters with parking spots removed next to the diverter so that U-turns for idiots trying to cut through can be made w/out too much trouble. That way they make the street a cul-de-sac for cars while retaining the grid access for pedestrians and cyclists.

Some good infrastructure news from Salt Lake City. How Bike Lanes Helped Salt Lake City Businesses Bike lanes and traffic calming have been proven over and over to boost adjacent retail, in spite of removing parking.

They are still trying to figure out what happened in this wreck in the Great White North. Family pleads for more witnesses after young cyclist killed in crash Cyclist was hit broadside in an intersection, LEO are evidently having problems assigning right of way for the wreck.

And the endless helmet debate continues. Should bike helmets be compulsory? Lessons from Seattle and Amsterdam And per usual, nothing will be settled.

Last link. 5 Things You Need to Do After a Bike Crash I did the “don’t get up” check when I got hit, but all I could feel was the broken hip not working. YMMV.

And that’s all I got today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

It’s Bean Day again, and the Feed.

Yep, I’m slaving over a hot slow-cooker, stirring and adding spices and seasonings, to make the perfect pot of beans and rice. Still working on that, but I’m getting closer. Now it just so happens that I’m making beans because I like this particular dish, not because I can make 3 dinners for 2 people for about $0.75, but the fact that I can make this for that small amount of money is a good thing right now… As in there was only $5 to spend for groceries last week and the pantry is getting mighty bare, and we are dipping into the Strategic Ramen Reserves… I will be so glad when the check comes in and we have a positive bank balance.

My mood today without coffee:

i hope you are all having a dark as hell national coffee day http://t.co/gYUGA5MdPd pic.twitter.com/JjMOnsu1gz

— rstevens Ʒ (@rstevens) September 29, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
BTW I want that coffee cup…

Up first are updates on fatal wrecks, this one recent. Driver charged in deadly cyclist crash and Driver charged in Brecksville crash that killed two cyclists It’s a pity that those are all misdemeanor charge in OH, and that this is about as severely as a driver driving on the wrong side of the road and hitting 5 people can be charged.

The older wreck is at trial. Cyclist’s fatal injuries in hit-run detailed in court That sounds about right for a cyclist hit head-on by a car driving on the wrong side of the road in excess of the speed limit. I sincerely hope this driver is sentenced to the maximum permitted by law.

Speaking of drivers on the wrong side of the road, here’s a third. Cyclist killed after being hit by SUV and Superior man struck, killed while riding bicycle another one Cyclist Dies After Being Hit by Vehicle I’m sure there was no other meaning for the second headline than identifying the cyclist’s town of residence, but IMHO it also described the stature of the victim. Why the driver was not arrested and taken to jail at the scene is still up for question.

And refreshed and ready to go after taking a Mental Health Day it’s our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Gov. Brown signs hit-and-run alert law, bike park meeting Wed night, and SCAG says Go Human

Also in CA. Cyclist hit, killed in Mira Mesa “They” say the cyclist ran a red, but the only two people there were the cyclist and the driver that killed him.

LEO “proving” they are limited in IQ in the big city. Lee says he’ll veto legislation OKing rolling stops for cyclists Whoops, sorry that’s the mayor, Lee, not LEO.

Still in CA, in the same city as Duh Mayer up there. Mother Credits Police With Spending Time, and Money, to Help Injured Son Thus proving not all LEO are heartless. And if it seems like I’m a little hard on LEO most of the time, there is a reason for that: my son-in-law was recently promoted to chief of police in the town he serves.

More information about that cyclist killed during a time trial event in CA. Spoiler alert, it was the driver’s fault for making an unsafe pass. Cyclist Hit, Killed By Car During Time Trial Near Esparto The driver moved to pass a cyclist going one way, and ran head on into the cyclist going the opposite direction in the other lane.

Update on the ID kid hit and dragged riding home from school with his Dad. Boise 5-year-old boy injured in minivan-bike crash, slowly recovering after surgeries I’m still waiting to hear about at least a ticket for hitting a little boy riding legally with his father. Buehler?

And I’m with Maus on this one. Let’s find these tricycles stolen from a 65-year old wheelchair user The hand bike at least should have tipped the thieves that this was not a person that should get ripped off…

Another KY cyclist gets hit. Man injured in bicycle accident in Philpot Dogs are a constant problem in the rural South. And almost impossible to avoid.

Back in MI. Longtime physician at Bronson killed while riding bicycle Nothing on what happened, just who it happened to.

Back in Portland, infrastructure news. TriMet adjusts Orange Line crossing plans after community opposition – UPDATED Still planning on using the trailer-trapping gates at one crossing, but that is somewhat of an improvement. They had been planning on all three crossings having the bike traps installed. I still don’t see what the problem is with using the regular train crossing guards that have been in use for decades.

Still in PDX, I’m not certain how to classify this link. Portland company’s “Pot Tour” by bike includes free joint My brain chemistry won’t handle pot, I get a headache and then go to sleep since the wreck (even on the “contact high”).

Two links to a wreck in far West Canuckistan. Kelowna Cyclist Killed After Collision with Car and Cyclist killed in Kelowna car crash Some serious questions here, as they claim the deceased cyclist ran the stop sign, which can’t be proven or disproven after the wreck, but at the same time “don’t know” if the cyclist was wearing a helmet, which is easy to prove or disprove by just looking for the helmet at the scene. And for the sake of this particular wreck I’m going to go by the “car” version of running a stop sign, which is come to a stop then go.

A little infrastructure news from Oz. Cycling lane dividers have little impact on safety: government report

Also from Oz, the true story of how VW was brought down by 4 college researchers. The who, what and why of Volkswagen’s diesel scandal Yep, one of the drawbacks of the diesel engine is the high compression ratio and initial burn temperatures cause much more NOx emissions than spark ignition engines. There are catalysts that break up the NOx back into N₂ and O₂ but they can only do so much, which is where the delicate mixture control of the computer feedback controlled injection came in. It is my understanding that turbocharging is actually beneficial to this process by reducing the CR required to maintain the compression ignition and reducing that contribution to NOx production.

And those were all the links I had today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

The Long Day just got longer, and the Feed

Friday is my day that doesn’t end until halfway through the next morning, because I wait until the midnight posting to my Feed Folder in my e-mail. Usually though I get enough links to filter that I don’t get a lot of downtime, or I go out and do something and get the post started way after 1800 so that I’m not just sitting around and waiting for links. But today I have the coincidence of nothing on my social calendar combined with nothing in the 1200 post to the Feed Folder leaving me with very few links and lots of time to look at them…

Because why not? I’m putting the Daily Ted first. Morning Links: Protect your bike on Metro buses, motorists behaving badly, and more kindhearted people

Just down the road from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Few Protections for Cyclists

Proving that it can be done, NJ demonstrates how. Man indicted in hit-and-run crash that killed cyclist Wow, three felony charges including two homicides.

And in the UK… Alan Cartwright murder: Joshua Williams guilty of cyclist’s fatal stabbing Proving that cyclist’s lives are only valued when they are killed by something other than a motor vehicle.

Back in CA, where is his bike? Man ‘Sleeping’ in Bike Lane Was Victim of Hit-and-Run Crash: Police I think the CHP officer that reported the man “sleeping” will be called in for re-training soon.

CO cyclist is blamed for getting right hooked. Cyclist injured in crash with SUV “The motorist was not at fault, but the responding officer used “officer discretion” and decided not to cite the cyclist, Cunningham said.” Umm, driver turning across a pedestrian crossing and hitting someone in that crossing is most definitely at fault, unless the person is crossing against the light. And I bet the only one the officer talked to was the driver.

A driver left crosses 8 cyclists, hits 5, and kills one. Bicyclist killed in Brecksville truck accident, others injured And the comments section goes wild, blaming the cyclists… SMH

Update on a cyclist hit in the Great White North. Cyclist hurt in Oshawa collision expected to recover I hate that LEO are still trying to excuse the driver because the visibility was restricted by rain and darkness…

And update on a wreck in Canuckistan. Police seek more info on injured cyclist I don’t see what the problem is, the cyclist was left crossed. That is automatically the fault of the driver no matter what the cyclist was doing.

In Finland they take hitting a cyclist seriously. Motorist who hit cyclist to be indicted on manslaughter, other charges The driver was seen to deliberately hit the cyclist during a road rage encounter…

Meanwhile in Oz. Cyclist seriously hurt, man killed in Mandurah in horror night on WA roads How do you hit someone from behind with the driver’s side of the car and drive off? More Cyclist injured in hit and run in Mount Pleasant, Perth

I have been making this argument from the other side for years… Breaking the Cycle Nobody in their right mind these days would blame women for wearing the “wrong” clothes or being in a bad part of town, at least in the Western world. Well we need to stop blaming cyclists for not wearing helmets or glow-in-the-dark clown suits when they get hit.

And I am out of links, and also my mind 😀

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Really want/need to get my neck rubbed, and the Feed

I’m working around “Arthur, Arthur Dent” as much as I can, and constantly working my neck to extend my range of motion, but DAAAaaaannnnng! do I need a massage right now… I need to get out and pay some things tomorrow, so I might get it done then. It’s not like the problem will go away by itself overnight. Working on the blog does not help matters any, also. My posture while typing is practically guaranteed to cause a neck problem from supporting my head while I type.

And this just in Yr Fthfl Srvnt was declared Next City’s Smartest Reader of the Day yesterday for my comment on the Seattle commuter dilemma.

Up first because of the many links to the story, and because of the high WTF factor involved. Pedestrian killed by falling hydro pole following collision in Concord and Cyclist killed after pole topples in collision of 2 cars also Toronto man charged after cyclist killed in Vaughan crash This was a serious level of pinball wreck that got both cyclists almost square on, as you can see from the crushed bicycles in the pictures with the articles. From watching the videos it seems the cyclists were waiting at the corner for the light to change when the wreck began and dodged one of the cars only to be crushed by the falling power pole. The bike that I assume belonged to the fatality victim was caught right in front of the seat, I can’t tell where the other bike was struck because it was removed from under the pole to treat one of the victims.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: An early endorsement for state senate, registration gets bikes back, and OCTA swims upstream

A literal hit-and-run in Philly. Police seek suspect who struck, killed cyclist with car in Juniata Park And this is the first time I recall seeing a F-150 called a “car”.

Another Philly wreck, where the victim’s survivors are not vindictive. Cyclist’s Family Says They Have No Ill-Will Against Driver Who Killed Him

OR road users are concerned about a recent spike in wrecks. With 40% rise in roadway deaths, activists plan to target ODOT That is an unexplained jump at a time when trends have been sharply down, so what has changed?

A Ghost Bike for the victim of that SUV buzz job in CO. ‘Ghost bike’ memorial to be held for dead cyclist

More on the alligator wreck. Weston cycling crash caused by alligator carcass sidelines spirited two-sport competitor Wow, he really is in bad shape.

A notice to GA riders. Bryan County public safety brief – Agressive Pitbull injures bicycle rider

Some people in the Great White North understand physics. There’s so much more to bike safety than helmets

More from the Great White North. Bike monument and memorial ride honour fallen cyclists This was done at about the same time as the pinball wreck discussed above.

Still more as LEO search the Great White North for a hit-and-run driver. Police seek white pickup truck in fatal hit-and-run

Last Canadian link, is your insurance valid when you are riding a bicycle? Do You Have Insurance Coverage as a Cyclist?

I was wondering what took so long after the driver was found to be driving without a license while driving a big rig involved in a fatal wreck. Freight firm bosses banned after unlicensed, uninsured driver killed cyclist

Also from the UK is another protest at the intersection where crap infrastructure and a blind truck killed a cyclist. Stop Killing Cyclists stage vigil at ‘murderous’ junction and Stop Killing Cyclists to host candlelit vigil to honour life of cyclist killed in midnight crash in Forward Drive

Back a few months ago we all thought this waste of human skin was going to be off the roads for a decent amount of time, not true. Widow of Sheffield cyclist killed by drunk driver lashes out over jail time served Six months into a 4 year sentence and she’s already at a halfway house? TANJ!

They had the only vehicles that could get through, and they were already there. Nepal’s national mountain bike team turn rescuers Another tally in the plus column for bicycle disaster drills. Sometimes the only things moving on the ground are people on foot and bicycles. Give those bicycles some cargo capacity and a mission and see what can be done.

And I’m out of links and I need to go fix dinner.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

This is gonna hurt, and the Feed

I am taking a break from filtering because 1) my butt is getting tired, and B. my brain is getting slightly crispy around the edges as I deal with some monumentally stupid/trollish comments left on some articles, and π) I need to go hit something. I figure a punch-a-pillow break is better than any of my alternatives.

Up first because “why not?” is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Hollywood bike parking becomes a homeless site; a blogger argues bike lane air is bad for LA kids While bike lane air is “bad” the consequences of sitting in traffic in a light armored vehicle are orders of magnitude worse.

And Pt. 2 of Our Daily Ted. 22-year old alleged sidewalk rider killed in South LA hit-and-run How do they know the cyclist “swerved” off the sidewalk in a hit-and-run? And every time I see the word “Slauson” I think this. I used to watch that stuff when it was new. Yes, I already know I’m old…

Another link to the driver banned from owning a cell phone for 2 years. Cellphone ban for driver who killed cyclist is ‘a reminder every day,’ judge says The driver is allowed to use WiFi devices, but anything that directly connects to any cell phone system.

One of the most deeply held tenets of WoaB is “Don’t hit the pedestrians.” Pedestrian Suing Cyclist After Collision On Dearborn Street From the comments section the entire suit is a pack of lies intended to prey upon the prejudices of the (potential) jury, the pedestrian in question walked into the cyclist’s path while walking in the bike lane instead of crossing it, the equivalent of walking down the middle of a street, and the bike was equipped with two independent braking systems, fixie with a front brake. Still, DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS!

OK this one is bizarre beyond words. Bicyclist injured in downtown Woodland accident Adrenaline can be a scary thing. It can make you really stupid, so that you get up and run away from getting hit with a car hard enough to smash the windshield hard enough to spray broken glass on the front seat occupants… Something got this cyclist wound up on adrenaline before he got hit, because there wasn’t enough time for any adrenaline from the wreck to kick in so that he could get up and run away from the wreck like that.

This IL story is a bit better than the one in an earlier paragraph. The ‘Wheel’ Deal: Flossmoor Cop Gifts Bike Crash Victim with a New Ride

I’m including this for a single sentence from LEO, the most sane thing I have ever read credited to a LEO. Cyclist killed by tractor trailer was on way home from work Did you see it, or has it been deleted? “Police say Goodrow was not wearing a helmet but suspect it would have made little difference.” Really, a styrofoam hat against 50K pounds or more of truck and trailer? And regarding the lights and reflectors the VA Vehicle code reads “… shall be equipped with a headlight on the front emitting a white light visible in clear weather from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and a red reflector visible from a distance of at least 600 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of headlights on a motor vehicle.” So the rear reflector (without a light) was within the law, and the cyclist was hit from behind so the headlight was moot. The truck driver should have seen the cyclist but failed to pass safely.

From NYC another pedestrian is mowed down. 5-Year-Old Boy Struck By Driver On Prospect Park West

More on the Trek QR recall. 3 Reasons Why You May Have a Trek Bicycle Injury Lawsuit And I have one very good reason why you don’t have a valid lawsuit: in order for the “defective” QR to cause the problem it did you have to leave the QR in the open position. The equivalent would be to fail to tighten the lug nuts on your Chevy and then sue GM when the wheel falls off…

While we are in the figurative WI courtroom. Homicide charges loom for driver who hit, killed 2 bicyclists in Muskego I thought there must be foul play in order to hit 2 cyclists and kill them both…

More on the cyclist killed riding USBR 36 in IL. From the view of a cyclist The comments section was toxic. Literally toxic.

From the Great White North. Battlefield bike ride across Europe to aid injured soldiers If any of my Canadian reader$ feel $o inclined…

And court news from Jolly Olde. Bus driver in court over Washington cyclist’s death Still don’t know anything about what happened because of UK media laws, except that LEO think the bus driver “did it” whatever “it” was.

More on those detection systems planned for testing in London. Thermal cameras will watch for waiting cyclists and turn traffic lights green Typical comments about cyclists not paying a tax that hasn’t existed since 1937 in the comment section…

And one wonders what will happen to the program in the last paragraph in light of this report. Tories withdraw £23m of promised spending for cycling in latest cuts

Remembering a cyclist killed by an overloaded semi in Oz. Family honours Brisbane cyclist as memorial mural unveiled at accident site on Annerley Road The truck hit the underside of the bridge and fell on the cyclist riding to the side as the truck passed.

And trying to make the death mean something. Cyclist’s widow calls for inner city truck ban I see a workable compromise: Trucks move in the ban area by trip permit only with bicycle outriders fore and aft to keep the truck from running anyone over. Truck moves no faster than bicycle speed so no cyclists would be endangered by them. Make the permits non-profit (just administrative costs only) and the costs for the cyclists either on a per-mile rate or a per-job rate with a mileage or time limit per job and a new permit required for each trip in and out of the ban zone, each permit good for one round trip in and out of the ban zone. Cyclists get full employment, other road users are protected, and goods are still delivered to destinations inside the “no truck” zone.

And I’m outta links and patience. I wanna watch some tube and veg out.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

You could be costing me money, and the Feed

I have a situation that the blog service provider shares advertising revenue with me when I get enough people reading my blog on a daily basis. The problem is you have to read my blog AT my blog, not in your e-mail, or via your FB app, or RSS feed reader. I have enough subscribers to make some money if you read and click on my blog, but I don’t get a penny if you read someplace else. Love you all, but I can’t emphasise enough that I only get paid for your eyeballs when those eyeballs are at the same URL as this blog is originally published. And now back to our regularly scheduled nonsense and infrastructure news (if there is difference I’ll let you know 😉 )

Up first, I seem to always be near really great things in my life, and I did it again. This is about something that is a short ride on DART away from me. How One Weekend in Dallas Sparked a Movement for Urban Change This was another “I was there” situation for me. I was surprised at how fast some of these installations went from “demonstration” to “permanent”. And now the rest of the world is learning about it.

An exceptional edition of Our Daily Ted. Hundreds turn out in Hollywood for Sunday’s Finish the Ride Lotsa pictures there, Ted.

While we are talking about CA, here’s an article that treats death by motor vehicle as a public health issue. Public Health Menace Grows There were more cyclists killed in just one city last year than people died of Ebola in the US. And which one gets more attention?

And it looks like we have dodged a bullet this time. California mandatory helmet law set back following intensive lobbying from pro-cycling campaigners We are going to have to be careful on this one, it already has a comeback scheduled.

And FL does it again, a driver seriously injures a cyclist on the sidewalk without ever actually hitting the cyclist. Driver, cyclist hospitalized after car strikes pole in NW Miami-Dade So basically the cyclist was collateral damage to the other wreck as damaged infrastructure falls onto the sidewalk. And much like a pinball wreck I have no idea how you avoid getting hit by a chunk of infrastructure dislodged by a speeding driver running into it.

Two links that seem to encourage Stockholm Syndrome for vulnerable road users, first from NOLA. How New Orleans drivers and cyclists can move beyond ‘us v. them’ Look at the difference in the two sets of stories related, cyclists are assaulted, threatened, and nearly killed; drivers are annoyed by cyclist behavior that does not actually cause any harm. Even where cyclists break traffic laws, they are the only ones harmed. But cyclists have to “understand” drivers feelings?

And in this link about NYC. Finding Vision Zero Not taking an “Us vs Them” mentality when Us are dying at the hands of Them strikes me as an “Odd Thing” to do.

And while we are in NYC anyway, here are a few more links about the city. Driving a bus in a crowded city must be super easy. Video: NYC Bus Operator Keeps Busy By Reading While Driving Hey, it’s just a multi-ton killing machine surrounded by squishy pedestrians, no need to pay all that much attention to what you’re doing.

I wonder if this was the same driver caught in the video before they pulled him off the bus. Bus Driver Runs Man Over In The Bronx, No Criminality Suspected Driver hits person standing at bus stop as he was pulling out, was that a passenger who got left behind and was trying to get the bus to stop and let him on?

A memorial for all the pedestrians and cyclists killed in NYC last year. 10th Annual Ghost Bike Ride To Honor Pedestrians And Cyclists Killed Last Year and Photos: NYers Gather At “Ghost Bikes” To Demand Safer Streets And people still don’t understand the biggest cause of death in the city is the motor vehicle. More Ghost ride honors killed cyclists, pedestrians

And part of the memorial weekend was posting silhouettes for every person killed by motor vehicle violence in the city last year. While they were being put up the people doing the installation were almost part of next year’s installation. Tractor Trailer Crashes Into Memorial For Traffic Fatalities This is just so, not ironic, there’s a better word, because this is not irony. Irony would be getting killed by a person riding a bicycle, this is more of another instance of the city not being the place for a huge truck.

More on why it is so hard to keep drivers from killing. Man gets probation for Harlem hit-and-run death of cyclist PROBATION! For killing a person and leaving him to die in the streets. TANJ!

The cyclist injured by another cyclist riding a wheelie through a red light will get some money from the wheelie cyclist. Injured tandem cyclist to be compensated by Gullane teenager This is part of the criminal proceedings, so the kid will pay, or else…

Before and after a UK safety protest. Vigil planned for dead cyclist and after PICTURES: Stop Killing Cyclists vigil for rider killed at Lambeth Bridge The pictures pretty much explain everything…

And why they did it… Building industry ‘must help stop slaughter of cyclists under HGVs’ One contractor is responsible for 3 recent deaths, leading to protests in the streets. All but one fatality in London this year have been the result of collision with an HGV, protests in the streets. If only protests in the streets did any good.

Another wounded vet ride, this one somewhat close to WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Injured vets prepare for ‘Ride 2 Recovery’

Remembering the first person to ride a bicycle around the world. Happy Thomas Stevens Day!

And I’m out of links, go ride a bike!

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet