Got my toes done in preparation for paying my taxes, and the Feed

I just returned from getting my toenails cut so that when I walk from one tax office to the other I don’t get the nails pressing against the inside of my shoes. The walking I did over the weekend was very uncomfortable because of this. So because I’m paying the taxes tomorrow I’ll be running a bit late again for posting to the blog.

Up first is a low-information wreck report from about 40 miles to the west of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Boy riding bike hit by truck in Haltom City As of this posting nothing on the victim’s injuries or on the mode of the wreck. I sincerely hope the little guy is not injured too badly. More Haltom City man arrested on DWI charge after boy hit by truck

This is another thing I have to deal with as a TX cyclist. Injured cyclist hopes trial will lead to state ban on distracted driving That’s right someone cab run me over with their face stuck in their cell phone and it’s all like “whoopsie!” because there is no law against distracted driving in TX.

Another link to the cyclist killed by a hit-and-run driver in Houston. HPD: Hit-and-run driver kills bicyclist near Southwest Freeway at Westpark

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Glendale driver brake-checks cyclists; Newport Beach legal settlement could fix deadly intersection

And Part 2. Update: Bicyclist killed in Santa Ana collision Monday evening

Over in AZ the family of a cyclist killed by bad infrastructure as much as by the inattentive driver hopes to get the infrastructure fixed. Family of cyclist hit, killed by car hopes to make roads safer The intersection has a smooth wide-radius turn that puts drivers across a bike lane at high speeds. The solution is to keep the separate right turn lane but to extend it closer to the cross street and make the radius about 4 feet instead of the 50 or so feet of the current lane. And to confiscate and crush the cars of anyone who hits a vulnerable road user. We gotta protect those pedestrians, motorcyclists, and tow truck operators along with the cyclists.

Over in America’s Copenhagen, a bizarre infrastructure problem. Willamette Greenway path north of Steel Bridge closed “until further notice” – UPDATED The “problem” here is not cyclists but homeless campers, but cyclists are the ones that have to suffer for it. The really aggravating thing is the campers are not even in the area that cyclists are being kept from accessing, but are just off of it. I don’t know what could be done to remedy the problem, homeless people are kinda out of my field of specialty.

Still in Portland and still on infrastructure. Gap Week: Westbound Burnside Bridge between Naito and 3rd The most dangerous thing about bicycle infrastructure is when it ends, partcularly when it ends wothout warning or directions.

And our third infrastructure article from America’s Copenhagen (I keep thinking about tobacco products when I use that name, too much time in the SE USA). Guest article: The 20s “bikeway” project through the eyes of two 12-year-old girls

That guy who decided to ride a CitiBike across the country from NYC to LA has completed the trip despite getting attacked outside Tulsa for riding a bike somewhere near an idiot. Cyclist Punched, Injured In Sapulpa Finishes Cross-Country Journey This trip showed one of the problems I faced when I was planning a trip to the World Human Powered Speed Championships a few years back, as I would have been crossing the Rocky Mountains about the end od October with sub-freezing temps during the morning hours.

A NC cyclist severely injured a few years ago finally succumbs to injuries he never recovered from. Cyclist known for support of downtown Winston-Salem dies

Cyclist killed in bad road conditions in PA. DUI not suspected in Wilkinsburg crash that killed bicyclist There was a ot of angle in the hit-from-behind wreck, and the impact showed the cyclist was in position to be seen by the driver as he impacted the windshield directly in front of the driver.

Infrastructure from WI. To Fix Roads, Use Conservative Approach This guy is saying that if you want things you have to pay for things, not get them now and let someone else pay for them later. Since cars tear up the roads let gas taxes pay for keeping the roads up, not borrowing.

Another link about that strange bike wreck in far West Canuckistan where a man going through a garbage can for recyclables threw out something that hit a cyclist on the head and killed the cyclist. Composite sketch released in bizarre incident that killed cyclist He wasn’t throwing anything at anybody, just not paying any attention to where things went when he tossed them from the can.

Still looking for that person with the black coat, white pants and black shoes spotted in the area where a cyclist was killed in Jolly Olde. Witness appeal after dad-to-be killed while out cycling

And speaking of bizarre wrecks, this cyclist wandered off after getting hit, leaving his bike behind? Urgent search for injured cyclist hit by car this morning in Hounslow A car hit both the cyclist and a pedestrian in the same intersection, but the cyclist just wandered off and they fear he may have been severely injured but in too much shock to realize it.

Bad enough to have to worry about getting hit by the vehicle without having to worry about getting hit by the people inside the vehicle. Cyclist Knocked Off Bike In Brentwood After Helmet Grabbed That could have gone so bad, they are very lucky the cyclist’s neck wasn’t broken.

DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS! Boy, 4, injured by cyclist in Grimsby underpass who then sped away Especially don’t hit-and-run the pedestrians.

And this just makes me want to strangle the idiot driver. Death crash driver told police he ‘did not see’ cyclist, jury told and Louise Wright death: Cyclist ‘dragged underneath lorry’ The cyclist was sitting at the intersection before the truck, they aren’t sure if the truck was signalling or if the cyclist was in position to see the signals if they were in use, and the driver “couldn’t see” the cyclist because you could hide the horn section of the UCLA Trojan Marching Band in the front blind spots of the truck. The truck/driver combination should not have been in the city in the first place…

Infrastructure news as a debris net is hanging down enough to snag cyclists on the bank and rowers on the river. Network Rail’s bridge net by River Cam ‘dangerous’ to rowers and cyclists – video

This looks interesting. Have you seen KerVelo’s front-wheel-drive recumbent? This drivetrain could also be used to make an 18 speed unicycle 😀

Meanwhile in Oz. Cyclists are climate-change heroes but we are often treated as villains

And infrastructure from Oz. Sydney Road gets safety upgrades to cut car doorings one year after cyclist’s death

And once again I’m tired and ready for bed because tomorrow will be a busy day.

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

As I pondered weak and weary and awoke with eyes so bleary, and the Feed

Apologies to Poe for butchering his poem about an obnoxious bird, but yesterday’s massive linkfest took forever to filter and then another half-forever to compose into something that kinda-sorta made sense and I didn’t get to sleep until nearly 0500 because that’s how long it took to wind down my brain and get to sleep. Part of that was because I was thinking about how to make the negative cavity mold for producing the bucket for the Mini Sprint-T, and how to do the build for the chassis and if I wanted to have the fender/tea-tray/running boards as part of the chassis build or do it separately (both IRL and in the model).

AND I was thinking about my Christmas/Yule list because there is little that I really need and not much that I realistically want to get either. I’m starting to either get that old, or I have become that accustomed to poverty that beyond food, shelter, and meaningful work I really don’t want much. As I posted yesterday I have been requested to post my Wish List on my blog again this year so that people will know what to get me that I will like and possibly use and be able to get to it on their phones.

I’m going to start with the “Things to get me if you have no financial limitations” AKA Ridiculous List. I’m going to start with the drivetrain for my Sprint-T, an LS7 engine and 4L70-E transmission to make everything go, really fast. I decided to go with the larger displacement LS7 over the slightly more powerful LS 376-525 because they are within a few pounds of each other and the LS7 has better low-RPM manners than the highly-cammed and even higher-strung 525. For autocrossing and SCCA Solo Racing pulling off a single-pylon hairpin in first gear without having to argue with the car about who is in control is faster than all-out horsepower that is surging and/or bucking, lugging, or otherwise non-linear. And the transmission is because there ain’t room in the footbox for three pedals with enough space between them to only push one at a time when you only want to push one at a time. As it is I’m going to have to install a heel stop to keep my left foot from dragging the brakes all the time.

Also I’m going to need a rear axle with aluminum tubes with Wide5 snouts set to provide a 57″ hub-to-hub width and a differential that will hold up under street and Solo Racing abuse, built as light as possible to improve the sprung/unsprung weight ratio. And that pretty well covers my Fantasy List.

Getting to things that are realistic in costs and desires, I could always use another Starbucks card, Jack in the Box card, TGIFriday’s card, or any other dining gift card. Mrs. the Poet and I have also determined that we will need a new slow-cooker soon. The one we have now is 10 cup capacity and makes a perfect pot of beans and rice that will serve us heartily for at least 2 dinners together, or 5 solo dinners for myself, but the plastic lid is about to fall apart after about 20 years of service and the crock part is getting really hard to clean. Mrs. the Poet has asked for a broom and dishcloths, and would likewise appreciate dining gift cards, for either her birthday this week or Yule next week. She is also seeking a replacement for our dying vacuum cleaner that we can’t get consumables for any more. I think that’s the thing she really wants the most, a working vacuum cleaner.

Also something that happened was I got a PM on FB from a fan that has basically given up on riding on the road. “Opus. Thank you for writing your bike articles. They are important. Cycling was important to me. It is still an important philosophical point for me.
But I have moved on to my motor scooter, for a few of the reasons that you point out.
Im now a “part of traffic” moving with them, not fighting them.
Im tired. The constant battle for a 2ft wide space on a bicycle on public streets was wearing me down.
Life should be more than that. So, while I loved cycling. I still do. But can’t do it. The stress is too much any more.
On my scooter, I can flow WITH the traffic. Not be overwhelmed. Damn” Papa Balloon

Up first is breaking news that Ethan Couch has gone missing and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Warrant For Arrest Of “Affluenza” Teen Ethan Couch This meeting he missed was supposedly going to be for an explanation of the video showing him at a party he was not allowed to attend as part of his probation, according to the broadcast report I was watching.

Next we get two links to another FloriDUH! man on a motorcycle. Police: Motorcyclist ran red light, struck bicyclist near Clearwater Mall and Two men injured in Clearwater motorcycle, bicycle accident The drunk had 11 prior suspensions and reportedly was under suspension again at the time of the wreck. This again leads to the question “How do we keep recidivist drunk drivers from driving again?” because they caught this guy 11 times before and he’s still out there driving. How many times do they suspend a license before putting the guy in jail? There was a comment on the first link to the effect that the drunk’s relatives were convinced that his license had been restored in spite of the records saying it was still suspended. This leads me to deduce the driver is a lying bastard who continued to drive after losing the privilege to drive and telling his relatives he had paid to get his license back. Spoiler, it doesn’t work that way.

Well here’s one deadly FloriDUH! driver that won’t be killing anyone with a motor vehicle any time soon. Bradenton woman sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing bicyclist while fleeing police in stolen car The facts in the case are such that she should never be allowed out until her mental illness is cured or controlled.

More on the moron who ran into a cyclist from behind while stoned on pot. Family of man charged with killing cyclist say it was an accident

After that we need Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: They Drive Among Us part deux, and Marina del Rey rider stopped for biking while black

Still in CA. Cyclist killed, driver arrested in head-on crash in S.F. The narrative shows a scenario that was impossible for a human cyclist to avoid. The driver was basically driving the wrong side of the street in such a way that the cyclist had no place to go.

Not done with CA yet. WOMAN FATALLY STRUCK BY VEHICLE WHILE RIDING BIKE IN SAN JOSE Another blind driver claiming “sun was facing the driver” blinded her to the cyclist.

NYC demonstrates how strongly they care about traffic safety. NYPD Will Briefly Crack Down On Reckless Drivers Near Senior Centers Move it Gramps! You’re holding up traffic.

And something else that will have little to no effect on wrecks or even hit-and-runs. NYC May Double Fines For Hit-And-Run Drivers Gee, doubling the fine for the 1% you actually prosecute…

And the latest wreck this was responding to. Unlicensed Hit-And-Run Driver Critically Injures Woman In Queens Unlicensed driver and a hit-and-run as far as the car would continue to run… Remember that statement about killer drivers and high speed car shredders that turn a Suburban to metal confetti in 1.4 seconds? It should apply to wrecks like this one too.

First-person account of a motor vehicle brandishing incident. Shifting the bike vs. car paradigm The actual article is about infrastructure and sharing the roads, but I’m stuck on that brandishing incident in the opening paragraph because I had a similar incident a few years ago that ended with me on the road instead of my bike.

Another WOW moment. Bystanders lift car off trapped cyclist in China

Last link, TX cyclists get together to restore trees to an area denuded of them. WIMBERLEY RETREET

And I’m outta links again.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Hephaestus came in second again, and the Feed

Well the deity I represented in the Patron Pageant came in second place again. That means I have to sit out another year, unless Lady Ghisallo can make it, and to be totally honest I have no illusions about Ghisallo’s mass appeal outside the cycling community. For better or worse, she’s ours and we are hers, and there’s not much hope of expanding that. I see the appeal now of niche deities like Heph and Ghisallo, that aren’t exclusive but who aren’t for everyone. The problem is when you have a deity like H or G the number of people you can share your rites and rituals with are limited to people who likewise share you activities that deity endorses or otherwise espouses. People who don’t go on regular journeys have little need for a god who protects travellers, people who seldom make things have no call to request assistance from the gods of creativity. That’s just the way of things and won’t change.

I have also been asked to post a Wish List to my blog some time this week, which will probably be either tomorrow or Wednesday. I will make a separate post from the Feed so that those who care can find it easier and those who don’t care about what I want don’t have to read through it to get to the stuff they do want to read about. I’m trying to make everybody happy here.

Up first is a hit-and-run I got off Twitter. Cyclists want changes after deadly Lombard hit & run and Police ID bicyclist killed in Portland hit & run also Cyclist killed by hit and run driver on Lombard; possible suspect in custody this too Bicyclist killed in hit-and-run on Northeast Lombard not done yet Fatal hit-and-run at NE Lombard and 42nd Ave – Updated still not done Updates and reactions to Saturday’s tragic fatality on Lombard The second BikePortland link comments are especially telling to this wreck. The cyclist was hit from behind when he as forced to merge with traffic going 45+MPH because there was no room to put 2 lanes of motor vehicles and bike lanes in each direction and they were not willing to reduce motor vehicle space nor speed to accommodate bicycles. Sure, the direct cause of death was a drunk driver, but the underlying cause was the total failure of the infrastructure design. And then there was this,”We may never know, but it’s entirely possible the victim knew he was about to be hit and was trapped against the guardrail.” This was the worst possible design for cyclists, suddenly getting forced into fast traffic with no escape route possible. More reaction to the killer infrastructure design. After fatal crash, BTA calls for continuous bike lanes on Lombard

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Still more big hearts for the holiday season, and driverless cars won’t solve LA’s traffic problems

Also off of Twitter. War on cars (Part II) If there was a war on cars then said cars would not be getting the lion’s share of infrastructure spending and acreage, nor would 35K people die from motor vehicle wrecks every year. Everyone remember the name Greg Crosby in case he ever hits a cyclist, this guy is either writing this dreck at orders or is mentally unbalanced.

Still in CA. Car hits and kills cyclist in South San Jose No clues as to what happened in this wreck.

Another NYC hit-and-run. Woman Critically Injured By Queens Hit-And-Run Driver The driver was driving without a license and there was a warrant out on the car for speeding because they didn’t catch it to identify the driver…

A NJ wreck. Cyclist injured in Howell hit-and-run crash BOLO for a brown PU with a missing headlight and passenger side body damage.

A mysterious wreck in MD results in injuries to both the cyclist and the driver of the weapon vehicle. Cyclist seriously injured in collision with car in Rockville I can’t tell from the condition of the bike what happened.

This is an update to the OH wreck from last week. Man killed in bike crash encouraged others in recovery They are still insisting the cyclist was riding salmon in spite of the back of the bike being smashed and the front only slightly damaged.

LEO in FloriDUH blame the victim for getting hit from behind on a straight stretch of highway with no shoulder. Bicyclist identified in fatal crash in Auburndale Gee, maybe if it was dark and foggy the river of the large vehicle should have been driving slower so he could stop in the distance he could see clearly? Like the law in FL requires (316.183 (1)No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. In every event, speed shall be controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle, or other conveyance or object on or entering the highway in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to use due care. and (4)(e) Any special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions.)

Another wreck in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Fire Rescue: Cyclist killed in Lake Worth crash By all accounts this was either a hit-and-run or a murder, with the cyclist found lying dead in the road.

Another link to “that idiot” in FL. Hit-and-run suspect Randy ploughed into cyclist as woman ‘was giving him a blow job’ Yes, they said it.

Going way north to MN from that wreck to another train wreck. 2 people hit by Blue Line trains hours apart Monday and Update–Bicyclist Killed By Light Rail Train Identified Three people in a week? WTF?!?

Another link to the “hit and run cyclist” who hung around until the paramedics left and nobody took his contact information. Police searching for bicyclist who hit, seriously injured 85-year-old

Serious wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist injured in collision with tractor trailer near Brantford Looks like another driver not watching the road and adjusting speed to conditions hit a cyclist he didn’t see in time to stop or swerve.

Three years to sentence a killer driver to two years in jail? WTF Canuckistan?!? Two-year sentence handed down for drunk driver who struck, killed Winnipeg cyclist in 2012: reports They spent more time waiting on the trial than he’s going to spend in jail.

Gee, they agree with the French court that the cyclist was killed by a bad driver. Cyclist who got into the sport at 50 died riding Tour de France mountain stage when he smashed into car driven by British tourist and British cyclist who died on Alpe d’Huez was killed unlawfully, coroner rules also Cyclist from Surrey died riding part of the Tour de France when he was hit by fellow Brit in a car

Drunk driver was at fault in the wreck, really? Drink-driver knocked York cyclist off his bike Quote from the driver, who was deeply and genuinely remorseful. “I believe the cyclist was at fault,” he said. “He signalled as he moved out to the right. I gave him a minor bump.” That “minor bump” came within fractions of an inch of killing the cyclist, dude. Was attempted murder really only worth £355 total fines and 12 months without a license? and the driver’s quote doesn’t jibe with being “deeply and genuinely remorseful”.

Evidence is accumulating against the “justice” system in Malta. Institutionalised bias against bicycles

And what kind of bike was this Aussie cyclist riding when he “fell off”? Cyclist in serious condition after crashing ‘at speed’ in Hornsby

And I have been sitting at this computer for almost 12 hours, so I’m beat. I might not tag this much.

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 think we haven’t had any mass shootings today, and the Feed

Yeah, it’s been that kind of day today. My Feed has been about ²/₃ filled with reactions to the latest shootings and ¹/₃ with bike stuff. It was depressing, even more than usual. So to lighten the mood here’s a picture of Mrs. the Poet in her new career as a cat bed.

I got 2 bits of good news not bike related. First off was notification that my cars shipped from CA this afternoon and are expected to arrive in 5 days. Second was a vendor for the engine I want to put in the Mini Sprint-T. When you click on this link click on the LS Engine kits button and you’ll see the LS7 kit (with a manual transmission) but they also sell a slush box that mounts in place of the manual tranny. If you click on the engine kits button you can see that kit listed.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Update: Bike rider killed in San Diego’s Mission Valley Thursday night; ; 12th cyclist killed in SD County this year

More on that wreck in Ted’s link. Bicyclist hit, killed by BMW in Mission Valley and Cyclist hit, killed in Mission Valley From all the information I got from all three links including the video linked in Ted’s post I kinda know what happened but not why. The cyclist was going as fast as he could across the road because there was limited sight distance and he estimated that he had just enough time to get to the other side. The damage done to the weapon vehicle shows a strong directionality from the right front corner to the center of the windshield, and a totally smashed windshield that testifies to a high rate of speed between 60 and 70 MPH. The bicycle showed the impact was to the side on the front of the bike.

Infrastructure news from GA. Seems backlash has killed plans for Peachtree bike lanes Enjoy your traffic jams and fatalities, you earned them. Instead of getting bike lanes that relive congestion and reduce speeds during periods of light traffic, you get more of the same.

If you want to reduce traffic fatalities which group do you do enforcement actions against, motor vehicles or bicycles? To Make NYC Streets Safer, Focus on the Cause of 98 Percent of Harm NYPD acts like all wrecks will go away if they ticket enough bicyclists, but given the relative lethality motor vehicles are where they should be concentrating their efforts.

Remembering a cyclist killed in the Great White North. Memorial Walk up Claremont to Commemorate Cyclist and ‘Ghost bike’ march calls for safer streets after cyclist killed The most telling quote from both links, “Noting the excessive lane capacity on the Claremont Access, memorial participant John Neary wrote, “Claremont was totally closed for [approximately] ten minutes. Nine minutes after one lane reopened, it’s empty again.”” One. Lane. Ten Minutes. And that handled all the traffic of a lunch hour rush. It’s no wonder traffic moves at freeway speeds in spite of the 70 km/hr (43.5 MPH) speed limit.

Over in Jolly Olde a young cyclist is killed when the way was blocked by parked cars. 11-year-old cyclist killed in crash with roadsweeper Hit from behind when cars blocked the road parked on a double yellow line when according to the law “Double yellow lines indicate a prohibition of waiting at any time even if there are no upright signs.”

Another law-breaker gets “severely” punished. Derek Cheney, 63, who killed cyclist on the B3147 near Dorchester gets banned from driving Yep, he killed a man while driving and gets “banned” from driving. I use the quotes because unless he gets caught the ban is worthless. Meaning he has to break a traffic law in the presence of LEO to the effect that he attracts their attention enough to stop him and ask for his license to make the ban mean anything.

A stupid cyclist has a wreck on video. Video: Cardiff cyclist hit by car as he rides through red light and from the Daily “we hate bicycles for no reason” Mail. Dashcam catches the horrifying moment cyclist was thrown into the air after pulling in front of a car without looking I lost count of how many times I looked at the Daily Mail version and TBH I couldn’t say for certain if the cyclist was running the red at that intersection or hit from behind crossing with the light. But people with access to the video with higher resolution say the cyclist ran the red.

More on the proposal to make traffic claims under £5K go up against insurance companies and their lawyers without representation. Injured cyclists could be big losers from Osborne’s autumn budget

Aaannnd another hit-and-run. Hit-and-run driver left cyclist with severe injuries after Epsom collision Including this because the mode of wreck was given as hit-from-behind, and y’all know where to find how to avoid a wreck like this in the protocols section at the top of the page.

Another hit-and-run in Oz this time. Champion hit-run cyclist suffers spinal damage as police reveal new lead Again, I loathe hit-and-run drivers with a purple passion.

And in Enn Zed a pinball wreck with a cyclist as the pinball. SUV knocks cyclist into traffic, flees scene AFAIK the cyclist was walking her bike through a dangerous intersection when hit by the first vehicle, that then left the scene.

And I’m finally out of links, and patience.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another mass shooting in the US, and the Feed

I’m going to open by saying that there was a cyclist involved somehow with the shooting in San Bernadino because I saw the news of the shooting on my Feed first. Beyond that I’m watching CNN for developing news as it happens. I dearly wish that I knew this was something from The Onion and not really involving multiple dead people. This was the link I got first ’20-Victim Shooting’ Reported In California; Shooter At Large I had to quit Twitter early tonight because the timeline has been completely overtaken by this shooting.

The rest of the Feed is a desert because of the shooting, but I did find this in Twitter

Picking up a fresh cut tree by bicycle has become one of our favourite Christmas traditions. #bikeYVR #cargobike pic.twitter.com/da3E3OM1dm

— Chris Bruntlett (@modacitylife) November 30, 2015

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Up first because Houston is in the same state as WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. A ride, a death, a city figuring out its cycling future

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Good news for Silver Lake TraJoe’s cyclist, LACBC Open House, and more bighearted people

Still in LA. Eyes On the Street: Cars Parking On Sidewalks I am firmly in the camp that cars parked in bike lanes or on sidewalks should get a road flare through the window.

Also in CA. Policeman Runs Down Two People, Media Focus on Cop’s Good Looks Speaking as someone who was in the business for a couple of years, he takes a good picture. Whether he will still look as good after he gets out of prison…

A MA cyclist gets sideswiped because of a combination of not checking oncoming traffic and not getting seen by the traffic. Cyclist draws warning after collision with car

More on a MI cyclist killed on the roads. Police release name of bicyclist killed in Ann Arbor crash The cyclist had a rear reflector but no headlight and the wreck did not appear to be a hit from behind, I’m assuming a left cross or some other intersection wreck where the weapon vehicle should have yielded but didn’t because the driver didn’t see the cyclist.

Another take on the London die-in protest. Protest highlights road cyclist deaths

Infrastructure from Finland. Helsinki’s bicycle highway and other great innovations to build healthier cities

Infrastructure in Enn Zed as they take advantage of rebuilding after a recent earthquake to install bike/ped infrastructure. Video fly-by of Auckland’s new Nelson St cycleway Unfortunately this is shared bike/ped infrastructure that neglects the differences between bicycles and pedestrians.

A long article about something that could end all cyclist and pedestrian deaths that aren’t suicide. The High-Stakes Race to Rid the World of Human Drivers There are some wrecks that are not suicides that would not be prevented by autonomous cars but they would be a tiny percentage of the 30+K deaths and 4 Million injured every year now with unaided humans.

And when that happens more of us can be saving energy with one of these. Rise of the e-bike

I bought a car today off Amazon 1925 FORD T FRUIT WAGON. I will make the stock C-cab, the Bucket Hot Rod, and before I build the rod use the bucket portion of the kit to make a mold to pull a vacuformed body to make a Mini Sprint-T. One of the reasons I want to go the vacuformed body route is I still haven’t decided on how to mount the body to the completed frame since the frame goes on the outside of the body instead of under like it does on the Speedway kit. Since I lack access to a 3D scanner and I want something to refer to during construction tha easy way to go is build the frame in scale then cut up a vacuformed body and snake it through the frame to see how best to get the body ontoinside the frame without breaking the body.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

We’ve been here 7 years now, and the Feed

November 23rd is significant for a number of reasons beyond being the day JFK was shot in 1963. It’s also the day I started posting my blog here after getting more or less kicked off of MySpace for having excessive links 7 years ago. I dual posted for about a month with the link to this blog at the bottom of the old blog on MySpace and went from 800 readers per day to about 50 (but on the other hand I’m still going, has anyone heard anything about MySpace in the last year?). I have gotten some recognition from my peers since moving to WordPress, sometimes had enough readers to actually get a few bucks from advertisers, and gotten some free stuff to review a few times. Overall it has been fun, but there have been a few times when it got so overwhelming I just wanted to walk away and read web comics and ride my bike. But I persevered, got some counselling, and just put my head down and kept going. Which brings us to today. But before I do today, 52 years ago I was rudely awakened from my nap in the kindergarten class of Iliahi Elementary School in Wahiawa, HI to be told that the President had been shot and killed in Dallas. My immediate question was what country was Dallas and when were we going to go to war with them.

Ordinarily I start inside the US and work my way out, but today the story closest to WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell is in Mexico City. Protesters demand traffic safety in Mexico City after cyclists’ deaths and Mexico City made itself more bike-friendly—and cycling accidents went up Part of the problem seems to be drivers as one of the cyclists was hit from behind by a bus in the shared bus/bike lane. I don’t see how cyclist education would do anything to prevent that.

Baby steps towards justice for a cyclist killed in NYC. City Fires Contractor Responsible For Tree That Killed Cyclist In Red Hook This is the first stage, firing the contractor. Then comes charges, prosecution, and eventually a brisk rap on the wrist, followed by a lawsuit that bankrupts the contractor.

Still in NYC a local newspaperfishwrap wets its pants over the prospect of an Idaho Stop law. The NY Post Is Terrified Cyclists Might Someday Be Allowed To Cautiously Run Red Lights Not the best picture to illustrate the article, a salmon cyclist holding a demitasse of espresso while riding with one hand and holding a shopping bag to the handlebars.

And in the meantime real killers are allowed to stalk the streets unimpeded. MTA Bus Driver Strikes Pedestrian In LES Crosswalk Since the victim was in the crosswalk I’m going to assume he had the right of way until proven otherwise.

Back to the other side of the country for Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: LAPD still looking for hit-and-run cyclist, and a bike rider critically injured in SoLA hit-and-run That “hit-and-run” should be in quotes in the headline, because the cyclist hung around until everybody else left and nobody took his contact data… Even the cop looking for him says as much.

Still in CA a memorial to a 9 YO cyclist killed with a van. Irvine grieves for boy, 9, struck and killed on bicycle Apparently they are assigning a large part of the blame to the driver on this wreck, because every time they mentioned motor vehicle operators the words “slow down” were in close proximity.

A bit of infrastructure news from the war zone in CA. Vineland Bike Lanes: So Much Space, So Much Failure It’s really hard to ride in bike lanes when they are full of cars. Too bad CA isn’t a “Stand Your Ground” state so that cyclists could shoot drivers in the bike lanes with their deadly weapons deployed against the cyclists.

A ninja cyclist is hit in PA. Cyclist injured in State College The cyclist had the right of way, but because he was riding ninja the driver couldn’t see him to yield he got hit and blamed for the wreck.

A driver failed to take care of his diabetes and killed a cyclist during a hypoglycemic blackout. Delivery driver who hid the fact he was diabetic from his employers at Currys PC World killed a cyclist when he blacked out at the wheel during a hypoglycaemic attack Yes they spell it with too many vowels, I think it’s to make up for the lack of them in Wales. Anywho they gave him almost 4 years (44 months) in prison for the killing (and I suspect for withholding the information about his diabetes).

A government official in the UK who seems to get most of his news from Fox gets called out on his misinformation. Cyclists pose more dangers than motorists, claims transport minister Fortunately, more rational heads prevailed and called his BS. There are in fact 63 pedestrians killed by motor vehicles for every one killed by cyclists, and 46 injured by motor vehicles for every one by cyclists. And even on sidewalks the ratio is highly skewed in favor of cyclists by more than 34 to one.

They caught a hit-and-run driver in Oz, and they don’t seem likely to let him go cheap or easy. Geelong man charged over alleged hit-and-run that killed cyclist “Azzopardi was remanded in custody and scheduled to appear again in March.” So Aussie cyclists will at least get most of the Austral Summer minus this threat to life and limb.

Another article on how your city could save $$ by increasing the bike share of traffic. Planning for Less Driving, Not More, Would Lead to Big Savings And it doesn’t take much to realize these gains, just enough people on bikes to slow down motor vehicle growth 1% will do it.

And vehicles like this will help it happen. HISTORY BICYCLE CAR

And I’m outta links again. Program note, I will be away from the internet for tomorrow and Thursday so no post until Friday.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

The Feed looks a little weak today

I just opened the Feed folder and there are hardly any links in it (before filtering even!) or I should say there are hardly any reports (links are in the reports, I get up to 4 reports daily). There should be about 11 reports today but I only had 7 in the folder. So that means I don’t have as many reports to filter, which (probably) translates to not as many links. And now that I have finished the filtering I can tell you there were not as many links as is normal for a Monday. There were not as many reports as usual, and there were not as many links in each report as usual.

Up first is Gabrielle Giffords tackling a 40 mile ride on a recumbent trike after getting shot in the face during a mass shooting in AZ 4 years ago. Gabby Giffords riding 40-mile charity bike tour in Arizona and Gabrielle Giffords, rebounding from shooting, does 40-mile bike ride Go girl!

“ If I am struck by a motorist (heaven forbid), it’s not going to be because I didn’t have Volvo’s effing sparkly paint on my bike.” Vehicular Violence and Victim Blaming I can back that up with saying that at least 5 out of the six times I was hit since 2000 had nothing to do with my being invisible and everything to do with them not driving like they had any sense.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Serious sentence for a serious crime, memorial for 9-year old victim, and blame drivers, not bikes

Still in CA. Irvine boy, 9, is struck and killed while riding his bicycle Nothing on the mode of this wreck even the location does not give any real clues about what happened.

Another link to the CA cyclist killed riding the only route in or out of his workplace. Deadly midnight bicycle ride on Vincent Thomas Bridge This is as much an indictment of auto-centric infrastructure as it is anything else.

How did they know this CA cyclist was intoxicated before the tox screen came back? Cyclist struck and killed in San Jose Making this statement was at best inflammatory.

This MO wreck blames a cyclist for having the right of way when he hit the weapon vehicle. Two injured in accident south of Carthage The wreck in question is in the second listing. Ignore the car running the stop sign and hitting a truck.

More on the NYC cyclist hit by a falling tree. Report: Contractor In Fatal Brooklyn Tree-Cutting Incident Didn’t Follow Basic Guidelines “95 Sports Guy > The News reported that one of the two men on the crew was working as a flagman, tasked with waving people away from the danger zone, but it is not clear where he was or what he was doing when Liu rode up.> Literally, YOU HAD ONE JOB

This poor, poor GA driver just can’t handle bike lanes on Her Street! Keep bike lanes off Peachtree

More on the MD ride and Ghost Bike for a couple killed by a drunk driver while riding their tandem bike. Memorial ride and ceremony to honor cyclists killed near Chesapeake Beach and ‘Ghost bike’ honors couple killed while cycling

FloriDUH! killed another one in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. 69-year-old woman hit and killed while riding bicycle on S.R. 434 I don’t see the “hill” she lost control riding in the video.

Infrastructure news from OR. Unattainable but worthy

News from the Great White North. Cyclist, 2 pedestrians injured in separate incidents and Halifax pedestrians and cyclist injured in 3 separate collisions Notice who had the right of way at the intersection ? That’s right, the person riding the bicycle. And you can see the headlight on the handlebars in the picture… Damn all those blind drivers!

And I’m out of links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another TGIF, and the Feed

I’m trying to get as much done as I can early today because we have a family friend visiting from England taking us out to dinner tonight. Since Mexican restaurants in England range in quality from so-so to vile we are probably going for Mexican tonight.

And while I start doing this in the early afternoon I know it won’t get posted until after midnight, so I’m just going to ask if you hugged your transgender friends yesterday for Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Up first because something has to be, NYC actually punished a driver for killing. SUV Driver Who Fatally Struck Woman On UWS Convicted Of Homicide And now we know what it takes to get a prosecution for killing a pedestrian or cyclist: Drive on the wrong side of the road, hit the victim with the right of way, and have the victim be the 4th person you have injured with your vehicle in 6 months.

Locally, go do this next week. Bike Friendly Richardson Presents: Black Friday Ride #7 If you’re not local, there are Black Friday rides all across the country, do one of them instead.

Bike Snob NYC tweets about parking costs that devolve onto business owners instead of car owners.

Why should drivers pay their share when local businesses can pay it instead? https://t.co/cHslFRzxe0 pic.twitter.com/av8MvY0MxK

— Bike Snob NYC (@bikesnobnyc) November 20, 2015

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Yet another link to the killer who got away with only 100 days for murder because he killed a cyclist with a motor vehicle. Stroger Exec Will Serve 100 Days For Killing Cyclist While Driving Drunk TANJ!

Down the road a few days ride from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell a cyclist is hit-and-run. Cyclist killed in hit-and-run crash Those of my readers local to the scene keep an ocular exposed for motor vehicles wuth heavy front end damage.

The first of Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Sentence in Fiesta Island crash, red light-running SaMo driver, and a long list of bike events See the difference between being rich and connected and poor? More than 18 years in prison even when the victim survives, compared to 100 days for killing.

And Daily Ted part 2. Bike rider killed in midnight collision on Vincent Thomas bridge and another link Long Beach Cyclist Killed on Vincent Thomas Bridge

And Daily Ted part 3. Breaking News: Nine-year old boy killed in Irvine collision

The other big story is the coroner’s inquest on a cyclist run over by a heavy truck in Jolly Olde. Cyclist crushed to death after HGV turned left from ‘wrong’ lane at deadly junction and INQUEST REVEALS HOW WALWORTH CYCLIST DIED IN LORRY COLLISION and this, too Driver who killed cyclist was turning left from wrong lane The “money shot” for this story is this:“IMO this junction was deficient in that it did not prevent a careless collision but not so deficient that it causes the careful to collide,” he tweeted. Later adding: “Inquests into the death of cyclists never seem to me to be wholly satisfactory.”

Death by cop in OR is blamed on the victim. Cyclist on Highway 99 in Eugene struck, killed by on-duty Lane County sheriff’s deputy, Oregon State Police say and Opinion: Welcome to blame the victim season Cyclist was legally equipped and riding legally in the lane when the driver overdrove his headlights and ran the cyclist over, and they blamed the cyclist for not wearing the glow-in-the-dark clown suit.

While we are in OR here’s an infrastructure story from Portland. City finalizes plans for SE Clinton, promises two diverters by January They heard.

Trying to equalize the storage of actual human beings with the storage of motor vehicles in Portland. Commissioner Fritz questions city plan to legalize tiny homes near property lines, a perk currently given to auto storage Currently the only structures allowed to be zero lot line are garages, not even bike sheds which are garages for bicycles. “This is Amanda Fritz in a nutshell. If she didn’t have this job, she’d be on an HOA approving paint colors, issuing fines for ragged hedges, and questioning our commitment to Sparkle Motion.”

In NYC a woman learns to ride a bike in the city. Losing Your Fear Of Biking NYC: Braving Rush Hour This is supposedly the last article in the series, now that she has braved the perils of a Manhattan rush hour.

A deadly MI car/bike wreck. Warren police: Child on bike struck, killed Not much in the report aside from the dead cyclist, nothing on the mode.

I hate hit-and-run drivers. This one killed a cyclist in NC. Police seeking driver of truck that killed cyclist, left scene If you’re local, BOLO for a white pickup truck with front end damage.

I hate this hit-and-run just as much as the previous paragraph. Bicyclist killed in Everett hit and run accident “He was taken to Providence Medical Center in Everett and was expected to be booked into the Snohomish County Jail for vehicular homicide.”

Update on a CO wreck. Driver in Olde Stage hit-and-run that injured cyclist will be charged “Daniel Updike, 33, of Lafayette will be charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, failure to report a crash, careless driving resulting in injury, aggravated habitual traffic offenderand driving without insurance.” I would say the driver was very lucky the cyclist survived, with a rap sheet like that he would have been charged with murder if the cyclist died.

Update on a MN wreck. Health of Student Injured in Bike Accident Improves

A wounded vet ride down by San Antonio. Injured veterans get ‘geared up’ for Soldier Ride trip

And another ride in FL. Injured veterans gather for bike ride: ‘Good to be with the brethren again’

And another ride in CA. Cyclists raise money for injured veterans

Infrastructure from Hotlanta. Building a Bikeable Atlanta With an Eye on Equality

Over in Jolly Olde they are starting to repaircorrect a deadly collection of intersections that all dump together. London Bank junction to be transformed for cyclists, buses and pedestrians The previous form of the intersections was just kind of thrown together from the old Roman roads, not actually “designed”. The new plaza will actually be designed for all modes of transportation, and hopefully they will stop killing people.

Over on the Emerald Isle they’re recognizing the infrastructure is not up to the challenge. 200 people killed on roads across the Ireland so far in 2015, with six fatalities in the last week.

Over in Oz an anonymous cyclist chastises a driver without distressing her more than she deserves. Cyclist leaves note for P-plater: ‘You look too nice for prison’ Roundabouts are the most difficult bit of infrastructure for novices to negotiate in Australia.

And I’m out of links and ready to hit the hay, except we don’t have hay, we have an old worn out futon.

Billed @€0.02, Opus