Another Grocery Day combined with a UPS run, and the Feed

I just took over $40 a month off my internet and cable TV bill by sending a bunch of unneeded equipment back to Verizon, and dropping a bunch of channels we never watch. The only channel I didn’t get but really wanted was MAV TV. Well the only channel I didn’t get that was available through FiOS, I still wanted to get Funimation Channel for my anime fix but that was not an option. Anywho while I was going to the UPS store I had the phone out capturing check-ins and prize boxes to get that next gift card, and hit my bag limit before we got back to the grocery store. That puts me even closer to that next gift card.

The blister situation on my foot has gotten both better and worse. The “swollen” part from yesterday turned out to be a second blister underneath the first blister. That first blister started to peel off the bottom of my foot so I cut the dead skin off so that it wouldn’t tear off and pull out some live skin. After doing that the other blister immediately started feeling better. So that’s good-ish.

Up first, we cyclists sometimes have soft spots for critters, especially the ones that get hurt on the roads. Cyclist comes to aid of injured deer All together now: “D’aaawwww!”

Since we are in CA anyway, how about our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: 77-year old victim of bike hit-and-run dies, arrest made in Expo Park road rage murder case

Daily Ted, part 2. Mountain biker dies from trail fall in Riverside County

Still in CA, another link to the SFPD report blaming a cyclist’s fatal wreck on not being in the bike lane that wasn’t there. SFPD Once Again Blames Cyclist For Own Death, City Refuses To Release Video Of Accident

More from CA as people local to the wreck blame the infrastructure for the wreck as much or more as they did the driver and cyclist. Bicyclist killed Tuesday was a Silicon Valley executive Basically the cyclist was hit because the bike lane went from the shoulder to the median across a 50 MPH speed limit pair of lanes on a highway with a lack of signage warning drivers that bicycles were going to be crossing the highway. I think I found the winner for today’s “really crap infrastructure” tag. Seriously, what the Hell were they thinking? More Palo Alto: Bicyclist killed on Page Mill Road and Bike Accident Scene Palo Alto Nov1st

Not In CA, they caught the bus driver that killed a pedestrian in NYC. MTA Bus Driver Arrested In Fatal Hit & Run Has History Of Arrests So besides being partially blind, the dude had very poor judgement.

WI cyclist run over by a semi. Woman killed in bicycle vs. semi crash, police say Hit-from-behind wreck that seems to be at least partially the fault of the cyclist for riding too far to the right, which encouraged the truck driver to not move over to pass. So yeah this was all the truck driver’s fault.

NE rider severely injured by hit-and-run driver gets blamed for the wreck. Suspect Vehicle Located In Hit & Run Which Injured 6 Year-Old Riding Bike “Omaha City Council Member Garry Gernandt said speed bumps weren’t the answer, but rather, parents need to “control their kids.”” While the kid was hit riding in front of his house with parental supervision by a driver who has abandoned his vehicle miles away from the wreck. The local pol is now living on a steady diet of crow.

Meanwhile in OH. Alliance boy on bike injured by hit-and-run driver The comments section was blocked for this link.

More on the WA cyclist hit by a bus. Cyclist injured when hit by transit bus on Bainbridge Island Again, the cyclist was hit from behind by the bus, that pretty much absolves the victim from blame. Drivers must see and avoid whatever is on the road in front of them.

FL cyclists say drivers need to look out the windshield and not drive in the bike lanes. Bicyclist death highlights need for awareness I can see the bike tire mark on the car bumper, why can’t the LEO investigating the wreck? I wish I could see the bike too. The thing that bothers me is the lack of damage to the front end of the car, besides what looks like a tire mark there is almost nothing until the crushed roof and windshield. There’s the tire mark on the driver’s side bumper, a slight scuff mark on the hood directly behind the mark on the bumper, and then the crushed windshield and roof. Very strange.

Another report on the cyclist shot by an insane man in CO. Iraq veteran and father-of-two named as cyclist who was shot dead at random by Colorado gunman despite pleading for his life Another thing we know is the gunman was reported to 911 several times before he started shooting, but LEO could not respond because CO is an “open carry” state. Seriously, there are no words that can convey my emotions about this.

In Canuckistan the driver who hit a cyclist in a hit-and-run wreck comes back to have a shot at the cops investigating the wreck, who them shoot back. Calgary police shoot man after ‘shocking, wanton’ post-hit-and-run attack, narrow miss for officer “While emergency service personnel attended to the seriously injured cyclist, the subject vehicle reappeared on Dermot Baldwin Way and drove directly at the officers,” said police Chief Roger Chaffin late Tuesday night. The driver was reported to have deliberately targeted the cyclist with the stolen vehicle. I blame Rupert Murdoch for the attempted murder wreck and subsequent attack. 😉

More on the pinball wreck of a cyclist in the Great White North. Cyclist dies after being struck by two vehicles on Highway 27 in Etobicoke The impact damage on the weapon vehicles, especially the first one, just looks wrong for the narrative.

More on the cyclist hit by a truck in the GWN Police looking for five drivers after cyclist killed in Brampton I still say he fell off his bike after getting buzzed by the truck that ran him over.

A Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot, wreck in Jolly Olde. Two people are injured after a BMW chased by an unmarked police car ploughs into a bus stop, lamppost, car and cyclist No kitchen sink?

A coronial inquest has found that Irish truck drivers are blind and need all the help they can get to see a cyclist. Truck driver unaware he had run over cyclist, inquest told Coronial inquests are not intended to find guilt, but rather to find out how to prevent future deaths from the same cause. So apparently this one decided that two headlights and two tail lights mounted at two different heights on the back of the bike were not enough and the cyclist needed to do more instead of the truck driver watching where he was going.

Last link is an echo of the way I felt when I took the wrecks out for a while last year. Rick Vosper: Haunted by the Ghosts of Dead Cyclists

And that’s all I got today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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I have found a 3D printer I can use for making parts for the Mini Sprint-T, and the Feed

OK one of the minor problems I have been facing building the Mini Sprint-T as a mockup for the full size car has been things like steering boxes, and brake discs in the right diameter, and power steering pumps and brackets. But I have found place that will let me make 3D printed 1/25 bits for $50 and the cost of materials, provided I can find or create a CAD file in the .dwg format, or a half-dozen or so other formats this printer understands. I could even make bits to make the front wheels turn and roll by printing spindles as well as hubs. Or using a printed spindle to cast a metal one that would make the wheels roll better.

Up first because reasons is the gun tragedy in CO. Two women and a cyclist killed after heavily armed gunman opened fire in downtown of Colorado spot voted ‘America’s best place to live’ and Colorado Springs neighborhood honors cyclist who was shot, killed also Cyclist begged for life while Colorado gunman fired I have been exposed to gun violence, to motor vehicle violence, and been the victim of a hate crime (someone thought I was a Mexican because I spoke fluent Spanish and rode my bike for transportation), but I have never seen this kind of depraved indifference to human life.

Getting to the rest of the stories with multiple links we get this drunk driver running over a MD couple on a tandem bike. Two Montgomery cyclists killed while on their tandem bike and 2 bicyclists hit & killed by drunk driver in Md. also Loved ones remember cyclists killed by possibly drunk driver Stories like this remind me of why I want to put drunk drivers back behind the wheels of their beloved vehicles for one last trip, through a car shredder. The cyclists were wearing about as much HiViz as a humans can wear and riding in bright sunshine but that didn’t keep the wasted driver from running right into them.

Hit-and-run in NV. Police Looking for Driver Who Hit and Killed Bicyclist and Bicyclist struck and killed by vehicle in Reno The narrative is hit-from-behind and then a hit-and-run. The ways to avoid a hit-from-behind are in the protocols link at the top of the page. The careful mention in both links of the cyclist’s lights are a clue that the cyclist was equipped well beyond the legal minimums, which means that the driver may have either fixated or deliberately targeted the cyclist.

From CA we get this hit-from-behind wreck. Cyclist killed in Road 99 collision and Coroner identifies Davis bicyclist killed in collision with SUV The narrative is interesting. It reads like the driver saw oncoming traffic first and slightly fixated on that and just didn’t process the cyclist out there on the shoulder/right side of the lane until just before impact. Since there was no mention about the cyclist’s lights and reflectors we have to assume they were there and operational because if they weren’t you know there would have been mention of that fact, prominent mention. The cyclist was not far to the right over on the shoulder that was just barely there, but might not have been far enough out into the lane for the driver to see him. The fact remains that the driver chose to hit the cyclist over moving into the other lane with oncoming traffic, a common trope among carhead internet commenters who don’t seem to realize there is such a thing as a brake pedal.

While we are in CA how about some Daily Ted? Morning Links: A reminder to lock your bike the right way, more kind people, and citing Cedillo as a bike expert

Why did this driver “lose control” and drive into a group of Halloween revellers? Halloween Tragedy: 3 Killed, 4 Injured When Driver Crashes Into Trick Or Treaters In The Bronx “No criminality suspected”

In the most deadliest state in US to walk or ride a bike we get a demonstration of “why”. Seminole woman hit, killed while riding bicycle The driver was crossing the sidewalk while not looking where he was going or for any traffic on the sidewalk at all.

Still in FL, a driver “forgets” how to change lanes to pass. Cyclist killed in Melbourne incident Several drivers saw and passed safely before the weapon vehicle ran over the cyclist from behind. The cyclist was doing it right, not her fault the driver forgot how to drive.

Over in Bayou Country an allegedly ninja cyclist is hit from behind. Lake Charles bicyclist killed in accident Not getting lighted like a Christmas tree is not an excuse for driving faster than you can stop in the distance you can see clearly in the light from your headlights. Still, lights and reflectors people, they can save your life.

PA cyclist is chased down and shot (?!?) POLICE ID TEEN KILLED ON BICYCLE IN STRAWBERRY MANSION

Over in IL there were 4 minor bike wrecks in one day. La Grange police blotter: Bike rider gets clipped, escapes injury

GA gets a USBR. U.S. Bike Route 21 will be one of the first of its kind in America If you want to ride from Cleveland to Atlanta via Chattanooga USBR 21 is your way to go. Not the shortest route, but the one route where drivers will be expecting to see cyclists.

Mapping where drivers and cyclists almost hit will predict where they actually do hit. Mapping Safer Streets for Bicyclists, Pedestrians in Portland This is important because the difference between a scare with no contact and a fatality can be fractions of an inch. Do something about the scares and you don’t have to worry about the fractions of an inch.

WY wants to fix their infrastructure so they don’t lose any tourists. Bike benefit bill ready to go to Wyoming House

Remembering a fallen PA cyclist. Cyclists remember Taylor Banks during memorial ride

Another SWCC wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist critically injured in Parc Avenue collision You can look at that bike and tell the driver does not have a firm grasp on reality. Can’t LEO look at a bike and see the directionality of the impact? Or is that a skill that I developed on my own?

Nothing a cyclist can do about a car on your side of the street, even in the GWN. Cyclist killed in head-on collision near Quebec City “The jaws of life were necessary to free the driver from his vehicle” says more about the severity of this wreck than I ever can.

After creating a controversy with the 3 month limit for ghost bikes they want to make a permanent memorial. Ghost bike debate: Permanent memorial for cyclists proposed. That’s wonderful, but a permanent memorial to killed cyclists does nothing to alert drivers about bad intersections or other bad infrastructure that gets cyclists killed by motor vehicles.

LEO have the time of a hit-and-run death down to a very tiny window. Police have narrowed time when cyclist killed to five minute window It sure seems like this has been a bad weekend for bicycles in the Great White North. More Brampton cyclist fell, then was run over by transport truck: police OK buzz job and then fell under the rear wheels of the truck. Why do they have to find ways of blaming the cyclist for falling first when Occam’s Razor says he got hit by the truck and run over?

Jolly Olde reacts to the US Bishop going to prison for killing a cyclist while driving drunk. Seven years for bishop who killed cyclist while driving drunk and texting

More on the driver who assaulted a kid with his car and was barely given a tap on the wrist. Motorist jailed for chasing down and hitting teenage cyclist in his car

A cycling hazard that’s unique to Oz. Cyclist seriously hurt after hitting kangaroo at Victor Habor There was a song popular when I was a kid that seems appropriate here.

Another one gets hit in Enn Zed. Cyclist seriously injured after being struck by car The cyclist was either hooked or crossed, from the damage to the weapon vehicle my money is on “crossed”. You can see the imprint of the handlebars in the doorskin leaning away from the direction of travel with obvious impact damage to the quarter window behind the door.

And I’m finally out of links today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I’m back (sorta) and the Feed

OK one thing I know for sure is if I ever get a 9 to 5 job in downtown Dallas this blog is doomed. Seriously the exhaustion levels of taking the DART rail and fighting the crowds to get there, plus whatever I would be doing for “work”, and the fighting the crowds on the way home… By the time I got home Wednesday and yesterday I was just pure beat with most of that being from the trip, as I hardly did anything as a volunteer just sitting around waiting for someone to need me (I was relegated to a backup position because I don’t stand up so good). So work will have to be work-from-home for me, assuming I can even find work. Oh I think I forgot to say what I was volunteering for: I was working the Out and Equal Workplace Summit.

Up first is a PSA web site to tell drivers to watch out of cyclists and pedestrians, cyclists to watch out for pedestrians and drivers, and pedestrians to take cover until the shooting stops. Look Out Texans

LEO who got a cop’s wife out of DUI Homicide charges by blaming the cyclist continue their smear campaign against the victim. Report reveals cyclist killed in crash was impaired I can’t believe someone in the comments section was trying to say she wasn’t drunk enough for vehicular homicide.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Guilty in North Fig hit-and-run and meth-fueled Fiesta Island crash, & still more Coronado madness

Our Daily Ted, part 2. Breaking News: Bike rider killed in apparent Sante Fe Springs train collision Avoiding collisions with trains is so easy in principle, sometimes hard in practice. In this case the cyclist may have been on the wrong side of the crossing guards before the train got there as there is up to 175 feet from the crossing guards to the far side of the tracks.

Still in CA, sorta good news. Driver found guilty in Fiesta Island crash that left cyclist paralyzed Now that she’s guilty, what happens next? “(U)p to 18 years” implies she could get a lot less.

Haven’t left CA yet. Court Offers Plea Deal Over Cyclist’s Death Only one year in county jail after “witnesses described seeing Randluby’s car drift out of traffic lanes and flee a mile from the collision with his head out the window because of a cracked windshield“? With a one year sentence amounting to 6 months because of overcrowding in CA jails and prisons this is an insult to the victim’s family and friends.

On the other side of the country from that wreck another driver is charged in a cyclist’s death. Man indicted for May crash that killed teen cyclist on Talbot Avenue One thing from the article I don’t understand is the “bloody trail” the driver left when he fled the scene. Nevermind I just read it again and the driver fled his disabled vehicle on foot while leaving a bloody trail. That implies a wreck at a high rate of speed and/or a secondary collision near the time the cyclist was killed.

Lawyer ad from PA directed at cyclists. New Information for Pedestrians and Cyclists Revealed Take the information with a large grain of salt.

First link from north of the border. Boy, 14, struck and killed while riding bike in Fredericton At least they admit that helmets can’t prevent all deaths in the body of the article.

Also from the Great White North. Red-light running cyclist seriously injured Again LEO take the word of the only witness capable of speaking at the scene as gospel.

Still in the GWN. Cyclist dies after being struck by propane truck Wednesday morning The bike looks like it was hit from the side with the tacoed front wheel, but the one picture also looked like showed it missing the left pedal (Going to the HD image and blowing it up did reveal a broken crank arm or pedal shaft).

OK this is strange. Pedestrian may have chased, injured cyclist who reportedly slapped him, police say Slightly misleading headline there, he wasn’t a pedestrian when he chased the cyclist, he was armed with a motor vehicle.

Proof that Canadians are much more polite than we are in the US. YouTube video shows Calgary driver honking at cyclist for doing nothing wrong “What are you talking about? That driver laid on the horn for almost a full minute.” Yeah, and in Dallas he would have just run the cyclist over (don’t ask me how I know).

Prosecution of drivers is spotty in Jolly Olde particularly when a cyclist is hit, but it does happen sometimes. Lorry driver faces court over death of cyclist who was hit by Crossrail truck

Still on Jolly Olde. Jodie Rogers, 11, tragedy: Mum calls for cycle helmets to be compulsory Nobody told her that bicycle helmets only protect the head, and none too well at that.

Nearby (or at least by Texas standards). Cyclist found injured on Buttertubs Pass dies in hospital Apparently they can’t tell the difference between a medical emergency and a buzz job.

Boy, do they charge light in Finland. Motorist charged with Helsinki cyclist’s death sentenced to 4.5 years for manslaughter Deliberately using his motor vehicle as a weapon doesn’t count as murder when the victim dies?

Drivers in Oz will have to exercise judgment? Heaven help us all! Cycling law changes: motorists face judgement calls I wish I was kidding.

From Enn Zed, another wreck where they can’t tell if the cyclist was actually hit by another vehicle. Cyclist killed in Christchurch crash

And I’m all out of links from today (I deleted the links from Wednesday and Thursday from the Feed Folder). I will see you again Sunday.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Large hunks of links are from Twitter, and the rest of the Feed

It takes longer to filter, but I’m finding more and better links on Twitter than I do in my Feed Folder in my e-mail. I think that may be due to having humans directly sending me the links from the articles as they post. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I can give you better links than I used to.

Up first, LEO have found the driver who killed a cyclist earlier this week. PD: Police identify woman who struck, killed bicyclist in Pasadena They haven’t arrested her, just “talked” to her.

More on the cyclist killed in MN by a driver who crossed the entire road to hit him. UMD mourns staff member killed while bicycling in Hermantown and SUV fatally hits bicyclist in Hermantown heading other way on shoulder I’m still trying to figure out why the driver is not in jail for this.

Since we are in “old wreck” mode at the moment, more on the cyclist killed in CA during a time trial event. In the News: Cyclist killed by car in California TT race and CHP Finds a New Way to Blame the Bicycle Rider Yep, getting blamed for the driver that hit you in your lane is pretty low, even for the CHP. Seriously, what would Jon and Ponch say? More Cyclist killed in Esparto was experienced Foster City rider

Still in CA, a hit-and-run driver attempts murder when the victim catches back up to him. Driver charges at cyclist, carries him on hood and Caught On Camera: San Francisco Cyclist Ends Up On Windshield In Apparent Hit-And-Run So two hit-and-run incidents, one that might have only cost the driver a ticket for violating the 3-feet-to-pass law, and a second that might end up with assault charges.

Another AZ cyclist hit from behind in the bike lane. Bicyclist killed in northwest Tucson collision I have lost count of the number of cyclists hit from behind in the bike lanes of AZ this year, but it seems to be too common even if there were only two. The danger zone in this wreck was the mixing zone before the turn lane. The driver failed to yield to the vehicle in front (the cyclist) and killed the cyclist as a result. I know what will stop wrecks like this, but I don’t know how well it would fly in the current legislative climate. When you hit a cyclist you lose your car, 90 days if there was no or non-serious levels of injury, a year for transport to hospital wrecks, and forever if the cyclist dies from injuries or in case of hit-and-run.

Not a bicycle wreck, but indicative of what you could expect as a cyclist if you get hit. NYPD: “No Criminality” as Cab Driver Runs Over Kids on Bronx Sidewalk and TLC: Driver Who Hit Children on Bronx Sidewalk Works for Uber [Updated] The car went completely across the sidewalk and bounced off the building that a commenter stated was 20-25 feet away from the curb, and in the video I thought I saw the left front wheel pointed towards the camera which means the suspension was broken when it hit the curb. I estimate the vehicle speed at 40-50 MPH. But the NYPD doesn’t suspect any criminality for driving 40-50 MPH on the sidewalk full of kids… TANJ!

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Cedillo condemns calls for safer streets, Coronado madness round 3, and more bighearted people Cedillo needs to be charged as an accessory for all the people killed and maimed since he stopped the North Figueroa project literally days before it was to begin for no apparent reason. I still say follow the money.

A restaurant named after the great Eddy Merckx. The Cannibal, a restaurant and butcher shop coming to Culver City, with bike valet Free beer when you wear your bike kit into the establishment.

A CT cyclist gets injured and he’s the guy responsible for getting other people to live more healthy. Norwalk Director of Public Health injured in bicycle accident over weekend This sounds like a buzz job to me. Or maybe a “punishment pass” for daring to ride in the street.

There are good people in this world. Woman injured riding bike wants to thank stranger who helped her Fortunately they filled the pothole but unfortunately not until after her wreck.

Another buzz job in NC kills another NC cyclist. Cyclist dies in road accident Another driver driving too fast to stop in the distance he could see clearly blames the victim for not wearing a glow-in-the-dark clown suit with body armor.

If you are going to carry cocaine on your person, know that you don’t have to submit to a search until after you get arrested, and put some lights on your bike. Bicycle stop leads to cocaine arrest “The pill bottle contained 0.2 grams of powder cocaine” or not enough to get a chihuahua high, much less an adult human being.

Another Wounded Warrior ride north of WoaB. Injured Service Members Ride toward Recovery in Oklahoma’s Capital City If you’re in the area give these guys a cheer when they ride by.

A wreck in Oz involving two cyclists and a car and they can’t figure out who was where and which way they were going. Cyclists injured in Monaro Highway crash How crazy is that?

Also in Oz they have another wreck they are trying to decipher. Police appeal for witnesses after cyclist injured – Dora Creek

Last link, I’m sure you are the kind of person who always makes sure the quick releases on your bike are done up tight, but you brother-in-law hasn’t checked his since Clinton was in office so he might want to check this out. Thirteen bike companies recall models over disc brake/QR concern This is the same QR as the Trek recall only on other manufacturer’s bikes.

And I’m out of links again for the day. Grocery day tomorrow.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

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

Trying to contain my displeasure, and the Feed

News outside the world of transportation has soured my mood today, requiring a trip to the living room to read actual printed on paper comics after I finished reading my web comics. I won’t elaborate on what set me off, I’ll just say that politics makes me want to set a bounty on certain people. But I was able to use the power of comics to reset my mood to “less homicidal”.

Up first for local readers is a notice from Dallas about repairs to a critical N/S bike route from Richardson to Downtown Dallas. Construction on Temporary Trail begins at White Rock Creek Trail And in a nutshell you know the main problem with bicycle infrastructure in N. Texas. See who is responsible for this main bike route? The Dallas Parks department, not the streets or transit departments, Parks.

Still pretty close to WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. CLOSE CALL! That picture shows a light armored vehicle being used to intimidate a cyclist riding legally on the road. I have experienced this behavior many, many times when I was riding intercity near here. Most drivers pass with care and courtesy, but there are always that 1% who are assholes. I just wish this picture had been clear enough to get the license plate of the weapon vehicle.

Another update on the murder of a cyclist in IA. Bicyclist in hit-and-run dies from injuries As I posted earlier in the week, there were 3 separate incidents involving hit-and-run on a cyclist, why is this waste of human skin not charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder? Why are they letting him skate on homicide (not even manslaughter) charges just because he was drunk?

This is rare, but it does happen. Cyclist killed after colliding with pedestrian Nothing on how this happened, but I will extend myself on a large tree branch (avoiding getting this dinged by the proofreader as a cliché) and say uncertainty over who went where as they passed and both going the same direction stands out as a high probability.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bikeshare finally besmirches Santa Monica, and the disappearing American bike shop

A cyclist in MI is left crossed. Update: Injured bicycle rider remains critical after collision with pickup in Alma The usual MO, the cyclist was going straight and the driver turned left either in front of him or directly into him.

A MN driver is facing serious charges in the death of a cyclist. Driver accused of texting in Glencoe crash that killed cyclist Those are extremely serious charges for a death by motor vehicle, but considering the timing of the texts and the outgoing 911 call there is probable cause in this death. Now proving the charges is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish, but making them is required before prosecuting the charges.

That wreck in ME I called as a SWSS is getting further investigation. Lewiston police still investigating accident that critically injured 9-year-old cyclist There are undoubtedly other kids his age +/- in the other complexes along the street, he could have just been going to or coming from a visit with a school friend.

Another wreck in ME. Boy on bicycle hits moving car in Island Falls

A Ghost Bike is being installed for the cyclist killed in a right hook wreck in Boston. ‘Ghost bike’ tribute for surgeon set for Back Bay crash site

A memorial ride for a cyclist killed by a crazy homeless person while stopped for food. Kevin Adorno Memorial Ride: Cyclists to complete trip of bicycle rider killed on the Treasure Coast No insult meant to homeless people, or crazy people. The perp should have been in a hospital getting treatment, not wandering the streets. This death is Reagan’s fault for closing all the mental hospitals.

That West Canuckistan cyclist killer is formally charged after being released from hospital. Samuel Alec, charged in fatal Pemberton cyclist crash, appears at bail hearing I mean, wow. He killed two cyclists that he hit in a group of three, killed his passenger and injured himself, just how fast was he going at the point of impact?

One of the main reasons why UK media bike wreck articles suck so badly is they aren’t allowed to give details until after any court hearings have been held. This results in articles like this one. Cyclist Graham Cuthbert claims Stagecoach bus driver nearly ran over him and abused him Comments section was … interesting.

I think I have found another “statistical anomaly”. Doncaster cyclist ‘lucky to be alive’ after crash with 70mph car on A1 I see two strong similarities between our wrecks. The first was the cyclist went over the roof of the weapon vehicle instead of under the car. Second we both spent pretty much the same amount of time in hospital before discharge.

Just, ugh. Everton footballer Darron Gibson faces court date after ‘drunken hit-and-run that injured cyclist and left his £125,000 car with severe damage’ I wonder how much damage he left the cyclist with after his drunken hit-and-run.

Also from Jolly Olde, a reason to make sure your donor card is signed. Family speak of pride after cyclist killed in crash donates organs Unfortunately none of my organs will be transplanted because they will be dissected as part of the blood pressure study I’m a part of.

Almost done, here are two links about a wreck earlier in Oz. Cyclist’s family learned of death online and Two possibilities in cycling death of Danish student Rebekka Meyer, coronial inquest hears So, notification systems are inadequate in this case to prevent relatives from discovering the death from media rather than LEO, and they have no way of knowing if the cyclist or the truck that killed her was at the intersection first.

Last link, take the pledge. It’s a crash. Not an “accident”.

And I have to get up freaking early in the AM tomorrow to install an alarm system in the church after our second break-in and robbery in 3 weeks. So bye!

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet

Laundry and grocery day, and the Feed

I have been shuttling back and forth between the washer and dryer, and my office, while trying to get the laundry cleaned before my son gets here to do his laundry and take me grocery shopping. I’m going to go minimal today and only get what I need to buy before Mrs. the Poet returns on Saturday so she can decide what to get when she does the shopping. I tend to get cheap frozen pizza and canned veggies I can throw in a bowl and heat in the microwave, she gets produce and more from scratch ingredients than I do. That’s mostly because when I bought produce most of it went bad before I could eat it, so why waste the money?

Up first because why not destroy your hopes and dreams right off the bat with Our Daily Ted? Juries, Judges and Your Bike Crash I still think that they need to be able to just remove every driver from the jury pool when a cyclist is involved, since the “other side” removes any cyclists in the pool.

A little infrastructure lament from CA. Same Old, Same Old Repaving a street is the perfect time to change the striping and do a road diet or other reconfiguration for free because you have to stripe anyway, doing bikeable lanes doesn’t cost any more to do than putting it back the same.

In the same state (CA). Sebastopol police seek hit-and-run driver in crash who injured cyclist All they are saying now is it involved some kind of turning movement on the part of the weapon vehicle, plus a detailed description of the weapon vehicle. If you see a white Taurus with a plywood passenger side window driven by an older male with long hair, call LEO and set your spike strips. J/K about the spike strips, sorta.

Another CA wreck at another intersection. Teen on ‘Fixie’ bike seriously injured in crash Apparently the cyclist was riding salmon into the intersection and the driver was not looking for a salmon cyclist.

Another fun time in MS. Ghost Bike Memorial Honors Pascagoula Cyclist As I read the article they think this was a buzz job gone bad.

A killer driver faces the first verse of the music. Chanute man in court for traffic accident that killed Washburn professor Now if some of my KS readers could just tell me what the penalty is for”second-degree reckless murder” we will be all set.

I have heard some reaching for a reason to harass cyclists, but a wreck from 7 years ago pretty much takes the cake. More warnings, tickets for Asheville cyclists, pedestrians I’m being serious here: Among cycling accidents, in 2008, a father of three was killed on a bicycle” so in 2015 that gives them cause to do stings against cyclists.

Good people in IL. Community Rallies for Family of Steger Boy Killed While Riding Bike If you are local, this would be a good place to not look too hard for a bargain.

A little CT infrastructure news. McCarthy Vahey: Bicycle safety legislation now law Biggest change? Going from “practicable” to “safe” on the exemptions to AFRAP, making it AFRAS instead. Next biggest would be narrowing lanes to reduce motor vehicle speeds and allow for a bike lane to be installed.

IL infrastructure news. Going against the flow: Chicago cyclist grudgingly supports Edgwater bike lane Good infrastructure WORKS. Hell even mediocre infrastructure helps like this stuff. It’s a long way from being CROW compliant, that’s for sure. Would a contraflow bike lane be a “salmon run“?

We are bike people, we take care of each other. Bicyclists pull for injured friend Even when you get hurt off your bike, someone is looking out for you.

Cyclist dodges death in the Great White North. Cyclist injured trying to avoid collision Sounds like a hook or a cross wreck that almost happened, except for the cyclist’s reflexes.

Still in the GWN. Cyclist Seriously Injured In Crash How does a driver hit a cyclist from behind at that time of day? Unless the driver was not looking out the windshield…

This guy is insane, in a good way. Cyclist rides the iconic Tour de France on a RALEIGH CHOPPER (but the 1970s classic left him with an injured ankle) Seriously, I think the only mods he made to the bike was an extended seatpost with a “normal” bike saddle, and moving all the controls to the handlebars. The original was much like the Schwinn Krate series with a top bar mounted T-handle shifter, which could change one’s vocal range in a wreck.

Another car parts supplier expands into the e-assist market. Car Supplier Brose Starts E-bike Motor Production This uses the motor that turns the steering wheel when your car is equipped with electric assist instead of hydraulic. This motor is designed to function efficiently when stalled.

And I’m outta links finally.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

In pain and having a mild allergy attack, and the Feed

After getting the gas on Francis/es this morning because I got done too late to buy gas last night, I mowed the grass this afternoon. The good news: I rode Francis/es for 1.04 miles today in 92/93 degree weather. Bad news, I still need to make that extended stem so I can sit comfortably and see the road.

More bad news, as I was doing the filtering my feet started to swell a bit until I couldn’t put my shoes back on. I will still be able to put out the garbage and recycling tonight for trash pickup tomorrow, I just won’t be very graceful about it. I think the swelling is due to my lower legs getting peppered with cut grass as I was mowing this afternoon.

Up first is Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: DUI driver in Palos Verdes rampage gets three years; scofflaw cyclists no worse than drivers I think it might be just me, but when I read “no worse than drivers” the image that comes to my mind is the 30K+ people killed by motor vehicles annually. I don’t think that is exactly what we are to aspire for.

Daily Ted part 2. Guest Post: The Benefits of a Bicycle for Urban Transport A reasoned, sober look at the benefits of city cycling.

And my second favorite bike blog also had a guest post. Guest article: Biking on the cheap There’s getting by and then there is having a bike to be proud of. They are not mutually exclusive, but you would never see me sourcing my tires from a dumpster.

One of the great ironies of history is that protected American bike lanes and intersections were being planned and pilot installed back in the 1970s, before the Dutch influence began, in response to the OPEC oil boycott. America Could Have Been Building Protected Bike Lanes for the Last 40 Years But as is normal with things being done for the first time (integrating bike infra with motor vehicle infra) Sturgeon’s Law raised its ugly head, and instead of throwing out the crap 90% they threw out everything.

And while we are on the subject of US infrastructure, here’s Portland trying to get Dutch style residential streets. City says diverters possible on SE Clinton Street this summer Again had they read the CROW manual this would have already been done.

Speaking of consequences of bad infrastructure, a cyclist gets hit because the stop signs were facing the wrong direction. Troopers: Cyclist hurt after crashing into SUV Notice the completely blind intersection where the cyclist was hit? The cyclist could have come to a complete stop and not being able to see oncoming traffic pulled right in front of the SUV. Not saying that is what happened, just that that’s how it could have happened. That’s why the CROW manual puts the stop/yield signs on the motor vehicle side of the intersection with a bike path, because cars don’t fall down when they stop moving.

And WY starts enforcing a new law for cyclists this month. WHP enforces new “three-foot rule” for bicycle safety and Highway patrol to crack down on new bicycle safety law

A good bit of infrastructure news from NoCal. COMING TO CALTRAIN: MORE SPACE FOR BIKES ON BOARD Solving the “first/last mile” problem.

And a sad update on the cyclist hit by a dump truck making a close pass in CO. Cyclist Killed By Dump Truck It must have been a long, painful death to have taken this long. Pity his killer won’t take that long to die as well, but the Constitution forbids that, cruel and unusual punishment.

NYC is still having a gender discrepancy in their bike counts. Why Do So Few Women Bike In NYC? Infrastructure is a big part of the problem, followed closely by jerk drivers trying to force their way into the bike infrastructure.

And this is a big reason also why women don’t ride bicycles in NYC. Driver Who Killed Park Slope Boy Has License Suspended For 6 Months Six months of “don’t get caught driving” for killing a kid playing at a park in a residential area.

Speaking of drivers not getting what they deserve, here’s another link to that texting driver in Jolly Olde getting carted off to the hoosegow. St Albans cyclist death: John Michell jailed for killing Mark Greenwood Less than 2 years for killing someone leaves me with less than schadenfreude, more like schaedenfrumpy?

And WTF?!? Cyclist suffers fractures to face in London Colney attack Punch someone in the head as the cycle by in the street? What are you, a Daily Mail commenter?

Last link is a Canuck grump. Develop regulations for memorials “Don’t leave reminders of how deadly the thing I use to get around really is!”

Sorry this is going up so late but I had to stop and elevate my foot because of the sudden swelling after mowing the lawn.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I can haz schadenfreude, and the Feed

Filtering the Feed today was an exercise in controlling my schadenfreude as I got more and more links to killer drivers getting theirs. Then Mrs. the Poet decided that we needed to get out of the house (and I needed to get away from this computer) so we went to a book store to spend her gift card, and also dropped by a home improvement store to peruse tile for the upcoming bathroom remodel/repair. My major concern was being able to use the same tiles on the walls and the floor for a price break, and tiles that had enough texture to not be a slip hazard when wet, Mrs. the Poet mainly didn’t want tiles that looked like boards or were too dark, too light, or too beige. I picked up a car magazine at the book store and we split a triple chocolate brownie and had iced tea for our snack.

I mentioned schadenfreude in both the headline and the opening paragraph, and here are the first links. Md. Bishop Accused of Hitting, Killing Cyclist is Asked to Resign and Md. diocese calls for bishop who killed cyclist to resign They can’t fire her until the criminal complaint is complete, so she is being “asked” to resign.

More schadenfreude from just down the road a piece. Woman Charged For Alleged DWI Crash That Injured Cyclist I have noticed a sharp increase in the severity of charges filed in TX against killer drivers in recent months, with manslaughter and simple murder charges not being out of range, and I’m expecting a Capital Murder charge against a drunk driver at any time.

Double dose of schadenfreude from NYC. Cops Arrest Unlicensed Driver A Month After Killing Pedestrian Note the picture of something people claim never happens accompanying the article, there is a cyclist waiting at the red light for a pedestrian. And Cops Nab Inwood Hit-And-Run Driver After Finding Him Crying In A Parking Garage

More on the London infrastructure protest that I was invited to but could not attend. Cyclist killed in lorry crash – just months after sister died during childbirth and Hundreds stage “die-in” protest over death of cyclist in Stamford Hill

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: A sad goodbye to Long Beach’s Octavio Orduño, and it’s up to you to Bike the Vote this spring

A Canuckistani cyclist was buzzed by a bus and fell under a dump truck, but the local cyclist community is fighting back for him. Community rallies around Vancouver cyclist who was side-swiped by bus, run over by truck

In the UK a permanently disabled cyclist had good lawyers. Injured cyclist receives £2m compensation payout from driver’s insurers He was 65 at the time of the wreck, which would make him 68 or 69 now so the £2m should last for the little time he has left, but only just barely. He is not to the state that moss for his north side would be a thoughtful Christmas present, but that state is probably not too far away at any time.

More on the nonsense Volvo cyclist avoidance scheme. Bloody Volvo drivers – now they’re keeping cyclists safe To reiterate, the scheme depends on cyclists having special helmets and compatible phones with the right version of the Volvo app loaded and running which means that if your phone shuts off because of a dead or dying battery you become invisible to Volvo drivers depending on this scheme to “see” cyclists around them. And cyclists not having the right phone or buying the right helmet are right out of luck from the get-go.

And I seem to be out of links today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

In recovery mode, and the Feed

I’m in recovery mode today after spending pretty much the entire day running around Dallas and Collin Counties yesterday. I left before 1000 to go to the bank, then went to the chiropractor, then to Plano Cycling to pick up some bike parts, then to the drugstore to pick up a prescription for one of my tenants, then back to the house at roughly 1945. That works out to 10 hours +/- a few minutes on the road for the day, with most of that actually being “on the road” riding a bus or train, or waiting to catch a bus or train. Very little of that time was actually used for doing things at a destination.

Up first a cyclist rides for good. Binghamton-area officers plan bike ride to Washington to honor fallen comrade and different newspaper Bike ride to Washington planned for fallen officer

More reaction to that sensationalistic report about cyclist deaths in the US. Why Cyclist Groups Lashed Out on the Latest Bike Safety Report The thing is while the numbers in the report were accurate, they were contextless. For example, giving the percentage of cyclists killed wearing bicycle helmets is interesting, but lacks the information about the percentage of cyclists riding wearing helmets. If there is not a significant difference between the two then it can be assumed that helmet-wearing is not a reliable indicator of survival in a wreck.

IN NC, a semi-reasonable reaction to a fatal bike wreck. After cyclists’ deaths, Durham police emphasize traffic laws The only question I have is are they concentrating on things that cause cyclists to get hit by cars, or on things that annoy drivers about cyclists?

Fun in MS. Through the Viewfinder: Natchez cyclists trek through area during annual Halloween ride

A FL cyclist makes a memorial ride to Lincoln NE from the Lincoln Memorial to raise money for veterans. ‘Lincoln to Lincoln’ cyclist crosses Bellevue Bridge as sister waits

A feel-almost-good story out of CA. $10,000 raised at fundraiser for cyclist hurt in hit-and-run The “almost” part is the hit-and-run with the perp still at large, the rest of the report is fine.

From the UK, when you go from 2 wrecks in 6 years to 18 in 3 and 3 deaths, you have seriously screwed the pooch. CYCLE TRAGEDY: Junction where Maxx died has been scene of 18 accidents I can’t say what went wrong here, but something was done wrong and seriously so.

Chris Boardman goes on the offensive against victim-blaming. Chris Boardman hits back at critics after riding without helmet Riding in regular clothes without a helmet, does he have some kind of death wish? Nope, a Dutch wish.

Sad news. Road ride remembers Salisbury cyclist killed in collision with lorry

No more legal “buzz jobs” in Oz? Motorists who drive too close to cyclists to be fined under proposal to cut deaths on SA roads Now if they just make hitting a cyclist from behind an automatic conviction under the law.

Still in Oz, is your cycling insurance up-to-date? Cyclists need insurance, too

And that’s all I got tonight.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet