Surviving the next 6 weeks, and the Feed

This is usually a very deadly time for cyclists as the days are short meaning more commutes are going to be dark in both directions, fewer cyclists are on the roads so drivers aren’t looking for the ones that remain, and the weather is worse for driving meaning idjit drivers are going to be in even less control over their machines than usual as not only are they going to be driving faster than they can see to stop in good weather but stopping distances are going to be longer and that “swerve” away has a much better chance of just breaking the front tires’ traction and just plowing straight ahead.

In addition I have links from Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to filter as well as the first report from Saturday so that next Monday isn’t so much of a battle. And on a food-related note I’m still suffering from yesterday’s excesses so I’m having a cup of coffee for breakfast and nothing more until lunch, when I will probably be able to consume a sandwich. On cat-related notes, does anyone have any suggestions for gassy kittens? Clint has a real bad gas problem today. On the other hand kitten farts are hilarious sounding squeaks.

And this has nothing to do with bikes but there is a terrorist attack going on at a CO Planned Parenthood as I type this. It is a pretty good bet the shooter is not a Syrian refugee.

Here is a pleasant image to start your weekend.

Note the drillium brake levers.

Up first because it makes me feel good. Lafayette man formally charged in hit-and-run incident that injured cyclist Can I just say that the fact that LEO took this case seriously and didn’t just sweep it under the rug because the victim was a cyclist warms the cockles of my heart. I think they have a pill for excessively warm cockles now. Anyway, the alleged perp is being kept far away from motor vehicles until someone comes up with $$ for his bail…

Along those same lines but in the Emerald Isle. Man due in court after death of cyclist in June and Man in court charged in connection with death of cyclist in Clontarf Again Ireland’s media laws are patterned after UK laws that prohibit releasing details until after they are disclosed in open court when criminal charges are filed so we don’t know anythinf aside from the bare facts that the driver has been charged.

Back to CO for this missive in the “war on cars”. Dom Nozzi: War on cars? If there is a “war on cars” it is one of the most lopsided “wars” in history.

Charlotte NC residents are starting to get tired if the death and destruction on their streets. Residents ask city council to make neighborhood streets safer This was where the man was killed in a pinball wreck while riding a bicycle, then his Ghost Bike was destroyed less than a month later in another pinball wreck at the same intersection.

Meanwhile in TN, a wreck during an Ironman triathlon was caused by poor traffic management. Report details crash that severely injured Ironman Chattanooga competitor The truck driver was watching the guy directing traffic, and the guy directing traffic didn’t see the car getting towed and did not allow enough room for both the truck and the cargo.

Bike wreck in LA with limited information when I filtered the link. Sulphur man killed riding bike Monday Now the link reads like a SWSS wreck at night by a driver overdriving his headlights. One could ask how a cyclist could swerve hard enough to get hit from behind but get thrown into oncoming traffic.

And up in OK. Bicycle Rider Killed By Car In Miami The cyclist was hit from behind in a place where another fatal wreck happened about 4 months ago, implying this might be infrastructure related. At least the driver stayed at the scene.

In NYC you really have to watch out for the buses, because the bus drivers will not watch out for you. Mother-Of-Six Fatally Struck By MTA Bus Driver In Brooklyn

CA infrastructure report. San Francisco’s Raised Bikeway Won’t Make Cycling Safe He’s half right, the one raised bikeway won’t make things safe, they need a connected network of bike infrastructure that goes everywhere. It’s just that the headline makes it look like the writer is against bike infrastructure.

Still in CA a really strange bike wreck. Coroner IDs man hit by truck on I-5 while riding bike The cyclist was riding ninja on the freeway at night. As much as I’m always about the basic speed law, I’m about half in the driver’s court on this one.

Another report on a PA driver getting jail time for a drunken killing of a cyclist. Man set for prison in cyclist’s death He’s going to get some serious prison time for this wreck.

A NJ cyclist is killed giving a ride to a friend. Clifton High School student killed in bicycle accident Nothing about the mode, but the narrative suggests that it might have been a cross or hook situation at an intersection.

Wreck in the Great White North. Police investigating after cyclist, 18, struck and killed in Chatham-Kent, Ont. and Cyclist struck and killed by SUV in Chatham Nothing on the mode, but nothing blaming the cyclist for being the author of his own death, so ??

My younger brother was born in this town. Cyclist injured in multi-vehicle collision in St. John’s It sounds like there was a general fluster cluck from the first impact. The bike shows definite signs of getting hit from the side but I can’t tell from which side as the indicators are almost equally biased from either direction. The bike may have been hit more than once.

Update on a wreck out in West Canuckistan. Injured cyclist out of coma Left cross and the cyclist had complications while waiting for surgery.

Those extendable leashes are potentially deadly. Elderly lady in her 70s who tripped up a cyclist while walking a friend’s dog on holiday pays out £65,000 compensation after injured biker spends three years tracking her down At yesterday’s conversion rate that comes to $97704.75 US. The cyclist is still undergoing rehab for the head injuries sustained in the wreck.

Drunk driver charged in Jolly Olde. Man charged with causing death of East Molesey cyclist in Walton whilst under the influence of alcohol and Man charged over cyclist’s death in Walton-on-Thames Despite my strong antipathy towards drunk drivers I’m not going to put anything inflammatory here.

They finally found the person who helped an injured cyclist. Successful appeal to track down Apperley Bridge Good Samaritan The person in question provided transport on her barge to a crossing point where an ambulance could take the injured cyclist and saved valuable time getting the cyclist treated.

Well this shouldn’t take long to crack. Hunt for ‘blue vehicle with pink wheels’ after cyclist injured in hit-and-run Couldn’t be more than a dozen of those in town…

Another infrastructure protest in Jolly Olde. Cyclist die-in: Campaigners stage protest outside TfL headquarters in Southwark This used to happen about twice a week.

Infrastructure protests in Oz. Cyclists seek Vineyard Road solution Bike path on one side of the bridge, bike path on the other side of the bridge, no bike path over the bridge. I wonder whose bright idea that was…

I think we have a sociopath here, or a potential serial killer. Woman who caused the death of Kings Park cyclist may have caused another crash intentionally Let’s hope that there are no cars where they lock her up.

And we have another report that says helmet laws do not have a significant impact on head injury rates for cyclists. DO BIKE HELMETS SAVE LIVES? In short terms the answer would be no, longer terms the answer would be no, and they might make things worse.

And I’m finally out of links. And time, it’s almost 0500.

Billed @€0.02

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Moar cat pictures, and the Feed

We had a call from the Daughter In Scotland this afternoon and when she was informed we had kittens she requested I post pictures where she could find them. So without further adieu, when the cats stopped bouncing around the house like guided fuzzball missiles I snapped a shot of each.


Enjoy your cat pictures.

Up first are links from opposite sides of the country about the same subject. UPDATED: Driver Who Struck, Killed Bicyclist in Bethesda Won’t Face Criminal Charges and Why Jolene Friedow only got a traffic ticket in the collision that killed Mark Angeles Same problem in two different states, dangerous driving that breaks traffic laws and gets people killed is not an actual crime that can get steep fines and/or prison time. So the “cure” is to make a death as a result of a traffic violation a misdemeanor that carries mandatory loss of license for a period of time with loss of vehicle if caught driving during that time. I leave the amount of time as an exercise for the student.

After that we need something less upsetting, like our Daily Ted. Morning Links: LA’s Mobility Plan up for review today, and a call for to join or renew membership in LACBC

Still in CA. Cyclist injured in Oxnard accident Can I just say this narrative makes no sense? The cyclist was riding north on one street while the driver was driving east on the other, but the cyclist was hit “after entering the roadway.” At what point did the cyclist leave the roadway? The street view shows a quiet residential neighborhood with on-street parking and long straight streets.

Cycling in NYC can get a little hairy. Losing Your Fear Of Biking In NYC: Are Stop Lights Optional? Most of the article is basically saying “Pay attention to your surroundings!” when you ride and noted she only runs reds in places where she would feel safe jaywalking.

Still in NYC sometimes it ain’t safe to walk on the sidewalk. Pedestrian Killed, 3 Injured When Driver Jumps Brooklyn Sidewalk “No criminality suspected” in spite of the fact the weapon vehicle was upside down and flying when it hit the victim. And the fact the driver was driving on a suspended license…

Still in NYC and yet another pedestrian is killed with a car. Cab Driver Had Been Working 16 Hours When He Killed UWS Great-Grandmother Run down in the crosswalk by a driver at work 4 hours longer than legally allowed. And if you’re wondering why I’m including all these pedestrian fatalities, well they would have been just as fatal if a cyclist had been there because every one went through the bicycle area of the road (bike lane or no) before killing the pedestrians.

Another SWCC wreck in IL. Bicyclist killed in crash near Oakbrook Center and Lombard man on bicycle killed in Oak Brook crash The only surviving witness claimed the cyclist ran a red light. Since there is nothing to corroborate maybe he did, maybe he didn’t but either way cyclists have to be ready for drivers on intercept courses in intersections.

I think this was one of those scooter things and not a bicycle in spite of the name. 2 hurt as taxi and e-bike collide in Guelph Since there were two on the bike I’m pretty positive that’s the case, but the speed range is the same for those scooters in the Great White North as it is for e-assist bikes in the US, so everything in this blog applies except the not riding two up on one bike (except for tandems). Looks like a hit-from-behind wreck.

Example of UK clickbait article. I want to be nice to cyclists – but I’m sick of the kamikazes Oohh, surrounded by soft squishy people while in a light armored (excuse me, armoured) vehicle. The horrors. Teh bike cooties might get on you, or something. Seriously woman, get a grip. BTW don’t read the comments section if you like your brains to stay between your ears.

Speaking of crazies, someone needs to slap some sense into this plod. How I was threatened with arrest as a terrorist for trying to take a photo of a police car parked in a bike lane Sounds like this idjit got his training at the NYPD academy…

Nutter kills cyclist with knife several times over, gets long term vacation in the funny farm. Jason Voong guilty of ‘motiveless’ manslaughter and assault Seriously, the man was deranged.

I thought this link was connected to the previous paragraph until I took a good look at the URL and discovered they were not even in the same hemisphere. Man charged with attempted murder over cyclist stabbing Another less than sane person attacks a cyclist for nonsensical reasons. I blame Rupert Murdoch.

Also from Oz. Cycling stars ride to raise safety awareness Maybe they can do something about Murdoch…

More on the Enn Zed cyclist who was walking his bike because it was too dark to ride. Pedestrian killed near Nelson named

Really? ‘Beyoncé On A Bike’ Opens Sexualized Can Of Worms Sex symbol rides a bike, a sensible bike with fenders and a front basket, and everyone goes ape over the picture? Because sex symbol, therefore sexualized. Another example of people just “not getting it”.

I have been making the point for years that while helmets might be useful for individual cyclists, helmet laws just make things more dangerous for cyclists as a whole, and now there has been a study that proves me right. The Latest Evidence That Helmet Laws Don’t Help Bike Safety

And last link another front on the lumen wars. The Case Against Bright-as-the-Sun Flashing Bike Lights I can’t say as I have ever had to deal with one of those bright blinkies, every time I have encountered another bike at night they had reasonable lights or none at all. Most had none at all, nor did they have reflectors. My bike resembles Tokyo at night with all the lights.

And I’m all outta links again. Go do something useful.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

This post should be done by dinner time, and the Feed

Not much in the Feed folder today, and the grocery run was completed by 1300. So I have most of the afternoon unencumbered for filtering and writing the blog post.

I got some more parts for the Sprint T yesterday via Speedway Motors. These are the rear lower control arms that locate the rear axle fore and aft and also work with the upper arm to control rotation. The actual upper arm will depend on what rear axle I end up with but the lower ones are the same no matter what rear axle I use. There are two places to mount the rear springs on this arm to adjust clearance between the spring and the rear axle housing and also the effective spring rate at the wheel.

This is one of the front spindles. It connects the front wheel to the front axle.
By choosing this I will have a choice of three different brake calipers, 4 different brake hubs and 3 diameters of rotors, and 5 different bolt circles to mount the wheels. Three of the hubs mount directly to the spindle, but one requires machining an adaptor to fit over the existing spindle. Since I recently got access to a CNC lathe machining the adaptor became almost as simple as plugging in the dimensions of the adaptor and flipping a switch.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Public Works says don’t ask us on Glendale-Hyperion; Ventura Grand Jury says cars are dangerous On that second part of the headline, can I get a “Doi!”?

There is no lower limit on IQ for getting a driver’s license in NY. Driver Crashes Mercedes Into UWS Restaurant While Fleeing Police And we can see what it takes to get arrested for a wreck in NYC, drugs and property damage.

And the victim of the wreck that led to “Cooper’s Law” is remembered by his classmates. “I Will Miss Cooper Every Day Of My Life”: Classmates Of Boy Killed By Cabbie Rally For Safer Streets This was the wreck that made hitting a pedestrian crossing in the crosswalk a crime all by itself in order to get reluctant DAs to file stiffer charges against killer drivers. It didn’t work of course, because the NY Supreme Court required a mens rea almost identical to first degree murder to convict of vehicular manslaughter…

What is the law about riding a bicycle on the sidewalk in CA? Dolan: Application of vehicle law to cyclists Depends on what town you are in and where in the town the bike is on the sidewalk…

More on the Marine handcycling from San Diego to Arlington VA. Town cheers injured Marine’s Ride Across America Did you see the shoulders on that guy? Wow!

Another link to the despicable woman who lied about being on her phone when she hit and killed a cyclist. Motorist was using mobile when she killed cyclist There is a circle of Hell just for people like this, a cacophony of strident ringtones, people talking at full volume, and the frequent but irregular shot to the head with a large clublike object being swung around by a blindfolded person on a noise-canceling headset so they can’t hear when they hit you while they talk to some distant person. I hope this woman goes there soon.

The UK has crap bicycle infrastructure. Protect cyclists from obstacle course So, this is news?

Just Yikes! Eskom liable for cyclist’s burns Electrocuted through the forehead? And still able to function? Yikes!

Lights would be good, but you saw the cyclist, right? No helmet, no lights, decked out in black: Cyclist tempts fate on major Sydney road during 3am ride And once again the “invisible ninja cyclist” myth is busted by the very people trying to perpetuate it. They saw the cyclist well enough to take a series of pictures of her and even get gender and an age range estimate, so what’s the problem?

Last link is just for fun as a sometimes-troublesome immigrant is granted Japanese citizenship after more than 50 years of residency. Resident evil: Godzilla made official Japanese citizen

And I seem to be out of links today, but there will be more tomorrow. There is always more tomorrow. I need a “more depressed” font for that one.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

OK now I Voted, and the Feed

Just checked, and the I Voted Widget is working for this blog now. So officially I Voted.

You may have noticed the “and the Feed” has returned to the headline. This does not mean I will return to posting wreck links, it means I have found links to bicycle “stuff” that is not wrecks.

First up, NYPD gets taught the laws about hitting people with motor vehicles. Cops Are Learning How To Charge Drivers Who Break Laws I thought they went through Police Academy for learning this stuff, silly me. The big problem is the Rule of Two that requires 2 traffic violations when yu run someone over before you can be charged with reckless driving and NYPD has been very lax about finding that second violation, this training is supposed to correct that. In other news an airliner reported a mid-air collision with a pig…

Over in CA Ted Rogers has a stolen bike report… BOLO Alert: Three bikes stolen from Venice garage on Wednesday As a multiple victim of bike theft myself I say if you find this guy please leave enough behind to identify him from his DNA. Don’t go overboard mind you, CSI doesn’t need much more than a decent size smear…

Proof that MHL are more about revenue and harassment than safety, in Oz. Police issue 223 infringements to cyclists including 121 for not wearing helmets during operation to improve rider and pedestrian safety When more than half of the tickets are for helmet law violations, it was just a show to get some sweet, sweet easy $.

Last link, does your car insurance cover you on your bike? How about homeowners? What Do Bicyclists Need to Know About Insurance?

And that’s all I got today, I have to say it feels a heck of a lot better winding up one of these posts than the ones I used to do with all the wrecks.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

The grass is partly mowed, and the Feed

The short answer to the “Huh!?!” question of the headline, I ran out of gas both actually and metaphorically and will have to continue operations tomorrow. From what I could see from this morning’s efforts the mower needs some extensive maintenance to continue operation, if the trail of leaking gasoline from the primer pump is an indication. Fortunately I have a vehicle capable of transporting the mower to a repair shop now, thanks to Francis/es.

Up first is not a wreck, but a sad fact of life for cyclists. Police investigate downtown strong-armed robbery Since as cyclists we are not encased in a light armored cocoon it is very easy for someone to walk (or run) up to us and deprive us of our possessions, including the bike we are riding. I have no suggestions aside from learning unarmed combat techniques that employ your bike as in this movie

From CA we get more on the gentle caress on the wrist for a killer driver who was still over the DUI limit more than 12 hours after she hit-and-run a group of cyclists, killing one. Los Angeles woman sentenced to 4 years for killing cyclist, injuring 2 others in 2013 DUI crash And by my count 44 months is 4 months shy of 4 years, unless you’re using some exotic 11-month calendar.

Ted Rogers sees thing pretty much the same way in today’s Daily Ted. Morning Links: Wrist slap for drunken hit-and-run killer; Breaking Away’s Dave Stoller was sort-of real Lots of really interesting links in that post there Ted.

I keep telling people how not to get hit by a train, but this one has lots of people wondering. Questions linger after death of avid bicyclist in train collision Here is what I think are the facts on this wreck: Experienced cyclist with thousands of miles on her personal odometer, riding on a bike path that runs parallel to the tracks until a right-angle turn to cross the tracks and continue on the other side, no crossing guard on the bike path and the signals for the nearby road crossing are not visible from the bike path, when traffic is heavy on the adjacent road the noise level gets pretty high and the wreck was near the peak traffic time of the day for that road. So we get no signals, no crossing guards, and an environment loud enough to drown out an oncoming train, leading to an experienced cyclist crossing directly in front of a train.

They have a picture of the suspect in a NYC hit-and-run that killed a cyclist. Police Seek This Man For Allegedly Killing Cyclist & Driving Away If you see this man remember that he has to be taken alive so no hammers over 2 pounds head weight, don’t use the claw or pick end, and nothing to the head. Besides leg and arm blows are more effective in restraining the suspect without making him un-triable. If he can’t understand the charges because of brain damage he walks.

Still in NYC NYPD is hanging on to bikes of dead cyclists instead of releasing them to plaintiff’s attorneys for use in their civil cases against drivers at fault for killing the cyclists. NYPD Refuses To Return Bike Of Slain Williamsburg Cyclist This is actually a crime, and the person preventing this could be subject to prosecution and imprisonment.

Another link to the vile cabbie who ran over a pedestrian on the sidewalk after trying to run over a cyclist. Cabbie who blamed cyclist after he maimed pedestrian back behind the wheel This one is from the UK, the home country of the victim of this case.

What appears to be a left cross in IL. Cyclist Struck, Killed By Van In Roselle Intersection wreck, use the protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

A low-information report on a wreck in Oz. Cyclist injured in Brisbane’s north Aside from the notice that a wreck has happened there isn’t any “there” there.

Infrastructure! news from MO. Highway Patrol encourages motorists to ‘Share the Road’ for Bicycle Safety Month I just wish they would say up front and repeatedly that “Share the Road” does not mean “Bicycles get the Hell out of the Way”…

Infrastructure from NYC as a hotel that has been mostly served by residents arriving by motor vehicles fights any effort to change that even if it means more customers with more money. Plaza hotel, NYC face off over bike-sharing rack

Infrastructure from East Canuckistan. Chris Turner: Cycle tracks are the sustainable choice

Could this be the road of the future? Sandpoint innovators’ solar road panels remove snow, generate power Imagine the amount of power that could be generated by all those parking lots that are mostly empty outside major shopping areas.

Last link is to a competitor in the upcoming Little 500 bike race (made famous by Breaking Away) recovering from a training wreck. Local bicyclist slowly recovering after wreck at Little 500 The headline is more than a little misleading as the race isn’t until next month. This was a training/practice wreck.

And those are all the links that gave me fits and giggles today, more fits than giggles but that’s the way of the world. Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I’m back from my peregrinations, and the Feed

The headline is just a fancy way of saying “trip over”, but the trip did feel like a 1 day marathon travel session. My business took about 0:40 to 0:45 total today, but I left home at 11:12 and did not return until 17:22. The time not spent conducting business was either walking to a bus stop, standing waiting at a bus stop, sitting waiting at a train station, or riding a bus or a train. And except for the one train I missed by a few minutes in Downtown Dallas which required waiting 20 minutes for the next train in that direction I did not spend a whole lot of time waiting to make transfers. All other transfers took 10 minutes or less. And I still have to go back to both places to get the stuff they did not have in stock at some later date. And beyond all that now my feet hurt, and so do my back and neck. When I build my car I’m going to make doggone sure the damn seat FITS me so I don’t get the shoulder support hitting about 6-8″ below my shoulders and no support above that as I’m trying to keep everything balanced… That’s a big reason why I have neck and shoulder pain on these trips.

Ted Rogers got it right this morning. Morning links: More ghost bikes needed, watch out for drowsy drivers and a call for historical women on bikes If you see a driver who looks like he or she might be nodding off this week the recent switch to daylight savings time might have something to do with it. And the concept that there are so many cyclists getting killed that the raw materials for ghost bikes are getting scarce from too many needing to be built at the same time is about as horrifying as it gets.

Still in CA a cyclist apparently either did not see the red light, or they had some kind of massive brain fade that made them disregard it. Cyclist Killed After Running Red Light and Update: Red-light running cyclist killed in Glendale collision Sunday morning All I can say about this one is to have that first cup of coffee before you leave the house, and don’t start your ride until you feel it kick in, so you can PAY ATTENTION to what the infrastructure is telling you and you don’t run reds.

In CO it has been revealed that doing cocaine for 2 days solid and then driving to the sentencing hearing on your DUI conviction might not be a particularly wise thing to do. More charges after cyclist killed in W. Colorado I think the problem may have been more related to the lack of sleep causing brain fog and fuzz than the actual cocaine intoxication as stimulants are supposedly good for staying alert, but after a while there’s “awake” and then there’s “functioning” when it comes to using stimulants instead of sleeping. In my experience the cutoff point is 36 hours without sleep, and that was when I was 19. As I got older that cutoff point has creeped shorter.

A hit-from-behind wreck in RI. Warwick bicyclist seriously injured after being hit by car I’m still boggled that of all the vehicles that you can hit from behind a bicycle is the only one that is as much at fault as the motor vehicle that hits him or her. Protocols to avoid or to mitigate the damages, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. And it’s a small state, why such a big hurry? I mean even the MS 150 does a longest axis ride and still winds up in MA after less than 75 miles, and Wikipedia says doing the longest axis ride and back isn’t even a century ride (close, at 96 miles total round trip).

Last wreck link is from the UK where a cyclist with no brakes almost got hit once and then did get hit by the next car. Driver Malcolm Moaby not to blame for crash which killed Chatham man Leon Edwards in Gravesend Road, Shorne The bike was missing a brake block but nothing on if the holder was on the bike or if it was one of the cheapy kind that puts a bolt inside the mold when the block is molded and the block and everything gets tossed when it wears out, they sometimes fall off the bike when not tightened properly Better quality blocks have a separate holder that the brake block slides into, and installing them backwards or upside down can cause the block to slide out in a few days to weeks if the locking pin gets left out. Don’t ask me how I found that out.

We’re going to stay in Jolly Olde for our first Infrastructure! link. Council sued over cyclist death They had five weeks at least to fix this hole after being notified by police that the hole presented a danger, and a week after the cyclist died the hole was still not fixed. I think barring criminal prosecution the best that can be done is to sue those responsible personally for most of what they have.

Moving all the way from Jolly Olde to 3 day’s ride from WoaB. Ellis, Payne: Roads need room for cyclists and pedestrians and Cyclists are being killed with disturbing regularity If our streets and roads were as dangerous for the people using cars as they make it for those of us that don’t, only the criminally insane would buy cars.

A faint glimmer of hope for the former most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bicycle. In legislative session, make the cross-Florida bike trail a reality Oh pleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease pretty please… Don’t veto this tiny scrap of real bicycle infrastructure.

And a nationwide bodyblow to the rails-to-trails movement. Supreme Court ruling delivers a major blow to bike paths

Not the kind of wreck that anyone can avoid, I’m just glad this trained person was first on scene when it happened. Manatee deputy honored for helping save bicyclist hit by golf ball The cyclist had a brain injury and a broken hip from the incident.

Last link, finally a e-assist bike priced on costs to manufacture, not on “what the market will bear”. B’Twin launch £420 e-bike Start with a sturdy but cheap-to-build regular bike then install a small hub motor and ancillaries to power it but not over-power it and voila cheap e-assist bike.

And those were all the links about bicycles I could find after I got home.

Billed @$0.02 (you get a discount today). Opus

Computer is working in fits and spurts, and the Feed

The meaning behind the headline today is quite simple: I have so many links on the Feed window that my computer is running out of resources to deal with them all (damn Flash ads). I have run into this problem before but not with a computer this new (less than a year) or this resource intensive (2 GB memory and 320 GB storage with more than 250 GB of the storage empty). It’s annoying that I can’t have as many open tabs on this computer as I used to have on a P III with only 1 GB of memory and 10 GB of storage with most of that used. I mean, doesn’t anyone at Google know how to implement virtual memory any more? Because I checked and there’s not even a spot in the resources allocation chart for virtual memory. I know it’s slower than actual RAM, but it beats the Hell out of a system that crashes when you try to open too many tabs and is physically maxed out for RAM. Of course if news sites would quit putting ads with flash video and a flash banner ad on the same pages as the news is loading in a flash video that would help a whole bunch, too. (Can you tell I don’t particularly like Flash?)

Up first I’m going with a whole group of idiot cyclists in UT. Bicyclist Seriously Injured after Eight Attempt to Illegally Bicycle Through Zion Tunnel and Cyclist hurt in dark Zion National Park tunnel The stupid part was not that they were cycling illegally in the tunnel, I’m of the opinion that since you can’t get from one side of the park to the other without traversing the tunnel it can’t be illegal. No what was stupid is they rode into the pitch black tunnel on mountain bikes that did not have any headlights or taillights to light their way so they didn’t run into the sides of the tunnel and so that drivers could see them before they ran up on them. Also, since the tunnel has curves that block the view of drivers the speed limit really should be reduced to maybe 15 MPH to keep people from getting run over should they break down in the tunnel. Not hitting cyclists would just be a bonus.

A good story from PA. Cyclist thought to be hurt on Ohio River Boulevard turns out to be OK The cyclist appears to have slid on bad pavement conditions just as the truck passed him and was unaware of the furor he started by falling. Still it was a good thing that LEO took the incident seriously because there are documented cases of this happening and people getting killed.

And a bad story from MI. GRPD: Cyclist injured in hit-and-run crash Apparently an intersection wreck, so I suppose intersection protocols might have been useful, but getting the infrastructure right would prevent the wreck.

Update on a CO hit-and-run that we have been covering since a day after it happened. Woman charged in fatal hit-and-run to appear in court March 28

Still in CO someone takes a less nuanced method of killing a cyclist. Police Investigating Shooting That Injured Cyclist If Leno was still on this would make the “Stupid Criminals” feature. They were in the perfect weapon to kill the cyclist without any repercussions and then they stuck a shotgun out the window…

An OH family is much more forgiving than I would be. Family of cyclist killed in traffic collision seeks lesser charge for driver The cyclist was killed in a left cross wreck because the driver “failed to see” the cyclist before turning left. Unless substantial penalties are held against this driver I don’t see how people are ever going to “learn to see” cyclists.

But in the same state as the very forgiving family, another family has to deal with a death by motor vehicle. Person killed in Union Township hit-and-run crash Hit from behind and the driver abandoned the weapon vehicle a few miles from the crime scene. Either the driver had a confederate in the crime or lives somewhere near where the vehicle was abandoned, if the first there is a possibility (albeit a very remote one) that this was a deliberate killing. I mean who plans on switching vehicles after a wreck when they don’t plan on having the wreck in the first place? The driver’s U-turn after the wreck is also suspicious. Anyway, hit-from-behind protocols to avoid or to mitigate the damages, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Another hit-and-run in NY. Police: Bicyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run on South Salina Street in Syracuse Intersection wreck with may have been an oblivious or otherwise distracted driver from the narrative so the protocols are mooted, but getting the infrastructure right is almost guaranteed to prevent a similar wreck by segregating the cyclist from motor vehicles in both time and space.

A GA cyclist is killed by a blind driver and the cyclist gets blamed for it. Teen cyclist hit and killed by car in Athens More LEO who seem unaware of the Basic Speed Law. Lights and/or reflectors might have helped, but if the driver was paying that little attention to the road it is entirely likely that the cyclist could have been lit up like a Christmas tree and the driver still would have hit him. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid or to mitigate the damages, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

A CA teen may have been riding a bike when he was hit, but LEO are no longer saying that. Teenager hit by car, badly injured As of this posting LEO are only saying the driver was in a car going south, the victim’s mode of transit has been purged from the report. Gigi saw it before I did and it was edited after she read it.

Still in CA they still haven’t finished investigating a dead cyclist’s wreck. Investigation continues in crash that killed Aptos cyclist I think the LEO heading this case does not believe the SWSS explanation. I think there also may be some information from sources outside the weapon vehicle that contradict the driver’s statement.

Also from CA is this from BikingInLA. The Times winds down their look at biking in the City of Angels, and the day’s best bike links I really like the comments to the LA Times link, so much angst from the poor, put-upon drivers who might have to change lanes to pass a cyclist, or slow down for a few seconds.

LEO in far West Canuckistan are looking for a hit-and-run driver. Victoria police looking for car after cyclist injured in hit-and-run The cyclist appears to have been hit from behind, so protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent. And good LEO to enforce the safety of that infrastructure from entitled drivers who can’t stand to share an inch of pavement with a cyclist.

And last link is Infrastructure! news from Jolly Olde. Croydon council urged to make borough safer for cyclists Again, trying to pry scant inches from the drivers to give space to cyclists and pedestrians.

Those are all the links about bicycles that gave me fits today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Been doing some thinking, and the Feed

Interesting things have been happening here at WoaB! I have a student, and I didn’t even know I was a teacher. I have been approached by a person who wants me to teach them about magick (with a “k”) and religion (because they’re intermingled and inseparable in how I learned). The reason why I’m posting this is to warn people that Wreck-Free Sundays are going to get… “different” for a while. I’m going to post the public part of what I’m teaching on Sundays, starting with the ethics of magick (with a “k”) and just teaching religion in general. My student will have to tell me (or send an e-mail) what they understand I said about ethics, not just regurgitate word for word. Second thing: I’m thinking of changing the focus of this blog. As people have been telling me for years, it isn’t healthy to wallow in all this death and mayhem when there ain’t a damn thing I can do about it. As it is now I have probably read more wreck reports about bicycles than any currently living human. That number is so large I lost count years ago. I think it’s somewhere over 6000, but that’s just a SWAG based on the number of links average per post and the number of posts I’ve done. That doesn’t count the reports I read but did not link to because there wasn’t anything I could teach from them, so maybe 10K counting them? That is a crap ton of broken bodies and souls. And it just occurred to me that the last day in March would have a better time to make this announcement, just so that you could spend the next two days thinking that this was all an elaborate April Fool’s joke while I posted cat pictures to my blog and left recipes for love potions.

Anyway, expect the blog to veer away from wrecks and more into infrastructure, because I have discovered that more than 95% of the wrecks I post to this blog are either directly related to bad infrastructure, or could have been prevented by good infrastructure. That means I’m going to have to learn a lot more about creating good bike infrastructure than I know right now, which can be summed up as “Keep the cars away from the people riding bicycles.” I think the best metaphor I have for that is this picture I swiped and edited from Subnormality:

Up first is a blind driver running over a cyclist wearing clothes in CA. Cyclist Hit, Killed in Turlock and Bicyclist killed in fatal collision The cyclist was riding in the right side of the lane and the driver did not see him until just before hitting him, and instead of blaming the driver for not watching the road they blame the cyclist for “failure to wear glow-in-the-dark clown suit”. And don’t get me started on how they de-humanized the cyclist: “The report states Medina didn’t see the bicyclist until it was a short distance away.” Last I checked the AP style sheet required referring to members of the human race by either gendered pronouns when the gender of the subject was known, or as “they” when gender was unknown. In this case not only did they have a gender, they had an age and a name to go with that gender, “39-year-old Jose Borjes“. Also note that the lights and reflectors on the bike were never mentioned just the cyclist’s wearing normal clothing. TANJ!

Up in MN a cyclist was doing everything right (including the glow-in-the-dark clown suit) but is still dead. Bicyclist fatally run over was new to Minneapolis, careful about bike safety Hit-from-behind by a drunk driver with snowbanks cutting off the escape route, which moots the protocols. There was infrastructure present, under the snowbanks. This demonstrates that if you want the infrastructure to do its job it has to be maintained.

A driver is convicted of killing a cyclist in FL. Driver guilty in accident that killed bicyclist in Tampa Now to see what kind of pansy “sentence” he gets. He was also convicted of driving without a license in the wreck which should be an aggravating circumstance especially as he was racing on the street at the time, but I have my doubts since the victim was a cyclist riding in the bike lane in a park…

What appears to be a SWCC in NC. Police: Bicyclist injured in wreck The “crossing west into the southbound lanes” combined with “Hit in the inside southbound lane” has the cyclist coming from the left when hit, but no place for the cyclist to have come from. As you can see from the Street View this was an undivided 4-lane highway in the middle of a residential area.

A weird wreck in Jolly Olde. Cyclist’s lucky escape as bike skids under bus Not sure how this happened but kid, bus, crushed bicycle, and no blood makes it “not bad”.

An unknown type of wreck in Oz. Australind cyclist injured in mystery crash The cyclist was found on the ground with head injuries and an undamaged bicycle, pretty much the calling card of a buzz job. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, get the infrastructure right to prevent.

What to do if you’re first or one of the first on scene at a bicycle wreck. Guest Column: Bikes Have Rights™*

A conflict-free commute on You Tube. Count the number of moving cars in my bike commute video Yes, it happens.

As someone pointed out if you have an activity that demands you be crazy to participate, you get people being crazy, but if you make the activity appear safe enough for everybody to do it, the ratio of crazy to not declines from over unity to under. NYC Cyclists Are Getting More Considerate, Study Shows And you get results like this.

And those are all the links that I could find about bicycles, that may or may not have given me fits.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Been very busy, and the Feed

I’m getting started on this post way late. I went to get my toes done because I can’t get to some of the toes on my left foot because of the nerve damage so I have to get someone else to cut my toenails. The cheapest way to do this is to get a pedicure from the local nail spa. I get a “normal” pedi’ minus polish (so far) including the “Baby Foot Peel” and getting all my calluses buffed down (which tickles like you would not believe) and the foot and leg massage. The only problem I have is the edges of the nails are trimmed to prevent ingrown toenails and my toes are sore for a couple of days. Other effects are the rest of the foot feels wonderful to the touch for about a week because of the peel, and of course the leg feels much better for a couple of hours after the massage.

Up first was a difficult decision today but I think this deserves the lead paragraph. Update: Driver faces charge for August death of Debra Deem in Newport Beach and Charges filed against driver in bicyclist death Oopsie! You’re dead! And somehow that just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. There really needs to be something criminal that drivers who kill can be charged with when they kill because they violated a traffic law, but otherwise did not deliberately kill people.

Same state but more recent wreck. 78-year old Glendora bike rider dies after being taken off life support Left cross, intersection protocols mooted by no reaction time because of the geometry of the wreck, but infrastructure will prevent left crosses.

Still more on the death of a high-profile cyclist at the wheels of a LEO in CA. District Attorney’s Office To Review Deputy-Involved Crash That Killed Cyclist, Milton Everett Olin Jr. Nothing new in this article except being posted by a national news outlet.

More on another CA wreck. Cyclist Involved in Fatal Crash is Identified Still nothing on what happened, yet. LEO is sitting tight on this one.

From the former long-time champ at killing cyclists and pedestrians, the family of a DUI victim exercises their prerogative of suing the vendor that over-served the DUI driver. Family of Cyclist Killed Files Suit Against City of Lakeland

More on a NYC wreck. Bicyclist Killed by a Bus Rose Above Usual Anonymity of Deliverymen in the City The narrative is the cyclist was totally not at fault in this one as the bus driver pulled into the cyclist after he got past the bus. Not an avoidable wreck for the cyclist, Dutch quality infrastructure to prevent.

A cyclist is hit in the Great White North. Vernon cyclist injured in collision Classic SWSS narrative made worse by the ninja cyclist. The lack of visibility probably made it look like the cyclist rode into the car instead of being a gutter bunny getting buzzed. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid or to mitigate damages, and infrastructure to prevent.

Another unavoidable wreck, this time in Jolly Olde. Cyclist injured after moped riders grab him and pull him down on Scunthorpe road This was no “accident”, this was a deliberate assault on a cyclist. Infrastructure would still prevent this assuming mopeds are not allowed to use it.

A wreck without witnesses is ruled to be a single-vehicle wreck. Cyclist’s death on ride ruled a tragic accident

Infrastructure! news from the UK. Mother of killed cyclist says motorists should be retested before getting licence back

Infrastructure news from the UK. Cyclists hope petition will go the distance

And those were all the links that gave me fits or otherwise. I have been watching the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona both on cable and on the computer, which has been fun except for the really bad wreck that happened just before I turned the TV on that sent 2 drivers to hospital.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I finally got the errand I tried to run on Monday and Tuesday finished, and the Feed

Things did not look good this morning when I went to run the errand I have been trying to get done all week long. I was watching the bus stop as soon as I could see it and saw the bus go by 11 minutes early, somewhat destroying the 5 minute leeway that DART suggests to riders who don’t want to miss the bus. I wouldn’t even have seen the bus except I left a few minutes early because of missing the bus Tuesday. Fortunately I didn’t have anywhere I needed to be tonight unlike Tuesday so I waited for the next schedule and got my transfer an hour later than planned. I stopped for an Angry Whopper meal at the BK next to the bus stop where I caught my next bus (did I mention this was an Epic Bus Ride?) and got my business done in record time and caught the same bus on the return trip. The routing for the return trip was not the same as I came but reversed, I was supposed to take the train instead of the bus as the train would have switched to rush hour frequency and gotten me home sooner. Unfortunately the bus was delayed by a greater than normal number of people that needed to use the lift to get on and off the bus, so I was watching the train pull out from the station as the bus was pulling in. Because of that I missed my connection Downtown and missed again when I got back to the Beautiful suburbs of Hell, so I ended up getting home a little before 1800 tonight. So 5 bus rides, 2 trains, and a lot of waiting later I got home with the stuff I was supposed to get Monday. Epic.

More on that Houston hit-and-run. Another hit-and-run death has cyclists wondering if they’re safe on Houston streets The body was discovered by guys fishing the next day after he was hit the night before.

A new wreck in NM. Bicyclist struck by truck in Alamogordo This appears to be a hit-from-behind wreck on a frontage road. I have a serious dislike for frontage roads as they are frequently the only access for anything that can’t use the adjoining highway, and they get treated like an extension of the highway by people driving on them no matter what the posted speed limit is. I have watched people do 60 MPH in a posted 30 zone while I was riding with them in the car, as an example. The second problem is that usually in order to get around the highway the frontage road is fronting you have to use the frontage road for at least part of the trip, which means riding with people who think the frontage road is part of the high-speed highway… Anyway, hit-from-behind protocols to avoid or to mitigate damages, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

A deliberately blind driver who was watching the soybeans grow instead of watching the toad in front of him gets a ticket for killing the cyclist he ran over. Man ticketed for killing bicyclist 3 months ago The report is so suffused with windshield bias and car-head entitlement I could barely keep my dinner down with lines like “(the cyclist) was in (the driver’s) lane.” No the cyclist was in her lane and the driver ran her over, because he was more interested in soybeans than he was in what was in the road in front of him. TANJ!

I keep saying that just because you don’t have lights and a glow-in-the-dark clown suit on that doesn’t mean drivers should get a free pass to hit you on your bike, and someone else agrees. Bicycle Fatality: Cyclist Not To Blame This was the FL hit-from-behind where I asked if the weapon vehicle had headlights. So at least one other person in the world knows about the basic speed law. “No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances then existing or under the conditions and having regard to actual and potential hazards. Tran. Code §545.351(a) & (b)” That’s the law here in TX complete with VC citation.

An injured IL cyclist gets some civil justice when the person initially accused of hitting her brings video to the case. Video Identifies Cause of Crash That Injured Bicyclist On Milwaukee Avenue It seems that someone could also be charged with interfering with a police investigation as well, which is a serious felony.

Same city is much hand-wringing about people riding bicycles in the street without helmets! >swoon< Divvy Bike Accidents A Growing Threat I’m not sure what a bike share bike is a threat to, but it MUST be a threat to something. People are having fun and getting cheap transportation, quick, do something…

Moving out west to CA a woman on a bicycle and a person on a motorcycle had a meeting of the minds when they misjudged speeds. FRENCH VALLEY: Bicyclist injured in collision with motorcycle (UPDATED) The cyclist was getting ready for a left turn and did not allow the motorcycle enough space. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and infrastructure to prevent.

Still in CA a 70 YO cyclist ran a red light? Really? Vehicle Fatally Strikes 70-Year-Old Cyclist IF this is as reported then intersection protocols to avoid and infrastructure to prevent. Since there were no pictures of the wrecked bicycle posted to the web I have no idea if this is accurate, but it didn’t pass the smell test the first time I read it and it still stinks.

Another driver gets a gentle caress to the wrist from Jolly Olde. Suspended sentence for driver after cyclist killed TANJ!

He probably won’t. Lorry driver could be jailed after admitting causing cyclist’s death

A little Infrastructure! news from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Cyclists want Miami-Dade mayor to see dangers on Bear Cut Bridge Two words about drivers driving in the bike lanes Solid Bollards. Install 4″ dia 0.5″ wall steel tubing filled with concrete about 5 feet apart set a couple of feet into the road surface and welded to the rebar in Portland concrete surfaced roads, and cars will stop driving in the bike lane. I admit picking up the pieces from cars that try driving in the bike lane will be time consuming at first, but if the messes are sufficiently publicized on the news and in internet videos (“Wrecked car swept into small garbage bags after crossing into bike lane” would be a good headline) the problem will eventually go away.

National infrastructure news. Secretary Foxx Pledges to Make Bike/Ped Safety a Priority I think the traditional response to statements like this is “I’m from Missouri,” or “show me.”

A big problem with bike/ped infrastructure and safety is antipathy from the car-heads. Park Slope Woman Decides Family Of Slain Boy Has “Mourned Enough,” Tries To Take Down Memorial

PSA on motor vehicle danger. Cars don’t kill people, irresponsible drivers do

And last link sometimes you need to get off that bike. Wheels of Truth

And those were all the links that gave me fits after I got home.

Billed @€0.02, Opus