Glad I dodged that bullet, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

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I got wrapped up in a gig yesterday/last night, and the Feed

As I was saying, I was involved in an activity yesterday and last night and did not get home until nearly midnight, and by the time I ate it was nearly 0100. So I decided to finish reading my e-mail, less the Feed folder and it was after 0200 when I got done, which is way too late to be filtering and reading links and composing a blog post. So I didn’t, sorry. And I’m going to be late again Friday because I’m going shoe shopping in the AM and there is a church function I have to attend in the PM. So Friday’s post will post sometime early Saturday morning as per usual, but later than usual.

I’m going to open again with several rounds of Our Daily Ted. Is California’s new three-foot passing law making a difference? and 13-year old boy killed while walking his bike in Boyle Heights and Morning Links: Bike share is booming, Finish the Ride’s Damian Kevitt prepares to run the LA Marathon

A link that I found separately from Ted’s links on the change in policy after a LASD deputy ran over a cyclist in the bike lane while on duty. Sheriff’s officials curb deputy in-car computer use Really, change the rules after you kill a guy!?!one If I had any give-a-damn left I would be outraged, but I think I mentioned back when I stopped linking wrecks here that my give-a-damn was depleted, and it has not yet returned in any quantity.

One of the reasons why I have such a hard time keeping up my give-a-damn is idiots like this, in Oz. Driver who mowed down seven Sydney cyclists in bid for lesser charges after new lawyer said allegations were ‘too harsh’ and Charges too serious in NSW cyclists crash Really, “too serious”? You ran down 7 vehicles from behind that were in the lane you should not have been driving in, and “dangerous driving” is too serious a charge? I would have charged you with 7 attempted murders because you obviously meant to kill the lot of them.

“Should distracted driving be as serious a crime as drunk driving?” Trial hears van driver Philip Sinden was texting before crash that killed cyclist Daniel Squire in Ringwould This is another case of SWSS because the driver did not pay attention to what was on the road in front of him. He was too busy texting his “lover”.

I’m sure most of my readers are no stranger to what a cyclist looks like after a wreck, but if you need something to show a bike-hating person you have to associate with, this is the link. Cyclist left covered in blood after collision in Sheffield This is what a cyclist looks like wearing a helmet in a wreck with a motor vehicle, notice that the top of his head is completely uninjured.

A little infrastructure news from Jolly Olde as they “do something” to reduce the CARnage in the streets. 20mph speed limit to begin on major London routes in radical plan to save lives

And while they try to “do something” to save lives you get imbeciles like this plod. Can your child cycle on the pavement?

Legal infrastructure under debate in Scotland. Mark Beaumont backs new law for cyclists and walkers This is another take on the “vulnerable road users” laws in some states and communities here in the US, based on the “presumed liability” laws in the Netherlands and other countries.

And another “blame the victim” proposal in Oz. Partner of cyclist killed on Kings Park Road in Perth calls for mandatory high-visibility wear And all motor vehicle occupants should be wearing helmets and fireproof coveralls, after all race drivers do both, so it just makes sense, right?

And thank [$DEITY] I’m finally done for the night.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet