My nation thanks me, and the Feed

I’m in the process of being released from the SPRINT study that recently announced that if you can stand the side effects it’s better to have your systolic pressure under 120 mmHg than 140 mmHg. I was in the <120 mmHg group as were most of the survivors. As I understand it now I'm going back into testing for side effects in new meds or combinations of meds. The sad thing is now I won't get that free autopsy 😉 but the good thing is I didn't need it.

Up first is a hit-and-run in IN. Cyclist killed in hit-and-run crash in Lawrence and Police say suspect in deadly hit-and-run of biker attacked girlfriend before causing two crashes also Driver in stolen car hits, kills cyclist in Lawrence, both identified The driver was at the controls of a stolen vehicle (but this may have been a vehicle he bought not knowing it had been stolen) had just beat his GF, and had two other wrecks during the incident. I thought I read that he was drunk at the time but I couldn’t find that reference after I finished filtering. No way for a human cyclist to avoid this wreck.

An unrepentant drunk driver and crazy guy gets a long prison sentence (but not long enough) for killing a cyclist several years ago (they had to wait for him to be sane enough to aid with his defense before they could try him). Lyons driver sentenced to 8 years in prison for Boulder cyclist’s death and Driver gets 8 years for Boulder cyclist’s death I say the driver should have gotten more for repeat DUI causing death, like taking one last ride in the vehicle on the way to a car shredder, but I have a slight bias after getting hit (and killed) by a drunk driver back in 2001.

MD infrastructure story that goes back to a recent wreck. Friends call for safety after 19-year-old cyclist killed The more I read about this wreck the more I think the person who signed off on this design needs to be in prison. The warning signals for the intersection were not even located at the intersection but rather were located up the hills on either side. And they risked people’s lives with this? Seriously this was just a wreck waiting to happen, the only wonder is how it didn’t kill sooner.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Dockweiler Beach bike path still closed, fund for homeless man who saved bike rider’s life

Also in CA. Cyclist, vehicle collide at Oxnard intersection I don’t think they could have said less with more words unless they really tried, other than the fact that there was a wreck. We don’t even know if there was a driver in the “vehicle” much less anything about the geometry of the collision.

This is why infrastructure should be left to engineers, not politics. EILEEN RODGERS: NORTH AVENUE LANE CHANGE DESERVES VOTE BY ALL She wants to put a road diet up to a vote? Is she crazy, stupid, or a Republican?

The GOP-led WI legislature refuses to raise taxes and fix the roads, but cities and counties are allowed. The Pothole Repair Act So the GOP dominated lege won’t fix things, but the mostly Democratic local bodies have to raise taxes to do things the state should have been doing like fix the roads, and when the time comes the GOP will point at the Dems and call them “Tax And Spend” because of it… I try to not be political but…

Ugh, this was just a Republican infrastructure barf-fest. Vision Zero a bust with the law (commentary) I hope I don’t need to tell you not to read the comments? Good.

GA infrastructure news. Atlanta’s First Chief Bicycle Officer Is Going to Have a Busy Year

Bikeface explains n+1 in woman terms. New Shoes

Justice finally in the Great White North. Jail sentence for hit-and-run driver in cyclist’s death Wait, this is “justice”? Fifteen weekends in jail and having to drive really carefully for 2 years so he doesn’t get caught driving without a license? For killing a person and leaving them to die alone. TANJ!

From Jolly Olde, more on the driver going more than twice the speed limit when he hit and killed a cyclist. 70mph driver who killed cyclist on Commercial Road ‘should be jailed for life’

This is why you should always ride around puddles. Cyclist killed after being thrown into road ‘by a pothole that was filled in days later’ There could be a Canadian Trap Door Alligator in that puddle, or just a square-edged pothole that will break a wheel and cause you to wreck.

Still in Jolly Olde, where is your bike most likely to be stolen? Where are Britain’s railway cycle theft hotspots? We crunch the data

Infrastructure woes as parents turn the school run into a gantlet. Safety fears outside Cambridge school after 12-year-old breaks her leg in collision She’ll be perfectly safe once Mummy puts her in a light armored vehicle instead of letting her walk to school.

I still don’t know what happened, did the guy get hit by a car while working on his bike, or get run over by his own car? Hopes for first cyclist memorial to be put in Cambridge inspired by World Naked Bike Ride organiser

Inattentive cyclist hits car stopped at crosswalk. Cyclist runs into back of car on Tamaki Drive What more can I say except watch where you’re riding?

Last link also from Enn Zed. Car versus cyclist on Hutt Rd Another driverless car hits a cyclist?

And I’m dine and way too tired to do any tagging.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

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It’s here it’s here, and the Feed

I have on my desk one of the tires from the kit I bought off Amazon. I think maybe all that tracking put the USPS on notice and the package got here the day before the first day of delivery I paid for.

Here’s the kit.

The side panel of the box.

The end panel

The most critical component in the kit for making the Mini Sprint-T.

If you look at the back side of the bucket from the kit,

And then look at the same view on the real car,

You can see the work that needs to be done to make the part for the Mini Sprint-T right. Not an impossible obstacle, just a little work in the pattern-making stage that will be reversible for making the kit as designed. I’m thinking some duct tape and some putty will do the job, or some kind of barrier and modelling putty to make that outside contour as smooth as the full-size part for making the mold for the vacuformed body for the Mini Sprint-T.

This is also bean day, so I have been tending a pot of beans with another ham bone in the pot that was left over from Thanksgiving a couple of years ago, that we just identified in the freezer.

Up first because it’s in the same state, someone got a lawyer down in Alvin. CLEAR LAKE ATTORNEY KILLED IN CYCLING ACCIDENT IN ALVIN The mode was running into the back of a parked car, which is usually cop-blame speak for a door prize, but the location given was wrong for a door prize. It was right for the kind of wreck where a cyclist gets run off the road and into a parked car which several people suggested in the comments section.

More on the FloriDUH! man. Driver killed cyclist after losing control while receiving services from a The break in the headline wasn’t mine but the origin web site. Yes this is another link to the “I can’t wait” man getting oral sex from a woman he just met in a bar. This would be a much funnier story if the cyclist was not permanently injured and the woman bit the “member” off “I can’t wait” man because of the wreck.

Another NC wreck. Cyclist hit, killed by driver in Orangeburg County Saturday I think it might be possible to have less information in an article, but it would be really hard.

Infrastructure article from SC. Northern Hilton Head Island spot of most bike wrecks They have had a major surge in bike mode share without a concurrent surge in bike wrecks, they must be doing something at least kinda right.

Continuing the trip south we end up back in FL. Ghost bikes gone, but message lingers The DOT does not like reminders that they have failed a very specific segment of road user so conspicuously so Ghost Bikes have a limited lifespan on their roads.

Almost as if the left and right hands are not in communication with each other. South Florida Safe Roads Task Force kicks off initiative to save lives I keep calling FL the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike, and they finally agree with me. They are doing the absolute minimum they can about the situation, but I suppose almost nothing is better than nothing at all.

A MN cyclist is left crossed while riding in the sidewalk. St. Cloud man injured after bike was hit by car The bike was legally lighted when hit, the driver was legally blind as in “I can see fine but I’m not paying any attention to the roads,” legal.

Seattle has a ninja problem. Don O’Neill: I almost killed a bicyclist who wasn’t using a light After almost hitting the first one he noticed several more later, which goes to show they aren’t really invisible drivers just need to pay attention to where they are driving.

Now that the World Championships are over they love bikes in Richmond VA? Richmonder of the Year: Cycling

Another Ghost Bike in the ABQ. Ghost bike installed to remember Albuquerque cyclist They say the cyclist ran the red but since the only surviving witness was the driver of the weapon vehicle…

Our Daily Ted, part one. Morning Links: Bike traffic up in Santa Monica, and more bighearted people for the season of giving

And Parté dos. Describe Your Ride: Commuting to work on the beach path and tourist-lined streets of Santa Monica

Over in Jolly Olde. Cyclist hugs and forgives driver who nearly killed her and led to her losing a leg I must say she is much more generous than I would be. I think I still have a pair of steel toe boots for kicking the crotch of the guy that hit me back in 2001 if he turns out to still be alive. And then for kicking the crotch of the “detective” that covered up the fact that I was hit by a city vehicle until after the statute of limitations to file suit against the city had expired. “Paul-Ioan Mihacea was fined just £750 after Victoria Lebrec was seriously hurt in the crash and only saved thanks to pioneering treatment” Yep, they gave her some good drugs the day of the hearing.

A cyclist was assaulted with a deadly weapon and they tried to rob him while he was down, but bystanders intervened. Cyclist injured after attempted robbery in Norwich

Over in Oz, a horrendous wreck. Cyclist killed in car crash in Perth and Perth cyclist killed hours before surprise party also Family of killed Perth cyclist Tom Curtis make road safety plea

And another wreck in Oz. Cyclist killed in crash with car in Maroubra OK he was hit by/with a car and …

And I’m outta links, which is good because I have a trip to the Lab Rat Keeper tomorrow to get more meds.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

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

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

It’s finally HERE!! and the Feed

Yeah, I am a little excited now, if I was physically capable I would be doing the Snoopy dance now. I’m in the process of uploading the pictures from my phone to my computer and thence to the media center for this blog as I’m composing this part of the post. Fortunately I’m near the end of my phone month so I won’t wipe out my data limit for too long. Not that I do anything with the data part of my plan except send pictures to myself to post on the blog anyway, but there are a lot of pictures this time. The main thing this does for me is I now have the ability to create an accurate 3D model of the body for the cosmetic portion of the sim file, and for the CAD program to use for planning the frame.

It’s here!!

All the best presents come strapped to a pallet.

In the driveway.

Fra-geel-eh, must be from Italy

First peek.

Freed from the box.

In the house

Everyone needs a car body in their living room.

What was in the other box, or the rest of my B-day present to myself.

How it fits. Mrs. the Poet is not the world’s best photographer.

The body was delivered covered in sanding dust and dried mold release, which I wiped off with a damp rag before sitting in it, after using the vacuum cleaner to suck up the piles of it in the various crevices of the body.

Up first is an update on a wreck a half-day’s ride east of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Exclusive: Cyclist hit by SUV speaks out The article pretty much speaks for itself.

Hit-from-behind in AZ. Tucson hit-and-run kills cyclist; woman arrested Cyclist was hit from behind in a bike lane and then left for dead, charge that driver with murder. Obviously this is a serious infrastructure problem, because bicycle infrastructure done to the Dutch model keeps bikes away from motor vehicles as much as possible.

Wreck in CO is blamed on the victim. Denver Police: 10-year-old girl riding bike hit by car in Stapleton That’s interesting, the first version of the report blamed the cyclist for “swerving”, but the updated version doesn’t blame anybody and leaves the mode of the wreck out of the report.

A WY wreck has some interesting geometry. Man injured in car-bicycle crash early today in Riverton on Webbwood Road The narrative and the damages to the weapon vehicle suggest a hit-from-behind wreck, but the damages to the bike show more sideways damage than hit-from-behind damage, as do the resting points for the bike and the victim. They suggest the weapon vehicle was moving at an angle to the cyclist as if the driver swerved suddenly as he passed the cyclist. Notice the damage to the front wheel only with the rest of the bike looking pretty good, but the driver is claiming the sun was in his eyes so it will probably be an “accident”

Kill a cyclist, get a ticket? in OR. Pickup driver in Tillamook County crash that killed cyclist won’t face criminal charges So, only careless operation of a weapon of mass destruction?

Another hit-from-behind wreck in the Great White North. 62-year-old cyclist killed near Alexandria identified The shoulder of a road is not bicycle infrastructure. Protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Still in the GWN a wreck with no mode listed. Friends, neighbours mourn 62-year-old cyclist killed in South Glengarry Well, it has been established the cyclist knew what he was doing there, but the same can’t be said about the driver of the weapon vehicle.

Lots from the Great White North today as a cyclist left-crosses herself. Guelph cyclist injured and facing charges following a collision north of downtown Intersection protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and getting that infrastructure “up to Dutch” would prevent cyclists from sharing a traffic light phase with motor vehicles.

Our Daily Ted. Don’t miss this weekend’s most exciting bike event — the Huntington Park Gran Prix This looks like pure D fun.

Opening the Infrastructure! news with this tidbit from WA. Rules of the road: reducing stress for cyclists and drivers I like the bit about drivers needing to chill about things that are not only legal but required for cyclist safety.

And speaking about chilling out… Diane Savino: “Hey, Find a F—ing Bike Lane and Get in It” If I had Danny MacAskills’ skills I could ride in an NYC bike lane. Assuming I could tell it was there under all the parked cars…

Back to the left coast with this bit of infrastructure. Motorists ticketed if driving within 3 feet of cyclists

Infrastructure from the UK. Cycling deaths and serious injuries down in 2013, says DfT They’re running out of cyclists… 😛

Different part of the UK. Series of cyclist deaths spurs on road campaigners

And those are all the applicable links and pictures for today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

What a party! and the Feed

OK so it wasn’t all that wild. We had cherry pie instead of cake to go with the chocolate ice cream. So we did violate custom a little bit. But other than pie and ice cream it was pretty much a normal Monday evening for us. I got some interesting gifts. I got a seat-belt style belt from Hot Topic in green, I got a DVD of three episodes of Van-Pires story of undead cars that suck the gas of the living (no I’m not kidding), and Floyd Landis’ book. The cat deigned to sit in my lap for a few minutes that evening, but I forgot to take a picture of that momentous occasion…

Up first I was sent links to this story from 9 different sources including FB, the Feed and directly to my e-mail addy. Luckiest cyclist in Russia and quite possibly the world and the link from the Feed Cyclist cheats death three times in dramatic car crash Notice the cyclist’s behavior as he entered the intersection, he’s looking in every direction, at least twice at the near lane and then locks on the truck that’s not slowing down for the yield sign so he slows way down to not be in the lane when the truck comes through. Had the red car not been there this would have been a non-event, the cyclist’s situational awareness would have prevented him from getting too close to the truck running the yield and the driver could continue to be oblivious to traffic controls. The cyclist’s SA did save him in this wreck, but dumb luck played as great a part as his SA.

More on the pedestrian death in NYC last week. Cyclist Who Killed Woman In Central Park Calls It An “Unavoidable Accident” I find it ironic that a cyclist killing a pedestrian may be what forces NY State to change their vehicular homicide laws that have allowed drivers who were sober and remained at the scene to avoid even tickets when killing pedestrians in crosswalks, or walking on the sidewalks, or eating at the window seats in restaurants. Basically the way the law and supporting case-law are now in NYS if you’re sober and have a valid license, remain at the scene and did not post a rambling screed about some other class of transportation users needing to die horribly at your hands you skate for killing with your vehicle, and even those caveats are not set in stone as hit-and-run killers are frequently not prosecuted because of mens rea (“I didn’t know”).

Another link to that DC hit-and-run Cyclist Killed in Shaw Hit and Run This Weekend The narrative and the description of the scene suggest the weapon vehicle ran a 4-way stop at speed. This would mean the cyclist was probably well into the intersection prior to the wreck and had zero chance of avoiding this wreck without Kreskin levels of SA. For those of you too young to remember the Amazing Kreskin, substitute Jedi for Kreskin in that statement.

Another “cyclist didn’t stop” wreck, this time in SC. Troopers: Cyclist dies after hit by car in Spartanburg Co. Intersection protocols to avoid, especially the one about stopping at stop signs, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Driver is sentenced for killing a cyclist in NC. Driver who killed cyclist gets prison time, hug from victim’s mom Hit cyclist, kill cyclist, leave body laying beside road, get 13 months in jail… Seems like a fair sentence to me for killing another human being and improperly disposing of the body, NOT!

More on that tourist hit in OR. San Diego cyclist struck on Friday near Netarts dies from his injuries Notice how this is worded to try to make it look like the cyclist should not have been there? Anyway, hit-from-behind protocols to avoid if possible, and please, please get that infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent. This is an area that gets lots of bicycle tourism and desperately needs such infrastructure.

A CA intersection wreck where the bike damage doesn’t match with the narrative. Bicyclist suffers life-threatening injuries after colliding with car at the intersection of Spruce and Eunice and Cyclist dies after North Berkeley crash with car The bike looks like it was hit from the side on the front end at speed not running into a car that had just pulled away from a stop sign.

Our Daily Ted from yesterday. Morning Links: Protected bike lanes are now legal; WeHo considers removing crosswalks to improve ped safety

And today’s Daily Ted. Morning Links: More media frenzy over fatal NY bike/ped collision; fallen SD cyclist was keeping blog of his trip

Infrastructure!-ish. A cyclist’s plea to motorists

And more infrastructure that the person who sent me the link found offensive (?). Roadshow: Bicyclists must pull over if 5 or more vehicles are behind them As long as they include “when safe to do so” and not just demand cyclists get off the road whenever cars get backed up…

And those were all the links that gave me fits or giggles today, a little short on the giggles but there were some.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Working late on my birthday, and the Feed

I normally work late on Monday to catch up from the weekend of not posting links, but I will be working even later today because I was “doing stuff” this afternoon. I did a wire transfer from my bank to Wells Fargo in San Francisco so that I would have a paper trail in case they tried to claim we “stopped paying” on our paid-off mortgage and foreclose on us like they did to several people in FL who paid off their mortgages early. I also went to my local Whataburger to have a “Green Chile Double”, one of Whataburger’s seasonal specials. That’s half a pound of ground beef, two slices of cheese, and a thick coating of diced green chili peppers over the top. I’m indeed fortunate that my cholesterol is naturally low so that I can eat meals like this safely. I then picked up the makings for a double batch of “Bacon Jalapeño Poppers” and walked home from the grocery store. For the curious the makings for a double batch of “Bacon Jalapeño Poppers” consists of a dozen large jalapeño peppers, 2 6oz. packages of cream cheese, and a pound of bacon. Soften the cheese, halve and seed the peppers, fill the half peppers with the cheese, wrap a slice of bacon around each half pepper, and either broil or grill until the bacon is crispy.

BTW It’s my birthday and You say it’s your birthday? and with moar creepy babies and dancing kittens

Up first is another fatal bike-ped wreck, that wreck in Central Park last week just turned fatal for the pedestrian. Pedestrian Dies Days After Collision With Central Park Cyclist I hate this, because I have done the work and the cyclist had very little chance of avoiding this wreck after avoiding the pedestrians in the bike lane. Sure, if he trained at making the second move for a few weeks and then practiced at it once a week or so he might have been able to make that second move, but then again maybe not. I keep looking at this wreck and I keep coming up with the same answer, that mixing pedestrians and cyclists in the only area to train as a cyclist for more than 8 million people without providing segregated infrastructure and this will happen again and again. The Dutch solution is to make everyday bicycle infrastructure that is “training worthy”, where cyclists can maintain >20 MPH for miles without having to worry about hitting any pedestrians. Build bicycle infrastructure with sight lines and curves that will support riding at race speed, and cyclists will train away from pedestrians and cars. More Bicycle rider not charged in Central Park collision that put pedestrian on ventilator

Moving to just south of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Female cyclist seriously injured in Friday collision AFAIK it’s another hit-from-behind wreck but this time near an intersection. It was also very near a bike trail which the cyclist may have either been coming from or going to.

A wreck in LA that I don’t have the slightest clue how to avoid. Crash leaves cyclist dead, offier injured I mean there was a cop there and presumably a cop car with the lights going, the cop was pushing a car that was hit as well as the cop and the cyclist. The driver was suspected of being “chemically impaired” by synthetic marijuana.

A CA wreck in Ted Rogers’ ballpark. Update: Cyclist found dead following apparent hit-and-run in Oceanside and Dead bicyclist found in Oceanside Cyclist was hit riding in a cul-de-sac meaning the driver had to really work at it to get up to lethal speed in the limited amount of space. ordinarily I would say hit-from-behind protocols but I’m thinking this is way too much like my wreck for a human cyclist to get away from it. Segregated infrastructure would prevent it, but I’m thinking that this would be shared space in the Dutch model.

Moving north to OR we get another hit-from-behind wreck. Serious injury bicycle-involved crash on Highway 131 between Netarts and Tillamook Protocols to avoid or reduce injury, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

A DC wreck that I’m not sure of the mode of the wreck. D.C. police seek driver who killed bicyclist in hit-and-run The damage description suggests hit-from-behind, but the location suggests straightforward intersection protocols. The actions of the driver suggest a lynch mob…

Back in NYC a cyclist runs a red light on video and gets hit by a bus. NYPD: NICE bus that crashed into Queens pizza store swerved to avoid cyclist Intersection protocols to avoid, especially the part about not running the red light if there’s traffic, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Up in the Great White North a cyclist is hit in an intersection. Cyclist struck, seriously injured in west end See how the bike shows the directionality of the impact from the right? That’s how I know it was an intersection wreck before I even read the article. The video stated the cyclist’s head went through the rear window of the weapon vehicle. Nothing on which one had the right of way. Intersection protocols maybe would be of use in avoiding or reducing damages in this wreck. Getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” would most likely prevent a repeat of this wreck.

I want to make copies of this wreck report and shove them in the faces of all those people who keep telling me that I should get off my bike and walk it through intersections. Man wheeling bike killed after collision with car and van at Tapleys Hill Rd, Seaton and a different URL Man wheeling bike killed after collision with car and van at Tapleys Hill Rd, Seaton This wreck was in Oz, BTW.

LifeStyle in NH. Bicyclists remember women killed in crash and Cyclists Killed in Crash Remembered

From the City of Broad Shoulders. North Shore Century Ride for a Great Cause

Another Wounded Warrior ride. Wounded Warrior riders bike 164 miles to Fort Campbell

I has a birthday Google Doodle.

And those were all the links that gave me fits or giggles.

Opus the unkillable badass Poet

This post will definitely go up late, and the Feed

Howdy folks! As we approach the Autumnal Equinox things get a little busy around Casa de El Poeta aka WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. For one thing there are all the rituals celebrating the holiday that I have to attend because I have friends and circle-mates who follow different traditions and all want me to be a part of their celebrations. For another thing there is the minor fact that I was born on this particular Pagan holiday. That means More Parties to attend. Add the third thing that I have become involved with electoral politics (without the swords and machine guns in this reality) and things are ramping up now, and well I’m just pulled in so many directions I almost look like a cartoon character. And I forgot I will be going to Dallas Pride Day to sign people up to support marriage equality this Sunday morning, well forgot until just now.

Speaking of birthdays, I have been asked to post what I want for mine. Simple enough, I need a steering wheel controller for my PS2 that will work with GT4, meaning (probably) something from Logitech. I can use Amazon gift certificates to buy one or someone could just send one to the church and I will take it home from there. Address it to Opus the Poet c/o Sacred Journey Fellowship UU, 1215 Main St. Garland TX 75040 and I will get it. Seems kind of silly that I get video game stuff for my 56th Birthday, but that’s what I need to make the Sprint T simulator.

And another birthday gift that won’t cost anything is signing this petition to make an Interstate Highway system for bicycles and pedestrians.

Up first is this ID hit-from-behind wreck. Female cyclist hit by car, seriously injured and Local athlete critically injured while biking The crime scene looks to be one of those that sure you can get away from the weapon vehicle but you’re likely to suffer serious injury when you do, but still less than getting hit with a car. Infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

A cyclist hits one of a group of jay-walkers in Central Park in NYC. Pedestrian Critically Injured In Accident With Cyclist In Central Park and Bicycle rider not charged in Central Park collision that put pedestrian on ventilator also Woman In Critical Condition After Getting Run Over By Cyclist In Central Park The Post (holding nose) Woman brain-dead after getting hit by cyclist in Central Park Not done yet After Woman Is Struck, Debate on Cycling in City Is Revived The crazies are calling for this guy to get the death penalty for something that only merits a $122 ticket if it happens with a car instead of a bicycle. Granted it should be a lot more strict than a $122 ticket in a car, but why all the venom for cyclists? BTW Don’t Hit The Pedestrians!

This is the second cyclist hit from behind in the bike lane since the 3-feet-to-pass law went into effect in CA. Freeport Boulevard closed after fatal bike crash The law requires a $220 ticket that with fees and costs comes to $980 for hitting a cyclist from behind, something I have yet to see with either of the wrecks since the law went into effect.

Still in CA a driver is sentenced in a wreck with a cyclist. Point Reyes Station man sentenced in DUI hit-and-run that injured cyclists I seriously doubt he would have gotten much of anything in the way of jail had he not taken down the telephone pole. Still 9 months is way more than he would have gotten had this wreck been in NY state.

A drunk driver kills a cyclist and gets 45 weekends in jail in the Great White North. Truck driver going to jail for killing elderly cyclist

A cyclist in Enn Zed is seriously injured in a single bike wreck? Cyclist seriously injured in Wellington OK there has to be some information missing from hit report, New Zeeland is a mandatory helmet country and head injury is pretty much the only way the wreck as described in the narrative could seriously injure a person.

Lifestyle for the DE cyclist hit head on by a suspected drunk driver on the wrong side of the road. Bicyclists ride to Phillip Bishop’s viewing The ride was treated much like a funeral procession except they went to the deceased instead of going with the deceased to his final rest.

Not sure how to classify this, closest thing I could think of is sorta kinda LifeStyle. Boston Scientific Helps Turn Wounded Warrior Into Competetive Cyclist The guy has a stim unit that changes neuropathy pain into a mild tingle? I could use one of those.

More on the CA passing law that recently went into effect. Hey, I’m Bikin’ Here! A Buffer Zone Is Now Law for California Cyclists Yes this is still Infrastructure! news.

Gothamist links a video showing how NOT to ride a bicycle in NYC. Video: Area Dude Demonstrates The Wrong Way To Bike In NYC

Presented without classification after 3 people sent links in my e-mail this morning. Death on a Bike

Ad for the people who built Francis/es. E is for Electric C is for Canopy Sometimes it’s nice to get a little help when riding, especially when you have nearly 100 pounds of empty bike to push along.

Our Daily Ted. Weekend Links: Free ice cream when you Bike to the Bowl; KY cyclist arrested, and Jens shatters the hour

Last link is the largest Human Powered Vehicle race in the world. Murray Bridge alive with pedal prix power this weekend Mixed and segregated 8-person teams of kids and adults trying to just keep the vehicle going all night and day.

I think I’m done now, because I’m damned near finished.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Back to the old composing page, and the Feed

As much as I like the streamlined look of the new composing page there is just too much missing from it for me to continue to use it. Automatic if you guys are paying attention we need to make getting to the classic composing page as easy as getting to the stripped-down new page. I don’t mind the missing tools as much as I mind that the new page strips out components of the site when I use it, or at least strips out components of the site when I access the site since I don’t know what other people’s experience is like. When I use the classic compose I get access to the share button so that I can send this to all the FB pages I have admin status for (not something I do every day, but something I do sometimes to specific pages that the post would be welcome at), but when I use the new page the share button is gone. This is not acceptable.

Also I spent an exciting hour watching Jens Voigt ride a bicycle in circles. #Shutuplegs indeed.

Up first, while I love being able to look at a crime scene picture and establish a narrative of the events leading up to that crime scene picture, I hate being right in this case. Cops: Audi on wrong side as bicycle hit The fact that the cyclist was hit on the passenger side of a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road (and sources I can’t link to tell me he was riding in the right hand side of the lane) point to the fact that the cyclist literally had no place to go to avoid the wreck.

I REALLY want to see how CA LEO go about not giving any kind of ticket or anything to the driver in this report. Bicyclist dies after being struck on Freeport Boulevard Two cyclists, one killed in the bike lane, and less than 24 hours after a new law making hitting a cyclist from behind a mandatory fine of nearly $1K went into effect with great hoopla. I mean c’mon, he was hit in the bike lane, if that is not “unsafe pass” personified I don’t know what would be. Hit-from behind protocols to avoid, and enforce the legal infrastructure to prevent. Or install physical infrastructure that’s “up to Dutch”.

A wreck in NV. Cyclist killed in North Las Vegas crash identified and NLV Cyclist killed in intersection was at fault The thing that always bothers me about these wrecks is was the cyclist caught by a stale green? Or in other words did the cyclist enter an intersection with the green light and just not have enough time to clear it before cross traffic started moving, but with the pictures of the weapon vehicle and the bike I think that’s not the case with this wreck. The bike is so badly mangled that determining of the bike had working brakes at the time of the wreck is pretty much impossible unless the brake cables have heavy corrosion indicating they had been disconnected for some time. So I’m going to have to go with NLV LEO on this wreck because there is no doubt the cyclist ran the red into traffic. Why he ran the red is another question entirely, not in my pay grade.

More on the “great guy” that was drinking and stoned when he killed a cyclist in NM. Suspect in cyclist’s death appears in court Interesting that the driver has two previous assault charges in the past 3 years. Also interesting is the second charge has not been adjudicated yet when he was arraigned for this charge.

The most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike tries to take out another cyclist. Cyclist critically injured in crash with Jeep in DeLand Another SWSS wreck with LEO accepting every word from the driver as absolute gospel. Protocols and Dutch quality infrastructure, and less gullible LEO, to prevent.

A PA cyclist collides with a stationary construction vehicle. Cyclist injured after crashing into truck in Murrysville No I can’t figure it out either. I have no pictures of the bike, and the picture I had yesterday of the truck is 404 now. I can tell you it was a Really Big Truck, about as large a vehicle as can be driven on the roads without permits and pilot vehicles, so I have no idea why the cyclist could not avoid it. Just pure speculation is that he might have been run off the road and into the truck but without some kind of witness to say one way or another I can’t say. I wish the cyclist a speedy recovery.

A deadly wreck in MA. Authorities Investigating Fatal Bike Accident in Malden, Massachusetts The cyclist was apparently having a medical emergency when he fell off the sidewalk under the garbage truck. This is a wreck that could be prevented with infrastructure, but in reality without universal medical care this would just result in the man dying someplace else from whatever medical emergency he was having when the truck ran him over. More Man struck, killed in Malden garbage truck accident

A spectacular wreck in the Great White North results in no injury for the cyclist. Cyclist not injured in supper-hour crash Intersection wreck that apparently the cyclist used the intersection protocols in to completely escape harm while scaring the driver half to death. Get that infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent. Note to the cyclist, if you’re a reader could you post a comment and tell us how you managed to avoid getting hurt.

Apparently the right hook is not illegal in Canada, just be aware of that. No charges laid in collision that killed cyclist in Dartmouth

From the UK a taxi hit a cyclist and a pedestrian and I feel bad for the taxi driver, and if that doesn’t get you to click the link I don’t know what will. Taxi driver critically ill in hospital after crashing into cyclist and pedestrian outside Old Bailey

A cyclist in Oz wins a minor “door prize” Trigger Warning! Bike rider says she could’ve been killed when doored on Brisbane road

Interesting Infrastructure! news from CA. Dick Spotswood: Bike path accident leads to calls for bikes to slow down I keep asking if the MUP speed limit is faster or slower than the CA school zone speed limit but I never get an answer.

More infrastructure news from CA. Olympic cyclist sues over the death of his wife, Debra Deem This is about the free right turn lane that allows drivers to make right turns without slowing down.

More on the CA enacting of the 3-feet-to-pass law. Three-foot buffer law for cyclists now in effect

Until we can get every state and city to adopt the CROW manual (still only €90!) We will need lots of these guys. Bike Scholarship Winner Saw Cyclist Fatally Injured Not that every bike lawyer needs to watch someone die, just that we need lawyers who have skin in the game to stand up for us.

Infrastructure news from the Great White North. Sister of woman killed in bike accident wants more protection for cyclists Hey I didn’t say it was good news, just news. This is a response to that other article about the woman right hooked in Dartmouth.

I don’t find these “jokes” funny, do you? Why do we still hear people joke about hitting cyclists?

Lifestyle in NC. Des Ark’s Aimée Argote plans memorial bike ride Friday night Seeing someone killed riding a bike changes you. Especially if that someone is you, but don’t tell anyone I said that. And Cyclists ask motorists to share the roadways

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: The impact of CA’s new three-foot passing law; bike-friendly Brentwood poet passes away

And those were all the links I could find yesterday (this has been a Very Long Day).

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Trying the new composing page again, and the Feed

OK the new compose page is still not ready for prime time (missing the proofread button and the review button, so no way to find typos that are correctly spelled or broken links), but I will try to complete a page again. Hopefully this will not result in another blank post.

Up first the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike just added another notch to the belt. Cyclist hit, killed by bus in Hialeah I don’t know if this is a SWSS, or of the cyclist was on the sidewalk as stated and knocked off by the driver of the grey vehicle, or what. That only leaves one option for preventing another wreck, Dutch quality infrastructure.

More on the DE hit-and-run with a more detailed look at the scene of the crime. After fatal crash, bicycle commuters talk of dangers The story just keeps getting worse and worse, even when you think it can’t get any worse they find something new…

Still trying to figure out how a bus manages to hit 2 people at once. B62 Bus Driver Strikes Cyclist & Pedestrian In Williamsburg All that’s know at the moment is the bus was turning and there is a hell of a lot of blood in the street for just 2 victims. So, intersection protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent, maybe, because we already have the equivalent of Dutch quality infrastructure for pedestrians and he still hit the pedestrian…

Cyclist in the Great White North records his door prize. Ottawa cyclist records ‘dooring’ mishaps with camera mounted on helmet Scary looking stuff there, especially the candid news footage of people getting doored while filming other events. They were very lucky no one was seriously injured or killed.

Our Daily Ted. Breaking News: No justice for OC cyclist Kenneth Prevatte; civil suit filed in Debra Deem case

Infrastructure! news from NYC. Class Action Suit Targets DMV For Fining Cyclists As If They’re Drivers Cyclists have been getting hit with an $88 charge that does not apply because bicycles are not motor vehicles, and neither does the $58 equipment violation charge for not having a bell BTW.

More NYC infrastructure. NYPD: Drivers Injured 1,300 Pedestrians and Cyclists in July, and Killed 18 That was in one month folks.

More on the implementation of the new CA 3-feet-to-pass law. 3-foot buffer zones for cyclists to take effect across California and Driver alert: Bike buffer zone now the law

Lifestyle in AL. Cyclists prepare for ‘Share The Road’ event Wednesday to promote road etiquette [sarcasm]Love the redneck comments. [/sarcasm]

And those were all the links I found related to bikes. Fits and/or giggles not taken into account.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet