Back to the salt mines, and the Feed

Gotta do something to bring my BP up for the new study med, maybe a massive increase in my sodium consumption will help. What you thought I was going to engage in manual labor? I’m going to try to eat my way through a metaphorical salt mine. Just like how a few years ago I drastically increased my consumption of fatty meats so that I could survive a non-statin cholesterol med that was being tested for interactions with other meds.

The 0.060″ square styrene rod that will eventually become the bottom frame rails arrived this morning. I can’t believe that I spent almost $10 (after tax and shipping) on a tiny package of plastic that isn’t even anything yet. And I can’t believe how tiny 0.060″ is.

Up first is a cyclist killed near Houston. Bicyclist dies after struck by hit-and-run driver on Beaumont Highway Apparently a hit-from-behind wreck, apparently a walking anal sphincter for a driver. Houston readers BOLO for an older Suburban with fresh front-end damage, call the local non-emergency police number if you see one.

Our Daily Ted, part one. Morning Links: Nine years for drunken West Covina hit-and-run; suspect wanted in Agoura Hills bike crash

Our Daily Ted part duh. Woman killed riding bike in Carlsbad when she reportedly veered out of bike lane Certainly sounds like a SWSS wreck to me.

Counting the toll in NYC. NYC Drivers Injured 1,191 Pedestrians and Cyclists, and Killed 13, in February And pedestrians and cyclists killed zero drivers. Cyclists killed zero pedestrians and pedestrians killed zero cyclists. The only mode that killed anybody was motor vehicles.

Another senseless death in NYC. Driver Backing Up to Park Kills Lin Qinyun, NYPD Blames Victim [Updated] “Since May 2015, motorists have killed five pedestrians while driving in reverse on New York City streets.” And I bet every one of those deaths was met with a “no criminality suspected” statement from NYPD, just like this one.

Still in NYC. Pedicab Drivers Sue City For Allegedly Trying To Destroy Them The only transit mode greener than the carriages (that the city is also trying to shut down) and the city is trying to make operators lives miserable.

Almost as crazy in still in NYC. Brooklyn Cyclists Fear New Bike Lanes On Jay Street Still Won’t Keep The Cop Cars Out and Sneak Preview: The Jay Street Protected Bike Lane

Infrastructure change in VT. HOUSE BACKS REFORM OF DRIVER’S LICENSE SUSPENSION SYSTEM How is this an infrastructure change? As it stands now a license can be suspended for any number of reasons, including things unrelated to driving ability or maintaining a safe vehicle or anything to do with vehicles at all. Just one point, using LEO writing tickets as a revenue-generating tool was one of the triggers for the problems in Ferguson, MO.

Speaking of MO. Local cyclists ready to protest HB 2046 with organized ride This was the bill that would have required bicycles on certain roads be equipped with flags on 15′ high poles, making the bikes illegal to use on the US Highway System because they would be over the legal height limit.

Jog up to WI for this lovely news. Traffic Deaths Increasingly Involve Pedestrians Cars are safer, drivers not so much. This is going on pretty much world-wide.

Infrastructure from America’s Copenhagen. Finally! ODOT acknowledges need for a road diet on SW Barbur Blvd How many injured cyclists did it take before this was started?

Still in Portland. Northeast Portlanders call enthusiastically for traffic diverters, greenway on 7th Avenue If the comments are to be believed (and why not?) this is a long overdue change.

A little north of Portland. Seattle Council Approves $1.5 Million Bike-Share Save Now get rid of that stupid helmet law and you might keep the thing in business.

They found the driver and vehicle that killed a cyclist in OH. First vehicle that struck, killed Franklin County teen bicyclist found I know the commenter NRWM isn’t going to read this blog, but none of the reports mentioned a lack of lights so the bike probably met or exceeded legal minimums. And the driver needs another vision test, maybe at night.

Wreck in IL. Woman on bicycle injured in accident with car This story had almost as much information as the usual UK reports.

Another wreck in CT. Cyclist injured in collision with delivery truck in Waterbury Assuming the narrative is accurate and the delivery driver didn’t do a “swoop-and-squat” then you need to be careful about brake system maintenance, along with the usual ABCQ check before riding (you do perform an ABCQ check before every ride, right? Particularly after leaving your bike unattended in public).

Terrible wreck in CO. Former pro cyclist injured in crash near Boulder I wouldn’t call losing an arm an “injury though. More like “permanently maimed”. But he will survive the wreck, and LEO still don’t know who was on the wrong side of the road.

A Canuckistan rider is killed on a trip to Mexico. Penticton Okanagan Rotary founder killed in Mexico Hit from behind wreck, to keep it from happening to you use those protocols to avoid.

Infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Getting people cycling on residential streets needs more than 20mph limits Maybe some diverters to prevent anyone except cyclists from using the streets as through, or bollards blocking the lanes at mid-block?

Jurisprudence for cyclist killers in the UK. Lorry driver who killed Derby cyclist by driving carelessly to be sentenced today The reason he was convicted was he turned across an active lane of traffic without making sure it was clear to do so.

And just UGH! ARC16: Delegates back call for society to lead cycling safety campaign Another helmet fetishist.

More on that multi-cyclist wreck in Oz. Truck driver charged over crash which killed cyclist in Solomontown and SA truckie charged over cyclist death I would say hitting 3 cyclists riding on the side of the road counts as “dangerous” driving, I guess murder and attempted murder would be a bit much. Only a bit though.

If they can standardise the plug for cars, then maybe it could be used for e-assist bikes, too? Volvo Calls on Industry to Adopt Single EV Charging Standard I’m being serious here. Mopeds can recharge the same way and at the same locations as cars and trucks, e-assist bikes should be able to get “away from home” recharges the same as other EV, right?

And why the previous paragraph is important to unassisted cyclists. Our Horrifyingly Unhealthy Environment Is Killing Millions Of People Every Year and The Planet Just Obliterated Another Heat Record We here in TX actually had a colder-than-normal winter, but paradoxically we didn’t have any real cold weather. It just stayed slightly below-average for much of the winter.

And it’s late (or early depending on your POV) and I’m ready for bed. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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Mrs. the Poet is back, and the Feed

Amazingly enough with all the bad weather we had, Mrs. the Poet returned on time tonight to DFW airport. We stopped off at the Whataburger down the street to get dinner instead of heating up leftovers which would have been too much cooking for Mrs. the Poet after her day of travelling. I had a Bacon Jalapeño and Cheese Whataburger, Mrs.the Poet had a Grilled Whatachicken, and our son had the regular Whatachicken. And of course everyone had fries and a soft drink. I also ducked into the neighboring grocery store to get coffee and milk so that there would be caffeine in the morning.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: UCLA cyclist screwed by insurance company needs your help; team track cycling league comes to LA She should countersue for intentional infliction of mental duress, and triple the amount she would get for the initial wreck, plus attorney’s fees. No check that, the dollar amount should start with 6 zeroes between the initial digit(s) and the decimal point, plus attorney’s fees. Unless she gets allowed to meet them in a back alley with them blindfolded and her with a u-lock.

Still in CA, more on the cyclist hit by a trolley. Cyclist killed by trolley identified and Cyclist Wearing Earbuds Dies on Trolley Tracks in Barrio Logan I said all there is to say about this wreck yesterday.

Moving north and a bit east of San Diego to NV. 13-year-old cyclist critically injured after hit by car in southwest Las Vegas Kid trying to get to school and not adequately trained in how to use the road cuts off a car.

Portland debates implementing “Vision Zero”. No more road deaths by 2025? Here’s the latest on Portland’s Vision Zero progress Maybe by then there will be many self-driving cars to reduce human error, and take car of most of the problem for them without drastic infrastructure changes.

Second infrastructure link from America’s Copenhagen. County’s new mobile app tells you if the bridge is up or down For those of us who live in the flatlands this doesn’t sound like that big a deal, but knowing which bridges are going to be impassable because thay are up to allow tall river traffic to pass can literally be a life-saver.

Promises of small mercies for a hit-and-run driver in MN. ‘Come forward,’ Dakota County sheriff says to hit-and-run driver who critically injured cyclist Doctors think the cyclist will survive but with a drastically changed lifestyle.

Awaiting the governor’s signature in VA. ‘Dooring’ law in Va. would fine motorists who open car doors in front of cyclists

Infrastructure in NYC. NYC On Pace To Build A Record 15 Miles Of Protected Bike Lanes In 2016 Wow, 16 miles in only one year. Meanwhile here in the Metromess they rebuilt a freeway from 4 to 6 lanes in each direction in about the same time. It didn’t help, of course, and it cost billions of dollars to build, but hey, they were doing something to reduce congestion. And side-street congestion did go down on the through streets immediately adjacent to the freeway, so far. But, Woo! yeah, 16 miles of protected bike lanes.

More NYC infrastructure. Bratton: “We’re Not Going To Get To Zero” Traffic Deaths Not with that attitude billy boy.

And what is it with drivers who can’t stay off of the freaking sidewalk? Taxi Driver Hits Two People On First Avenue, Crashes Into Building

Still in NYC a man assaults a cyclist riding in the bike lane and gets bashed in the head. New Video Shows Pedestrians Ignoring Bloodied Bike Lock Assault Victim According to comments they were ignoring him because he instigated and took one to the head in response. Not that I advocate violence against pedestrians, but when one jumps out into the street to start wailing on you, you are within your rights to return the favor with prejudice. I mean the idiot went up against 3:1 odds, he can’t be all that bright.

A man in West Canuckistan is charged in the death of a cyclist. Man, 29, charged with causing Richmond cyclist’s death and Driver charged in Richmond cyclist’s 2013 death It took them 2½ years to charge this lowlife? It’s almost as if they were waiting for the SOL to run out or something.

A recurring theme in this blog is “Don’t hit the pedestrians” for a reason. Pedestrian hit by cyclist on Princess Parade Hythe As of this posting they don’t yet know if the injured person was the cyclist or the pedestrian.

Infrastructure demands made after cyclist hit, again. Repeated calls for traffic calming as young cyclist injured on “deathtrap” Horndean road I know this is another one because the previous call for infrastructure was from a city that started with an “M”, this one is a “P”.

And apparently driving while blind is still OK as long as you get a jury with no cyclists on it. Coach driver cleared of killing cyclist by careless driving How are they going to get drivers to pay attention to where they are going unless there is a substantial penalty for failure to do so?

The guy wasn’t even riding the bike yet. Hit-and-run driver kills cyclist on Madrid shared bike scheme The victim was just at the pulling the bike from the rack portion of the transaction when he was hit. I see this as much an infrastructure failure as a driver failure, because if you can get hit using the system as intended before you even get a bike, then someone has screwed up majorly.

Another link about Milan paying cyclists to reduce pollution in the city. https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/milan-italy-pay-bike-commute-smog-pollutionMilan Commuters Could Get Paid to Bike to Work If I didn’t work from home I would say this would be a great deal for me.

Two vulnerable road users were injured in Oz. Skateboarder and cyclist injured in two accidents last night Of course it’s now Friday night over in Oz… and I don’t know what led to the cyclist hitting the lamp post, if he had help from a motor vehicle “guiding” him or if he somehow did it in his own.

LEO are blamed in part for a wreck that injured a cyclist in Enn Zed. Police should have pulled out of pursuit that killed Whanganui man, report says The cyclist was not seriously injured in the first wreck according to the report, although I’m sure he would disagree with that.

And no more links. And I’m beat.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

More stuff came in after Mrs. the Poet went to memorialize her sister, and the Feed

Maybe I could get a job writing headlines for UK newspapers, whadyathink? Anywho, Mrs. the Poet is now safely ensconced at O’Hare waiting for her connection to La Guardia where her dad and step-uncle will be picking her up for her trip to the boonies of Upstate NY. I expect to hear back from her when she gets to he mom’s house.

But the part for the Mini Sprint-T came in this afternoon and I couldn’t resist slapping the temp adhesive to some of them and mocking them up. The first thing I did was assemble the 700R4 transmission and mount it to the back of the engine, the second thing I did was add the EFI throttle body to the manifold. Then as soon as I could move things around without dislodging them I took a picture in front of the bucket in about the same orientation as the last mockup picture.

Can you see the problem? Look at the location of the transmission tailshaft assembly in relation to the body. Now can you see the problem? The end of the transmission is literally right next to the driver’s hip. Now in my case that’s not a problem because my ass is narrow and deep. I am literally 13″ wide in a 22″ space where the tailshaft is, so I have plenty of room to park my butt. Other people trying to drive my car are not going to be as comfortable. But wait! There’s more!

Can you see the other problem?

See how wide the transmission is all the way back? That’s going to impinge on lateral leg room almost all the way to the seat. I had previously measured the width of the footbox as 7.5″ to 8″ at the bottom with a little bit more room for the left foot as the tumblehome of the body went out as the side of the body went up. Taking the firewall out and sliding the transmission inside the body really shows how little room there is.

As you can clearly see the 700R4 was not designed for a severely dropped T-Bucket. I’m obviously going to have to provide a foot rest for the passenger and do a lot of contouring for the transmission tunnel to get everything and body inside the car. Ain’t engineering with pre-existing components fun? 😛 That thing in front of the engine is a combination of the timing cover, water pump, front engine mount, and alternator and power steering mounts all molded as a single piece. The balancer/crank pulley fits in the half-moon notch at the bottom that matches a hole in the front of the block, the water pump pulley goes on the water pump, and the alternator goes on the passenger side and the power steering pump goes on the driver side both at crank level.

Up first, a kid can’t even play in front of his own home without risking sudden death. 4-year-old boy hit, killed in parking lot in southwest Houston Seriously, are you in that big of a hurry that you run over a kid? The only “good” thing to come from this is “Police said, at this time, they do anticipate the driver will face charges.”

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: CicLAvia previews, Cycling Without Age comes to El Monte, and ToC teams announced

Still in CA. Bicyclist Killed on Monday Identified as 16-Year-Old Hesperia Teen hit-from-behind by a driver not paying attention, I bet a dozen doughnuts that LEO figures out some way of blaming the cyclist hit from behind instead of the driver that hit him and left the body spread over the hood of the SUV.

Legal infrastructure in CA. How does the three-foot rule apply when there are already bike lanes in place? Move over to pass at least 3 feet away from cyclists. Whodathunkit?

More infrastructure in CA. CELEBRATING PAGE STREET I would be interested in finding out how this works out as far as safety and usability.

More infrastructure from America’s Copenhagen. City reboots plan for SE Ankeny traffic diverter, preps for others This was supposed to be a greenway mainly dedicated to bicycles with cars “allowed”, but they are taking it over.

More infrastructure, of the IT kind. City of Portland’s 823-SAFE hotline now offered online So now you Portlanders have choices on reporting dangerous conditions.

Another link to that cyclist with an ICE-assist bike getting hit from behind in FL. Police ID bicyclist hit, killed on Westside And another media outlet feels the deceased’s criminal record has something to do with the wreck.

CO hit-and-run wreck where the bike was resting neatly against the rider’s backpack on the side of the road. Pedestrian Hospitalized In Mysterious Hit & Run In Fort Collins Can you say “tampering with the evidence”?

Over on Jolly Olde people are losing their minds over a guy bringing a bike on a nearly-empty train. Another ‘selfish cyclist’ on a train row as passenger takes up SIX seats with bike

Screw up installing bike racks so that they can only hold a quarter of the bikes intended? It’s an art. ‘Useless’ bike racks by Tube station were intended as public art, north London council insists No, seriously, it’s art.

Bike mode share in Tokyo is a cultural thing instead of an infrastructure thing. Why Tokyo Is Home to So Many Cyclists But So Few Bike Lanes

And last link is an e-assist bike share system. Crunch Time for Madrid’s BiciMad Electric Bike Hire Scheme Apparently putting nice bikes in bike share leads to disappearing bikes?

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another Grocery day, now with less money! and the Feed

Don’t panic, it’s not an emergency, the people who pay Mrs. the Poet’s retirement just changed the day they put the check in her account so we are a bit short of cash this month because some automatic drafts went through before the deposit. Everything will be cleared up by the end of the month, but we are running a bit on the short side right now. I’m just peeved because we weren’t warned about this ahead of time and now we have a bunch of bounced check fees to cover. Had we been warned we could have stopped the autopay transactions and avoided those bounced check fees, now we have to eat them, instead of the groceries we would have bought.

Up first, this has been a bad day for Ted. Daily Ted, part 1 It Seemed So Normal Morning Links: Fix the City sues to keep it broken, Seleta Reynolds talks Vision Zero, and still more kind people

Daily Ted, part 2 The Uglifying. Update: Arleta bike rider killed by suspected wrong-way DUI hit-and-run driver

Daily Ted, part 3 The Rear End. Early morning crash kills cyclist on PCH in Huntington Beach

Still in CA. Alcohol believed to be factor in bicycle crash While I’m no fan of Bicycling Under the Influence (BUI), notice how many people in this wreck were injured but not drinking… Gee it doesn’t look like any of the injured were not drinking, all of the injured were drinking or drunk. That’s why if there is a choice between drunk pedaling or drunk driving, leave the car behind for the bike.

And here you get two classes of criminal behavior in one act. Bicycling While Black Triggers Call to Police in Marblehead, MA Black people bicycling in our neighborhood!!1!!1!! [faints]

More on that rear-end wreck in OR. Newberg woman, 44, killed in car vs. bicycle crash; husband critically injured and Bicyclist Killed, Another Injured in Newberg Crash Still hit-from-behind, and crazy people blaming cyclists for being there to get hit..

Still in OR a wreck at an intersection. Cyclist injured in crash with pickup Either the bike or the truck ran the red, someone said it was the cyclist. This is why you always ride with a video camera recording front and rear at all times. Sometimes you miss the light changing.

Bouncing over to the other side of the country they actually charged a driver in VA for killing a cyclist. Hanover deputies arrest man for killing cyclist “He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, failing to yield to a bicyclist and possession of a concealed weapon.” Any bets that the only charge that matters was the last one?

Coming back half way, they finally charged the MI hit-and-run driver that killed a cyclist less than 10 miles into a 150 mile charity bike ride. Man charged in hit-and-run that killed cyclist

Jogging a bit west from that LEO can’t figure out why a cyclist was hit riding on the shoulder. Cyclist killed while riding on shoulder of Minnesota highway and Cyclist killed as riding on shoulder Even LEO in this one say the cyclist was completely in the right and still got hit.

Sliding over to CO they finally charged the driver that failed to pass a cyclist with his dump truck. Driver who killed Fort Collins cyclist appears in court And look at the charges on this one, just a few years after a similar wreck resulted in nothing against the driver for running right over a cyclist from behind. He didn’t even try to change lanes or slow down until impact. This is a huge improvement.

More on the TN wreck that killed a cyclist on 31W. Woman on bicycle killed in crash and Loved ones remember Cross Plains cyclist killed in crash Situational awareness people, that is what would have prevented this wreck.

A CT wreck leaves an injured cyclist. Planfield accident leaves bike rider injured At this point they don’t know what happened besides the cyclist was hit and hurt.

This NYC rider was apparently in the wrong place at the wrong time when some foo’ decided a crowded street was his shooting gallery. Dad shot dead while riding bike in Brooklyn: police

The person who turned himself in for a hit-and-run in West Canuckistan doesn’t resemble the witness report on the driver? Witnesses say Kelowna driver who critically injured cyclist was drinking, distracted and lied to police The guy in jail is 23, the guy witnesses saw was: “When the old man got out of the truck to see if Trevor was okay he smelled like alcohol.”

Our first infrastructure link is from MD. Baltimore Officials Continue “Master Plan” To Make Roads Safer For Cyclists Watch out they have a plan.

Which leads us to our second link. Will Third Time Be the Charm for Baltimore Bike-Share?

The people who blamed a cyclist for getting hit by a drunk driver wonder why cyclists get hit? Police, advocates combate rising cyclist crashes

And I’m outta links again, and it hurts again like everywhere. I have to get another chair, one with a little more back support. I know I’m alive, because every time I move it hurts. 😀

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Happy Bastille Day, and the Feed

Bonjour to my Francophone readers as we celebrate the destruction of the prison at the Bastille. I look forward to “celebrating” re-enacting the “fun” parts of the French Revolution, the parts where they round up the nobles who have been living off the labors of the peasants while the peasants starved and “feeding” them to Mdme. Guillotine. We have a similar situation in the US brewing, and I make artisanal bicycle-drawn tumbrels with erratic shaking rhythms to make that final ride as uncomfortable and undignified as possible. Combine that with officiating gay marriages and I’ll have pretty stable streams of income 😀 Or just have a baguette and strong coffee.

The Big Story today is the NYC cyclist hit by a driver having a seizure. Cyclist Killed, 6 Hurt in Crash Near Barclays Center: FDNY and Cyclist Killed in Gruesome, Bike-Shattering Accident Outside Barclays also Bicyclist killed in three-car collision in Brooklyn, NYPD says and tangentially Brooklyn BP Bikes Down “Hairy” Flatbush Ave Following Cyclist Death This is the kind of thing that can’t be controlled by anything short of a jersey barrier between the bike lanes and he motor vehicle lanes. But definitely the infrastructure needs some improvement on those streets. A curb or parking protected cycle track would be a good start. Actually I think some jersey barriers and tire shredders on the edges of the lanes might keep the NYPD from parking in them.

Our Daily Ted, Part One. Morning Links: Judge may release Gardena police video, BOLO alert for Ford pickup in Montebello hit-and-run

And Part Two. Breaking News: 58-year old bike rider killed in Garden Grove, reportedly ran red light Again they assume red light running based on the driver’s report.

Remember the guy who went down after hitting alligator guts from a previously dead gator? Cyclist felled by alligator carcass: ‘I have no memory at all of what happened’ Yep, this is familiar.

A Windy City cyclist sues the driver who nearly killed her. Cyclist sues motorist she accuses of injuring her in car crash Just a note, the cyclist is not accusing anyone, that has already been determined in criminal proceedings.

NOLA PD has the suspected perp of killing a cyclist and leaving the scene in custody. Manslaughter arrest made in cyclist Ben Gregory’s hit-and-run death I hope they find a very large book to throw at him… Previous posts cover what I think of hit-and-run drivers.

This is something there is nothing you can do about as a cyclist. Erie Police: 14-Year Old Killed Teen For Bicycle Seriously, what can you do about a 14 YO with a gun except keep riding?

And I guess this link is supposed to be funny if you live in Oz. James Hird has been injured in a road accident while riding his bicycle home From the comments, he was eqully loved and reviled.

Last link, have you heard of he latest weight loss plan? Have You Heard About That Awesome New Bike-Share Diet? It works, but it might cost you a lot in the long run.

And I’m outta links and there is a ShadowRun game getting started in the living room.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the (not) French Poet

I think there was a song about this back in the ’70s, and the Feed

Yes there was a song about this back in the early ’80s. I have to wait until the surgeon gets the MRI to look at then talks to me and some time after the 14^th I will go to the hospital and get the lump cut out. I’m going to try to get pictures taken of the procedure or at the very least of the GOP presidential candidate useless lump of fat after it has been removed from my neck.

Up first, are you up to the challenge of National Bike Month? Welcome to the challenge | The National Bike Challenge If someone wants to name a team “Witch on a Bicycle” or “Witches on Bicycles” let me know and I’ll post your standings and progress in the blog every day.

A more local Bike Month celebration. MAY IS BIKE MONTH IN DENTON! Not exactly local, but a lot more “local” than the paragraph before.

Bike Month in NC. Bike Month offers variety of options for cyclists here in May Looks like they are having fun.

Some good news from MD. Episcopal Bishop Accused in Drunken-Driving Death Resigns I don’t know if she’s trying to use the Freddy Gray disturbances to fly this under the radar or what, but she can’t hide from the Witch on a Bicycle.

If this cyclist had been any more conspicuous she would have been mistaken for a UFO. Wrongful death suit filed in bicyclist’s death

A UK cyclist will probably still be in hospital by the end of National Bike Month. Cyclist remains in coma two weeks after his fall in Ingatestone

Infrastructure in Philly. ‘Spring Garden Greenway’ seen for cyclists, walkers Not so sure about the bike lanes replacing the median. That’s not in the CROW manual AFAIK, but we will see how that works.

Infrastructure in the Great White North. Group wants changes after cyclist hit by car near superhospital Really? a 6 second time for pedestrians and cyclists to go through the intersection with cars getting many times that just ain’t anything like fair.

A little non-bike infrastructure as they try to reduce car usage in car-sick South FL. Tampa Mayor Wants to Fix the Streetcar He Once Voted Against “I’m about to go to a meeting and I’m probably not going to take it … if I ride my bike, I’ll get there faster.” But it still gets people out of their cars, so that’s good.

The headline pretty much speaks for itself. In Portland, crime has plummeted in every major category except one Three guesses about which category didn’t go down, and the first two don’t count.

The Windy City wants to be something else. Why Chicago Is Claiming Bike-Share Bragging Rights

Another dubious “bicycle safety” article included for your amusement. SMART CYCLING: Kessler Institute Offers 10 Tips for Safe Riding Another article using that disgraced “85% reduction in head injury” helmet lie.

Speaking of helmet follies, this shattered helmet supposedly saved a cyclist’s life. SEE IT: British cyclist shows bloody helmet that saved his life after getting hit by van Looking at the second picture I see very little evidence of the crushing that is the ONLY way a bicycle helmet can absorb the energy applied to the cyclist’s skull in a wreck. What I do see is a shattered helmet that did not do much to protect the cyclist.

And another breathless panic piece terrifies pedestrians. Pedestrians need protection from illegal cyclists Really bicycles are scary because we conflate them with motor vehicles, because they are both fast-moving vehicles. This results in irrational fear.

And as this posts after the last submission to the Feed folder at midnight, I’m going to hope you had a happy Beltain.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Glad I dodged that bullet, and the Feed

Remember that camping trip I was going to go on and couldn’t? They are under a severe weather watch/warning for the second day in a row, and I’m reading reports that some camps have already been inundated once by flash floods with more wild weather forecast for tonight. I’m kinda glad I’m not in that weather tonight. I don’t mind getting wet in the rain but I prefer to enjoy communing with Nature while I’m warm (not hot) and dry. So anyway, it’s nasty out there and I’m not there to experience it.

Up first, I have been feeling a bit stressed because I haven’t been able to ride, so I can really relate to this video. SHED THE MONSTER I can vouch that a good bike ride is good for dealing with stress. Feeling angry? Go for a bike ride.

Followup to that article about the appeal of the weak sentence for killing a cyclist. Novi man’s jail term in fatal cyclist crash challenged Like I wrote yesterday, one year in county jail for killing a human being is ridiculous.

The drunk driver that ran head-on into a cyclist had drunk friends in the car. Passenger in fatal bicycle-car crash facing charge I am unsurprised that a chronic alcoholic has alcoholic friends.

The UK is starting to administer more severe sentences to killer drivers. Jailed: Man who killed cyclist, 26, in hit-and-run crash in Clapham and Careless BMW driver, who evaded police for five months, jailed for killing cyclist in Clapham crash Three years and four months I suspect is mostly for trying to hide the evidence. Consider the MI case posted above with the one year in county compared to the 3¹/₃ years in this case…

So what do you do when the infrastructure runs into you? Cyclist injured in collision with Bixi truck near La Fontaine Park The truck is part of the Bixi system in Montreal, that takes bikes from where people leave them to where people need them.

More on the failure to change deadly infrastructure before it killed again. Cyclist death: Why did Westminster Council put the brakes on safety scheme?

The politics of cycling in the UK. Election: What the political parties are saying about cycling Not going to make any suggestions here, but the Greens seem to have a better grasp of the situation with the UKIP seeing conspiracies on every bike path. There are many issues in every election, bike infrastructure is just one of them.

Looking at the lead picture it is indeed a wonder that nobody has been killed there. ‘Coldharbour needs to slow its cyclists’ says husband of hospitalised pub landlady See that doorstep only inches from the street? She stepped off that and got hit. I’m sorry injured pedestrian, but where you got hit you are screened from view until you step on the street. But, I will reiterate DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS!

This wreck was made to sound a lot worse in the headline than what actually happened. Two-year-old puppy dragged along pavement by cyclist As was pointed out in the comments a 2YO dog is not a puppy, and the wreck happened when the bike got tangled up in the extended lead which was invisible in the dark.

And a little UK lifestyle. Tiverton cyclist takes on the Big Battlefield Bike Ride to give Help for Heroes

Nothing like victim blaming/shaming to get more people riding bikes. /s Getting back on the bike? Responsible riders recognize the rules of the road Another “safety” article that most prominently mentions helmets…

With all the years FL LEO have been doing this ride you would think they would have more empathy towards cyclists. Florida Tour de Force bike ride helps fallen officers’ families

And I’m out of links tonight, thank [$DEITY].

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I’m out nearly $300 getting my taxes done, and the Feed

I had to fork over almost $300 getting my taxes done (because I don’t know how to handle the long form needed to report my part of the income from the trust my parent’s left after they died). And getting back from the preparer’s office was a major pain, because the bus was delayed over 20 minutes in rush hour traffic. Mrs. the Poet and I were standing on the side of the road for over 30 minutes waiting for the bus after we got done doing our taxes. The good news is we are getting over $1k back this year.

Tomorrow I will be making another trip to the bank to get my money out for the bike parts I need to repair Blue, which will be another all-day affair. Fortunately Tuesdays are slow days for links, so I should be getting the post out before midnight tomorrow.

Up first is some good news on an old wreck from Portland. Serious injury crash near Ladds Circle (photos) – Updated You might need to do a search for it but there is a comment from the victim in this wreck, which considering the extent of his injuries back in 2010 is nothing short of a miracle.

Another stab at the 3-feet to pass law that Gov. Goodhair vetoed in 2009. New road rules in Texas? Watch out for bicyclists Perry vetoed the law because he did not want to create a new class of protected road user. I wonder who paid for that veto? And I wonder if Greg Abbott will get a similar payment to similarly veto this bill.

The bike share program in SA is not doing well. San Antonio Bike-Share Threatens to Close Without Major Sponsor Apparently like a bus company in the US, you can’t run a bike share without outside funding, either selling advertising or getting Gov’t money.

Our Daily Ted has a disturbing opening link today. Morning Links: Cyclist hit by two cars in Beverly Hills, cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, and Orlando Bloom’s bike shorts

More mis-information promulgated from the GHSA “report”. Disturbing Statistics Regarding Bicycle Fatalities Again they go with the “65% not wearing helmets!!1!!11!one!” breathless meme, disregarding the fact that even the cyclists who died from head trauma would also have died had there been some kind of magic hat that prevented all head trauma. In other words people who get hit riding with a helmet will still die when hit by a motor vehicle, and most will still die from head trauma, but even if they didn’t there would have been other fatal injuries in the wreck. I swear, this is almost as hard to kill as “Benghazi!!!” is from the wingnut right.

The probably drunk driver doing over 70 MPH in a 35 zone when he hit and killed a young couple and their unborn baby in a cab will spend a significant portion of the remainder of his life behind bars. Hit-And-Run Driver Who Killed Williamsburg Family Gets 25 to Life Now if there was only a way to do the same thing for drivers that kill cyclists, or pedestrians walking on the sidewalks…

We are never going to get reasonable sentences for killer drivers as long as people keep doing this: Family asks for leniency in cyclist’s death

After that I needed something lighter to clear my head, so here is a guy riding a skateboard in a taco costume into traffic. Video: Drunk, Skateboarding Taco Careens Into Car In Williamsburg This is funny because the guy was stupid and did not get hurt. Acceptably funny at any rate because the guy didn’t get hurt.

There are good, decent people in the world. Off-duty anaesthetist ‘helps save life of cyclist’ after crash with Land Rover in Barnes Good idea to do basic life support when someone gets hit by an SUV. Even better idea when that’s your day job.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all the cyclists getting killed in Jolly Olde. Cyclist killed in London was royal designer Apparently this person’s employer was germane to the story?

More on the suggestion that when an HGV runs over someone on a bicycle they are liable unless they can prove the cyclist was breaking the law in the UK. When lorries hit cyclists the driver should have to prove they are not liable says Green Party leader This is the law in many Northern European countries, why not the UK? Or the US?

Why is it so hard to keep bike lanes in street plans after the professionals put them in? Cyclists fight for dedicated lanes while Darebin Council back-pedals on proposed junction master plan This happens all over the Anglophone world, traffic professionals put bike lanes into street plans because they are needed to keep cyclists safe and traffic flowing, and politicians pull them out because cars damnit!

Are you a Big Guy (or Gal)? Are you having problems keeping your bike running because things keep breaking like wheels, forks, and frames? The Heavyweight Guide to Bike-Buying I had that problem back in 2001, but I found out that was because the fork was made for a 100-150 pound kid who would ride maybe 500 miles on the bike and throw it away after 3 years, and I was riding at a 5000 mile/an pace before the bike was hit with a truck. Seriously, don’t trust the suspension forks on a BSO to last past the end of the block.

And I’m finally out of links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

This looks to be an easy(er) day, and the Feed

At the behest of Mrs. the Poet I have been perusing my ISP provider’s website comparing packages and deciding what we are going to be getting in the way of internet and TV after the last of the housemates moves on. The biggest savings will be losing the DVR and the additional set top boxes we needed to have 4 TVs in the house, that comes to $18/mon and dropping the extra shopping channels will save another $10 after spending the extra $10 to get the motorsports access I want. So we are looking at slicing almost $30/mon off our telecommunications bill. That’s $30 more we can spend on things like bus passes or going out to eat once in a while. This has been occupying most of my morning so far because the cable company web site had a massive brain fart and was sending me all over the rainbow looking to log in.

Up first because “why not?” is this tidbit from Bikeyface. UNIFORM Are you wearing your Bicycle Commuter Uniform? Why not (aside from the fact that its only use is in a courtroom, after you get hit)?

Our Daily Ted is pretty good today. Morning Links: Hearing for OC hit-and-run driver, what a bike lane is for, and celeb chefs ride to end child hunger

What would your town look like if it was only defined by it’s bike infrastructure? Mapped: How hard it is to get across U.S. cities using only bike lanes Garland would be one N/S route and a couple of E/W routes, and a whole bunch of detached loops in parks. Garland bike routes on Google Maps Compared to thousands of miles of streets where it isn’t safe to ride.

If your transit agency is this tone deaf on protecting their customer base, maybe you should be standing on some official’s desk. A safety campaign blames pedestrians for getting hit by cars. This response is perfect.

Ans speaking of tone-deaf, here’s another “bike safety” campaign that spends more time on helmets than telling drivers to not hit cyclists, or cyclists how to avoid getting hit by cars. Bike safety The entire second and third paragraphs are pure victim-blaming propaganda.

This could be a major game-changer for SF. Bay Area Could Get 7,000 More Bike-Share Bikes Those added bikes are what we called back in my military days a “force multiplier”. They are not like 7000 bikes owned by regular people, they are constantly on the move sitting in a docking station for a few minutes to go to another destination.

Is car pollution a major problem in your city? Then get rid of cars by making room for bikes. Paris’ bold plan for solving its air pollution woes: Start a biking revolution Obviously you can’t entirely get rid of motor vehicles by this stage, but you can drastically reduce how many are needed by making riding a bike as easy and safe as driving a car. See two paragraphs up for examples of how NOT to do it.

A bit of NYC Lifestyle, that I wish I didn’t need to relate to you. Residents Honor Fallen Cyclists in 10th Annual Memorial Event That reminds me, I should be getting Ride of Silence links here pretty soon.

More e-assist news. Bosch expands to Canada with service partner Live to Play Sports I like this particular assist unit, it’s much more parsimonious of electricity than a hub motor without losing any speed to a hub motor.

And I worry about this myself… Support Group meets here.

And I seem to have run out of links, thank [$DEITY].

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Massive amounts of infrastructure links in the Feed

As I am composing this the practice for the Sprint Unlimited is going on. This is the first Sprint Cup race of the year, a non-points race that is just for the cash and the glory and that tends to have some really “heavy” action. I’m torn between recording this race while I hang with the RPG group, and watching it live. At this point I’m going to record it.

An organization I belong to sent me an e-mail that was nothing but infrastructure link after infrastructure link. About half the post is from that one e-mail. Some of the stuff is not directly bicycle related, but more along the lines of “why is that guy walking in my bike lane?”

Up first NYPD is actually using a law against running over a pedestrian to prosecute drivers. It’s Now A Little Less Easy To Hit Pedestrians & Get Away With It

And appropriate to the previous link… Teen Struck By MTA Bus Driver In Williamsburg The victim was crossing in the crosswalk with the signal when the bus made a turn through the crosswalk and hit the pedestrian. I’m just happy that the driver was arrested for this heinous crime. More MTA Bus Driver Runs Over 15-Year-Old Girl in Brooklyn Crosswalk [Updated]

I’m confused by this link. Out of the Blue: Learn from tragedy, emphasize bike safety They went from being sympathetic to the “allegedly” drunk driver who killed a cyclist and left him to die in the street, to waxing lyrical about sub-standard infrastructure about to get made worse.

Just in time for Death by Chocolate Day. Healthy Living Through Chocolate Full disclosure I was in a clinical trial of chocolate as a drug to reduce BP and stress, and it worked for me. I’m not sure if it was actual pharmaceutical effects, or the fact that I had to have 4.1 oz of dark chocolate with breakfast every day.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Glendale legislator wants to mandate helmets and hi-viz; help Finish the Ride fight hit-and-run

Not a wreck report, honest. Menlo Park woman recalls harrowing ride atop hood of car driven by alleged drunk who hit her and 4 other cyclists

Another “Why is that guy in the bike lane?” story. Roll With Me: A Different Perspective on Pedestrian Travel in L.A.

Bike share comes to San Diego, with one driver personally changing the placing of a docking station. Bike Share Finally Comes to San Diego The thing that bugs me the worst about this report is when the docking station was destroyed it was returned to being a parking spot, basically rewarding the vandalism by motor vehicle.

A bit of lifestyle from the UK. Memorial bike ride remembers two cyclists killed by drink driver in Berkshire

Infrastructure news from Buffalo. TIME TO PICK UP WHAT KEEPS COMIN’ DOWN I think part of the problem is plowing services that treat sidewalks as snow storage, where do you put the snow after you get it off the sidewalks?

How to get funding for bike-ped infrastructure. How San Luis Obispo Established the Most Powerful Bike Funding Policy in the Nation

Some people are starting to get the message about the exponential increase in deadliness in motor vehicles with speed. SUPERVISOR MAR CALLS FOR SLOWER SPEEDS IN SAN FRANCISCO

Boston moves to install a cycle track on one of the most heavily-travelled streets in the city. Boston moves toward cycletracks on Commonwealth

Last link is back to TX as a group in Houston works for better infrastructure. Montrose District Bicycle Planning The only problem I see with this is pitting one neighborhood against all the others in a free-for-all leading to a disconnected network of infrastructure.

And those were all the links I had today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet