Unlike Garfield I have a reason to hate Mondays, and the Feed

Yeah, I used that headline once before so sue me. I just opened the Feed folder and … UGH! Just the headlines from the first story in each report makes my stomach churn. I might have to take another Mental Hygiene Break shortly.

On another note there will be a break coming this summer. My 40^th HS reunion is coming up the first part of August, which will require I take a trip to Salt Lake City. I haven’t been back to SLC since 1978, it will be interesting to see the changes since then. There was a local hamburger chain called “Arctic Circle” that was everywhere back then, I want to find out if any are left.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Belgian cyclist killed in wreck with race moto; 7 of the 8 most dangerous Valley intersections

Remember the psycho attacking cyclists last year in the Twin Cities? Police: Bicyclist Hit, Critically Injured Near Uptown Mpls. I can’t say this had anything to do with what went down last year, but with the lack of any reporting from LEO that’s still on the table. 🙂

When the criminal courts won’t prosecute, you have to resort to the civil courts. Bicyclist’s family files wrongful death suit When a person goes blind but doesn’t stop driving even after several wrecks, and finally kills someone because they are driving blind there should be greater repercussions than just losing your driver’s license. Just saying, it was already illegal for this guy to be driving, and all they did was make it illegal for him to be driving, how is that any kind of punishment? Did they put him on “double, secret, probation” to go along with the loss of the already-lost license?

A wreck in DE. Bicyclist killed in crash along U.S. 13 in Dover and Del. police investigate crash that killed cyclist The geometry of this wreck screams stale green/yellow for the cyclist, and a driver not paying attention to what is in front of him. Or that he was lying about which vehicle ran the red light.

Another SWCC wreck in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Bicyclist Struck and Killed in Jackson County Since I can’t see the wreckage I can’t say for certain this is a crock, but the smell is certainly there. The cyclist being hauled unconscious from the scene means the only voice in this story was the driver’s.

Crap infrastructure in the UK is unlikely to get better. Government’s laughable cycling blueprint does nothing to boost safety You can’t make world-class bicycle infrastructure when you have literally no budget to build anything. I mean 2.1% of the motor vehicle budget (unless they are using “billion” as “million million” in which case that is .0021%) would build 1 project per year in the entire UK for the next 5 years as long as that project was just paint on existing pavement, otherwise it’s one project for the 5 year span.

Instead of proper infrastructure, cyclists get accused of “hogging” the roads. Cycling groups in Cambridge area told to stop hogging roads by police but riders hit back at drivers Can’t ride in the road, can’t ride on the sidewalks, are cyclist supposed to just float?

Are cats the vector for road rage? Study: Parasite hosted by cats may cause road rage I can confidently say my kitties have never caused me to lose control.

People have been saying that if something wasn’t done about the massive caravan that follows and mingles with the back of the peloton at pro races someone was going to get killed. Tragedy strikes pro peloton: Belgian rider Antoine Demoitié killed by race moto at Gent-Wevelgem “Someone” is named Antoine Demoitié.

More on the ghastly hit-and-run murder attempt in Oz. Australian driver ‘deliberately swerved’ to mow down cycling dad and Car seized in relation to running down Victorian cyclist If they don’t charge the driver with attempted murder… TANJ!

And the same weekend as the incident in the previous paragraph. Bottle hurled at cyclists along Bruce Highway The only thing that prevented a tragedy in this case was the total lack of athleticism of the passenger in the ute. I have seen children throw with better accuracy than that idjit.

Crap infrastructure is not helped by squads of crap drivers. Torquay’s Horseshoe bend needs safety works, say cyclists after latest crash And cue the comments section for brainless demands for cyclist taxes, registration, and insurance to “pay for” the roads that cyclists are already overpaying for. I say when drivers can stop speeding, running red lights and stop signs, running in to other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians, then they should start to get roads paved and potholes repaired. And maybe a freeway or two. There was one good comment:”@Velo Velo, you need to sign up to the ATO’s cyclist rebate scheme. They assessed my taxable income last year as $0 and handed back all the GST i paid. The ATO also let council know you’re a cyclist and boom. No rates. And then if you buy a house, the state government waive the stamp duty. It’s pretty sweet. No wonder the anti cycling mob are furious.”

And things are just bad for everybody in this part of Oz. Horror start to year on Mornington Peninsula with six people killed on roads since January Really 6 people in less than 3 months is a “horror”? We had 16 people killed here in TX this weekend Complete Texas accident reports and news.

And why there are ghost bikes in Oz. The haunting purpose of Rebekka Meyer’s ghost bike

This Li-Al battery looks like it might make e-assist bikes practical. Chinese researchers develop new battery technology Putting the Lithium into the electrolyte and using carbon and aluminum electrodes means the lithium never has to form a lattice while charging, drastically increasing the energy storage and cycle life.

And I finally ran out of links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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Good News, Bad News on Ethan Couch, and the Feed

Nothing of any great importance in my life today aside from getting some stuff for the Mini Sprint-T on Amazon, a new desk chair, and a new crock pot to replace the one that had a lid going bad from age and rusting around the bottom. Interesting thing about plastic lids on cooking vessels, they craze and crack after a few years exposure to heat.

Since I put it in the headline you know I’m going to put it first in the links. ‘Affluenza’ Teen Ethan Couch Detained In Mexico and ‘Affluenza’ teen Ethan Couch captured in Mexico with his mother also Ethan Couch, the affluenza kid too rich to go to jail was arrested this one too ‘Affluenza’ Texas teen Ethan Couch detained in Mexico not done yet ‘Affluenza’ teen’s mom will face charges for taking son to Mexico after going-away party US Marshals, could we please, PLEASE, PLEASE, get a “shot dead while attempting to steal officer’s gun” in this one, preferably while still in Mexico (so it would only get investigated by Mexicans who don’t care about stupid rich brats getting killed)? _please?

Our other big story is a cyclist run down while crossing from an MUP with the signal. Bicyclist identified in fatal Md. crash and Cyclist dead after collision in Montgomery County also Police: Driver who fatally hit cyclist didn’t stop at crosswalk There is a beg button to activate the crossing signal but as was demonstrated in one of the links drivers ignore the signal without consequences unless they actually hit someone.

Up in the Great White North… Ghost Bike serves as stark reminder

Feel good story from Jolly Olde. Injured cyclist appeals for Good Samaritans to come forward If any of my UK readers recognize the Scout badges on the blanket contact the number in the article so that the good samaritan can be identified and honored.

And really, Telegraph? The terror threat on two (or three) wheels…Dutch police warn of risk posed by bikes As if there weren’t enough people scared of cyclists for nonsensical reasons. But seriously Daesh could get 5-10 times the explosives in a subcompact that would barely raise an eyebrow on the street. BTW they hate being called Daesh even more than they hate getting called Isis which is the name of an Egyptian pagan goddess (being both pagan and female is hated beyond all reason).

From OR, we are apparently “problem children”. UPDATED – ODOT says bikers, walkers, people with disabilities are “problem children” in work zones I don’t feel like a “child”… and the update was that the offensive presentation has been altered to treat people not-in-cars as fellow adults that need different facilities than the people wearing cars.

Good stuff that happened this year. 2015’s Top 10 New Bike Projects in North America Some things to feel really good about.

Is your city partially responsible for cyclists getting killed? California Case Study: Are Cities Responsible for Cyclist Deaths?

And I’m out of links again.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

My neck feels better, and the Feed

I took advantage of the slow season for links and the warm weather to go do a little stocking stuffer shopping and get a massage. The massage tech had to get on top of my back and use her knees on most of my back and upper legs because I had such thick, tight muscles. She was leaning on me with the full force of her arms and not even making a literal dent. That included working “Arthur Dent” on my neck. So I would say I was a little overdue for a trip to the table. She was a skinny little thing though, maybe 40 Kg at most.

Up first, another link to the death in Austin earlier this week. Pickup hits rider; 2nd bicyclist killed in Austin traffic this year They’re still not sure of the direction of travel for the cyclist, and I still can’t find any pictures of the wrecked bike to tell them.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Still more new bikes for good girls and boys, and real Long Beach UPS workers deliver by bike

Another hit-and-run in IN (I still love that pun). Police searching for driver who hit cyclist in South Bend The picture of the wrecked bike wasn’t much help in determining the direction of impact, so I’m going to assume this was a buzz job or punishment pass that went wrong. That’s the mode that best fits the picture of the bike.

In NYC, the next of kin of a person run down by a car on the sidewalk want stiffer charges filed. “It’s Murder”: Family Of Woman Killed By Reckless Driver In Fort Greene Seeks Justice “Marlon Sewell made a conscious decision to get behind the wheel and drive his vehicle without a license. He should be held responsible for any and all consequences that are a result of that action.” Really responsible, not just a ticket with about the same fine as driving without a seatbelt. Seriously, he would have had a stiffer fine for riding a bicycle on the sidewalk without hitting anyone than he’s facing driving a 3 ton SUV and hitting 3 people, leaving one dead, and one seriously injured.

Meanwhile in Portland they are getting going on upgrading their bicycle infrastructure. Advisory group backs bike lane separation on outer Powell, co-chair says The comments section for this article has a much better grasp of the situation than most such.

Better infrastructure in the Great White North. Toronto Showing the Way With Year-Round Cycling Network – Raise the Hammer

Feel-good story from the UK. ‘Cambridge still has my heart’, says charity cyclist Callum Fairhurst on return to UK for Christmas

You don’t have to have known the cyclist to do this. We Dare You: Honor a Fallen Cyclist with a Ghost Bike

And a last-minute gift idea for someone who is both a cyclist and a wine drinker. THE CAMPAGNOLO CORKSCREW GETS A MAKEOVER It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Shame “I don’t drink… wine.” /Boris Karloff

And that’s everything in the Feed for today. I’m just enjoying the relative peace and quiet before the inevitable slew of “kid hit on brand-new bike after X-mas” stories.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m finally out of links today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Things are weird again, and the Feed

Things are back to what passes for “normal” here at WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. In anyone else’s this would be slightly out of kilter, but for us it’s “just life”. Except for being out of coffee. I haven’t been this low on caffeine since the Great Coffeepot Meltdown of 2013, when we had 2 coffeemakers expire 2 days out of warranty each and I had to go without coffee for almost a week after the second one died. Now that was truly horrible…

Up first on an uncharacteristically light Monday Feed is this hit-and-run outside Houston. Pasadena PD investigating after cyclist found dead in front of bank I’m still trying to grasp what makes a broken bike, dead cyclist, and no driver remaining at the scene an “alleged” hit-and-run.

More on the left cross wreck of a driver turning through a paceline of 8 cyclists hitting 5 and now the death toll has risen to 2. 2nd cyclist dies 7 days after crash in northeastern Ohio I keep reading the cyclists were all well past the intersection and that the driver had crossed over into the oncoming lane of travel, but so far I have only seen one crime scene picture that corroborated that. I linked to that picture last week.

First of a long series of links from CA. Woman identified in crash involving bike, car People keep saying the teen driver in this case was not “distracted” and that he was a “good driver”. If that is in fact the case, this “good driver” deliberately ran into the back of a plainly visible cyclist in bright sunshine.

Cyclist hit during a time trial. Bay Area cyclist struck, killed near Esparto during event Nothing from this article on how the wreck happened.

I don’t know what to say about this wreck. Bicyclist Killed on the Milpitas-San Jose Border Cyclist was riding salmon at night, with no lights or reflectors. What was he thinking?

Our Daily Ted has Ted taking a Mental Health Day. Let’s call it a sick day Since I have done these a time or two (and eventually decided to take Saturday completely off and Sunday as a no-bicycle-links day) I can’t say as I disagree with the sentiment.

And of course you can’t make the dog quit hunting… Sidewalk cyclist killed in Cathedral City

Daily Ted, part 3. San Diego bike rider killed in foggy, early morning Mira Mesa crash after allegedly running red light

And just to show how poorly that Mental Health Day is working, part 4. Unidentified woman killed in Orange collision while riding in crosswalk

They’re still killing cyclists in FL. Ghost bike replaced to mark fatal date How bad are drivers in FL when a bike chained to the side of the road gets hit?

Drivers in KY miss the days when driver’s licenses were found in the bottoms of cereal boxes. Bicyclist Dead In Hit-And-Run Crash I’m sorry, those days are still here…

Another reported wreck where the cyclist was not paying full attention to the roads? Cyclist dies 4 days after being hit by bus That sounds an awful lot like a SWSS. I wonder if anyone reviewed the forward-facing camera footage? Because this sounds an awful lot like that wreck where the bus ran over the cyclists in CA, and the driver said she pulled over to pass and the cyclists “swerved in front of her”.

Serious wrecks outside of NYC. Bicyclist killed in Yonkers; arrest in Garrison crash Apparently Yonkers PD is no more competent than NYPD to their south. But at least in the second part of the story they arrested another driver for hit-and-run on a cyclist.

More from CA of a not-so-bad nature. Bike ride honors EMS personnel, stops in Vallejo

You know what would make this cool for the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell? Having enough bike lanes to make having a closure policy. Trail closure policy for construction and special events We have trails, but all they do is loop around whatever park they are placed.

A CT infrastructure demonstration. New bicycle tour of New Britain attracts 250 According to the guy who sent me this link they managed to hit almost every foot of bike infrastructure in the city with this tour.

A near-tragedy in far West Canuckistan. SUV crumples bike Sidewalk cyclist narrowly avoided getting hit by a driver not looking where the car was going.

Another ghost bike means another dead cyclist. Ghost bike left in memory of Montreal cyclist I hate Ghost Bikes. Not because I hate the sentiment behind them, the sense of loss, the casual waste of human life they represent. I hate the fact that every one that goes up means another cyclist has died by motor vehicle…

And we get another cyclist hit by a train on the same crossing as one was killed earlier this year. Edmonton police investigate collision between bicyclist and LRT train I have posted many, many times about how to not get hit by a train, but the simplest and still the most effective is the “don’t be there” method.

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Hoping I don’t lose this post, and the Feed

I really hope the auto-save function of this composing page doesn’t crap out on me, because my computer has been crashing all day trying to filter the Feed. I have had several links crash fortunately they could be reloaded. If this page crashes, on the other hand, I have to retype anything that doesn’t get saved. Given there are at least 24 links waiting to be collated commented and posted to the blog, losing this page could be a major pain in the grommet, to use an expression popular with my father. So here’s hoping the computer doesn’t trash the composing page.

Up first was a hard decision today as there were lots of stories with multiple links. I think this NYC hit-and-run “wins” the right to go first. 27-Year-Old Woman on Bike Killed in Hit-Run Crash and Officials ID woman killed in hit-and-run also YOUNG WOMAN KILLED BY CAR WHILE RIDING BIKE HOME FROM WORK; POLICE SEARCHING FOR DRIVER this too Cyclist on City Island killed by hit-and-run driver Part of the problem is either there were three different 27 YO victims killed by white cars on the City Island bridge who all worked in the same restaurant, or whoever gave out the reports to media changed the make of the weapon vehicle… But yeah, nothing the cyclist could have done to avoid this wreck besides live and work in the same building so she didn’t need to cross that bridge.

Also with lots of links is this wreck from the Great White North. Cyclist seriously injured in Oshawa and Cyclist seriously injured in Oshawa Well there were a lot of links that somehow disappeared from the links window, at least one as I was trying to copy the URL to post here. Funny thing is what wasn’t mentioned, the driver wasn’t charged with hit-and-run in spite of having left the scene, which is heavily implied by the driver “returning”. Can’t return if you never left.

This FL cyclist was killed off of the road waiting, in the median, to get a second break in traffic to complete crossing the street. FHP: 1 dead, 1 charged with DUI manslaughter and Driver charged with DUI manslaughter after cyclist struck, killed in Winter Park LEO are still trying to figure out what caused the driver to veer off the road to hit the cyclist. Well, DUH! he was drunk and probably angry at seeing a cyclist in “his” road.

Still in FL, the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Bicyclist dies after being hit by minivan in Pompano Beach “Authorities said the bicyclist did not have any proper working lights.” Of course not, they were smashed to bits in the wreck, that’s why the didn’t work after the wreck.

Moving one state over from FL we get this fatal wreck in AL. Alabama cyclist killed in collision is sixth such death this year For those of us who have to depend on the media to get accurate reports of wrecks reports like this are a nightmare. “The crash is being investigation.” Really? was this written by the same people as ‘All your base are belong to us’? At this point it looks very possible that this was a right hook by a driver who never saw the cyclist.

Still in AL we get a kid hit head on in a residential area. McCalla 9-year-old hit by car, injured while riding bicycle outside grandfather’s house The remains show a hard, but survivable impact, and also really bad welds in the fork. I’m being serious here, look at that wheel and you tell me if something really hit hard enough to break the steer tube on that fork. This is the bicycle builder coming out in me, which explains why it takes me so long when I build a bike. The steer tube broke between the crown race and the fork crown, which could only happen 2 ways, not enough heat to actually join the steer tube to the fork, or way too much heat welding in the crown race destroying the base metal in the steer tube without actually joining it to the fork… I know, TMI.

Our Daily Ted provides a breath of fresh air today. Morning Links: How the economy and bike lanes affect bike wrecks, and fight the bikelash over Rowena road diet

Still in CA. Long Beach woman killed in bicycle collision on PCH in Huntington Beach identified The wreck is still somehow a hit from behind wreck in an intersection they were both crossing.

Two reports on the same wreck in CA. Emmy winning sound editor one of two killed in Moorpark crash involving car, bicycle and motorcycle and Distracted driving may have been factor in fatal Moorpark crash That might be the only explanation of why a driver went from one shoulder to the other to kill two people on two-wheeled conveyances, absent some evidence the driver hated cyclists.

Maybe crap infrastructure contributes to bike wrecks? A Young Cyclist’s Death Spurs Changes, Lawsuit in Cupertino

NC cyclist killed in pinball wreck. Cyclist killed Sunday morning in east Charlotte collision He cleared the intersection, but not the killing zone when a left-turning vehicle sent another vehicle spinning through the shoulder area.

It just occurred to me today that the same group that was getting injured/killed the most at the beginning of the study period are the ones getting injured/killed at the end of the study. Cycling deaths, injuries rise as pastime grows in popularity The people getting killed the most at the start would be in the same age group as the ones getting killed the most at the end of the study, they just aged into the biggest group of cyclists as they got older.

I’m still trying to figure out how the truck got on the race course to hit the cyclist. Surely they closed the streets to traffic while the state championship race was running? Cyclist injured after hitting truck at Fort Smith race Comments say the course was closed and the driver of the weapon vehicle had been told twice to scram but went on the course anyway.

I strongly suspect this was a kid being a kid. Boy rides bike off embankment, suffers serious head injuries, police say I can’t say for sure, but this sounds like something I would have done at his age.

PA cyclists remember those taken too soon. Cyclists Pay Tribute To Slain Bike Riders, Hope To Raise Awareness

Making cyclists less “other”. Letters: Humanizing ‘cyclists,’ pope and refugees

Making drivers more aware that cyclists have a right to the roads and are going to be there. Signs of Our Times: Sharing the Streets I would prefer a sign that told drivers hitting a cyclist or pedestrian would cost them the car they hit said cyclist or pedestrian with, but hey, can’t have everything.

The cyclist who tried to get LEO to enforce the bike/bus lane restrictions gets hit by a car in the lane he was trying to get enforced. Cyclist who complained about Clifton Boulevard lane violators injured in bike-car clash We all know how loud a car horn can be when you are outside the car, especially a few feet in front of the car when the horn goes off. It can make you jump out of your skin if you are not expecting it. And there were a couple hundred comments when I filtered the links, but none as I posted the link here.

Signs of another kind. You Won’t Soon Forget These Photos of Ghost Bikes. That’s Exactly the Point.

A wreck in Canuckistan. Cyclist critically injured in collision south of Edmonton Ouch, cyclist hit head-on by a salmon driver. Nothing you can do about that. I hope the victim recovers.

Road.cc has the same opinion of a left hook wreck as I did. Accidental death verdict in case of Guernsey cyclist crushed by lorry Seriously, how hard is it to blame a driver for hitting someone on a parallel road when crossing that road?

A cycling hazard that is mostly confined to Oz, thank the lady Ghisallo for small favors. Where magpies swoop in Canberra: Cyclists fall prey to swooping birds I mean it sucks for the Aussies, but there are only a couple million cyclists there, compared to the billion or so in the rest of the world.

Programming note my friends have decided I need to get out of the house more and are taking me to do something not involving computers or cell phones. I think I’m going shopping or something.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Trying to contain my displeasure, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet

Laundry and grocery day, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m outta links finally.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Multi-tasking a blog post and the Feed

I’m waiting my turn at the Player’s Handbook 5th Edition as we get ready for another campaign with a non-kinky tilt for the Kinky D&D group. I’m creating another Warlock, naturally. While we play I will filter the feed and be thinking about what I’m going to post about.

Some good news for me right off th4 bat, the comic strip that birthed the character I took my stage name from (that eventually became my Pagan name) is coming back. ‘Bloom County’ Comic Strip Is Coming Back For those not around then, Bloom County was basically Doonesbury with mixed humans and anthropomorphic animals, and usually better jokes. And a penguin. More BERKELEY BREATHED RETURNING TO “BLOOM COUNTY” FOR FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS

Our Daily Ted part one. Morning Links: Glendora cyclists buzzed by CHP officer; LA Times maps the most dangerous intersection You know a great deal of trouble and misunderstanding could be eliminated by chaning the law to so that the BMUFL sign was no longer required to post because bikes would be allowed a full lane at all times by law.

And part two. 14-year old bike rider killed in Santa Ana crosswalk Ugh@!

He survived the civil war in Afghanistan, but died in a bike lane in the US. Afghan engineer, who aided U.S. forces, killed and son injured while bicycling Let’s see what charges they can bring to bear over killing a man and wounding his son.

After the driver got a ridiculously small fine for running over two cyclists and leaving one dead the survivor files suit for damages. Cyclist sues Ireton man for injuries in cycling accident $250 plus costs is what a man’s life is worth in IA, until the civil suit.

Boston asks that riders please wear pants something on their butts when riding bike share. Boston Bike-Share: No Naked Cyclists, Please

Talk about your major downers, imagine going to clean up a wreck and finding your boss was the victim. Ambulance crew boss fatally hit while biking; his staff answers call The narrative sounds very much like a right hook that someone wanted to cover up.

First of several links to social actions to remember cyclists killed and demand actions that will prevent future cyclists from getting killed. Memorial set for UA scientist killed on bicycle Another drunk driver killed another cyclist, if there was just some kind of way to keep drunk drivers from driving before they killed someone… [interlocks]

Another drunk driver killed another cyclist, so another protest is done. Cyclists rally for safety on the roads Part of the problem is infrastructure, a big chunk of the problem is enforcement, and another part of the problem is attitude on the part of drunk drivers. That is why I suggested taking the car of a drunk driver away and selling it if they managed to not hit someone, crushing it (with or without the driver) if they did hit someone.

More protests from CA. Candlelight Vigil Held in Honor of Cyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run I think nearly everyone who reads this blog knows what I think about what should be done to hit-and-run drivers. Let’s just say for the new readers that it isn’t pretty nor constitutional, and involves a high-speed car shredder. On the positive side it would all be over with in less than a second.

This ties in with that lawsuit in IA I liked above. Friends Of Onawa Cyclist Hit And Killed Last June Push For Road Safety

Another Ghost Bike in ABQ. ‘Ghost bike’ memorializes fallen cyclist

Last link is from Oz. Family of Victorian cyclist killed in hit-and-run, Gordon Ibbs, make emotional plea for suspect to come forward Again, a hit-and-run driver that kills needs to get the maximum punishment for killing.

There were several links today that I had to forgo because the ads on the site got hacked by malware. I think about 1/3 of the links I filtered were hacked before I could post them.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet (the one without feathers)