Finally got some money, and the Feed

The check came in this morning, so I’ll be out running around paying bills and making deposits and stuff tomorrow instead of going with Mrs. the Poet to shop for groceries. There won’t be a big difference for the blog, just for my selection of salty snacks. I think I might have to give up meditation to get my BP up high enough to make the grade for the new test med, because cutting my current meds in half doesn’t quite do it, and eating salty snacks doesn’t do it either. I’m barely at 110/80 now.

Up first, wait, what?!?

Another cow caught stealing a bicycle…… pic.twitter.com/7gtONxicdn

— classicretro (@classicretro) March 30, 2016

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And closer to home.

Crews Finally Add Last Block of 2-Way Protected Bike Lane in Downtown Houston pic.twitter.com/DyjHLsSstv

— StreetsblogTexas (@StreetsblogTex) March 30, 2016

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Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Downtown bike lanes draw new brewery, new bollards on Vineland and a new LA Bike Fest video

Unknown mode of wreck in MN. Bicycle rider killed by car in Sartell and Bicyclist Struck, Killed In Sartell As of this posting all I know is there was a cyclist hit by an unknown vehicle and possibly left for dead making this a possible probable hit-and-run.

Victim blaming in the Great White North. Cyclists share responsibility for accidents More blaming the victim for not wearing the GITDCS that drivers seem to think every cyclist should wear 24/7 when riding. Instead of you know, actually looking more than 20 feet in front of the vehicle.

Right hook in far West Canuckistan. Cyclist dies in collision with truck in Victoria’s Chinatown and Cyclist, 73, struck and killed in downtown Victoria I zoomed in on the picture of the crime scene and the only truck visible was a COE with good forward and side vision. So, aside from using the standard protocols posted in the links at the top of the page what could be done to prevent this wreck? They were already using the delivery vehicle with the best outward vision, the cyclist was wearing clothing that made her visible, what else could be done? EDIT: As I was getting ready to move from the first link to the next link the page updated with a much better picture of the crime scene showing the actual delivery vehicle having a conventional cab that is blind to a large area in front and to the right where the cyclist was hit. So going back to the question, replacing the delivery vehicle with a COE flat van and a glass door to the right would be a massive help.

Speaking of the devil, here’s an article from Jolly Olde on just that kind of vehicle, this one in a trash hauler. Pioneering lorries with panoramic view hit the streets in bid to save cyclists’ lives

Also from the UK is this factoid from the trial of a killer driver. Janina Gehlau: Lorry driver ‘should have seen cyclist for up to five seconds’ before fatal collision The cyclist was using the infrastructure as designed, the driver of the weapon vehicle should have been looking in the direction he was planning on driving before actually proceeding through that space, I believe the colloquial phrasing is “Looked where he was going”.

This is an aspect of UK jurisprudence that I would dearly love to see here in the US. Cyclist injured in fall from bike due to road ‘hazard’ awarded damages after suing council for ‘negligence’ Injured or incur property damage because of crappy infrastructure? Sue the government body responsible for it not being crappy.

Now this just sucks. Man pushes cyclist off BMX and rides off on it I try not to wish harm to another human being, really I do, but this guy needs to get hit by an HGV turning left at a stop light since this is over in Jolly Olde where they drive on the wrong side of the road.

Another rider in Oz hits a parked car? Qld rider killed after hitting parked car Seriously this is two this week.

More on the 73 YO driver that killed a cyclist in Oz. Hit-and-run driver charged over WA cyclist

Back in the US, SF infrastructure! TWIN PEAKS FOR EVERYONE OK let me get this out or I’m going to explode: “That’s one fine cuppa coffee” .

And how do you get bike parking? How Portland’s oldest Buddhist temple got better bike parking Sometimes you have to DIY.

And here it is not even midnight and I’m outta links, Gigi is going to be so happy.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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Waiting on pins and needles, and the Feed

First, there will be some gaps in coverage this week for the blog. I have a trip to the Lab Rat Keeper coming Wednesday, and the consult with the surgeon Thursday, and the surgery could get scheduled at any time after that. Which leads us directly to today’s headline, about the dread and anticipation for this mess to be over. What I want is for this to just be an exceptionally ugly lump of fat sitting on the back of my neck. What I’m prepared for is for this to be something far worse. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst got me through the ’60s and ’70s alive and mostly unscarred (not the kind that you can show off to your GF and brag about). So, my will is written, insurance is paid up, bills are current, in case this turns out to be something worse than “Chris Christie” on my neck. It’s the waiting and not knowing that kills you. Maybe literally, but I have been doing a lot of meditation to reduce stress, and Hephaestus has been poking me about finding a Corvette donor vehicle from this century for the Sprint T to get the weight down to 1580 pounds with 8 gallons of gas on board (can you imagine what that would be like to drive with 380-635 HP on the street?!). All to try to reduce my stress levels to something I can deal with.

Up first is the response to a wreck in Portland OR, America’s Copenhagen. Sunday morning collision at 26th and Powell severs leg of man on bike (updated) is the wreck, what follows are the reactions Campaign looks to raise $50,000 for man who lost leg in Sunday’s collision and Local dad calls for ‘super-legal slow-down’ of Powell Boulevard during Monday rush hour last Protest planned after bicycle rider’s leg severed in Powell Blvd. crash

Speaking of fundraising for people hit by cars while riding bikes. Online fundraiser set for Cary boy killed on bike

Today’s Daily Ted. Morning Links: It’s Bike Week in LA, meet a real American hero, win a free book and ride a tiny new bike lane If they really wanted to show some tiny bike lanes there is a web site devoted to the subject in the UK. Notice how the bike path leads into a shared use bus stop.

In NYC they can’t even be bothered to enforce the law that says hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk is against the law. Woman Fatally Struck By Taxi On Upper East Side

Still in NYC. Video: Intoxicated Driver Helpfully Takes Off Shirt For Cops After Houston Street Crash At least taking the shirt off makes it easier to get the blood draw for the DUI conviction.

And what it takes to get a conviction and prison time for killing a little girl in the streets of NYC is for the little girl to get hit riding in another car. Driver Who Killed 9-Year-Old While Fleeing Cops Gets At Least Four Years In Prison

A West Canuckistan bike rack that has a six-step locking procedure. A bicycle lockup stand that might be too complicated to use A saving grace to this stand is there appears to be room to lock a helmet inside the stand so you don’t have to carry it around or leave it unlocked with your bike.

These two links go together. First is this wreck. Bicyclist, 26, killed in North Philadelphia accident identified as Temple grad and filmmaker

And then there is this one. Philly Is Racking Up the Bike-Friendly Points Yes you can still count your city as “Bike Friendly” while it kills cyclists.

A Canadian crackdown on sidewalk cyclists is not accompanied by a crackdown on driver behaviors that necessitate sidewalk cyclists. Police ticket e-bike, bicycle riders on sidewalks

Silly season in the UK. MoD pays out £334,000 compensation to cyclists who injured themselves on military bases including £27,000 to one who slipped on mud

Gee the Oz driver that killed (and apparently murdered) a cyclist in a hit-and-run was bonkers angry at cyclists weeks before he actually killed one. Deadly hit and run driver in Geelong ‘harassed other cyclists’ Fascinating how that works, a driver is identified as having harassed cyclists for weeks and finally cracks and kills one.

You think Thai cyclists might be a bit peeved at the lax enforcement against drunk drivers? Cyclists equate drink-driving, murder Gee, ya think?

More about celebrity cyclist Bono. Bono Rides a Bike for the First Time Since His Accident – with a Little Help from Jimmy Fallon

A little Dutch infrastructure news. The solar road in the Netherlands is working even better than expected Yeah! Solar power from the street! And the street does not get potholes. Win-win situation.

Are you that cyclist? Don’t be THAT CYCLIST This is poor behavior to other cyclists for the most part, road rules was just an afterthought on the end of the article.

And this is something we cyclists have to be careful about. Candy company to kids: Don’t eat too much sugar! Wait a minute you say, how does this apply to cyclists? Have you read the nutrition labels on your energy gels?

And it looks like I’m out of links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

“Chris Christie” is becoming a real pain in the neck, and the Feed

There, I said it. This lump of useless fat sitting on my neck has literally become a pain in the neck. I can’t wait until the surgeon cuts me open and peels that thing off my neck, because it has reached the point that the lump is restricting my range of motion to the point that I get a pain every time I try to turn my head in any direction. It feels like the bottom of my skull is hitting the lump but it is probably the muscles not being able to get out of the way because the lump is already there, although when I check with my finger the finger gets caught between the lump and my skull, so a little of both, maybe? Anyway, I want this useless lump of ugly fat gone from my neck and my life. In this picture I leaned as far forward as I could so “Chris” would be more visible.

Up first because this is THE major issue of riding a bike in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, an observation from WoaB hero Bikeyface. FOR LACK OF A RACK That’s right bike parking. There are nearly no bike racks in Garland except for a few near the square, and a couple tucked behind buildings at our “mall” that isn’t a mall.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Injured SD cyclist needs your help, CA keeps dopers on the road, and Winnipeg ups the ante on ciclovías Good links in that one.

What is a sports icon to do when he can no longer play his sport? BARRY BONDS IS SHIFTING GEARS

I have long suspected that what is depicted here was exactly the case. Bicyclists Belong in the Traffic Lane

I feel like quoting “Patton” (the movie) when I read this. Jobst Brandt, cyclist, inventor, author and industry influencer, dies at 80 You know the quote I’m talking about, right?

Update on the cyclist killed by a driver on the wrong side of the road in GA. Funeral Scheduled For Thursday To Honor Cyclist Who Died Following Accident Yes, this is the cyclist killed by Smirking Man. Smirking Man still had not made bail last time I checked.

Kids watching too much TV and not getting enough exercise? No TV unless you exercise! My version used a car alternator and an inverter running off a battery charged by the alternator, but this will work for people who have TVs that won’t come back on after the power goes off until the remote turns it back on. The trick for mine was to use a very small battery and an inverter with an adjustable low-voltage cutoff, set between the alternator output and the resting voltage of the battery. That way you always had full voltage to make the alternator work, and the TV would only work as long as you pedaled. Keep the pedals turning and you could watch TV, stop pedalling and you had to get off the bike and find the remote, find someone to turn the TV on while you pedaled, and go through the startup sequence on the bike/inverter combination.

National infrastructure news from DC. Clock ticks down on highway funding The gas tax was last raised in 1993. Clinton was POTUS at the time. In the last 10 years we have had to bail out the Transportation Trust Fund 5 times that I remember… Because the gas tax does not pay enough for new construction, and don’t get me started on maintenance. This has a direct impact on the funds needed to pay for things like bicycle infrastructure that would not be needed if there were no cars or heavy trucks clogging the streets and roads.

A cyclist documents the hazards of a busy street to NYPD, NYPD responds by blocking the cyclist from being able to tell them about people parking in the bike lane or making illegal turns from it. Cyclists Demand A Safer Jay Street, NYPD Doesn’t Want To Hear It

A UK city begins a safety campaign that doesn’t automatically blame cyclists and demand styrofoam hats. Look Once, Look Twice … Think Cyclist and Think Bike Motorcycles are having a similar problem with blind drivers “not seeing” them, so they are part of the campaign as well.

The recent deaths in Thailand have gotten the attention of the media and government. How to make our roads safe for cyclists and Thai editorial: How to make our roads safe for cyclists also Cyclists need more support

Another Lifestyle article from FL. Tallahassee Officers to Bike Hundreds of Miles to Honor Those Killed in the Line of Duty

And I’m out of links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I’m back in shorts and a T-shirt, and the Feed

Well the headline pretty much says it all concerning life here at Casa de El Poeta, the outside temperature has risen to what the heating system was designed to cope with (low 40s-high 30s at night) so I’m back to wearing shorts and a T-shirt in the office, and Mrs. the Poet is still wearing her sweatshirt over a T-shirt and long pants. I am comfortable in a very wide range of temperatures wearing the shorts and T-shirt, and do much better than Mrs. the Poet when things get really cold, mostly because I have real cold-weather gear because I hung on to my issue cold-weather gear when I left the Army, and bought more of it when it hit the surplus market. Mrs. the Poet hates mil-surplus clothing because of the way it looks, but I’m the warm one in winter. And I have a selection of gear that I can wear riding a bicycle as well, so I stay warm on my bike. Or I would be warm if I could actually ride my bike.

Up first is some good news from Brownsville, as they discover that they can stuff a lot of bicycles into the space that used to house just one car. Brownsville installs downtown bike corral They replaced one car spot with 14 bike spots, greatly increasing the revenue potential for that parking spot. Sure shoppers that arrive by bike don’t spend as much money per trip, but they make 2-3 times as many trips and now they have the potential to serve 14 times as many customers.

Pedestrians are still getting killed same as they always were with Texas right out there in a battle for the “lead”. Pedestrians killed at about the same rate last year as they were in 2013 This mirrors UK statistics showing cars are getting more forgiving about bad driving, what with air bags and crumple zones and being required to have doors that open after running into a concrete wall at 35 MPH, but drivers are just as crappy as they always were if not worse now that the consequences for them are so much lower.

More on the Houston bike cops going undercover to get drivers who drive poorly around cyclists. Undercover Houston Cops On Bikes Are Nabbing Drivers Dangerous To Cyclists Houston passed a law against buzzing cyclists in 2013 when they discovered how many cyclists were getting knocked down by cars passing too close, then instructed bike cops to run stings against the drivers breaking the law. Nobody is getting ticketed for passing between 2 and 3 feet away (just warned), the (big) tickets are going to the ones passing less than a foot (300 mm) from the cop. So far no word on how many cops have been hit doing these stings, but you know it is just a matter of time before some Bubba decides to “teach a lesson” to one of the undercover cops and misjudges how wide his F-150 really is, like the guy who broke his mirror off on my elbow a few years ago.

Why is this news in NYC? Cops Are Giving Out Speeding Tickets To Drivers Who Are Speeding Really now, cops giving tickets is “Man bites dog” rare in NYC?

If you have a young-looking bike-riding friend in SF please check on his whereabouts and if you can’t find him call SFPD. Young cyclist unconscious, and police don’t know his name The wreck was early Monday morning to give your young man a time frame to be missing, if you saw him after 0800 or so on Monday it is pretty much guaranteed that this is not the same guy.

They have some bad infrastructure over in NOLA, so bad it kills people. Cyclist death shines light on dangerous intersection And cue the H8ers complaining about cyclists taking the lane for visibility when this was a crossing wreck at an intersection and LEO admit they have no way of knowing who ran the light. Check out the comments section.

When the state refuses to act in AZ municipalities take charge. San Luis to enforce ban on cellphone use for drivers It seems there are certain people in the AZ legislature blocking driving while using cell phone bills from getting to the floor, not naming names because I don’t know who is doing it, just that the bills never seem to get a vote.

It seems that providing even barely usable bicycle infrastructure has a positive effect on car ownership (if you are trying to reduce traffic congestion). Multnomah County car registration is down 8% since 2007, and isn’t rebounding They had a steep drop during the recession but people discovered they didn’t need to have a car for everyone so the number of people replacing cars sold during the recession has been very low. Also there is the possibility that they are just not registering their deadly weapons like they are supposed to.

Along the same lines just up the coast a bit. The Remarkable Drop in Car Commuting to Downtown Seattle They expect to see even further reductions when their bike infrastructure gets built all the way into the Downtown area.

Another link to that SD bill that would require drivers to not hit cyclists they are trying to pass. Bill Aiming To Keep Cyclists Safe On The Road 3 feet at 35 MPH and under, 6 feet on faster roads. And the bill has passed the Senate and goes on to the governor to be signed into law.

Cyclists in the Emerald Isle are discovering that protecting the head just seems to move the injury to some other part of the body. Soaring popularity of pedal power leads to 200% rise in spinal injuries That energy has to go somewhere, and when you protect the skull the next thing in line is the neck, which this report seems to indicate is the part taking the abuse.

And whadda you know, crap infrastructure is crap. Are Southend’s roads safe for cyclists? If you have to ask, then the answer is probably “NO!”.

I think I’m done taking Boris Johnson seriously. Cyclists should wave like Simon Rattle to avoid being hit, says London mayor Really, get out in front of a heavy truck and wave your hands around in the vague hope that the driver will see you and not run you over? And how is that begging for your life at the base of the guillotine working out for you, Boris? 😉

Speaking of stupid things in the UK. Cyclists vs motorists – 3 STUPID acts committed by the frustrated car driver

Dealing with the rather arcane legal infrastructure in Oz. TAC admits cyclist claim rules are confusing after host of anomalies in rules exposed If I had to deal with a mess like this with my wreck I would be pushing a walker or a wheelchair still.

This is stupid, bike 4 months, skate 4 months, and 4 months transition when you can’t safely do either. Canadian ‘freezeway’ could let residents skate to work And what about people who can’t skate, like yr fthfl srvnt blogger? Aside from the fact that I’m 2027 miles from Edmonton by bike that is.

The kind of lifestyle article I like to link to, because nobody had to die first. For injured veterans, bike ride helps heal body

Our Daily Ted was a little late posting, but I got it. Morning Links: Endorsing Ramsay and O’Grady in CD4; and a blind bike rider needs your help to regain his sight

Some infrastructure news out of Dallas as they debate adding a bypass Interstate (I 345) or enhancing the existing grid. Why the Grid Has More Latent Capacity Than a Highway The thing about I 345 that I object to is they are putting it through existing neighborhoods, unlike its northern counterpart I 635 which was built on what was mostly semi-rural farmland (there is still an active Future Farmers of America at Garland HS in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, which is located outside the 635 loop).

And a Texan I would be proud to share the designation with. 76-Year-Old Man Bikes 300 Miles To Raise Money For Planned Parenthood

I’m outta here.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

One of those days, and the Feed

Today is one of “those” days where I feel like strangling a politician, making it a good thing there aren’t any in reach. The Feed had a number of proposed bills for cyclists that did not actually do anything to protect cyclists but did make people feel like they had “done something”. Also Mrs. the Poet was out in the garage complaining about my stash of used bikes that I use to make art bikes and recumbents from. Then she started getting into some of the things that keep me from actually being able to use those bikes as I intended to when I got them, all the other people’s junk that keeps me from being able to get to my tools and workspace in the garage. Lots of cussing about that coming from the garage whilst I was trying to filter links.

Up first is one of those “What were they thinking?” laws I was reading about. Bill would require neon clothes, government ID for cyclists There are some things that would be a great idea, and others not so much. Rear lights, good idea, government ID, not so much. I see this bill being used mostly as a way to bludgeon the poor and homeless, not as an effective tool for bicycle safety.

A really bizarre case in NYC gets even weirder. Bag Of Rats Offers New Evidence In Fatal Williamsburg Hit & Run They recovered a plastic bag of “live frozen” rats from the weapon vehicle at the scene, with the defendant’s fingerprints on it. Also the defendant has a criminal history that includes killing people. The weapon vehicle was doing almost 70 in a 30 MPH zone when he hit the cab.

Another off-the-wall scene in an NYC court. Mother Of Unlicensed Teen Driver Who Killed 4-Year-Old Lashes Out In Court She’s lucky her unlicensed son was not charged with illegal possession of a deadly weapon.

Using mind-reading helmets to plan lower-stress cycling in NYC. NYC bike map based on riders’ brainwaves tells you which routes are the most stressful or relaxing How about building some Dutch-quality infrastructure for making low-stress routes?

Why has building infrastructure for active transportation become a political football? Koch-funded groups coalesce around axing all federal funding for walking, biking and transit and Koch-Funded Groups: Cut All Federal Funding for Walking, Biking, Transit I looked at the proposal and all it does is lock in transportation planning from 50 and 60 years ago to the exclusion of every other alternative, basically “Cars über alles”.

More on technical means of keeping drivers from running over cyclists and pedestrians. Here’s How Car Makers Are Trying to Make Streets Safer for Bicycle Commuters Some car-makers are using passive sensors that don’t require anything from the cyclist or pedestrian other than being there and potentially moving into conflict with the motor vehicle, while others are requiring vulnerable users to carry devices that warn the car of their presence, path, and velocity so the car can then warn the driver. If you don’t have these devices then the car doesn’t tell the driver you’re there…

Infrastructure news from America’s Amsterdam, Portland OR. Novick says PBOT will use state study to address speeding, lack of bikeway on Barbur The lane closures from the construction did not seriously affect the non-rush traffic except to slow it down slightly under the posted speed limit.

Some infrastructure news from OR. City issues bike parking code violation to Jantzen Beach Home Depot I am in awe and totally jealous that they even have a bike parking code. I have been lobbying the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell for a bike parking ordinance for almost 10 years now. We still don’t have one.

More infrastructure from across the Columbia from Portland OR. Damaged sections of waterfront trail reopen

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: January was a good month for SoCal cyclists, walkability survey and still more bike events

Still in SoCal we get this lifestyle event. SLAIN CYCLIST HONORED AT ORANGE COUNTY MEMORIAL RIDE RIP rider…

Struggling to provide a connection for two trans-continental bike routes. PLEASE SUPPORT BICYCLE ROUTE 66 This is a vital connection for both the Southern Tier bike route and the Heartland bike route. BR66 is also a potential major tourist bike route. Having a big unrideable gap like that just east of LA just cuts too many people off from the rest of the country.

And I seem to have run out of links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

More Stupid stuff than you ever thought possible. and the Feed

Well you might think I would be all written out after the previous post, but I am an endless barrel of exposition . No, seriously, I can keep writing for days, weeks even. I just take Saturdays off so I can have some semblance of a social life. I have all the ideas I need to keep writing forever except for the bouts I have with aphasia, and needing to sleep once in a while.

Main reason why cyclists break traffic laws? Because the laws were written for 1+ ton vehicles with much higher power-to-weight ratios than bicycles, and following laws written for those vehicles can get cyclists killed. Let’s talk seriously about why cyclists break traffic laws

Remember what I keep saying about helmets never preventing a wreck? Study: What Puts Cyclists at Greatest Risk? It’s Not What You Wear Apparently they don’t do much to prevent injury, either.

Have problems finding bike parking near your favorite store or mall? There might be a reason for that. SHOP BLOCKED Unless I absolutely have to I no longer shop stores without bike parking.

More on the MD bike tragedy as it has affected infrastructure discussions and the bicycle Lifestyle in MD. On Palermo tragedy, ‘Agony in the Garden’ and the Next Baltimore The event has had a major impact on the Episcopalian community of MD if nothing else. And Boys Latin students were first to stop to help injured cyclist Palermo

One NV town is determined to make cycling work within the narrow proscriptions of state law. Taking ‘Bike-Friendly’ to a whole new level

Infrastructure news from America’s Amsterdam. New striping on Vancouver Ave is a ‘SAFE’ hotline success story

If you happen to be in KY in March… National American Handmade Bicycle Show 2015

What is it about cyclists that drives people to act as if we don’t count as human beings? Attack on cyclist: Staffordshire police witness appeal The cyclist was attacked by someone in a car but not driving, WTH?

I am so jelly on this. You’re about to get really jealous of these cool bike paths Yes, I used “jelly” in an unironic mode meaning “jealous”, so sue me.

Not so “jelly” about this steaming pile of UK infrastructure. Embassy response to Crystal Palace Parade junction improvement scheme Another plan to speed up drivers with a bit of crappy bike infrastructure thrown in to comply with laws and spend budget without actually giving anything useful to cyclists. There is something useful in this scheme, protected left turns for cyclists (which would be the same as protected rights for here in the US) so maybe “steaming pile” is a little harsh? On further review “steaming pile” is if anything too lenient.

And I’m all out of links today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet