Mrs. the Poet is back, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And no more links. And I’m beat.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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I need a new laptop, and the Feed

It’s looking like the Chromebook is about to be replaced whether I like it or not. I’m getting keyboard issues, things like keypresses not getting registered or keys getting stuck, and also the touchpad sometimes puts the cursor where I tell it and clicks when I click it, and sometimes it just does nothing. If I’m doing my sums right I got the Chromebook late March 2013, which makes it right at 3 years old now and used as much as 18 hours a day for work and recreation, an average of say 9 hours a day, every day since March 2013 so 3 * 365 * 9 gets roughly 9800 hours of use. That’s a lot of ham-fingered typing, clicking, and page views, so the little lap top has a right to be worn out. There are some things about Chrome OS that I’m [not thrilled] with, specifically their habit of doing OS updates without permission. This has caused me to lose functionality for certain things several times when I really needed that particular thing to work, like when I lost MP4 audio right before doing a presentation that was dependant on MP4 videos as emphasis for certain points of the presentation. I mean what good are music videos with no music?

Up first, affluenza killer Ethan Couch is transferred to the adult criminal system, which means his probation is about to get severely altered. Couch case transferred to adult court

On the far northwest corner of the same county WoaB World HQ resides, cyclists are getting tired of getting hit. Coppell Cycling Community Nervous After Rash of Accidents With Cars Yep, once again physics proves that what would be a minor fender-bender for a car or truck is an extended hospital stay when a cyclist subs for one of the cars or trucks. I’m really glad they are going with the BMUFL regulatory signs instead of the “Share The Road” advisory signs that are frequently interpreted by drivers as “Bicycles get out of my F&$(*&% way” signs.

Now Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Koretz prevaricates on Westwood Blvd, possible 15 years in SD hit-and-run, and sing the joys of hi-viz

And Daily Ted Part 2. Ventura bike rider killed in midnight hit-and-run

Still in CA and still about hit-and-run. Suspect arrested in San Jose hit-and-run that killed cyclist This was the H&R where they found the weapon vehicle with major damage and minus license plates a few miles from the scene. So it’s not like the driver can claim lack of knowledge about hitting the cyclist.

Also still in CA, if they are going to pay people to buy ZEV, shouldn’t the one with the lowest full-stream emissions be part of the deal? Action Alert: Sign the Bike Rebate Petition

Trying to get FL out of worst-place ranking. Florida Launches Hit-and-Run ‘Bad to Worse’ Campaign When you look at how much more deadly a wreck becomes when the victim is denied access to quick intervention by medical personnel, preventing H&R and getting EMTs and ambulances on scene ASAP seems like a no-brainer for reducing the death rate.

Some good news on infrastructure in PA. Grant approved for Rail Trail expansion in Newville The expansion will take the rail trail right up to the local HS, providing a safe route to and from the school, meaning less motor vehicles on the roads around the school. It was fortuitous that the school abutted the old railroad when it was built.

More good news in PA. PHILADELPHIA’S NEW MAYOR PLEDGES 30 MILES OF PROTECTED BIKE LANES IN FIVE YEARS

Update on a NYC bike wreck victim. Family raising money for funeral of Staten Island bike victim struck by car This was the guy hit and killed by a driver on pot (and other medications) at the time of the wreck.

Moving to Jolly Olde, the driver that ran over a cyclist waiting at a traffic light has admitted to “careless” driving. Victoria cyclist death: Essex lorry driver admits killing Boris bike rider This has to be a plea deal.

More links to the wreck where a UK cyclist was assaulted by a road-raging driver. Witness appeal after male cyclist seriously injured after argument with female driver and Cyclist chased for 200 yards by road rage driver: I thought I was going to die

This time it looks like the glass was placed during construction, not thrown down as an act of terrorism. Has glass in the asphalt stopped the racing at Odd Down Cycle Circuit?

Remember that thing about Super Mario nude except for a helmet for a bike picture? Here it is an all its NSFW glory. Mario Cipollini baits helmet lobby – by wearing one, and nothing else Well technically he had shoes and socks on…Mrs. the Poet says he “Looks good. Needs to put some clothes on, but he looks good.”

A little bike infrastructure is about to be lost in the UK. South Cambs BikeBus scheme to close after lowpassenger numbers They were trying to get people out of the city for countryside rides, but they didn’t feel safe there either.

More legal infrastructure from Scotland. Drivers who hit cyclists should be ‘presumed liable’, says record breaker Mark Beaumont Another voice in favor of presumed liability.

Wreck in Enn Zed. Former Canterbury basketball player injured in crash I really can’t tell anything about the wreck from the crime scene pictures, what could be the weapon vehicle was probably moved by medical personnel to get better access to the victim.

And I’m outta links finally. Time to put the post and the writer to bed.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Happy President’s Day, and the Feed

Well I have a day off from one of my gigs today, because that gig is with the Feds and I don’t have access to my work materials on Federal holidays, so more time to drink coffee and read comics, Yay? This is another one of those tiny jobs I get that pays almost nothing for doing almost nothing, except for today when I get paid almost nothing for doing nothing at all. I win 😛

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bikes banned from Burbank bridge; defaced signs led San Diego cyclists astray Those signs looked like they had been shot with acid paintballs, completely illegible.

Drivers in FL trying hard to live down to their reputation? Bicycle rider struck and killed by a car in Boca Raton The picture of the bike lends some credence to the claim that the cyclist was crossing the intersection, but the location of the bike and the age of the cyclist (84) make me doubtful the traffic light was red when he entered the intersection.

A wreck in GA. Grady High School freshman struck, killed while riding bicycle in Midtown While I’m reluctant to blame the cyclist on this one, I am willing to say she may have been at fault in the wreck.

Cyclist down in WA. Woman injured as pickup strikes her bicycle in Everett Hit from behind wreck not at an intersection certainly seems to point at driver at fault and the protocols for avoiding that kind of wreck are linked at the top of the page.

Wreck in NYC, now with more information. Cyclist Clings To Life After Being Hit By Truck Driver In Tribeca Well maybe not so much more information.

More on that MA cyclist. 15-year-old cyclist severely injured in hit-and-run crash in Lowell

What does the budget hold for those of us on two wheels and no motors? Obama’s 2017 Budget Request: What It Means for Cyclists I don’t think any of the “green” proposals will last long enough to return to Obama’s desk.

Crap infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Compensation for wheels damaged beyond repair in pothole is refused by council The “defect” was one that would only damage a bicycle, and which would be virtually invisible until you were on it and your wheel was in it.

Driver runs cyclists off the road and then gives them the finger, courts return the favor to the driver. Middle finger councillor appears in court after Devon cyclist incident I would think that a driver that gave the finger to the people he just ran off the road would get convicted of something far worse than “careless” driving. Just saying dudes. That is not the behavior of “careless” that is what someone who acted deliberately does. Does this seem like £140 and 8 points behavior?

Really? Really?! Forest Row cyclist: Truck driver could have killed me That could have gone so bad so quickly with a large truck of some description that close, literally he couldn’t have gotten any closer without killing or seriously injuring the cyclist.

More infrastructure from the Midlands (I think?). ‘Tram safety simply isn’t good enough’ says cyclist Put the trams where the bike lanes used to be and you guarantee there will be conflicts.

Legal infrastructure from Craig Ferguson’s homeland (Scotland). Cyclists’ petition to end David and Goliath legal battles nears 10,000 Still trying to get presumed liability in UK laws.

Blotter report of a bike wreck between two bikes has a rare death. Four people have died following four separate crashes on Victorian roads.

Crappy drivers in Oz are still crappy. Life-Threatening Injuries For Cyclists And Motorbike Riders Rose Significantly Between 2001-2010 As in every country keeping count, as cars get better fewer drivers and passengers are killed but more people outside cars are killed because drivers are not getting any safer but the insides of cars sure are.

Enn Zed bike culture. Cyclists rally for injured rider

And a wreck in Enn Zed. Ashburton and Dunedin cyclists critically injured Two wrecks, but only one narrative, of the driver failing to yield.

And we’re all out of links. finally. Program note I have another trip to the Lab Rat Keeper tomorrow afternoon so the post will be way late.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Long day protecting my stuff, and the Feed

Today was a bit of a bust as far as getting things done. I had to do a bank visit, then the post office, then a haircut, and winding up with a trip to the hardware to get black iron pipe for the other rail for the back steps at the church now that we know this works and doesn’t cost too much. The kicker was that Mrs. the Poet was clearing out my stuff from the bedroom to my office, but she has been saying that she was just going to throw everything out instead of moving it to my office. So to prevent that I had to stay and keep an eye on my stuff instead of going to the bank et al. When Mrs. the Poet and our friend decided to quit for lunch I could finally take my leave, about 1:45 later than planned. I managed to get the bank and post office trips taken care of, but the haircut and the trip to the hardware were both derailed because of being late and missing the lady who knows how to cut my hair the way I want it so that I don’t look like a psycho serial killer or a homeless person, which is what I look like when I cut my own hair, from the day of the cut until it’s time to do it again respectively. Somewhere in the middle I look like a decent human being for a couple of days. The trip to the hardware for the pipe was derailed because by this time I had been on my feet for a couple of hours almost straight with a few minutes of sitting on the bus, and my feet were feeling like overcooked bangers (as in “about to explode”) so dragging 10 feet of iron pipe plus fittings home on the bus was about as appealing as smashing my feet with a hammer. Plus if I wait until later I can get 10% off the costs of the parts.

Up first is a bit of the old Daily Ted. Morning Links: Glendale bike rider attacked by SUV driver, and guilty plea in 100 mph Orange County DUI case

And Daily Ted part 2. An open letter to the LA Planning Commission about bike lanes on Westwood Blvd and Central Ave

Those happy rainbow crosswalks might be illegal. Feds Say Some Crosswalk Art Violates Guidelines There was research noted in the article that says it might not matter one way or the other because drivers don’t look for crosswalks before hitting pedestrians.

In far West Canuckistan. New West police investigating deadly crash From The narrative indicates that the locals feel that sub-standard infrastructure was a major factor in this wreck as a major corridor for cyclists was left without any room for cyclists and drivers just didn’t display any patience whan passing cyclists.

People actually ride to work all year round even in places not as warm as TX. International Winter Bike to Work Day February 12th 2016 Don’t forget your woolies out in the cold.

A bit of UK infrastructure. World’s first ‘park and cycle’ among multi-million pound plans for new Cambridge ‘western orbital’ This is how you eventually get completely rid of cars in cities. Sure some people will “have” to drive to get to the city, but we don’t have to let them drive “in” the city.

One has to wonder what the difference is between “careless” driving, and “dangerous” driving causing death. I always thought that causing death was the definition of “dangerous” driving. Derby cyclist’s family say they are ‘paralysed by grief and pain’ – as lorry driver admits guilt I suppose that the “careless” designation was to get more guilty pleas with the reduced consequences for being “careless”.

An almost entirely botched investigation absolves the driver of guilt in the death of a cyclist. Family of killed cyclist Marc Dunk in blood test demand The driver had been consuming codeine but the levels in his blood at the time of the wreck were unknown because there was no blood draw at the time of the wreck or right after.

UK paper covering a wreck in Oz? ‘They’ve stitched his head… he’s battered and bruised’: Avid cyclist Matt Tilley is hit by a car AGAIN after serious accident five years ago I know the feeling, I was hit several times after the one that killed me in 2001.

Keeping in the EU for the moment. Five cyclists injured daily in collisions Portugal isn’t that big, we got counties with more people and area than their entire country. Not both at the same time mind you, but both. Getting 5 cyclists a day hit hard enough to cause injury that is noted for report to higher authority is a lot.

Back in Oz, that guy that was “mysteriously” injured died. Man, 88, dies from injuries sustained in crash at Henley Beach I still don’t get why they aren’t calling this a hit-and-run.

Still in Oz a cyclist has been threatened for training on a deserted bike path that routinely gets overrun with pedestrians most times of day. Keen cyclists hit the Fernleigh Track before sunrise to train at speed despite fears for personal safety | video

Also in Oz. Cyclist killed metres from his home OK, bad joke incoming. If this is Townsville, why didn’t Blossom, Bubbles, or Buttercup save the day? Now that that is out of my system, why was a tandem trailer semi routed through a residential area? The cyclist never had a chance to avoid the wreck.

Moving on to Enn Zed. Christchurch cyclist killed after being struck by train My usual is to reiterate about how easy it is to avoid a train, but the article as it read when I filtered made it sound like this was something that the cyclist couldn’t avoid, and that the wreck had severely impacted the witnesses from the Girls High School so they couldn’t be more explicit.

And more news about the cycling group hit from behind by a drunk driver in South Africa. DJ’s cycling joke backfires and Phoenix plumber charged for cyclists’ death Yes, there is a Phoenix in Africa, several of them as a matter of fact.

And it’s late again, and I’m exhausted. From reading Gigi’s last review she’s going to get mad at me again for posting after her internet goes down. I mean seriously, what kind of person turns off their WiFi at night?. What if they wake up in the middle of the night with a great idea for a story and don’t want to lose it waiting for the WiFi to boot?

Billed @$0.02, Opus

OK that happened, now what? And the Feed

I was watching the caucuses last night on Twitter and was Not Impressed to say the least. The Clown Car Party tossed out a few more clowns, but seriously, there are a lot more to go and some of the biggest clowns are at the head of the polls. As for the other side, seriously did you decide who would get that precinct’s delegates based on a coin toss? And not once but six times?

BTW if any of my readers are DFW locals who would like to recommend a plumber we are having lots of plumbing issues here at Casa de El Poeta that have been just waiting for $$ to get fixed and now we have $$ to get them fixed. Deferred maintenance is about to be deferred no longer. And as an aside the TX groundhog had to wear shades and sunscreen, so we get 10 more weeks of “winter”. If “winter” stays like this with daytime highs in the low 70s F and nighttime lows in the high 40s, I could deal with another 10 weeks of this.

Let’s start with Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Pendleton registration begins, Monrovia talks bike plan, and more doping news, motor & otherwise If the Marines insist on blocking bike access that means major construction for bike access on civilian non-military property. At this time the only other access is I5 which is sub-optimal because of the adjacent high-speed traffic and trash and debris pushed from the road by tires and air blasts from vehicles. The next closest road is dozens of miles to the east over a small mountain range.

Still in CA. Bicycle Enforcement Mind your Ps and Qs if you wind up in this area during this operation.

VT is working to reduce the dangers of repeat DUI. BILL WOULD REQUIRE INTERLOCK DEVICES FOR ALL DUI OFFENDERS

Addressing repeat DUI in WI. Getting Tough On Drunk Driving I can’t believe that a person can have more than 4 DUI and not be in prison, but under current WI law you have to have 4 DUI in a 5 year period and still not go to prison.

A strange case of karma working faster than the legal system in FL. Cape Coral man accused of killing cyclist dies in slip-and-fall If I’m reading this right he drowned in a puddle after slipping on a crosswalk. Or something similar to that. There was also a video with the article about a cyclist pulling driver and passenger from an overturned pickup truck. Karma restored.

Hit-and-run in KS. Cyclist injured in hit-and-run near Maple and Meridian Not much information aside from the wreck has happened and someone got seriously injured. They’re not even saying if the silver SUV was damaged by the wreck.

Infrastructure news from America’s Copenhagen. City responds to Steel Bridge homeless camp, Condo owners re-open Greenway path and Condo association releases ‘Call for Community Safety Plan and Dialogue’ This political hostage-taking of infrastructure over the homeless situation in Portland is low, but understandable for people directly faced with it.

Still more Portland infrastructure. Here’s what’s going on at North Williams and Killingsworth This looks like what’s called a “bulb-out” that’s used to reduce crossing times for pedestrians, but why put it on a quiet residential street?

An OH TV station gets on the “Wreck, not accident” bandwagon. COLUMN: There was nothing ‘accidental’ about deadly cyclist crash At least that’s what I think it’s about, since I’m not a subscriber to their service.

Another wounded veteran ride, this one off-road. Ride 2 Recovery launches fifth annual Las Vegas Mountain Bike Ride While there is a certain sense of accomplishment with a point-to-point road ride, for some with PTSD riding in traffic is too much like being back in a war zone (don’t ask me how I know).

You think riding in the US is risky, think about places where the rules of the road are merely a “suggestion”. The daily trials and tribulations of a cyclist (and his tribe) in Lima

You’re just sitting there waiting at a red light to make a legal turn, and some idiot passes you on the wrong side of the road… Video: Driver “swerves to avoid cyclist” – what do you think? …and you get blamed for “forcing” the driver to swerve. TANJ!

This stupid driver had better thank his lucky stars that he didn’t get an even longer sentence for killing a cyclist. Lorry driver loses appeal against jail sentence for killing cyclist Alan Neve in Holborn I hope he has to serve every last second of that 3½ years. He was driving without the specialized license required for the vehicle he was driving, and because he lacked the training and follow-on testing he ended up killing a man he should have been able to avoid.

“I saw a cyclist do something dangerous once”. Driver warns of cyclist ‘stupidity’ This is nothing more than anti-cyclist propaganda.

Reaction to someone putting an electric motor in the seat tube of a bike during a cyclocross competition. Mechanical doping: The social media response

This is causing my creative juices to flow. Now THAT’S a spin cycle! Exercise bike washes your dirty laundry as you pedal Put a recumbent type seat above the drum, use a 1:2 ratio for the drum during wash then switch to a really high ratio to spin the drum during the wring portion of the cycle (that would still be a heavy sprint) and I could see this as a way to put some base and interval training in. The wash/rinse cycles would be the easy part, a warm-up/recovery for the power unit. The bad thing is washing generally ends with the spin cycle.

And I’m outta links again, and I have to get up early tomorrow to go pay more bills.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Paying my taxes was a nightmare, and the Feed

Yep, I was out paying taxes today. About $3k gone in a whoosh. Several hours spent waiting in lines. I don’t mind taxes, because that’s how I pay for things like schools and libraries and bicycle infrastructure. Then I went and paid off some bills, which was mostly a case of waiting on the next bus, sometimes for over an hour because of broken busses on the route meant that the next schedule was there before the replacement bus.

Let’s open with this lovely item from NYC. Hope You’re Not Planning On Biking Anywhere Today A big part of the problem is snow removal changes depending on the chunk of infrastructure covered in snow.

Hmm. Maybe if I made a recumbent version I could get some base miles in and still post the blog? Portland software company rigs up a way to publish its blog posts by bike I need to do something, we are coming up on a year since I rode any distance over a block on a bike.

Sorta local, I think these guys play basketball. JaVale and J.J. take tandem bike ride on the Santa Monica Pier (Photo) Pro hint, don’t call a tagalong a tandem.

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: LA chosen Vision Zero Focus City, another Glendale cyclist threatened, and a special bike offer

And Ted Part 2. Bicyclist killed Tuesday in Ojai Valley

Still in CA. Law firm says settlement is reached in cyclist’s death, but Newport says nothing is final Doncha just hate it when your settlement can be derailed by people not even involved with the negotiations?

I think this is the same highway where a cyclist was killed back in 2011. Cyclist killed after hit-and-run, 2nd strike Again they blame the victim for not wearing the GITDCS instead of the driver not driving at a speed they could see to stop in the distance that could be seen clearly.

Back to America’s Copenhagen for more infrastructure. Gap Week: 82nd Avenue and Burnside

Another link on that cyclist hit from behind in PA. Bicyclist killed in Wilkinsburg identified

National infrastructure news for US readers. These U.S. Reps Want to Redefine Bike-Share Ideally bike-share would be run by transit agencies and be colocated with transit centers as well as areas of high transfer from bus to walking and destinations to serve as last-mile gap fillers.

Infrastructure news from far West Canuckistan. Cycling sign impedes bikes Windshield bias heavily in evidence in the comments section.

Remember that Mythbusters episode where they compared drowsy driving to drunk driving? Ultra-Cyclist Dies While Training on Rio-Santos Road in São Paulo

This UK story deserves a Triple Facepalm! Banned driver spared jail after ‘foolish’ car chase through Nunsthorpe estate About the only good thing to say about this was the driver was sober. Having said that, Holy Crap he drove like that sober!

Also from Jolly Olde. These Moving Photos Show The Moments Before Cyclists Were Killed By Cars Long exposures with flat light and a bright headlight leave a ghostly impression.

A pedestrian dies after getting hit walking on the sidewalk, must be NYC, right? Elderly woman dies after crash in Greenacre, another pedestrian injured Nope, it was in Oz. The driver was weaving on and off the sidewalk, and was taken from the scene by ambulance. I’m assuming DUI or medical emergency, with a strong bet on the medical emergency.

And last link is a bit of uplifting news from Enn Zed. Almost killed by bee sting; now legally blind mountainbiker aims to conquer epic bike race

And I’m outta links and ready to crash, into my bed…

Billed @$0.02, Opus

I’m fuzzy on Grocery Day, and the Feed

We are in the depths of Winter, and my bear-ness is approaching magnificent 😉
We spent more on cat food and kitty litter than we did on human foods at the grocery, but that’s OK because we has cats and they luvs us. We can eat $1 frozen pizza.

Up first NYPD actually finds a hit-and-run driver and arrests him. Cops Arrest Driver Who Allegedly Killed Brooklyn Cyclist & Kept Going and Hit-and-run truck driver kills Chinese immigrant riding bicycle in Brooklyn also Truck kills cyclist Can Reng Ma, Junior Hicks charged with hit-and-run: police this, too Driver Arrested in Brooklyn Hit-Run That Killed Father Bicycling Home After Work: NYPD TBH I am shocked that this much (read “any”) effort was expended on this wreck.

Infrastructure from NYC. Video: One Simple Trick To Stop NYC Drivers From Killing You Why is it drivers put so much effort into avoiding a hunk of plastic but not a fragile human body?

Still in NYC. Report: Vision Zero Won’t Meet Its Goal By 2024

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: An in-depth look at PCH bike wrecks, helmets make you blow up balloons, and they’re onto us

Still in CA, LEO capture a bike thief with the “goods”. Police Grab Two Suspects With Pricey Stolen Goods

Also in CA a memorial ride for a fallen cyclist. Memorial bike ride held in honor of Loma Linda cyclist, ‘SteveO Eleven’

Infrastructure news from America’s Copenhagen. City’s latest experiment to protect NE Couch bike lane has failed I suggest something like this or some tire shredders like they use in pay parking lots.

Still in Portland. Bikeways, interrupted: Get ready for Gap Week This will get more links next week.

WI infrastructure news, as a law that had held out some hope for creating bike infrastructure turns out to be total crap in final form. Problems With Pothole Repair Act Since bike infrastructure is a part of the street I think the bill can be used to pay for it.

Cycling has a perceived attitude problem part 1. Chip on our shoulders?

Attitude problem part 2. Bicyclists Want to Slow Down Cars Even More

And attitude is shared on both sides of the windshield. It’s all fun and games until you honk at a LEO on a bike.. Ha Ha Ha!

Justice in Canuckistan. Southern Alberta man sent to jail for hit and run that killed cyclist Only 15 months, but that was about the limit allowed by the law.

Infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Cycling, congestion charge and a ban on big buses: John Hipkin’s solution to Cambridge growth agenda

Remember that guy that crashed into the ditch and drowned in Enn Zed? Family of killed cyclist Darrel Thomas works to make Hagley Park pathway safe

And I didn’t know Dallas had a women’s pro bike racing team. Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling announce roster, show off new kit – Gallery

And I’m finally out of links.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Happy MLK Day, and the Feed

Today is the day we pause and remember a major leader of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Biographical note I was living less than 100 miles east of where Dr. King was shot at the time he was shot. So I wasn’t “there” there, but I was in the conflict zone at the time of the conflict. And yes I know that makes me “old”, deal with it. In many ways what Dr. King was trying to do is mirrored in the bike advocacy movement. Not that I am implying that what cyclists go through is in any way as bad as what people of color went through or continue to go through today, we can stop getting killed in the streets just by getting on the bus for example. But there are parallels. Anyway, remember what Dr. King meant to the rights movement, cherish it, and emulate that in trying to get safe bicycle infrastructure installed in your area.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bicyclists help make a better world, and York Blvd is thriving

Still in CA, more links to a driver actually getting a proportional sentence for using a motor vehicle to kill a cyclist. Drugged driver who killed cyclist sentenced 15 years to life and Drugged driver who killed cyclist sentenced 15 years to life

Still in CA a left-crossed cyclist gets his medical bills covered but he had to sue the employer of the driver that hit him. City settles with injured cyclist

Speaking of proportional sentences. Seattle man gets 6 ½ years for killing bicyclist in DUI crash Not quite as proportional, but still leaps and bounds ahead of typical sentences for killing cyclists.

Cyclist killed in OH. Cyclist dies after being struck by car Not much information on the actual wreck, just the outcome.

The most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike takes another victim. Pasco County bicyclist killed after riding into path of vehicle on SR 52 Another SWCC wreck with no word on where the cyclist was crossing from or to.

A little schadenfreude in NYC. Hit & Run Driver Crashes Into Gowanus Canal and Video: Alleged Drunk Driver Arrested After Flipping Car On Upper West Side The video is no longer available through the original source, maybe they will find another place where it was uploaded.

A bit of CO infrastructure news. Boulder to shift gears on protected bike lanes I think that when drivers complain about losing a lane so that cyclists can have a safe place to ride they should plow up everything except the bike lane and leave the street filled with the rubble. But then I have been called an extremist 😉

Good news about cycling from WI. Local Collective Gets Milwaukee Biking After so many bad things about cycling from WI it is really nice to put up a link to something good.

It takes a Canadian getting killed to get MS LEO investigated for biased investigation of bicycle wrecks. A haphazard investigation of Iain Gerrard’s death in America’s Deep South The initial report was a SWSS with a salmon cyclist, but the physical evidence was entirely contradictory to that report. The report from accident reconstructionists was that the driver had 14 seconds to see and avoid the cyclist in the road.

Cyclist down in the Great White North. Cyclist in critical condition after L’Épiphanie crash If the cyclist was “in the middle of the road” wouldn’t a driver who was paying attention be able to see and avoid the cyclist? I mean if the cyclist was right there in front of him, why didn’t the driver use his brakes to not hit the cyclist? And this is probably the only place where those are rhetorical questions.

Infrastructure news from the Great White North. Claremont bike lanes will be well planned Given that the soonest they plan on installing those lanes is 2017 they had better be “well planned”. I mean how much planning does it take to haul in some K-rails and plop them down 2 meters from the edge of the pavement?

No place to (legally) lock up, but sell them bike locks anyway? Almost 200 fork out for discounted lock to crack down cycle thefts in Grimsby “We also need cycle stands, like the ones outside the Cycle Hub, throughout the town.”

Another wreck in Oz. Surf Coast cyclist flown to hospital after being hit by a car A 72 YO cyclist struck by a 74 YO driver? Are they pulling my leg? The driver was judged at fault in this wreck almost instantly by LEO. Intersection wreck so either a hook or cross is my guess as to mode.

This death in Oz is very similar to a wreck in Enn Zed from last year. Wantirna cyclist found dead in Dandenong Creek Cyclist hits a solid bollard in the bike path and falls down in water next to the bike path and drowns, the exact same thing that happened in Enn Zed.

Speaking of Enn Zed, a motorcycle crosses the centerline going up a mountain and runs into cyclists coming down that mountain. Queenstown-bound cyclists struck by motorbike and Motorbike injures cyclists The report from the one link that the motorcyclist had a rear tire slide out just before the wreck suggests he might have been going just a touch too fast.

And those were all the links I had.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Still cleanly poor not filthy rich, and the Feed

There were no winners in TX for the PowerBall jackpot, so I’m still a starving writer. At least I have a well-lighted garret with cats to keep my feet warm. I really would have liked to have a chunk of that money though.

Up first:

'I stay safe in the city by assuming everyone is an idiot', says cyclist (63) – Independent.ie https://t.co/f5d0ipfwpm via @Indo_LIFE

— Cycling Top News (@CyclingTopNews) January 15, 2016

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Truer words were seldom said.

The Big Story today comes from Oz, where a motorcycle cop assaults a cyclist on his bike because he wasn’t wearing a helmet. Motorbike cop ‘pushed’ cyclist to the ground after he allegedly ran red light and Police officer pushed cyclist off his bike in Sydney’s CBD, witnesses say Listen to the witness report, the cyclist was riding with the light when the motorcycle cop rode up from behind at a very low throttle and just shoved him off the bike right in front of the witness. No siren, no verbal warning to stop, just “putt putt putt wham!” and the cyclist going “WTF!?!” If there was anything the cop said that happened it happened outside the view and earshot of the witnesses.

Infrastructure news from America’s Copenhagen. After years of planning and compromises, 20s Bikeway is poised for construction I don’t know why but it always feels like the compromises are on the cyclists’ side.

More on the same general subject from the same location. TriMet projects on Orange Line path at SE 8th should improve cycling If only there was some process where actual users of the infrastructure could see and comment on a project before it’s built so that dangerous or annoying mistakes could be caught and fixed without having to tear out the mistakes, saving $$. Something like maybe an advisory committee of cyclists and pedestrians? Or would that make too much sense?

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Alleged drunk hit-and-run driver faces charges, and Che Garcetti leads urban streets revolution

Part 2. Describe Your Ride: What riding a bike can teach us about driving a car

Still in CA. Norwalk Man on Bicycle Killed in Traffic Collision in Downey The directions of travel say the cyclist got more than halfway across the intersection before the wreck. That is a strong indicator of a stale green as shown in the Google Earth view of the intersection which had what looks like 4 lanes for the cyclist to cross and a high speed limit on the street he was crossing.

Some good news, a killer driver was found guilty of killing a cyclist. UPDATE: Man who killed cyclist found guilty of criminally negligent homicide Part of me wants to do a happy dance, part of me is still sad because the cyclist died needlessly.

News from GA as someone “mansplains” why cyclists can’t use a park to get away from cars. Reader responds to News Cycle column on proposed Forsyth bike ban

More on the MD cyclist stabbed to death. Three Arrested for Murder of Cyclist I’m still waiting to hear of a reason why they stabbed the cyclist. Theft? Settling a score? Gang initiation? Attack of the Stoopids?

More infrastructure news. Blaming Pedestrians While Absolving the Streets That Kill Them There are 3 unmarked and 1 marked crosswalk at that intersection, one street can’t be crossed at all according to the LEO report and one can only be crossed on one side because that’s the marked crosswalk.

Speaking of an attack of the Stoopids, here’s a very public one by a MO legislator. Missouri Lawmaker Wants to Require Tall Fluorescent Flags for Cyclists Fifteen feet tall to be precise, or 2’6″ feet taller than trucks are allowed without an oversize vehicle permit. Illegal under Federal laws, so on any road built with Federal Funds the flags would have to be removed and then reinstalled when back on the lettered county roads.

Here’s more on my least-favorite form of bicycle infrastructure. Study: Sharrows Don’t Make Streets Safer for Cycling Sharrows work well on traffic-calmed streets with little motor vehicle traffic. But then not doing anything also works well on traffic-calmed streets with little motor vehicle traffic. So why waste the money on useless paint?

More infrastructure news. Why bike lanes make people mad

Here’s a Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot moment from Jolly Olde. Hit-and-run driver stops to berate injured cyclist before driving off The driver apparently thought enforcing minor traffic infractions by assaulting the cyclist with his motor vehicle was perfectly reasonable.

WTF? part 2. Girl, 18, drank 5-and-a-half double vodkas before crashing car through roundabout No cyclists were harmed in the production of this link, though one did require a change of pants.

Back to Oz, two bikes go down in the same space. Cyclist treated for head injury after accident at The Spit, Mosman Sure they said the second cyclist went down aviding the first, but that just means the second didn’t have time to register that he would have gone down without the first cyclist to avoid. Regardless something made the first cyclist fall…

A wreck in Enn Zed. Car and cyclist collide The damages to the two vehicles involved look like the cyclist got hit after getting most of the way across the intersection and moving at a fair clip as the front wheel showed impact from the left and the front corner of the car showed impact but the main impact of the cyclist was in the center of the windshield. The intersection looks to have bike lanes on one street and a stop sign on the other.

E-assist bike news. Electric Bike Revolution Spinning Profits for Dutch Companies

How do you feel about going for a ride with Bono? Bono giving fans the chance to go bike riding with him in New York

Last link, do you need to ride more or… 10 Things Sex and Cycling Have in Common Do you get enough… bicycling?

Billed @$0.02, Opus

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