Feline interference with blogging, and the Feed

Clint and Clyde have been interfering with blogging this morning, mostly by attacking my feet, and my hands when I try to remove them from my feet. The rest of the time they spend chasing each other around the office and demanding head rubs. I would take a picture, but that would require at least one of them slow down long enough to point a camera at them, frame the shot, and push the button. I can manage the first two steps but by the time I get to the third the cat is out of the shot headed for parts unknown. So instead of pursuing a career as a cat photographer I shall fall back on something I sorta do well and write stuff.

On another front I managed to match 3 of 6 in yesterday’s Texas Lotto, scoring me a massive $3 payoff on odds of 148,824:1 against. It has been said that the lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math. I think it is a tax on the desperate and the dreamers and especially the desperate dreamers. As you can see, I can do math. I’m just a member of the third group. BTW I’m keeping $2.70 of this because I’m still following my agreement to give 10% of my lottery winnings to my church.

Up first from a fee that was mainly overseas today is a cyclist hit by a loose trailer in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. UPDATE: Stuart man in critical condition after bike wreck The cyclist was riding in the sidewalk when he was hit by a trailer that also took out a fence and 3 boats. This is not something anyone can avoid except to not be there.

Still in FL, they have an epidemic of blind drivers. UPDATE: Bicyclist dies in crash on 231; officer nearly struck securing scene How the hell do you “not see” a cop car with all the lights flashing? If they let that one slide, there’s no hope for anything as “small” as an adult human being with blinky lights.

KS cyclist hit by a car riding on the sidewalk, cyclist gets ticket. Injuries reported after woman’s bike hits car downtown Driver gets pat on shoulder for driving on sidewalk to hit cyclist, nothing for “failure to yield” to traffic on the sidewalk.

Another link to that awful story about the driver killing a cyclist and getting away with nothing more than a $260 ticket, or barely more than a cyclist gets for not putting a foot down at a stop sign. No criminal charges for driver in crash that killed Reed College grad on bicycle Running a stop sign on a bicycle gets a $220 ticket. Killing a cyclist should result in a much higher fine by at least an order of magnitude, not $40.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Savvy cycling in OC, keeping bike theft petty, and riding with the Ovarian Psychos

Still in CA, a memorial ride. Memorial ride honors Redding bicyclist

Wounded Warrior ride in NV. Ride 2 Recovery hits the Strip

Drivers having a hard time dealing with a parking-protected bike lane in IN. “Protected bike lane” causes confusion What they need is to run some parking stoppers between the bike lane and the parking lane.

Memorial ride for the couple killed by a drunk driver while riding a tandem bike. Ceremony held to honor husband and wife killed on tandem bike

Another cyclist hit in the Great White North. Cyclist seriously injured after being struck by vehicle in North York I really can’t tell what happened from the bike wreckage picture because both wheels have a small amount of damage, but the frame is buckled and the fork is broken.

How do cyclists die in Jolly Olde? How are cyclists most likely to die? I find it interesting that cyclists killed 4 pedestrians in the UK were killed in collisions with cyclists, from the ranting and raving in the comments section of the Daily Mail you would think it was a daily happening.

A negative review of the Volvo LifePaint reflective coating. Volvo’s hi-vis paint for cyclists is not such a bright idea To be honest I expected this result when the spray finally made it to the “wild” away from photo effects and digital editing.

From Oz an expensive but ultimately futile campaign to stop dooring. TAC issues ‘Rider Reminder’ rubber tabs for door handles to stop ‘doorings’ Why do I call this “ultimately futile”? Because in a few weeks or days drivers will no longer notice the textured applique on the door handle.

Cyclists in Oz are threatened by a persistent road terrorist attack that LEO refuse to take seriously. Cyclists protest lack of CCTV amid Yarra Blvd tack attacks These terrorist attacks have been going on nearly daily since January 2014. That represents a serious investment in the means used. Good police work would say, look for someone buying large amounts of tacks on a regular basis.

Still in Oz, a cyclist is hit from behind on a straight road with excellent sight lines. Cyclist killed I see LEO are trying to blame the fact the cyclist was riding a ‘bent for the fact that the driver ran him over from behind. Face it, if a driver can’t see an adult human being in the road they have no business driving.

Over in Enn Zed, a cyclist pushing his bike is hit. Young cyclist killed after getting off bike and A pedestrian killed by a motorist near Mapua may have been a cyclist reported by concerned motorists earlier. Cyclist discovers he isn’t as visible as he thought and gets off to walk, then gets hit because he’s still not visible?

A sad story about a dead cyclist. Dead Hamilton cyclist hoped to mend marriage The cyclist was using cycling to get his head back together, and a motor vehicle destroyed that effort. The real kick in the head was that had they managed to get him out from under the truck sooner he might have recovered with no lasting effects beyond the orthopedic injuries. He died from the hypoxia caused by the chest compression.

And I’m finally out of links before I ran out of patience.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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It’s hot in Texas and water is wet, and the Feed

Looking at my phone the temp just went to 103°F with the heat index “only” 102 because there is almost no humidity. Seriously the air in Phoenix is more humid than the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, 22% in TX to 26% in AZ. And I actually go out and ride a bike in weather like this, wearing a full-face helmet. Well nobody has accused me of being “normal” lately. Speaking of that there are only 20 more shopping days to get me a Death Day present. I’m looking for RPG dice this year, especially d6 and d8. And I’m a vain geek, I want pretty dice that kinda match. And seriously about this, I’m playing a game now where I sometimes need as many as 10 d6 for damage rolls because my Warlock is heavily buffed with stacking magic items that both increase his “to hit” as well as his damage. I mean my to hit is now +13 against the touch AC of my opponent meaning against most non-monsters I hit every time, and I have better than even odds against pretty much all of the monsters. Currently it takes me longer to roll damage than most people take to play a turn because of my lack of d6. 😦

Right now it appears the Big Story is the woman hit by a semi in Boston on Friday morning. Cyclist Killed by Tractor Trailer Identified and Cyclist’s death spotlights Mass. Ave. peril also Recent fatal bike encounters with trucks, buses this too Police search for flatbed truck after bicyclist hit and killed at Boston more like this Bicycle rider killed in Back Bay crash in the previous link you can see the cyclist just before she was hit under the passenger side mirror of the picture of the weapon vehicle. Police Identify Bicyclist Killed In Back Bay Accident I’m going to make a 100% absolutely serious recommendation here: Ban large trucks like this from urban areas unless accompanied by bicyclist outriders front and rear to make sure that no pedestrians or cyclists get run over because drivers can’t see out of the right side or directly in front of the vehicle. The outriders’ responsibility would be to ensure that there was nothing and nobody in the way of the truck before allowing it to make a turning movement and hold the truck until the way had been cleared with the front outrider keeping people from turning across the truck and the back outrider making sure nobody comes from behind, and both making sure that the people who got there first have time to get out of the way, then the truck can make a turn. Obviously this is much more important when making a right turn because such large vehicles have to fade far to the left to clear such things as light poles and sidewalks, but there is still some issues with the left turns from a one-way street that require fading right for clearance. Using bicyclists as outriders means the forward speed is more or less limited to a safe speed. Late addition Surgeon Remembered After Being Struck and Killed on Bike

From a few hours ride east of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Calls for road safety after Longview cyclist crashes “It’s not if I’m going to get hit, it’s when,” which sounds pretty pessimistic, but this is TX, the state where the 2 biggest-selling vehicles are pickup trucks in spite of most of the population living in one of 6 urban areas.

A memorial ride south of WoaB about a day and a half ride. Memorial to honor teen killed in auto vs. bike crash “(H)e swerved and hit the side of a vehicle” tells me that he got buzzed and hit. Remember this victim of motor violence.

Ted had a good day. We interrupt this website for a view from Sunday’s successful CicLAvia

Well it was good for a little while, anyway. Bicyclist killed riding on I-15 in North San Diego County hit-and-run; victim may have been struck multiple times

Same area, slightly earlier. Mission Beach Cyclist Severely Injured in Hit-and-Run Area readers are encouraged to BOLO for the weapon vehicle, have SDPD non-emergency number on speed dial. And PD need to have the ability to get texts and attachments from cell phones so that vital information can be sent from people on the scene instead of trying to describe the situation verbally. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike catches a killer. FHP: Hit-and-run driver distracted by e-cig before killing teen cyclist and Arrest made in hit-and-run crash that killed 17-year-old He dropped his vaper on the floor and instead of pulling over and stopping while he searched for it, he just ducked down and drove blind.

NYC, you suck. 18-Year-Old Queens Cyclist Who Was Struck By Driver In Bike Lane Has Died The drunk driver has not yet been charged with anything, including not charged with drunk driving.

Upstate NY is only slightly better. Bike accident during Great Race sends two cyclists to Upstate University Hospital No motor vehicles involved, but it was a race/ride. Some people were just out to have a nice ride somewhat protected from motor vehicles.

More upstate NY hassles. No easy answers for rider-driver friction in Piermont Part of the problem is NY culture leads to confrontations (remember Pacino’s “Hey! I’m WALKING here!”?), and part of the problem is we cyclists get a trifle excited when some putz comes within inches of terminating our lives which does little to reduce tensions.

Meanwhile in Joisey. Charges filed in Mine Hill crash that left cyclist injured The driver has been charged with driving like a putz and failing to yield.

A bill in PA that deserves to get thrown under the bus. Pa. bill to demand cyclists wear reflective vests at night getting thrown under bus Seriously, instead of demanding that cyclists do all the work here, how about just enforcing the Basic Speed Law?

Are you Too Old To Drive? Mother of bicyclist killed in car accident helps educate elderly drivers I remember covering this wreck back then, the cyclist was hit with the front of the right front fender. The driver just did not even consider that there was a lane of traffic to the right of the vehicle before starting the turn.

Someone in MN has a serious hate on for cyclists. Answers Tough To Find After Cyclist Hit By Chunk Of Concrete and People are ruthlessly attacking Minneapolis cyclists, for some reason Seriously, this was a planned attack, as the driver was riding in some cyclist-heavy parts of the city and wearing PPE so as to not get hurt by the objects he was throwing at cyclists. If you see the weapon vehicle deploy spike strips and shoot to kill. The car that is, kill the car. We want the driver to be publicly humiliated for at least a decade or so and corpses don’t get humiliated easily.

Still in MN a left cross wreck injures a young girl. Minnesota Girl Injured On Bicycle After Car Struck Her This story is just so bizarre. The driver was the victim of random mob violence a few years ago that left him brain damaged and was just now starting to get something resembling a normal life back when he turned left into the cyclist. As a member of both groups, brain damaged and cyclist, I don’t know which I should feel more sorry for. But as a member of both groups I also need to say they should test the driver for his degree of perception to his left, as well as can he physically turn his head to see that direction. He may have undiscovered defects on that side of his body, that he may not even know about.

Another hit-from-behind wreck in WI. Bicyclist hurt in Sunday crash named Other than the fact the driver stayed at the scene and rendered aid to the cyclist until medical help arrived it was a common hit-from-behind wreck.

Another cyclist is killed in another hit-and-run, this time in MI. Bicyclist on trek across Michigan dies in hit-and-run crash and Woman cycling across Michigan killed in hit-and-run The driver of the pickup truck hit the last rider in a group and sped away because he was a person of low moral content. When they find the truck it should be crushed as soon as they finish processing it, possibly with the driver still in it.

A little girl is hurt in SD. Five-Year-Old Girl Injured In Car Vs. Bicycle Accident If a 5YO can’t play safely here then there isn’t a safe place to play in SD.

Our first international links come from the Great White North, as age is no defense against criminally bad driving. Charges pending against 83-year-old driver after cyclist hit And neither is “sun glare”. It’s not like you don’t know the sun is going to be there…

The father of a cyclist killed in a hit-and-run wants a mandatory minimum sentence for killing someone in a hit-and-run to deter DUIs from leaving the scene. Dead cyclist’s father wants jail time for hit-and-run drivers and Dead cyclist’s father wants jail time for hit-and-run drivers I suggest the minimum for a fatal hit-and-run be twice the minimum for death by DUI, whatever they call it in the statute. If leaving the guy to die is not worse than killing him outright, well…

Gawddammit! Cyclist seriously injured after being hit by a lorry in central London OK I know the drivers have at least some degree of driving ability to pass the test for the license, and the majority of the cyclists hit have been experienced and careful cyclists, which narrows it down to infrastructure and vehicle blind spots…

Road.cc is sorta like Gothamist except all bike and in England. They have two links in today’s Feed. The first one is the driver who had his pathetically weak sentence reduced further because victims’ impact statements don’t actually count, they’re just for show. Lorry driver who caused death of Denbighshire cyclist has driving ban reduced FFS.

Second link is the bus driver that hit a cyclist in plain view and dragging his body until there was no hope of survival and getting away with it. Bus driver who dragged cyclist to his death and failed to stop avoids jail That distance in American (formerly Imperial English) is almost 80 feet. And WTF?!? “Death by Dangerous Driving” is the most serious driving offense in the book, and he got probation?

I think the coppers are still looking for the murder weapon. 70 year-old man questioned over death of cyclist Yep, I’ almost positive that’s what they’re doing.

Last link. Sips For Cyclists Event To Benefit Injured Riders Go out there and benefit somebody.

And I’m tired and done composing, now comes proofing, editing, and tagging.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet

Happy tropical storm Bill, and the Feed

We are not-quite-flooded out here at Casa de El Poeta, just the usual swamp in the back yard and where the two roofs intersect in the front to send the water from the north-south roof and the east-west roof out of the same corner. I’m considering putting up a deflector to split this back up so it doesn’t all land in the same place every time it rains, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. So, galvanized steel, powdercoated steel, or powdercoated aluminum in order of least difficult to most? Which material should I use to make the deflector?

Up first is some Infrastructure! news from the Great White North. Advocates call for city-wide bike grid after 3 cyclists killed in 2 weeks and Advocates call for city-wide bike grid after 3 cyclists killed in 2 weeks Yep, a protected bike lane probably would have kept that (assumed) drunk driver from killing the cyclist last week, but a network of them would have allowed the driver to get home without needing a car as long as he was sober enough to not fall off the bike.

Speaking of the Devil. Mitchell Irwin granted bail in deadly hit and run Because of the obstruction of justice caused by the driver waiting more than 18 hours to turn himself in there was no way to prove suspected drunk driving, but some of the charges can be proved without knowing the driver’s BAC% at the time of the wreck and they carry significant prison terms all by themselves.

Our Daily Ted is a little lighter today. Morning Links: Hermosa backs safety improvements; San Diego details deaths in the county, including on bikes

And Daily Ted Part 2 is a very good thing to keep on your phone as an app. Why Attorneys Tell You To Never Admit Guilt

More on a CA bike death. CYCLIST KILLED BY DISTRACTED DRIVER WAS RADY CHILDREN’S CFO This looks almost word for word like an article I linked a couple of days ago from a different outlet…

Still in CA. Billboard reaction: ‘To be called roadkill is really disturbing’ While I agree with the premise that attention must be grabbed, there is “grabbing” and there is “assaulting”, and I place this one firmly in the “assaulting” camp. And given the recent death of a cyclist lighted from all angles like a freaking Christmas tree, how about we make “not seeing” a cyclist or pedestrian a crime, punishable with surrender and recycling of the motor vehicle used in the crime?

This cyclist was killed by bad infrastructure, and they are trying to blame the victim for not looking far enough ahead? Cyclist’s death highlights hazards Not to mention that besides looking ahead it requires knowing or remembering the curb cut is not wide enough for 2-way traffic.

NYC is just a terrible place to try to get around, the latest evidence. Pedestrian Dies After Being Struck By Two Drivers In Inwood I will give both driers credit for stopping, and the second driver had almost zero time to react when the pedestrian was knocked into his lane. Why the pair were crossing the street where they did and when is not known at this posting.

Methinks the TWU is unaware of the word “irony”. City Bus Drivers Protest Vision Zero Law By Driving More Carefully OOhhh! They will drive totally within the laws! [faint, iz ded] Or to quote a substantial fraction of the commentariat: “Thank you for obeying the law and not killing me”.

The most dangerous vehicles in London just claimed another victim. Cyclist seriously injured after being hit by skip lorry on London Bridge in rush hour As of this posting the cyclist was still alive in hospital.

Less dangerous vehicle compensates with more-dangerous driving. Angry cyclist films woman eating bowl of cereal behind the wheel of her Land Rover The funny part is how much of the commentariat is grousing about the “dangerous and illegal” cyclist while giving the driver eating a bowl of cereal and milk in traffic a pass.

UK cyclists complete a dead cyclist’s journey that he couldn’t. Friends of Washington cyclist killed by a bus set to take on Coast to Coast cycling challenge

Don’t wear HiViz, get mocked by the courts and killed by drivers, wear HiViz and get beat up by a gang of drunks on the side of the road. Cyclist beaten up after his hi-vis vest gets mocked

And if you don’t want a smelly gas scooter on your multi-million $$ Yacht: Why billionaires want these electric bikes

And that’s all I got today, no more links. Now Ima go play with the plans for the adaptor to put Wide 5 hubs on (reproduction) early Ford spindles.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Ugh, Monday again? and the Feed

I used to like Garfield, back in the ’80s and early ’90s, but one thing I still like is the Monday hate from a cat that doesn’t do anything all week or during the weekend, but somehow still hates Monday. The irony could be used to build a bridge… My reasons for disliking Mondays are more concrete. If I don’t write about bikes on Saturday or Sunday then the links accumulate for 3 days and I have a monster to deal with come Monday. But as the alternative was never getting time away from injured or dead people who got that way on a bike, having a heavy workload on Monday beats a padded cell 7 days a week.

Up first because the computer is locking up and giving me fits and I need to clean out some links, Part 1 of Our Daily Ted. San Diego cyclist killed by distracted driver; fourth SoCal bicycling fatality in just the last four days This has been a rough stretch again for Ted.

And Daily Ted Part 2. Morning Links: Bike lane riding in the Biking Black Hole; Caltrans looks at active trans; hero cop saves a cyclist OK I thought I had a lot of links on Mondays…

As mentioned in today’s Daily Ted, there were some terrorist attacks on cyclists in the UK this weekend. Cyclist knocked down by ‘cut-throat’ wire stung up on bike path by twisted thugs Several thin wires set a various heights along a bike path by a golf course with injured cyclists finding most of them before LEO cleaned out the rest. And Cyclist crashes as tacks sprinkled on Velothon Wales route – but others praise local support Looking at the comments there were several cyclists injured after getting tires punctured by tacks, but only one “officially” injured. And for the UK commentariat here in TX something like this would be attempted murder if there was a possibility that someone could die because of it.

NYPD has a law that protects pedestrians and to a lesser extent cyclists, but they aren’t enforcing it. Tragic city bike accidents test new Right of Way law — as traffic incidents result in mixed legal recourse A big part of the problem is only 31 officers in all of NYC are allowed to issue those tickets for “failure to yield” that come with the big fines, and they are only called to the scene when someone dies or is likely to die, or is “seriously Injured”. Apparently getting one’s leg turned into hamburger doesn’t count as “seriously”.

And what if the US had nationalized health care that went all the way down to the guy in the ambulance? We would get stuff like this. The moment a cyclist bleeding to death was saved – by a balloon fed through her leg: Woman, 24, undergoes emergency procedure after paramedics decide she would not survive journey to hospital They can do this because there was a surgeon on the team that went in the ambulance. Here in the US that doesn’t happen. And so people die who don’t need to, because profits.

Considering all the technology used to catch speeders, and the fact that so many tech geeks ride regularly, this was practically predestined to happen. Police use ultrasonic device to make sure drivers stay 3 feet from cyclists Personally I would like to see gigawatt laser cannons used to keep drivers away from cyclists (get too close and lose the front of the car), but until that happens, tickets backed by video recording the illegal pass as measured with ultrasound will have to do.

This one hurts a little. Funeral set for Montevallo woman hit and killed while riding bicycle Cyclist killed in a hit-and-run after either getting robbed or escaping getting robbed and trying to get to a safe(r) place.

This one brought a tear to my eye, too. Hundreds of bicyclists ride to promote safety and honor teen killed, another injured This was in MS, not known as a particularly bike friendly state.

It shouldn’t take a dead cop to get moving on keeping cyclists safe, in fact nobody should have to die to get movement on keeping cyclists safe. Officials discuss bicycle ordinances and safety tips in light of Joplin police officer recently injured in bicycle crash Sorry, injured cop, not dead cop. And I noticed that all of the laws discussed were restrictive on cyclists, with none saying anything about not hitting cyclists or that there are more cases where the cyclist has the right to the entire lane than not.

More on the MA cyclist shot and killed. Surveillance video captured slaying of boy on bike, DA says Sorry about the auto-playing video.

They caught a hit-and-run driver in the Great White North after he turned himself in. Keswick man charged in fatal Yorkville hit and run Apparently he cleaned himself and the car up before turning himself in so that he couldn’t be charged with anything except the hit-and-run. Except now they can add “obstructing justice” or whatever they call it in Ontario.

I’m not seeing anything con in this pro and con article on bike trails except that maybe they don’t have enough of them. Let’s Talk About It, Trail Systems

First of many infrastructure articles from roundabout Jolly Olde. Cyclists Demand National Lorry Safety Crackdown When a single mode of travel killed roughly 40% of cyclists last year and 100% of cyclists this year it is a pretty safe assumption that there is something fundamentally wrong with that mode of transport as it pertains to bicycles.

Still on that subject but from another sort of Anglophone country. Campaign to warn cyclists of lorry blind spots There’s your problem, drivers can’t see out of the cabs of trucks well enough to not hit cyclists sharing the streets in the city. Or the pedestrians in the crosswalk either…

A possible solution to the urban chaos. Dublin City Council Poised to Ban Cars in City Center

While we are still doing UK news. WATCH: Chester Triathlon pays tribute to cyclist killed in road accident Yep, I got a little misty on that one, too.

You know the guy was liked by everybody except the killer when they name a bike club after you when you die in a wreck. New bike club set up in memory of cyclist

And from Oz by way of Road.CC in the UK, an idiot. NSW roads minister wants to CLOSE segregated bike lane in Sydney Really, close a bike lane that carries more people than the whole road next to it? You are an idiot.

And on that note I’m out of links, which means I’m also out of idiots. Hurray!

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Did some maintenance on the blogger, and the Feed

I went out and had my toes done this afternoon because I ruined 2 pair of socks in 3 days this week and I can’t keep doing that. One of the things that happened as a result of my wreck was a lot of nerve damage in the wrecked leg and when I try to cut my toenails the last two toes on the wrecked leg tuck under and out of reach. As a result I have to either try to con Mrs. the Poet into cutting those two toenails or pay for a pedicure. I almost always end up getting a pedicure and since they don’t reduce the fee for not doing things I get some stuff that for a guy might seem a bit strange, like putting color on my toenails. I got a lovely blue metalflake this time 😉 Then this evening I went to a chant workshop put on once a month by my church which also ate up a large chunk of time.

Up first because they attacked a secondary cause rather than the primary cause of the wreck. Distracted driver who caused deadly crash banned from using phone The driver was depositing a check via his cell phone banking app while driving between jobs, but instead of taking the vehicle away they took the phone away. Now the cyclist did not die because he got hit with a phone, he died because he got hit with a truck, that was being driven by a guy using a phone. So they are not restricting him from the deadly thing that was not properly used and killed the cyclist, but merely a contributing factor.

And continuing in the same concept, here is another convicted distracted driver. National guardsman who killed Minnesota cyclist warns others of distracted driving and Man who killed cyclist warns of distracted driving Again, distracted driving was only the trigger, the gun is the motor vehicle, which our former soldier still has unfettered access to after he completes his initial sentence.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: San Bernardino police unfairly blame victim; bike commuter dares Sepulveda Pass sans spandex The exchange with the cop sounds like he was being deliberately obtuse, ignoring statute that was permissive for the deceased cyclist and ignoring statute that was prohibitive for the killer driver.

Local (almost) to WoaB is this protest ride. DENTON TOUR DE FRACK – SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 7:00 AM, MCKENNA PARK And no, that is not a BSG reference, this ride is to protest the TX state law that just overturned the Denton TX law prohibiting fracking within city limits.

Remember those two cyclists hit in the same intersection in Portland? Crosswalk enforcement action uncovers rampant law-breaking on SE Powell Turns out they were writing tickets as fast as they could get the motorcycle cops back to the intersection after writing the tickets. Suggestion: don’t let the motorcycle cops write the tickets just stop the cars until another LEO can get there to do the ticket and then get back at the intersection to pull someone else over. Station the ticket writers about 100-200 feet down from the crosswalk and let them know by radio what violations the initial stop was for and let them take care of secondary tickets like no license or insurance. Put a sniper there with a car-stopper of a gun like the Barrett 0.50 caliber to get the ones that don’t stop immediately.

How do make change with something as entrenched in society as automobilism? My opinion: Protests, politics, and progress? Two cyclists left hooked in the same intersection in a single month and massive protests resulted in left turn signals that will be installed in less than 6 months, because those signals had already been approved and budgeted years ago but placed way down on the priority list until the two wrecks in quick succession. And the problem here is that this is the wrong way to roll out projects where it is an entire street that is the problem, not just one or two intersections that happened to roll craps.

And then you get $&(% like this. Six days after man dies crossing SE Chavez, his ghost bike memorial is mangled too (UPDATED) And a late comment seems to show it was a semi cutting the corner. Which is even worse when you think about it, because there could have been someone waiting to cross the street there instead of a Ghost Bike.

And our last link from BP, a comprehensive look at changing bad infrastructure to somewhat-less-crappy. Fixing Southeast: Three achievable proposals from a fast-rising advocate

A BOLO for a total douchebag driver in the Windy City. Police release photo of car in hit-and-run that injured bicyclist

Hey, let’s make cyclists as distracted as other road users with GPS. This High-Tech Helmet Shows Cyclists the Best Bike Route in a City Not saying this wouldn’t be useful, just that it would be a distraction, just like having GPS on your handlebars would be a distraction. Putting the information directly in your line of sight with the HUD would make it potentially more distracting, but also make it possible to read the information and redirect attention back to the outside environment much faster than the same information on a handlebar display. Still a distraction though.

While we are back to that subject here’s another distracted driver in the UK. Julie Watson killed cyclist after using phone while driving What is shocking here is the judge remanded the driver over to jail to await an inevitable prison sentence. Two years ago this would have been maybe a year in gaol or a few hundred hours of community service on weekends, this time it was go directly to jail, do not pass Go, do not collect $200 (Monopoly game reference).

Infrastructure news from the IL town where a woman riding USBR 36 was killed by a car driving in the bike lane. Bicycle, roadway safety in wake of cyclist death

Infrastructure news from far West Canuckistan. Editorial — Cyclists, take care Gee, one would think cyclists did not know that getting hit by/with a motor vehicle is painful and potentially deadly every time it happens. And that more times than not there was nothing the cyclist could have done to prevent it.

Final link about that Workmen’s Comp protest ride in the Great White North. Riders seeking financial justice for injured workers

Lifestyle in Wales as cyclists raise money for an injured rugby player with paralysis. Father of injured Blues player Owen Williams among those heading off on Cardiff to Paris bike ride

Another “greatest thing” battery chemistry for e-assist bikes and EV. Next Generation Battery Technology

And I’m outta links and patience, fortunately links ran out first.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Tired

Strating to filter the Feed, and I’m alredy only semi-coherent

I’m recovering from not remembering to carry water with me on what turned out to be a very long trip today, but we have the bus ticket for Mrs. the Poet’s trip to NY, and the storage unit rent is paid. The trips involved for that were Home to Downtown Garland to get the money, Downtown Garland to Downtown Dallas to get the tickets (round trip TX to NY and back involves 11 separate tickets), the Downtown Dallas to North Garland to pay the storage unit rent then walking home from the storage unit because it’s only like a mile and a quarter and there are sidewalks the entire way. Total travel time was about 5 hours. Whee!

Up first because this is a stand-alone link and I need as much space in the Feed window as I can get with 5 days of links in there, Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: KPCC calls LaBonge a bike advocate, CicLAvia rolls, Kerry breaks a leg and Hövding sort of works

More on that CO cyclist shot to death. Colorado police link two shootings and Colorado Hunting for Shooter Who Killed Cyclist, Injured Driver in Two Attacks also Fatal shooting of Windsor cyclist linked to shooting of Milliken woman driving on I-25, police say There seems to be ballistic evidence connecting the two recovered bullets from different shootings. Otherwise there is nothing connecting the two victims.

Another story generating lots of links is the US secretary of State falling off his bike on a planned assault on the Col de la Colombiere. Kerry breaks leg in bicycle crash; returning to US Monday and Kerry hurt in bike accident; rest of Europe visit canceled The col is a frequent climb on the Tour de France most years, but the wreck was in a crowded peloton in the town at the base of the pass and Kerry never even got to the Col de la Colombiere. That’s rough.

Another big story is a drunk driver in far West Canuckistan hitting and killing 2 out of 3 cyclists riding as a group, and killing the passenger in his car. Three killed as alleged impaired driver hits cyclists on scenic road north of Pemberton and Three dead after vehicle hits cyclists also Cyclists killed in Pemberton crash mourned by friends this too Whistler cyclists Kelly Blunden and Ross Chafe killed in collision The third cyclist was initially reported among the injured but later reports state he was not hurt. You know what I think they should do to the drunk murderer, but Canada is much too polite for that.

Bicycles are so dangerous in Japan! Bicycles can be weapons, victim warns and Revised law obliges reckless cyclists to attend safety lectures

Why do you sometimes break road rules? Survey of 17,000 Asks Why Bicyclists Break the Rules of the Road I do because obeying the law 100% of the time will get you killed. I firmly believe in following road rules to be predictable and safe, but there are some things that if you do them as a cyclist you will get hit eventually because they laws were made for cars and bicycles cannot physically do some of those things even though they are required. Merging is one of the big ones for me, since I just can’t get up and go on my bike like someone can in a car. Someone very shortly after I merge is going to have to either slow down behind me or go around me, which is a violation of the merge law. And of course when they follow me I can’t see past them so I can do my next maneuver which is normally another merge to the next lane over so I can make a turn.

More on the UK cyclist killed by a HGV in London. Tributes paid to female cyclist who died after collision with lorry in South London And Health specialist is latest cyclist to be killed by HGV You know if six different kinds of cyclists were all killed by the SAME KIND of vehicle in less than 5 months in just one city I would be looking mighty hard at if maybe one of those vehicles was not suited for use in an urban environment, and I’m not talking about the cyclists.

Since we are discussing the UK anyway. Man arrested over Walton-on-Thames cyclist death and Updated: Arrest made after female cyclist in her 50s killed in tanker pile-up in Surrey The van driver was driving a commercial vehicle without license or insurance.

And still in the UK. Man who killed Horsham cyclist convicted of causing death by careless driving After they let him out of prison they are going to deport him. Harsh, but not as much as he deserved.

I think we have found the poster child for the Asshole Association. Cyclist Hit by Vehicle on One Year Anniversary that Matthew Harker was Struck and Killed Seriously dude, don’t hit-and-run and then get on Facebook and claim the victim was at fault. When you left the scene it became your fault. You might have been able to claim the victim was the author of his own demise had you stayed at the scene, but as soon as you ran you assumed the fault in the wreck because under the law the innocent don’t run. And don’t post about it on Facebook

This is another wreck at a spot that has seen several this year in Portland OR, America’s Copenhagen. Driver cited for crash that injured bicyclist on SE Powell Blvd. This was the same intersection as the cyclist who lost his leg was riding when he got hit just a few weeks ago and not very far from where a cyclist was killed last week. Some people think there may be a problem. Is Biking Getting More Dangerous in Portland? Just for the record I don’t think cycling is getting more dangerous, I think this is what happens when you have something that doesn’t happen very often in the first place and sometimes you get a dry spell and some times you get a few more. What I also think is this area was overdue for a serious bike wreck because of the infrastructure.

Here’s another surprise, a former highway department that still thinks its primary job is to build highways. Coalition Accuses Los Angeles Transportation Authority of Tunnel Vision Gee, build a tunnel under a city in one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world, or move more people more safely for $4 BILLION dollars less. What to do, what to do…

Bouncing all over again today because too many open links makes navigating the composing page a nightmare, a cyclist in Canuckistan makes a claim for injury after hitting a pothole in the dark and crashing heavily. Cyclist suing City of Edmonton for $152K; claims pothole-related injuries This is apparently a different cyclist from the one last week that was only suing for 5 figures instead of the 6 that this one is suing for.

Hey, let’s blame the victims in MA. I-Team: Bicycle Citations Up, Accidents Down In Brookline Remember that line from a few paragraphs back: “bike accidents are so seldom that there is a lot of noise in the statistics about them”? Same thing applies here, there is most likely no causality between the tickets and the reduction in wrecks, only correlation. since most of the wrecks reported in the media the cyclist was not at fault, this large a reduction would mean that ticketing cyclists was changing the drivers’ habits. Exactly how that would work is a bit on the shaky side.

Now this is a clickbait headline that works. When Will the U.S. Embrace This Simple Change to Make Cyclists and Pedestrians Safer? I hate to be the ones that tell them but the UK law they are talking about has so many loopholes that all 6 of the HGV that killed cyclists in London this year were not equipped with the devices.

So many ghost bikes it takes a team from the local bike club to keep them maintained so they don’t get stolen or taken away by the city/state. Duke City Wheelmen refurbish bikes Someone once suggested that we chain white cars everywhere someone died in a car wreck, which I think would be a great idea. Just think how many cars that would take off the roads with 35-40K deaths a year. And the reminder that cars can kill inside and out…

How some of those wounded veteran rides are supported. Hundreds of cyclists support Ride 2 Recovery I would ride in one of these rides.

And then there’s this guy. Double Amputee Starts 52-Day Cross-Country Fundraising Journey to Arlington on Bike He’s not riding to Arlington TX from SD CA, he’s riding all the way across the hot part of the country, in summer, with only his arms to power the bike.

Two links from Oz. A simple request from a cyclist’s partner: there’s no contest between a bike and a car and Doctor Henri Sueke, killed in Rose Bay cycling crash, had just arrived from UK

I have been hit more times, but this guy definitely has worse luck on a specific date. Cyclist badly hurt in hit-and-run again, 5 years later to the day

Lifestyle in AZ. University mourns professor killed on bicycle RIP fellow cyclist.

And what I hope is the last new RoS link for this year… Friends, family of bike commuters killed in February joined hundreds in Thursday’s Ride of Silence

And I am beat, fried, toast, a cinder, past my freshness date… TIRED! and I need to get my toes done before I ruin another pair of socks. I’m just lucky that I haven’t ruined any of the bicycle socks I treasure, just the ones that don’t have any particular meaning or memories attached to them.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

This is my Long Day, and the Feed

Well I’m not seeing a lot of action from the clickbait headline, but I might try again with a different approach.

I’m still having issues with my neck that are common after surgery, like the steri-strips are starting to itch (or maybe where the incision is healing), and having something stuck to the back of my neck is just annoying now. Nothing major, just things that were expected to happen are happening now.

Up first, yesterday was not good for cyclists in London. Camberwell crash: Female cyclist fighting for life after collision with lorry in south London and Walthamstow crash: heroic bystanders free unicyclist from underneath bus after he was knocked down in rush hour accident More on the unicyclist London Crowd LIFTS 12 Tonne Double Decker Bus Off Injured Unicyclist also Cyclist, 32, dies after crash with Co-op lorry in London in sixth fatal accident this year still more Cyclist killed after lorry collision in south-east London and it just keeps getting worse Cyclist killed in Camberwell crash was top King’s College Hospital physiotherapist Female cyclists dies after Denmark Hill crash Nothing official but at this point it appears to be a left hook for the bicyclist, and a run over from behind for the unicyclist. And I had a link to a possible third wreck, but the page was 404 when I tried to pull it up. I’m assuming this was the third wreck mentioned in the video for that last link above. Immediate response to the wrecks? Harriet Harman: ban lorries in rush hour to save cyclists The killed cyclist hadn’t even died before the first political outcry to remove the most deadly thing from London’s streets and byways. And given that all 6 cyclist fatalities this year involved HGV, this is a perfectly reasonable response.

NYC had fewer wrecks but more (until after the last delivery of the Feed) links. Bicyclist Dead After Being Rear-Ended By Speeding Driver In East Harlem and Neuroscientist on bike killed by driver who fled traffic stop this, too NYPD on hunt for hit-and-run driver who fatally struck bicyclist, a Weill Cornell professor, in East Harlem more Cyclist Killed In Harlem Hit-And-Run Was Neurological Surgery Professor and Bicyclist Is Killed by Car Fleeing Court Police You know what is the really frustrating thing about this? The car was noticed as stolen on Sunday, but NYPD would not take a report from the person watching the house or over the phone from the out-of-state owner. That’s 4 days this car was running around NYC unencumbered when it could have been pulled over and impounded as stolen before it was used to kill someone. Granted since the perps were running from a traffic stop in this wreck, it could have just meant that a different cyclist was run over from behind, or they could have been boxed in by traffic for that stop and nobody would have been hurt, but that is all hypothesis because NYPD didn’t take the damn report! May all their gonads be “lovingly” caressed by electric eels, the thieves, the people driving when the cyclist was killed if they are not the people that stole the car in the first place, and the cops that refused to take the report that the car had been stolen. There is no excuse for this kind of mass fornication.

Much closer to home for WoaB. HUNDREDS OF CYCLISTS ARE HIT ON HOUSTON STREETS EVERY YEAR The story that opens the report, of the cyclist wearing a glow-in-the-dark clown suit hit from behind while crossing an intersection aptly displays the problem, drivers either don’t look or don’t care because they can certainly see most cyclists if they look in front of the car. Until something is done about that nothing will change much anywhere in TX as far as cyclists getting hit and killed on the roads. And that string of videos further down with the guy riding with the 3-foot flag on the side of the bike shows the other problem, drivers that think because they “didn’t hit” a cyclist they made a safe pass… The Caddy driver that moved right just before passing…

A Ghost Bike is placed, and removed, within a week of a wreck in IL. Daughters honor mother by seeking bike safety I would ask why someone would steal a Ghost Bike, but at this point, I don’t really care “why”. And the hate shown in the comments section for someone hit while riding a bike on a designated USBR.

Another RoS article, this one is more long form than the ones we had up until this. Ride of Silence serves as chance to remember, honor cyclists killed on the road

More RoS. Charleston ride of silence honors Jae Bellamy, other injured or killed cyclists This is the city where my brother lives and works. Interesting that Charleston has killed as many cyclists as London, with much less uproar about it.

Bike Month draws to a close in NJ. Rider risks, safety tips highlighted as part of Bike Month in N.J (VIDEO)

Kinda infrastructurish from just outside NYC. Communities try to ease friction between cars and bikes

ABQ tries bike share as tourist visits decline. Albuquerque Looks to New Bike-Share for Downtown Boost I remember when ABQ was a sleepy middle-sized town and the biggest danger was when both Unser brothers (Al and Bobby) were in town between car races.

More on the SLC “protected intersection”. Salt Lake City Will Have First Protected Bike Intersection in the U.S. This almost approaches “Dutch” quality bicycle infrastructure. The only problem is if drivers don’t want anything to do with the street why would cyclists use it? If there is no place to go to why ride the street?

Hot’lanta infrastructure (kinda disappointing). Atlanta takes steps to become more bike friendly

Another stop for the Worker’s Comp bike protest. Injured Workers Stop in Cobourg During 600 km Bike Ride to Draw Attention to a Compensation System Being Dismantled by the Liberal Government

And either I’m out of links or I’m blind, but I can read this, so probably not blind.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Adult toys for big boys (and girls), and the Feed

Someone sent me this link as a funny. Razor Presents: The all new CRAZY CART XL!!! [HD] Now I know what I want for Christmas this year, something that can get slideways! Seriously, this looks like an absolute blast to drive. Pity it can’t go over 17 MPH. I have been thinking about doing this on my own with scooter parts and casters from Harbor Freight, but the cost of doing this on my own and the cost of the Crazy Cart XL are about the same. Of course if I make it there is no reason to limit the speed to 17 MPH (except for the sanity of the driver/builder).

Up first is the continuing drama in Thailand. Cyclists call for harsher punishment and Police step up safety measures for cyclists That last link was blaming the victims harder than the drunk drivers that killed them Dreaming of the police making our roads safe for cyclists

The other big international story is the driver that hit a cyclist while running from police in Enn Zed and then crashed into a truck, killing himself. 25-year-old driver killed in car fire – after hitting cyclist and crashing into truck and Fleeing driver killed in fiery crash also One dead in crash between car and truck and finally Fleeing driver killed in fiery crash named At least this one won’t be a burden to the courts as he proclaims innocence because he “didn’t see” the cyclist he hit.

Still in Enn Zed, another blinded driver gets away with murder. Sunstrike blamed for cyclist’s death on Summerhill Drive “The sun was in my eyes, I couldn’t see the road!” And the prosecution believed him enough to not charge him with manslaughter or murder after he admitted he saw the cyclist more than 200 meters before he hit her dead center with his truck. Jocelyn Goodwin cyclist death: Jason Paul McGahey sentenced [facepalm] One hundred fifty hours of community service for killing a human being with a WMD. No jail, no fines, and only a 6 month suspension of his driving privilege. TANJ!

And local news, you can legally text and drive in TX. It’s Still Legal To Text And Drive In These 4 States I remind people this is the state where ZZ Top released Arrested for Driving While Blind. Which is what you are doing when you text at the wheel, driving while blind because you can’t see the road with your face in a phone. BTW that is the extended live version with the guitar solo in the middle.

A cyclist killer is caught and jailed in LA. Woman arrested in hit-and-run that killed cyclist Glad to see LEO taking vehicular mayhem seriously.

Our Daily Ted is pretty good today. Weekend Links: Sentencing delayed in emotional drugged driving case, rider reportedly robbed on Ballona Creek

Still in CA, sometimes us old folks don’t hear so good when a cyclist approaches and we walk out in front of them as they pass. Pedestrian injured in collision with cyclist on path The cyclist called out he was passing, then the pedestrian was startled when he passed. We aren’t allowed to have air horns on bikes, so how are we going to get through to old people who won’t wear hearing aids (like my Dad, $4K worth of hearing aids sat on his dresser most days the last few years of his life), or wearing headphones or earbuds at any age?

Is there anything easier to avoid than a train on tracks? Police: Bicyclist Hit, Killed By Light Rail Train At College Greens Station Just look and listen for a train ans if you see or hear a train stay off the tracks. How hard is that?

And of course there are no charges for a driver that turned into and ran over a child cyclist in NC. No charges in death of 9-year-old hit, killed on bike ride

Sometimes you really need to watch where the other guy is going. Four riders injured in multi-bicycle crash This was a group ride that went down because two cyclists at the head of the line touched wheels.

Legal Infrastructure for cyclists in the Great White North. Legal Matters-I was struck by an automobile while riding my bicycle. Can I receive compensation?

And physical/legal infrastructure news from Jolly Olde. Campaigners oppose plan to send riders on ‘zigzag’ around Cambridge Circus The legal part comes from this being the intersection where they refused to accept the money to redo the intersection to be safer for cyclists, and even now they are doing everything but make the intersection safer for cyclists.

Last link, could e-assist bikes be better? What’s Wrong With Electric Bicycles I wouldn’t say all hub motors are fragile, but there are a few that are of such low quality that reputable retailers refuse to sell them.

And I’m outta links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

i’m surrounded by distractions, and the Feed

That Muslim thing that went down a couple of miles away Sunday continues to be a distraction and disruption. It is even disrupting the local bus service. I’m just going to stay home today and not go out. And there is stuff going on at Casa de El Poeta that is also distracting, but when it’s done I will be able to work in peace and quiet for a long time. It’s the getting there that is the hassle.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Ride SaMo’s Breeze bikes, Seth says thumbs down to PCH bike lanes, & an 8 y.o. hit-and-run perp

I refuse to believe this was an “accident”, the driver left because there was no way he was not going to get charged for assault for hitting 3 lighted and reflectorized cyclists riding in the middle of the lane as they prepared to make a left turn. Engine sounds, then 3 ‘thunks’: Bicyclist describes frightening Nicholson Drive crash, and how the driver who caused it just drove away If this had just been a single cyclist I might buy the excuse of “not seeing” a tiny bit, but this was 3 cyclists lighted and reflectorized like Mardi Gras floats riding in the middle of the lane where they couldn’t have been more visible. this was an assault with a deadly weapon, nothing less.

A cyclist in GA succumbs to injury after the wreck. Cyclist Dies From Injuries Following Crash This is another article about the smirking man who couldn’t wait for a truck to make a right turn so he passed in a no-passing zone and hit 2 cycoists head on.

Still in GA, another wreck with another (almost) drunk driver in a pickup truck. Gainesville man arrested after bicyclist killed I had to compare names of the drivers to tell these apart. Well before reading the charges anyway as the driver in this wreck “was charged with first-degree homicide, driving under the influence-less safe (meaning he had less alcohol than the legal limit), open container, leaving the scene of an accident with a death, following too closely, failure to leave sufficient distance for bicycle and operating a vehicle with improperly transferred license plate.” And littering, don’t forget littering. And I think driving on the shoulder is also illegal in GA, so they left that one off, too.

Another AK teen is convicted for killing a cyclist. Anchorage teen pleads guilty in hit-and-run death of cyclist Didn’t we have a 16 YO pleading guilty to Hit-and-Run just a few months ago? And now a 17 YO with a DUI/Hit-and-Run? Is there something in the water, or what?

Remembering a cyclist killed in Canuckistan. Cyclist killed near Okotoks was married father, avid member of cycling community I just can’t be angry enough about this

Over in Jolly Olde we get another blind driver killing another cyclist on a straight and level road with outstanding visibility. Motorist who killed cyclist told police he thought he hit a wheelie bin Ah, not blind, hallucinating. Lifetime ban on driving then?

Maybe this driver needs to talk to the driver in the previous paragraph. Cyclist pushed along Grays road by ‘hit-and-run’ van driver They found the van burned out a few miles from the scene… The cyclist was riding on the housing access road next to the main road.

The cyclist hit a pedestrian on a 60 MPH speed limit road, remember that. Cyclist killed pensioner by crashing into him while doing 25mph along narrow country lane on dark and rainy night I think the reason the victim died was because “Mr Jones was taken to hospital but had to wait 50 minutes to be admitted” with a skull fracture and broken ribs.

I’m sure you have been reading about the huge number of cyclists hit and killed in the last 2 weeks by drunk drivers in Thailand. Tragic cyclist deaths prompt drink driving crackdown in Thailand They have not just been hitting single cyclists, but entire tour groups with HiViz and blinky lights and killing multiple riders in a single wreck. I have gotten so many reports I can no longer keep them all straight. And really, they have to tell police to NOT accept bribes? How about they take the bribe, charge them with the drunk driving anyway and then add bribing a police officer to the charges?

In some countries there are more things to worry about than just the other vehicles on the road. When cyclists and animals collide – videos Ouch! And ouch again.

A little NYC infrastructure. First Avenue Bike Lane Will Get Much-Needed Expansion One shared lane gone, replaced by a buffered and parking protected bike track.

More NYC infrastructure. Cartoon Shows How East River Bridge Tolls Could Save NYC

And last link is a competitor to the ELF. Combo Cycle Lives Life in the Bike Lane This is actually more “car” than most people need, pity it isn’t legal in all states.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Why do we have a for-profit health care system, and the Feed

Contact has been made with my PCP concerning the GOP presidential candidate sitting on the back of my neck (“ugly lump of useless fat” for the people not among my Facebook friends). There was a 3 working day delay caused by my HMO having to approve of the surgery and the surgeon I was getting sent to. Remind me again why we don’t have a single-payer system like the UK, where stuff like this only takes a day? I mean obviously, this thing has been on the back of my neck for almost a decade now so it probably isn’t going to kill me (again), but still the MRI came back as “atypical” so this also isn’t something that can be ignored until it goes away. I will hear back from the surgeon on scheduling later today or early tomorrow.

The Bug Story today is from Oz as a Fox Sports announcer is found guilty of hitting a cyclist. Bosnich pleads guilty to reckless driving which injured cyclist and Mark Bosnich pleads guilty to charge of reckless driving after road rage incident also Bosnich knocked cyclist down: court And of course they got a plea bargain that never mentioned assault with a deadly weapon when the driver turned his vehicle at the cyclist and hit him with it, knocking him to the ground with numerous injuries.

Our Daily Ted, round 1. Morning Links: LAPD ordered to turn over video of bike rider beating, and Redlands riders do the right thing Surprise, surprise, LAPD beat a cyclist half to death and he was not white.

Our Daily Ted, part the second. Guest post: BAC Vice Chair Glenn Bailey reports on efforts to undo the Chase Street road diet and bike lanes This was the meeting that may have had an illegal agenda item added at the last minute. In TX the item would have been illegal to discuss since the agenda had already been published.

In today’s NYC news, the DA actually grew a pair and indicted a killer driver. Driver Charged With Manslaughter For Killing LES Pedestrian The driver was doing 55 in a 25 zone and attempted to flee but hit a fire hydrant on a crowded sidewalk and could not continue driving. The hydrant probably saved having several more victims.

Usually “Take your kid to work day” does not include teaching bicycle theft. Stroller-Pushing Bike Thief Has Allegedly Stolen $16K In Bikes

And a bit Upstate from The City, drunk asshole in a Camaro takes out his and two other vehicles when he’s prevented from excessively speeding. Video: Sociopathic Camaro Driver Causes Terrifying Highway Crash The Camaro driver was tested at more than twice the legal limit for BAC%.

Apparently driving while blind is not a crime in NE. Prosecutor will not charge woman in crash that killed cyclist The cyclist was riding a recumbent tricycle with an 8 foot tall flag on the back. If you can’t see a normal-sized adult human with an 8 foot tall flag in the road, please stop driving immediately and seek medical attention.

Not your average wreck in South Africa. Cyclist trampled to death by giraffe in South Africa Usually the traffic I have to wrangle is more 4-wheel than 4-foot.

More on the Scottish clamor for presumptive liability in civil cases where a cyclist is hit by a motor vehicle. Cyclists call for ‘presumption of liability’ against motorists in civil cases Yeah, we cyclists are just throwing ourselves against light armored vehicles in the hopes of getting a huge lawsuit payout… And I have a bridge in AZ I want to get off my hands. Used to be owned by a nice English lady named Elizabeth…

After the second cyclist is killed by a truck turning across the bike lane at a badly-designed intersection in NOLA legislation to restrict truck traffic is considered. Cyclist’s death spurs bill to ban hazardous material trucks on St. Claude, North Claiborne Note that there was nothing done to change the bad intersection, just to restrict hazardous cargo from using it.

More infrastructure news from Portland. East Portlanders want one mode of transportation prioritized above all others, survey finds They just want to be able to cross the street without having to play “Frogger”.

There has been a paradigm shift in city planning while nobody was looking. End of the car age: how cities are outgrowing the automobile

It’s about that time again. National Bike Month: Hupy and Abraham celebrates safety and awareness and Community encouraged to participate in Bicycle Month Notional Bike Month, or as I see it National This Blog Is Important Month. I’m hoping I can get Blue up and running and be healed up from neck surgery by the Ride of Silence. Last year was terrible for me as I couldn’t see where I was going because my helmet was hitting the lump on the back of my neck.

Speaking of that lump, the surgeon did not call today, but I at least know his last name: Ritter. And thanks to the powers of the Internet I know something about him.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet