Another Grocery Day! and the Feed

Yep, time to buy mass quantities again. This time we have a bit more money in the budget, and more than 10 minutes to shop. Also I need to get some really salty snacks…

While I was there I checked my BP and weight with the health tester in the store. I lost another 2 pounds, and managed to get my BP all the way up to 109/75. Woo!

Up first, Houston has a problem. Transportation officials to revive safety council They had several bicycle death or serious injury wrecks, and now they decide they have to “do something”. And one of the major impediments to “doing something” that might actually work is TX speed limit laws. The CROW manual suggests a 20 km/hr speed limit for streets where bicycles and cars share the lane, that’s 12.5 MPH, while the TX laws are that you need to have a dispensation from the legislature for any street or road to have a speed limit less than 30 MPH, which they will let you reduce to 25 MPH or basically twice as fast as the CROW manual would allow. And the laws only allow a limited number of streets to get the 25 MPH speed limit. And unless you tame cars, people on bikes and foot will continue to get killed.

Out Daily Ted. Morning Links: Effing around on the Orange Line, JSK at the Hammer, and LA cyclist guilty of pimping PEDs At least the guy driving the ³/₄ ton PU was backing away from the cyclist instead of blocking the bike path because “I’m bigger than you”.

Still in CA. Cyclist killed in Carlsbad crash and Cyclist Killed in Carlsbad Crash, Roads Closed When I read this story yesterday I didn’t have any pictures so I pronounced this a SWSS, but now I don’t think that’s true, partially because the wreck was in the lane next to the median between the bike lane and a left turn lane. Now I say that the cyclist misjudged either the speed or the distance away from the intersection for the weapon vehicle. Or maybe both, and either thought the car would pass before she got to the turn lane or that she would get to the turn lane before the car got there.

Also still in CA. Fresno burn center chief William Dominic, seriously hurt on bicycle, seeks help to find hit-run driver I think I might have mentioned once or twice about how much I hate hit-and-run drivers. If the victim lives then I can allow the driver to live and watch their vehicle go through the car shredder from the driver’s seat. This would actually be a very humane method of execution because by the time the pain sensations from the driver’s feet reached his brain, there wouldn’t be a brain there to interpret them as pain. It would be nearly instantaneous, unlike the lingering deaths many hit-and-run victims suffer through waiting for someone to find them.

Continuing with the theme of my least-favorite kind of wreck in MD. Driver spared jail time in hit-and-run with cyclist in Annapolis The cyclist was extremely lucky in this wreck. and so was the driver not to get charged with attempted murder for deliberately hitting a cyclist at a red light. This was not a typical hit-and-run this was a road rage assault. And the driver was very lucky the victim was so forgiving.

Another OH cyclist death. 79-year-old Lancaster man on bicycle killed in crash The cyclist was hit from behind with the sun just barely to his right, not in driver’s eyes at all. This was totally the driver’s fault, there is nothing in the conditions to even remotely excuse the driver for hitting the cyclist from behind.

This MO wreck just has no excuse either after the initial impact. Cyclist injured by semi during hit-and-run in South County WTF!?! You hit a guy with a semi and then leave him laying on the side of the road after you get out and look at him?

Wreck in FL. 71-year-old cyclist dies in Collier crash Things really are changing in FL. Not too long ago they would have blamed the dead cyclist no matter who was really at fault, because cyclists “didn’t belong” on the streets. Now if the driver is at fault they will be blamed just like any other kind of wreck.

Up in NYC there is “no criminality suspected” in a pedestrian getting hit in the crosswalk in spite of a law making hitting a pedestrian in the crosswalk a crime. No ROW Charge for Garbage Hauler Who Killed Woman in UES Crosswalk The driver’s excuse holds up about as well as wet facial tissue for anyone except NYPD, who have a bad cultural case of windshield bias. There’s no excuse really, the driver had to have had a clear view of the crosswalk if he could see out of the vehicle at all.

NYC infrastructure. Citing FDNY Concerns, DOT Removes Two-Block Protected Bike Connection It takes years of public hearings to get one of those put in, but only a few hours to get them removed? TANJ!

MA infrastructure. After Cyclist Death, Brother Pushes For Truck Side Guards Not only do the side guards prevent pedestrian and cyclist injuries and deaths, they also save fuel, so win, win, win, win!

Va. Beach infrastructure to enhance the experience of an arts district. Virginia Beach’s arts district could get $4 million infrastructure makeover Bike lanes and sidewalks to go with improved storm drains.

Infrastructure from West Canuckistan. Bike infrastructure pays off: SFU researcher Induced demand works for bicycles just like it does for cars, only there is also the factor of “latent demand” where people want to ride but won’t or can’t because the infrastructure isn’t safe.

From Jolly Olde, this driver was none too jolly. Woman accused of hitting a Chinese cyclist and a leaving him to die in a ditch overnight ‘hated Asians,’ her family tells inquest I would call this a case of murder, because the cyclist died from exposure caused by being left, and would have recovered had he been treated for his other injuries he got in the wreck. IOW the “run” part of “hit-and-run” is what killed him, not so much the “hit”. And she may have done it on purpose, both the hit and the run.

A little UK infrastructure that I’m not sure I like. Major plans to make Tamworth a ‘no-go zone’ for boy racers to be considered First of all there is the freedom of association aspect, second is the use of the commons aspect. I don’t like the hooning about, but this reeks of the “anti-cruising” ordinances from the late ’70s and early ’80s that were found to be unconstitutional here in the US. I do like the part about getting them to not drive like maniacs.

Still in Jolly Olde, still not very jolly. Four year sentence for driver who killed cyclist while driving at double the speed limit The perp was smiling at the light sentence he got for cold-blooded murder of a random person on the street.

This is just mean, but funny. Exploding saddle prank catches thieves unawares, and more of the best cycling videos I mean how stupid are these guys (and every last one of them was a guy) not to see the explosives duct-taped to the bicycle seat? They were lucky that stupidity only hurt a little and didn’t cause any serious injury, even if a couple of the bike thieves got racked up by the exploding air bag.

Moving north in the UK, are cobbles worth the effort when your streets are mostly used by cars? Edinburgh Aims to Fix Cobblestone Street Repair First of all let me say that when I was a kid I rode my bike on a street that still had the original paving from when the Romans built it around 100 CE, because they never let anything heavier than a light cart drawn by an ox drive over it, making it over 1800 years old and still in good shape. But roads built the same way are destroyed in a decade when motor vehicle traffic pounds them to rubble.

A truck driver in Oz pulled over and administered first aid to a fallen cyclist until paramedics arrived to take over. HANSON TRUCK DRIVER AWARDED FOR HELPING INJURED CYCLIST This was the exact opposite of a hit and run, a help and run. As they say,”Good on ya!”

The guy that helped a driver commit the run part of a hit-and-run in Oz gets charged. Second man in court over cyclist Gordon Ibbs killed in Anakie crash

Last but most definitely not least, a recall on hubs. High-end bicycle wheel hubs recalled for crash risk This was in the Daily Ted, but I thought this was too important to risk you not clicking from Ted’s article.

And I have to get up early again tomorrow.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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Another long day on the road, and the Feed

I had another long day out paying bills today, but I’m finally through for the month. Now all I have to dump money on is getting the plumbing fixed. And the day-to-day living expenses, like the $15 I dropped on dinner last night. That’s a lot of money on our budget, but lordy that was a lot of food! Something else I dropped some $$ on was renewing my membership in the HRC, supporting them as they move on from marriage equality to other forms of discrimination (did you know a person can be fired for being gay in TX?)

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Beach bike path closed, slap on wrist in Glendale hit-and-run, and six years for drunken OC driver

Still in CA a story that originally had the weapon vehicle posted as a motorcycle. Cyclist critically injured by suspected DUI driver in Berkeley I’m not sure if this was deliberate or just a slight error in editing: “Police said witnesses who saw the crash stayed with the woman until help arrived, and were able to provide statements.
“Unfortunately this circumstance is more common than we’d like,” observed Lt. Montgomery.” I’m glad they caught the driver immediately, but that might have had more to do with the weapon vehicle being rendered undrivable by the wreck, than anything the driver intended to do.

Also in CA 5 Things Cyclists Do You Didn’t Know Are Perfectly Legal Well I knew, but that is partially because I see stuff about one or more of the list every year.

Meanwhile in NYC they finally get bike lanes and traffic calming on one of their most deadly streets. Amsterdam Ave Bike Lane Approved After Heated UWS Community Meeting Gotta love the tears shed for parking while arguing over people getting killed.

Speaking of people getting killed over infrastructure here’s a report from America’s Copenhagen. Victim of collision at notorious Greeley/I-5 intersection comes forward That has to be the worst bike lane crossing I have ever seen either IRL or on the Internets.

More on the dangerous and ADA non-compliant swing gates at a railroad crossing in Portland. Activists (temporarily) take the swing out of TriMet’s swing gates TriMet was complaining about this disrupting their “data gathering”, so I’m wondering what kind of data they are gathering and how.

And after all that crap infrastructure here’s some done right. Detour done right: 21st and Belmont shows how construction zones should work

Opinion piece in OH Please give cyclists more room on the road OH drivers are about the same as drivers in every other anglophone country.

And some good news from WI for a change. Traffic deaths in January were the second lowest since WWII Of course there is also the statistic that road fatalities mirror the local economy…

Over in Jolly Olde is a none-too-jolly cyclist. Call for review into EMAS after injured cyclist left 2 hours at roadside I was left in the road for only a few minutes after my wreck back in 2001. But then they thought I was dead until I told them I had a broken femur.

I think about the only thing that can be as bad as being in a wreck is being the first person on-scene after one, particularly when the victim dies or bleeds profusely. UPDATE: Driver traced after man killed in lorry hit-and-run in Greenwich And in this wreck the victim did both for the cyclist waiting in line directly behind the weapon vehicle. Condolences to the victim’s family and the cyclist who saw the wreck.

This cyclist shows a lot of heart after almost getting killed. Cyclist consoles woman driver seconds after she almost kills him

Another good-hearted cyclist. Cyclist’s 1,000-mile trek in memory of tragic cousin

And this one just makes my blood boil. Elderly driver who killed charity cyclist is spared jail due to age and Elderly driver who killed mother-of-two cyclist spared jail So she was old. That shouldn’t hamper making an example out of her.

And I’m out of links finally, so proof, tag, and publish then off to bed sometime after 0300 since it’s 0311 now.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

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

Tomorrow will be wreck-free We had an OG grocery day, and the Feed

Let’s start with the program note first. I will be posting tomorrow, but I will not be posting anything from the Feed that has anything to do with a wreck. Nothing but good news and sunshine tomorrow. Consider it my gift to me that I share with you.

Second, that “OG” Grocery Day. That means that since our son was working the second worst day of the year for a grocery store and was not going to get off until late at night we had to walk to and from the store and only bring home what we could carry on our backs my back. I have a cargo bike that I still can’t ride because my neck is still not recovered from the ravages of “Chris Christy”.

Up first is another hit-and-run against a cyclist in the most deadliest state in the US to ride a bike. Woman on bicycle critically hurt in Vero Beach hit-and-run crash and Woman on bike injured in Vero hit-and-run crash That bike looks like it was hit from the right side at about 30 MPH. If the cyclist was northbound on the road was there a driveway she was passing when she was hit? I see one in the background but I don’t think the bike could have ended up where it did if that was the driveway in question. If you look at the left side of the picture there appears to be a bicycle headlight on the road, still lighted.

And I have NORAD Tracks Santa going in background while I compose this and I heard the strangest mashup I have ever heard. Vocal: Little Drummer Boy. Orchestra: Ravel’s Bolero. I commend their music person.

A wreck in CT. Ansonia Cyclist Badly Injured In Shelton A witness claims there was a silver Chevy involved, LEO are “said in a prepared statement there is no evidence to suggest a vehicle was involved.” So who are you going to believe, the cops or your lying eyes?

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Cyclist injured in apparent non-hit-and-run, and LA bicyclists appear to be fair game

Infrastructure from the Great White North. Cycling Infrastructure One of the Smartest Investments a City Can Make The cost per daily trip chart is staggering, at how little cycling infrastructure costs per trip compared to highways and transit.

A reason to be jolly in Jolly Olde. Robbery victim has no memory of harrowing attack – now crowdfunders raise enough to replace cycle

Another link to the pathetic sentence handed down for a drunken hit-and-run in the UK. Hit-and-run driver who left cyclist for dead banned from driving

This one’s from Oz. Hit and run drunk driver who killed cyclist in 2012 freed on parole The fact that the driver even spent any time in jail tells me this was taken as seriously as any bike wreck ever is.

And in Enn Zed, another hit-and-run. Driver flees after injuring a cyclist and Driver flees after injuring a cyclist

And I seem to have run out of links again, thank [$DEITY].

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Surviving the next 6 weeks, and the Feed

This is usually a very deadly time for cyclists as the days are short meaning more commutes are going to be dark in both directions, fewer cyclists are on the roads so drivers aren’t looking for the ones that remain, and the weather is worse for driving meaning idjit drivers are going to be in even less control over their machines than usual as not only are they going to be driving faster than they can see to stop in good weather but stopping distances are going to be longer and that “swerve” away has a much better chance of just breaking the front tires’ traction and just plowing straight ahead.

In addition I have links from Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to filter as well as the first report from Saturday so that next Monday isn’t so much of a battle. And on a food-related note I’m still suffering from yesterday’s excesses so I’m having a cup of coffee for breakfast and nothing more until lunch, when I will probably be able to consume a sandwich. On cat-related notes, does anyone have any suggestions for gassy kittens? Clint has a real bad gas problem today. On the other hand kitten farts are hilarious sounding squeaks.

And this has nothing to do with bikes but there is a terrorist attack going on at a CO Planned Parenthood as I type this. It is a pretty good bet the shooter is not a Syrian refugee.

Here is a pleasant image to start your weekend.

Note the drillium brake levers.

Up first because it makes me feel good. Lafayette man formally charged in hit-and-run incident that injured cyclist Can I just say that the fact that LEO took this case seriously and didn’t just sweep it under the rug because the victim was a cyclist warms the cockles of my heart. I think they have a pill for excessively warm cockles now. Anyway, the alleged perp is being kept far away from motor vehicles until someone comes up with $$ for his bail…

Along those same lines but in the Emerald Isle. Man due in court after death of cyclist in June and Man in court charged in connection with death of cyclist in Clontarf Again Ireland’s media laws are patterned after UK laws that prohibit releasing details until after they are disclosed in open court when criminal charges are filed so we don’t know anythinf aside from the bare facts that the driver has been charged.

Back to CO for this missive in the “war on cars”. Dom Nozzi: War on cars? If there is a “war on cars” it is one of the most lopsided “wars” in history.

Charlotte NC residents are starting to get tired if the death and destruction on their streets. Residents ask city council to make neighborhood streets safer This was where the man was killed in a pinball wreck while riding a bicycle, then his Ghost Bike was destroyed less than a month later in another pinball wreck at the same intersection.

Meanwhile in TN, a wreck during an Ironman triathlon was caused by poor traffic management. Report details crash that severely injured Ironman Chattanooga competitor The truck driver was watching the guy directing traffic, and the guy directing traffic didn’t see the car getting towed and did not allow enough room for both the truck and the cargo.

Bike wreck in LA with limited information when I filtered the link. Sulphur man killed riding bike Monday Now the link reads like a SWSS wreck at night by a driver overdriving his headlights. One could ask how a cyclist could swerve hard enough to get hit from behind but get thrown into oncoming traffic.

And up in OK. Bicycle Rider Killed By Car In Miami The cyclist was hit from behind in a place where another fatal wreck happened about 4 months ago, implying this might be infrastructure related. At least the driver stayed at the scene.

In NYC you really have to watch out for the buses, because the bus drivers will not watch out for you. Mother-Of-Six Fatally Struck By MTA Bus Driver In Brooklyn

CA infrastructure report. San Francisco’s Raised Bikeway Won’t Make Cycling Safe He’s half right, the one raised bikeway won’t make things safe, they need a connected network of bike infrastructure that goes everywhere. It’s just that the headline makes it look like the writer is against bike infrastructure.

Still in CA a really strange bike wreck. Coroner IDs man hit by truck on I-5 while riding bike The cyclist was riding ninja on the freeway at night. As much as I’m always about the basic speed law, I’m about half in the driver’s court on this one.

Another report on a PA driver getting jail time for a drunken killing of a cyclist. Man set for prison in cyclist’s death He’s going to get some serious prison time for this wreck.

A NJ cyclist is killed giving a ride to a friend. Clifton High School student killed in bicycle accident Nothing about the mode, but the narrative suggests that it might have been a cross or hook situation at an intersection.

Wreck in the Great White North. Police investigating after cyclist, 18, struck and killed in Chatham-Kent, Ont. and Cyclist struck and killed by SUV in Chatham Nothing on the mode, but nothing blaming the cyclist for being the author of his own death, so ??

My younger brother was born in this town. Cyclist injured in multi-vehicle collision in St. John’s It sounds like there was a general fluster cluck from the first impact. The bike shows definite signs of getting hit from the side but I can’t tell from which side as the indicators are almost equally biased from either direction. The bike may have been hit more than once.

Update on a wreck out in West Canuckistan. Injured cyclist out of coma Left cross and the cyclist had complications while waiting for surgery.

Those extendable leashes are potentially deadly. Elderly lady in her 70s who tripped up a cyclist while walking a friend’s dog on holiday pays out £65,000 compensation after injured biker spends three years tracking her down At yesterday’s conversion rate that comes to $97704.75 US. The cyclist is still undergoing rehab for the head injuries sustained in the wreck.

Drunk driver charged in Jolly Olde. Man charged with causing death of East Molesey cyclist in Walton whilst under the influence of alcohol and Man charged over cyclist’s death in Walton-on-Thames Despite my strong antipathy towards drunk drivers I’m not going to put anything inflammatory here.

They finally found the person who helped an injured cyclist. Successful appeal to track down Apperley Bridge Good Samaritan The person in question provided transport on her barge to a crossing point where an ambulance could take the injured cyclist and saved valuable time getting the cyclist treated.

Well this shouldn’t take long to crack. Hunt for ‘blue vehicle with pink wheels’ after cyclist injured in hit-and-run Couldn’t be more than a dozen of those in town…

Another infrastructure protest in Jolly Olde. Cyclist die-in: Campaigners stage protest outside TfL headquarters in Southwark This used to happen about twice a week.

Infrastructure protests in Oz. Cyclists seek Vineyard Road solution Bike path on one side of the bridge, bike path on the other side of the bridge, no bike path over the bridge. I wonder whose bright idea that was…

I think we have a sociopath here, or a potential serial killer. Woman who caused the death of Kings Park cyclist may have caused another crash intentionally Let’s hope that there are no cars where they lock her up.

And we have another report that says helmet laws do not have a significant impact on head injury rates for cyclists. DO BIKE HELMETS SAVE LIVES? In short terms the answer would be no, longer terms the answer would be no, and they might make things worse.

And I’m finally out of links. And time, it’s almost 0500.

Billed @€0.02

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

I love my job, but I really hate to do it on Monday, mainly because there is a whole weekend of accumulated links to filter through and analyse. That means there is a lot of death and destruction to wade through, only some of which applies to the topic of this blog.

And I did notice the big mess over in Paris (I got my first report from the Eagles of Death Metal Facebook page). I’m not doing a big thing because first, I’m not that big a deal in the blogosphere, and second my personal feelings about generalized terror attacks are not really pertinent to the blog. If they had attacked a Velib station I would have said something because that was a specific target of bike infrastructure. But a heavy metal concert and a soccer (football) game are just generalized terror attacks.

Up first is a subject that has been bouncing around the bicycle blogosphere like a ping-pong ball at supersonic speed, what is appropriate criminal punishment for a death from vehicle wrecks? Cyclists Question Decision Not to Press Criminal Charges Against Driver Who Hit, Killed Bethesda Bicyclist I put the link to the BikePortland article on a similar wreck on this blog late last week, and now we have this link to a wreck in MD. And drivers in both cases basically get away with a homicide because there is a huge gap between the mens rea required to prosecute a vehicle operator and a person with a gun. If you read this blog for long you know which one is the more deadly.

Similar questions on a CA wreck. Fatal crash in which Sacramento judge struck cyclist prompts questions First we have to overcome windshield bias of investigators to get charges, then the bias of prosecutors to get to a trial, then the bias of potential jurors to get a conviction.

The drunk driver who killed a cyclist “making a u-turn” in VT is sentenced for the death. Woman sentenced for driving drunk in crash that killed cyclist

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bikes aid Paris healing, Calbike wants to know what you want, and Wilshire bus/bike lanes open Not as many CA links as I have been getting lately.

More on the tour bus that went on a killing spree, seemingly all on its own. Tourists injured in San Francisco bus crash I keep reading reports that the bus was practically driving itself against the inputs of the driver. Was this a case of a hacked computer-controlled vehicle used as a weapon?

A bit closer to WoaB world HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell is this from the Big Easy. NOPD investigating bike attack in the Bywater The article says this has been escalating over the last several months.

Still in LA, away from NOLA. Bicyclist dies after being hit by vehicle Saturday night on Lee Drive Assuming the damaged vehicle in the pictures was the vehicle that struck the cyclist it looks like the cyclist was about 2 feet off the edge of the road when he was hit from behind.

A climate zone away from NOLA we get this MN wreck. Bicyclist critically injured in Mac-Groveland collision Nothing from the article about the mode but one of the comments said the cyclist was riding on the sidewalk and failed to stop for the motor vehicle on the main road he was coming up on.

A cyclist killed in NYC restores the vision and visage of a firefighter in MS. FACE OF CYCLIST KILLED IN CRASH TRANSPLANTED ONTO DISFIGURED FIREFIGHTER I hope when I go there is enough useful tissues left after the autopsy to do someone some good. And yes I am sure there will be an autopsy because of the latest study I’m working to find out some basic science for hypertension. I get a free autopsy so they can study my brain and kidneys.

Infrastructure news from DC. Why are bike lanes such heated symbols of gentrification? I have no idea why bike lanes that do nothing to the buildings on a street are fought more than freeways that destroy entire neighborhoods. I mean they are mostly stripes on the street, not bulldozers gouging out the pavement.

That study in Canada continues to reverberate around the world. Female cyclists less likely to be injured than men finds study Now we find that this study mirrors other studies of vehicular violence that also report female drivers are less likely to get killed or injured.

Several links from the Emerald Isle today, including these about a cyclist killed in County Kerry. Cyclist killed after horror crash with car in Co Kerry and Cyclist killed in Kerry collision Other than the fact the cyclist was hit and killed without harming the occupants of the weapon vehicle LEO are very tight-fisted on this one.

Talk about LEO making up new laws, they have just decided to make wearing headphones illegal in Ireland. Cyclists face €40 on-the-spot fines if they’re caught using earphones while on a bike. “Minister Paschal Donohoe confirmed that although it is not a specific offence under road traffic legislation, using headphones could be seen as dangerous to other road users.” If there is no legislation saying it is illegal, why are you handing out fines on the street for doing it? There are laws against running red lights, riding on the sidewalk, and the other things but unless they also start fining drivers with the radio playing which has been proven to cause wrecks they have no business fining cyclists for doing something that is not technically illegal. In fact driving with earphones is legal, but much more dangerous than cycling with headphones. IOW they are fining cyclists for doing something that is legal while allowing drivers who are controlling much more lethality to do the same thing unimpeded.

Still in Ireland the families of the victims of road violence come together. Families gather to remember loved ones killed on our roads

Meanwhile in Jolly Olde a cyclist responds to the constant clamor for registering cyclists. LETTER: No other country has legislation requiring cyclists to have registration plates “You know who really liked bicycle registration schemes? The Nazis during World War Two. They were also extremely keen on cars.” I also like the question of the size of the license plate required to be readable on a bike when combined with the number of letters and numbers needed to have a unique combination for every one of the 27 or so million bicycles in the UK now plus the ones that will be bought in the future. My calculations are that 4 letters and 4 numbers would handle the current population of bicycles, which would require a plate about 9″ wide and 2″ tall, but it would not handle the expected number of bikes to be sold in the next 2 years so the plate put into use would have to be even wider.

Cyclist without ID found lying in the street in Oz. Do you know this tattoo? Police want help identifying critically injured cyclist Considering the number of reports I have gotten this year of cyclists’ wallets getting stolen after they get hit this report does not come as any surprise to me.

We may see a practical H2 powered e-assist bike sooner rather than later. General Motors Sending Fuel Cell Research Vehicle to U.S. Army For Use as Reconnaissance Vehicle

And I’m all outta links tonight. Tomorrow I check other sites that I don’t do on Mondays and also Twitter. “Bleah”, to quote Peanuts.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

No D&D today, and the Feed

I was supposed to go to a D&D game this afternoon, but once again the logistics didn’t work out and I’m stuck at home. There is a Friday the 13th Classic Monster Movie party at church tonight, I might go to that just to get out of the house. I have been trying to teach the fur kids that my legs are not to climb on with some success (after all they are just babies). I’m also playing that mobile phone game that hands out money as hard as I can. I’m almost a third of the way to my next $10 gift card, and ²/₃ of the way to my next $1 gift card (those are separate quests that are somewhat intertwined but require different things to accomplish). At this rate I shall reach my goals by Christmas.

Up first how about our Daily Ted? Morning Links: Bad news isn’t the problem, a Breeze-y day in SaMo, and bikes aren’t a priority in Beverly Hills

Aaand Daily Ted part two. BOLO ALERT: Driver of blue car fled the scene after dooring woman near Fairfax and San Vicente Thursday night

Still in CA we get Infrastructure. Safety at a crossroads The person who sent me this link pointed out the SUV using a bike lane to make an illegal left turn in the lead picture.

And more infrastructure from the same city (and newspaper). City officials grapple with who – and what – belongs on the beach bike path Here’s what I think belongs on the bike path: bicycles, tandem bicycles, e-assist bicycles, tricycles, tandem tricycles, e-assist tricycles, and velomobiles. And maybe skateboards and pedicabs. Definitely NOT Segways and hoverboards.

Over in Frisco, a bus takes out most of a block, including a cyclist. San Francisco tour bus crashes in Union Squre, multiple injuries This has to be the ultimate pinball wreck.

The legal infrastructure has been failing cyclists down in NOLA. Cyclists injured in hit-and-run accidents find minimal aid from police, state law TBH this is about what I expect from LEO in the deep south.

The AL restaurant where a cyclist bought breakfast regularly collects for her funeral. Bojangles employees raising money for funeral of customer killed while riding bicycle in Cullman

IL cyclist is killed JRA. Man Killed While Riding Bicycle in Joliet The narrative doesn’t say nor allow for deduction of the mode of the wreck. It does say there were multiple injuries that could have been the fatal injury so the plastic foam hat brigade is foiled in this one. Even if he had been wearing the perfect helmet that prevents every head injury he still would have been dead.

NYPD isn’t the only government agency blocking the bike lanes. Sleepy DOT Workers Block 2nd Ave Bike Lane To Take A Nap But you would think the guys that built the bike lanes would know better.

More infrastructure news from NYC. Plan For Amsterdam Avenue Bike Lane Met With Little Pushback From Residents Only one “I can’t stay in business without free parking in front of my store!!1!!”

Who died from motor vehicle violence in Staten Island? Heartbreaking profiles of 8 pedestrians, cyclist killed on Staten Island in 2015

Another link to the study that showed the best indicator of not getting killed is a pair of ovaries. Joint UBC, U of T study finds that women are less likely to be injured than men on their bikes No I’m not going through surgery to reduce my risk of getting hit.

Taking the lead from the insurance company lawyers the BC driver who ran into a cyclist head-on driving in the wrong lane. Driver accused in cyclist’s death denies responsibility for crash The comment section was wisely deleted from this article.

The Mounties got their man, or at least his car. Police seize vehicle in connection with Lorraine hit and run

Over in the UK they decide that a cyclist who was lighted and reflectored about 250% more than legal requirements was invisible. Cyclist, 42, died in accident on the A40 despite being warned not to ride on busy roads and Coroner: Lorry driver “would not have expected” to encounter cyclist he killed Yeah, I know.

Another cyclist hit in Enn Zed. Cyclist injured in Willis St crash Which just goes to show cyclists are more morally developed than drivers. How many times have I read comments along the line of “Given a choice of hitting a cyclist or hitting a car I’m hitting the cyclist”, and this guy picks a car over hitting a pedestrian.

And I’m out of links for the night.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Gonna go dance to drums tonight, and the Feed

Tonight is the monthly drum circle at my church, so I’m going to stop and take a break in the middle of composing this post to get my Pagan on and shake it to the beats. I meditate to polyrhythmic drumming, so this is a calming experience for me. Just FYI, my favorite meditation CD is the first Blue Man Group CD, Audio. I pick out the different rhythms from the music as focal points for my meditation. It sure beats how I learned to meditate, focussing on my arthritis pains as a kid. Now I barely feel pain…

Up first, have you ever looked at pictures or videos from places like anywhere in the Netherlands or Copenhagen and just drooled? Lane Envy

Rough day at work for Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Good news on Mt. Hollywood Dr; Calabasas driver busted for DUI after injuring two cyclists

The Stoopid is strong with this one. Officials ID Cyclist Killed in Carlsbad Crash “No fault has been determined” means “we still haven’t figured out a way to blame a cyclist for using the infrastructure the way it was designed for him to use it, without also blaming the poor defenseless driver”.

Someone must have hit WY LEO with a clue-by-four. Authorities charge Casper man for hit-and-run that injured bicyclist This is the third wreck in a row where criminal charges have been filed against the driver in an injury wreck with a cyclist. This was the idiot that claimed he wasn’t driving when it happened when two passengers said he did, and made the claims on Facebook… Speaking of Stoopid, this one is death-penalty Stoopid except for the grace of his victim surviving the wreck.

OH LEO aren’t quite up to RCMP standards, but the got their man this time. Troopers identify suspect in hit-and-run of VeloSano cyclist As someone suspected, he was driving illegally when the crime happened. “He’s charged with false statements, tampering with evidence, driving under suspension, fictitious registration and leaving the scene of the accident.” Basically there was not one thing legal in his being there to hit the cyclist.

When a driver swerves off the road in front of you do you go to their aid? Albemarle Co. Cyclists Happen Upon and Help Driver After Accident Well these cyclists did, but I check the license plate against my list of drivers that buzzed me before I do anything… 😛

And after that Monday report we got all the way through to Thursday before another report of a wreck at RAGBRAI. RAGBRAI riders injured in separate Linn County crashes One was a cyclist hitting the back of a truck that stopped unexpectedly, the other a hit-and-run.

This wreck was about a half day’s ride to the east of WoaB World HQ in the beautiful suburbs of Hell. Teenager killed on bicycle identified Another hit-and-run on a barrier to human-powered transportation.

Cyclists in NOLA protest bad infrastructure and worse drivers. Bicyclists memorialize killed bikers No word on how many of the deaths were due to bad infrastructure and how many were due to bad driving, my guess is about 50/50.

This was a hard article to read. Two bikers harassed by driver on Butler Street, biking advocates seek improvements Yelled at and pushed to the ground, or “assault and battery” in the “throw the book at him” language.

Update on a VA wreck. Stratford Hall’s executive director dies from injuries suffered in accident I can’t believe it has taken so long to charge the truck driver. VA has a 3 foot law. I think this is definitely a chargeable wreck, if you hit a cyclist you obviously did not have the required clearance.

If you think hit-and-run is bad for cyclists in the US… Revealed: 1,000 cyclists injured and two killed in London hit-and-runs in last year alone and More than 1,000 cyclists in London injured in hit-and-run collisions in 2014 this, too Number of cyclists injured in London hit-and-runs up 13% More than 20% of all London cyclist collisions were hit and run, higher than any US location except CA.

Talk about victim blaming. Cyclists banned from stretch of A19 after several serious accidents in last few years Do they make women stay indoors so as to not get raped in the streets? Geez that is offensive to the victims and their survivors, especially when all the victims were hit from behind while riding legally. Basically they are punishing an entire class of road users because other classes can’t stop hitting them.

Drivers in OR are getting quite the shock. Injured cyclist sues driver who waved truck through Since drivers who “direct traffic” from inside the vehicle are going to be blamed for resulting wrecks, I see a good chance that not many will continue to do it.

I can think of a couple of dozen things that drivers do that are wrong and could get cyclists killed…The dangerous mistakes bicyclists (and drivers) make on the road The main thing is that when drivers make mistakes cyclists and pedestrians die. When cyclists make mistakes cyclists and (rarely) pedestrians die.

Sometimes it really does feel like a war zone out there. ‘Real Sports’ Examines the War Between Cyclists and Drivers Between the potholes and the crumbling road surface, and the small but not zero number of drivers that want to kill cyclists, it is a wonder that anybody rides in the streets and roads.

Speaking of riding in a war zone. Bike Rider Describes Perimeter Built By Marines During Shooting

One Of Us. Patricia Keenan, killed cyclist, honoured in Critical Mass ride

Infrastructure from S.F.CA. S.F. Spends $5 Million to Make Pedestrian-Friendly Freeway Fix It is a small thing, but it is a thing that makes both human-powered modes (cycling and walking) safer.

I keep saying this and posting this, and writing letters to the editor about this, and finally someone who has the credentials to back it up agrees with me, sorta. #CityCycling: ‘There are accidents where helmets are a great thing. There are others where a helmet doesn’t work’ – hospital consultant A bicycle helmet is built to a 20 km/hr impact standard when human skulls can normally endure a 15 km/hr impact without breaking. That does not require a great deal of impact protection, and the soft shells on most modern (cheaply made) helmets don’t slide like the separate shells of the helmets used in the ’80s and ’90s that a lot of studies used in determining relative safety. I want everyone to know that when I get my neck mobility back I will be wearing a full face BMX helmet with a heavy polycarbonate plastic shell that can slide over pavement on every ride I don’t need my ears free to troubleshoot a problem.

And I’m outta links, patience, and my back hurts. See you Sunday.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I have sorta recovered, and I don’t stink anymore, and the Feed

Yesterday’s gig to repair an adult tricycle damaged in transit was lots bigger than what I posted in the haze of exhaustion and body funk I came home with. There were 2 wheels that needed truing that I couldn’t put on the truing jig because they didn’t have axles after removing them from the back of the trike, so I had to do the best I could on the trike, there was a persistent noise from one side that would not go away no matter what I did, that I traced down to the outer bearing on the left side (I think it no longer has any lubricant in it but I can’t get to it without taking it to a shop with more tools than I have). There is also an intermittent banging from the drum brake on the drive side wheel that nothing I do will make go away for more than a block or two, but goes away on its own after a mile or so. I think that is the brake drum hitting the brake band, because I don’t see any other sign of contact in the brake. And of course there was the dented fender that had to be repaired without damaging the powdercoat because the entire trike would have to be repainted it match the color if I damaged the coating enough to require a re-paint. That meant the dent could only be mostly taken out because there was nothing I could do to shrink the metal that was stretched in the original incident. As I posted yesterday the normal way to do that is to apply heat to a dull cherry color, then hammer and dolly smooth and quench to complete the shrinking process. I was just lucky that the back of my extra-large Crescent™ wrench was the right contour and had sufficient mass to work out that dent leaving minimal wrinkles behind.

Today we are having beans and rice, which means I’m cooking dinner. I so enjoy this particular vegan entrée that I taught myself how to cook it because nobody else would make it. I don’t know why, it’s tasty, completely nutritious (you could live on it and some leafy greens indefinitely) and aside from being time-consuming to make is not hard to cook (I mean I’m making it, how hard could it be?). People who eat it and don’t have to be nice to me say they like it, so why is it that I’m the only one making it? I guess that is just one of those mysteries. I know I’m going to get lots of chances to eat beans and rice when Mrs. the Poet goes to see her relatives in Upstate NY without me this year…

Up first is a link to the Wales edition of the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR). Naked cyclists were a shock on the street – but all in a good cause

The “Big Story” is the Oz sportscaster getting a gentle caress on the wrist for deliberately running down a cyclist during a road rage dispute. Mark Bosnich handed 12 month good behaviour bond after ‘clipping’ cyclist’s back wheel with his BMW in road rage collision also Premier League – Mark Bosnich escapes conviction for running down cyclist in his BMW I mean really, what amounts to deferred adjudication for an assault with a deadly weapon, with injury? TANJ!

A little happy infrastructure news from NYC as a 167 YO bridge is reopened to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Photos: Hurrah, The High Bridge Reopens After 45 Years I’m glad it wasn’t torn down during the time it was unused, because any street space in NYC that isn’t overrun with cars is a blessing, a bridge triply so.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Completing deadly Rosemead Blvd; Times seeks video of police shooting in Gardena bike theft

And Part numero dos. Breaking news: no sentencing in Eric Billings case today; driver found with narcotic drug behind bars

And also in L.A. Driver Sought in Hit-and-Run Crash That Killed Cyclist in South L.A.

A little good bike news from the city next to WoaB. Richardson Texas Gets Recognized As A Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community The Beautiful Suburbs of Hell are not even on the list for “Nice Try”.

Down the road a day’s ride from WoaB. Teen cyclist killed after colliding with car in East Austin The road is described as “narrow” yet the cyclist was blamed for “swerving” in front of the weapon vehicle. You can’t have both, either the road is narrow and the cyclist controls the full width of the lane, or it’s more than 14 feet wide and there is (barely) room to pass with 3 feet of clearance.

Next state over a pedestrian pushing a broken bicycle is hit at the side of the road. LSU professor, struck and killed while walking her broken bicycle, described as a distinguished, beloved faculty member

And I can’t tell if this person is trying to get more people on bikes, or warn those already riding to stop. Letter: Cyclists encouraged to be safe

One of the problems (as always) is infrastructure that varies in quality from crap to lethal. Cyclists urge drivers to share the road

Another academic is killed riding a bike, this one in KS. Washburn grad: Glenda Taylor was ‘a champion of students’ and Area art, academic community, cyclists mourn fatal accident

Many questions but few answers for the survivors of an AL hit-and-run victim. Family of woman killed while riding bicycle looking for answers And Stoopid comments about why she got hit.

UK cyclists are pretty steamed about the (lack of) quality in their infrastructure. ‘Die-in’ staged for cyclist killed in Camberwell and Cyclists hold ‘die-in’ vigil for Esther Hartsilver after fatal crash in Camberwell That was a very loud, very eloquent protest with very few words used.

Not every driver in the UK is a homicidal maniac all the time. Injured cyclist thanks Good Samaritan who came to his aid in Trowbridge Most are not (homicidal maniacs) som are for a small amount of time, and a tiny minority are full-on raving batshit crazy 24/7. The one that stopped to help was in the majority that is the first category.

And someone wrote a book about bicycle couriers in today’s London. On Your Bike Life expectancy slightly better than a soldier in a war zone, with crappy pay that sometimes gets stolen by the company you work for to pay the “rent” on required equipment.

It’s a good bet that the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell will never see any of this money. 7 Cities Get $375,000 to Work on Bike-Share Equity In order to study bike share, one must have a bike share to study.

Update on a WI bike wreck. Bicyclists killed in crash were longtime Northwestern Mutual employees What got left out was they were also extremely experienced and safe cyclists, but they still got killed.

Update on a MA bike wreck, as the victim gets buried. More than 1,000 mourn Mansfield teen killed in bike crash

Last link, a FL media outlet asks if cycling over the age of 70 was worth the risks. Biking over 70: Do the rewards outweigh the risks? Well if you live outside of the most deadliest state in the US to ride a bike (and also walk) maybe…

And I’m (finally) out of links. This has been a terribly long day.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Things are a little less hectic around here, and the Feed

An unstable détente has been reached between the tenants of Casa de El Poeta, but I’m still keeping the shovel handy for quick disposal of the bodies. Things have gotten more than a bit crazy around here as accusations and counter-accusations fly like hornets, but at the moment the metaphorical knives have been put away as most of the crew has gone to get dinner as the last of the laundry dries. Some of the stuff that happened was just crazy, and I wish I could tell y’all about it.

Up first, can people stop putting these things in internet comment sections when there is an article about bicycles? 9 Things Drivers Need to Stop Saying in the Bikes vs. Cars Debate I know this triggers that twitch from the “One Crazy Thing…” meme that people use to sell crap that doesn’t work, but this is the real thing.

A cyclist is killed by bad infrastructure in this edition of our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Dangerous SaMo corner, LA Calbike board members, East LA man killed in bike dispute In this case it’s bad car infrastructure, and some other links in there as well.

Mass protests against crap infrastructure are planned for the UK. Join us on Saturday to demand Roads Fit For Humans! WoaB heartily approves this event.

Even “crack” NYPD drivers sometimes find themselves unable to avoid a wreck when someone turns in front of them. Video: Teen Rescued After Being Struck & Pinned By NYPD Van Driver

NYPD Infrastructure FAIL! 70th Precinct Fines People for Choosing a Safe Place to Walk or Bike at Night Imagine closing down a street at dusk because crimes are committed on it after dark, instead of maybe catching the criminals or something?

I’m hoping this doesn’t devolve into another “helmets and hi-viz” program. Street Smart traffic safety program aims to protect cyclists, pedestrians

How to build a bike to go more than 80 MPH using the power of a single rider, from a guy that has been innovating bicycles for more than 20 years. Graeme Obree: We’re building a dragster The trick is to get the aero right, and then get the power production right with ergonomics, then get the handling right when you get the bike up to those rarefied speeds.

A problem with the legal infrastructure in BC. People seldom charged when cyclists get ‘doored,’ Vancouver data shows In spite of there being potential criminal charges when someone gets the “door prize”, LEO doesn’t want to get involved. Tough! “Getting involved” is their freaking job, ignoring this crime is discrimination against the victims.

This bit really gets to me, as the victim was trying to fix the world. Cycle death claimed health care champion This is Not A Wreck article.

A pop-up bike trailer that is a camper for 2 people. This foldable bicycle camper lets you live comfortably on the road Mrs. the Poet and I could sleep quite nicely in this for a few days at a time. I don’t see this working for much more than a long weekend though.

And those are all the links I could stand to read.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet