Back to the bike stuff temporarily

I was reading some of the online newspapers like Gothamist and BikePortland, and the same old anger that made me quit writing about wrecks a few years back came bubbling up, mostly about people in cars making life dangerous for cyclists just to save a few seconds or a few steps. Gothamist was talking about towing cars from bus lanes (but not from bike lanes), and BikePortland was talking about right hooks in general and an injury wreck that appeared to be a right hook in specifics. Basically it was all about cars in bicycle infrastructure and not getting penalized for it. I don’t want to go down that road again, because the eventual destination is not good for me, but I do want to make a statement: If you see a car parked in a bike lane you should put down road flares to direct bike travel around the car and car travel around the car, and the tow truck, and bikes that will have to move into the general travel lane to get around the car. And if the flares happen to get too close to the car and maybe cause a tire to blow up or the gas tank to catch fire, well that’s just one of those things that “happens”, you know? Kinda how cars hitting cyclists “just happens”. Because putting down flares to direct traffic around an illegally parked car is all for safety, not to “accidentally” give the entitled driver an extra-judicial “traffic ticket” and fine. And if a bunch of illegally-parked cars catch on fire or blow up the left rear tire, they shouldn’t have been parked illegally, right?

Because traffic enforcement should never have to be a DIY project.

Finally got some money, and the Feed

The check came in this morning, so I’ll be out running around paying bills and making deposits and stuff tomorrow instead of going with Mrs. the Poet to shop for groceries. There won’t be a big difference for the blog, just for my selection of salty snacks. I think I might have to give up meditation to get my BP up high enough to make the grade for the new test med, because cutting my current meds in half doesn’t quite do it, and eating salty snacks doesn’t do it either. I’m barely at 110/80 now.

Up first, wait, what?!?

Another cow caught stealing a bicycle…… pic.twitter.com/7gtONxicdn

— classicretro (@classicretro) March 30, 2016

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And closer to home.

Crews Finally Add Last Block of 2-Way Protected Bike Lane in Downtown Houston pic.twitter.com/DyjHLsSstv

— StreetsblogTexas (@StreetsblogTex) March 30, 2016

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Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Downtown bike lanes draw new brewery, new bollards on Vineland and a new LA Bike Fest video

Unknown mode of wreck in MN. Bicycle rider killed by car in Sartell and Bicyclist Struck, Killed In Sartell As of this posting all I know is there was a cyclist hit by an unknown vehicle and possibly left for dead making this a possible probable hit-and-run.

Victim blaming in the Great White North. Cyclists share responsibility for accidents More blaming the victim for not wearing the GITDCS that drivers seem to think every cyclist should wear 24/7 when riding. Instead of you know, actually looking more than 20 feet in front of the vehicle.

Right hook in far West Canuckistan. Cyclist dies in collision with truck in Victoria’s Chinatown and Cyclist, 73, struck and killed in downtown Victoria I zoomed in on the picture of the crime scene and the only truck visible was a COE with good forward and side vision. So, aside from using the standard protocols posted in the links at the top of the page what could be done to prevent this wreck? They were already using the delivery vehicle with the best outward vision, the cyclist was wearing clothing that made her visible, what else could be done? EDIT: As I was getting ready to move from the first link to the next link the page updated with a much better picture of the crime scene showing the actual delivery vehicle having a conventional cab that is blind to a large area in front and to the right where the cyclist was hit. So going back to the question, replacing the delivery vehicle with a COE flat van and a glass door to the right would be a massive help.

Speaking of the devil, here’s an article from Jolly Olde on just that kind of vehicle, this one in a trash hauler. Pioneering lorries with panoramic view hit the streets in bid to save cyclists’ lives

Also from the UK is this factoid from the trial of a killer driver. Janina Gehlau: Lorry driver ‘should have seen cyclist for up to five seconds’ before fatal collision The cyclist was using the infrastructure as designed, the driver of the weapon vehicle should have been looking in the direction he was planning on driving before actually proceeding through that space, I believe the colloquial phrasing is “Looked where he was going”.

This is an aspect of UK jurisprudence that I would dearly love to see here in the US. Cyclist injured in fall from bike due to road ‘hazard’ awarded damages after suing council for ‘negligence’ Injured or incur property damage because of crappy infrastructure? Sue the government body responsible for it not being crappy.

Now this just sucks. Man pushes cyclist off BMX and rides off on it I try not to wish harm to another human being, really I do, but this guy needs to get hit by an HGV turning left at a stop light since this is over in Jolly Olde where they drive on the wrong side of the road.

Another rider in Oz hits a parked car? Qld rider killed after hitting parked car Seriously this is two this week.

More on the 73 YO driver that killed a cyclist in Oz. Hit-and-run driver charged over WA cyclist

Back in the US, SF infrastructure! TWIN PEAKS FOR EVERYONE OK let me get this out or I’m going to explode: “That’s one fine cuppa coffee” .

And how do you get bike parking? How Portland’s oldest Buddhist temple got better bike parking Sometimes you have to DIY.

And here it is not even midnight and I’m outta links, Gigi is going to be so happy.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

The trees are killing me, and the Feed

I’m still having problems seeing because of this allergy attack, and weather.com says the only pollen in the area is tree pollen. To make things worse we are having a pretty stiff breeze in the area keeping the pollen flying around instead of letting it settle like it did last week when the mailbox was tinted yellow. The interesting thing about this year as compared to previous years is I can breathe pretty well, I just can’t see very well. Most of the time I can see the TV or the computer not too bad, but if I let my hydration drop below a certain point, that I don’t know where it is until I pass it, then all of a sudden I get a white veil across my vision. It’s super annoying.

Ted is taking a Mental Hygiene day so no Daily Ted. Sending best wishes to Ted.

Normally I would say still in CA. Buena Park bicyclist killed by pick-up truck identified Not a whole lot of information about this wreck, aside from a general location, the type of weapon vehicle, and the identity of the victim.

Also still in CA. Cyclist hit by car in Pacific Beach suffers head injury At this point LEO believe the cyclist ran a stop sign while the weapon vehicle was on a through street.

Still in CA (lots of links from CA). FiDi & North Beach Crime Roundup: Hit & Run, Stabbing, Violent Fight Over Tips I assume this “Munchery” is some kind of food delivery. I’m extremely happy the pedestrian was uninjured. From the limited narrative given the wreck was partially due to a congested intersection, and restricted sight lines.

And guess where we haven’t left? Bicyclist critically injured in collision with UPS truck in Baldwin Park Either a cross or hook movement given that the truck was turning into a driveway. Intersection protocols to reduce damages. Drivers watching where they are going to prevent.

Yep, still in CA. DEVORE: Bicyclist hit and killed by vehicle (UPDATE) Left cross wreck, the most frequent cause of death for motorcyclists, 3rd for bicyclists. Always the fault of the driver for not looking before turning.

From America’s Copenhagen. Bicyclist struck and killed in SE Portland Witnesses say the weapon vehicle was turning and going fast enough that the cyclist was thrown into the air. While no charges were made public in this link the driver was arrested and taken away in handcuffs.

And from the Portland on the other side of the country/continent from America’s Copenhagen. Portland police arrest man on suspension of fatally hitting cyclist This was really confusing for me because the two cities are both in counties of the same name, with neighborhoods of similar names. Nothing on the mode of wreck, but that bike in the picture looks like it was hit from behind, and the several charges involving impairment suggest the cyclist was hit from behind. And someone really needs to proofread that headline. Ugh!

Moving from ME to MA. Bicyclist killed in downtown Holyoke Friday morning and Bicyclist killed in Holyoke crash Friday The first link just says the cyclist hit the truck, second says this was a left cross wreck, which is always the fault of the driver for failing to wait until the lane is clear before crossing it.

Moving south to FL. Teen on bicycle killed after being hit by car in Apollo Beach Cyclist hit from behind, comments blaming cyclist for being there at 0239…

Still in FloriDUH. Victim in fatal Merritt Island hit-and-run crash identified Hit from behind, BOLO for a Chevy S-10 P/U with fresh heavy front end damages. Speculation the cyclist was either drunk or trying to get to safety after getting hit and run before…

And we got a lot of similar links from different outlets. Cyclists upset about lack of penalties for drivers who hit bikes and Cyclists seek heavier penalties on errant drivers also Amid Cycling Boom, Penalties for Errant Drivers Remain Light Totally expected calls for bicycle license plates with the NOLA link’s comments section.

Update on the victim of a CO hit-and-run. Cyclist injured in hit-and-run near Boulder released from hospital Wishing the cyclist a quick recovery from all injuries, not expecting anything like that.

Wreck in KS. Teen bicycle rider hospitalized after hit by Kansas driver and Teen bicylist struck by car suffers serious injuries in Riley County There was no excuse for this wreck, hit from behind in late afternoon with the sun off the driver’s right meaning the roof would have blocked anything from shining into the driver’s eyes. He should have seen the cyclist and either slowed down or moved over. Instead he just plowed right into the cyclist.

This SC infrastructure test is the absolute worst-case situation, installing a bike lane by removing a travel lane for motor vehicles with nobody using the bike lane (in this case because they aren’t allowing bicycles to use the blocked lane because it “isn’t safe”). Ashley River bike lane test set for April to May

From the Great White North. Birthday horror: ‘Shattered’ mom learns son killed by minivan while riding bike The wreck was so bad that there was no viewing at the wake or funeral.

And a serious Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot moment for me when I read this link. No charges expected after Leamington cyclist killed on County Road 31 Are they seriously not going to charge the driver for overdriving their lights when they hit the cyclist from behind because the cyclist was wearing dark clothes? Do deer and moose wear reflective vests when they wander about at night?

This is just appalling. Bike courier launches fund to pay rent after hit-and-run driver left him too injured to cycle He should be getting some kind of temp disability while he recovers enough to do his job or gets another job.

This is one of the things I loathe about UK media laws. Cambridge woman stole 11-year-old’s bike as he and his mother gave chase Yeah, this would have been a good story, back in August when it happened, not in late March when she got sentenced for it.

A fitting memorial is in the planning stages. Syd Barrett memorial exclusive: spinning bike wheel artwork planned This is the song being commemorated with the artwork.

Wreck in Scotland. Teenage cyclist killed in collision with car on Moray road Typical UK report.

The money grab from cyclists doesn’t seem to have changed much in the first month. ‘Shock and awe’ tactic not helping in bicycle safety campaign

This is just low. Rebekka Meyer’s ghost bike disappears, found dumped nearby Who would do such a thing?

And I’m out of links finally.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Happy MLK Day, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And those were all the links I had.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

I’m a millionaire until the Powerball drawing, and the feed

Yep, I bought a ticket to that half-billion $ Powerball jackpot. I mean invest $2 for a potential payout of $500,000,000? With my luck I would be crazy not to. I mean how many people do you know who survived getting hit with a truck going 60 MPH? The odds are slightly better than winning the Powerball, but not by much.

Up first is our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Too much bike tech, cyclocross nationals, and riding your bike pony through an LA El Niño

Still in CA, an update on that Loma Linda wreck from earlier in the week. LOMA LINDA: Cyclist fatally hurt when elderly motorist turned left Left cross, one of the scenarios I had guessed at when this was last reported on.

Another cyclist is hit in the most deadliest state in the US to ride a bike (or walk). Cyclist injured in hit-and-run crash in Sarasota The narrative sounds like a left cross or right hook, or just posssibly a swoop and squat. If the latter, then this was an assault with a deadly weapon rather than a hit-and-run.

This driver in NYC was trying to go out with a bang. Suicidal Driver After Christmas Eve Hit-And-Run Rampage: “I Wanted To Go Out In A Glorious Way” The current condition of the cyclist hit during the rampage is undisclosed.

The depravity of this wreck is beyond comprehension. Drunk Developer Allegedly Tossed Dead Passenger & His Stuff From Porsche After Hamptons Crash The only thing I have to say is all the dead and injured in this wreck were inside the weapon vehicle. Oh, and the deceased had terrible taste in “friends”.

Who gets sued when the inevitable cyclist injury or wreck happens? City gives in to state demand to remove bike lanes from SE 26th Avenue Do they sue Dimwitty, or the head of PBOT, the entire city government, or ODOT?

Also in America’s Copenhagen. Hit by Uber driver? Portlander watches as car that hit him drives off The victim in this case was a pedestrian who did not suffer serious injury, but still… the driver of the weapon vehicle left the scene.

A little infrastructure news from WI. Unplowed Snow Reveals Overbuilt Streets The “sneckdown” will show where even rush hour traffic fails to tread leading to significant reductions in street space allocated to motor vehicles. Of course this method only works for places where it snows regularly, which leaves out the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell.

Infrastructure news from the coffee capital of the US (home for Starbucks and other coffee companies, but not Seattle’s Best, which is located in Texas). Dangerous, unnecessary Seattle bike lane project moving forward There are two things that make me think this might not be an unbiased article: the credit is given to a Jason Rantz from a radio station and this line from the article: “The only people who like this idea are the small group of loud bike activists and “urbanists-at-all-costs” who bully anyone who stands in their way.”

A legal saga from Canuckistan. Alberta driver who crashed into teen cyclist to be sentenced in February “The Crown is asking for a sentence of 12 to 15 months while the defence is seeking three to six months.” Of course they are, they’re not the one stuck in the living hell of a shattered mind.

A cyclist escapes death by a terrorist act only because he and his bike put his neck significantly higher than a normal rider. Cyclist is almost GARROTTED after yobs strung a piece of electric flex across a bike path The picture showed what could have been a serious boobly trap. This was no “prank”, this was an attempt to kill.

And some people will just kill with a car or truck instead of going to all the trouble to rig a bike path. Hailsham cyclist captures near-miss incidents on camera I couldn’t watch the videos because they failed to load when I clicked on them. The stills were less than spectacular.

More videos from the tiny island nation of Malta. Watch: Cyclists’ near misses in Malta

I’m out of links and ready to get some more work done on the Mini Sprint-T. I have just about finished the dam that will support the body filler that will make the kit bucket like the Speedway bucket only 1/25 the the size. There will need to be a lot of work done to the cowl especially in the firewall area to get the vacuformed body as narrow as the Speedway body, but I think I have the skills to do it. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to do it, but I know I can do it. One way or another I will have the T-Bucket of my dreams even if it’s only 1/25 scale.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

More stuff arrived, and the Feed

The new Crock Pot™, and the tires and engine for the Mini Sprint-T arrived via USPS this morning. I have already measured the tires and all I have to do to make them the perfect size is figure out how to inflate them on the wheels until the glue dries or otherwise hold the simulated beads of the tires up against the simulated flanges of the wheels. They are molded with the beads a scale 7″ apart (0.28) causing the sidewalls to be a scale 9″ wide (0.36) when they need to be 8″ apart and 10″ wide respectively. One way I can see of doing this would be to glue one bead to the outside flange of the wheel then put a tiny bit of AB expanding foam inside the tire to push it to the inside flange of the wheel, then glue it in place if needed.

The engine kit was fully chromed, as in everything on the sprue was covered in vacuum-sprayed aluminum. This will simulate a highly-polished aluminum block and heads which the 1:1 car will not have (as much as I would like to put an aluminum block SBC in the Sprint-T), but which will make the model stand out should I decide to put it in a car show.

Up first is a new world record that was set before I was born. Tarzan Rides the HAM’R Kurt Searvogel 75116 miles in one year. I have never even driven a car that many miles in a year. That’s 8.57 MPH average for the entire year, including all off the bike activity. That’s almost fast enough to make this a randonneur event of more than 120K km or 100 Paris-Brest-Paris rides.

Anyone need a cruiser bike for free? Let’s give someone a new bike, courtesy of Beachbikes.net Let me know if you’re the winner.

Still talking Ted. Morning Links: New laws are much ado about nothing, bad bicyclist behavior, and ride faster and save your sperm

Still in CA. San Jose: Downtown bicyclist killed in city’s first traffic death of the year The narrative does not indicate the cyclist was caught by a stale green.

Over in OR. Man hit while bicycling near Western Oregon University is last Oregon road fatality of 2015 This was the guy hit by a drunk driver then knocked into oncoming traffic by the impact.

Should we celebrate? NYC Traffic Deaths Decreased For A Second Straight Year In 2015 Now if they could just do something about the SUVs driving through crowded sidewalks and killing people, and the drivers not even getting a ticket…

Hit-and-run down in MD. Cyclist killed in collision with car in St. Mary’s County and UPDATE: Bicyclist in California Killed in Hit and Run Accident The picture shows a bicycle hit straight from behind, but I can’t read the speedlimit sign visible in the picture because of excessive glare from the camera flash reflecting from the sign.

There was also a DE wreck. Cyclist Injured in Crash on Bay Rd. in Frederica The street views show a highway with a 55 MPH speed limit and driveways running right into the road, or IOW a “stroad”. The wreck narrative indicates a cyclist trying to get to or from one of the commercial establishments on the opposite side of the road. There were not many crossing points in the median.

A Detroit-area cyclist is killed. Canton cyclist hit by car, killed Sunday I know riding a bike feels like magic, but we can’t “appeared all of a sudden“. The victim was there all along, just because you didn’t process his existence until impact doesn’t mean cyclists can violate the laws of physics. If the driver didn’t see the cyclist, then it is highly likely the driver was driving too fast for conditions. The video indicated the cyclist was “crossing”, but the text does not and there were no pictures of the bike that I can use to determine the direction of impact. So until otherwise treat this as a cyclist not allowing enough time to get clear of the street.

The most deadliest state to ride a bike kills another cyclist. Port Richey bicyclist killed in crash on U.S. 19 Again the cyclist was “in the intersection” but no direction of travel was given. So this could be any mode of wreck that just happened to be in an intersection. And I looked up the intersection claimed for the wreck and I strongly suspect either a stale green or excessively short green as a possible cause of the wreck because the one street is basically just an access road between shopping centers.

A PA cyclist appears to have been right hooked or left crossed. Elderly cyclist injured after being hit by car Friday night The narrative is not specific, but it is highly suggestive as the cyclist was not accused of either having not enough lights or running a traffic control and the driver was “trying to get on a ramp” to a highway.

A bit of the kind of bicycle infrastructure in Boston that we don’t think about until we need it. Boston Bike Cafe Has Transportation Equity on the Menu This is a local creation intended to support the commuting cyclists in the area who can’t affotd a car or even transit.

Speaking of “too poor”, lets not leave out “too stupid”. ‘Nervous’ cyclist found carrying drugs and knife is jailed to ‘wipe the slate clean’ Lights would have prevented a stint in the Grey Bar Hilton. Just sayin’.

Still in Jolly Olde a cyclist recovering more than 3 years after the wreck gets a hefty payout. Cyclist wins £100k payout for collision that left him in wheelchair for four months As in my wreck he was found to have torn ligaments long after the wreck.

Apparently the writer didn’t re-read his opening paragraph when composing the last few. Lycra lout cyclists, stop! On city streets bikes are for transport, not sport But in the opening paragraph she said,”Cyclists trundling along under 8mph had far more incidents and near misses than the fast mob.”

Still in Jolly Olde this cyclist repeats an epic charity ride. Larne cyclist to repeat epic 500km Swiss cycle challenge It’s not the distance, it’s the mountain passes climbed that make it “epic”.

And it’s almost midnight and I’m outta links.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and the Feed

This will be the last post of 2015, and I have to say that I’m slightly surprised at having survived this year as a blog and as a blogger. There were car wrecks and tornadoes, food poisoning, muggings and other mayhem, and none of it actually touched yr fthfl srvnt author. It all kind of swirled around me so that I could see it and report on it, but not have to suffer through it. Another bit of evidence that I’m a character in a story reporting back on what I see and feel as others live the story. I really need a better writer for my sex scenes…

Up first, the driver who killed a MD cyclist was violating two traffic laws to cause the wreck. ‘It’s Just So Unreal’: 19-Year-Old Cyclist Dies After Crash With SUV The two laws? Failing to obey a traffic control, and not stopping for a car stopped in front of a crosswalk. The cyclist had no chance to avoid this wreck as his view of the weapon vehicle was obstructed by the car that was following the law.

A NYS resident doesn’t have to leave the house to get above the legal limit for BAC. NY Woman Beats DWI Charge Because Her Body Is A Brewery This is an actual medical condition that I have been aware of for at least 25 years because I read about it before I moved to TX back in 1989, and again some time during the “Aughties”. So, rare, but not unheard of.

Cop hit cyclist in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Cyclist, Patrol Car Collide In Miami Gardens Cop claimed to have the green light when the cyclist “pulled out in front of him”. The geometry of the wreck indicates the cyclist was in the intersection for several seconds before the patrol car got there, meaning this could have been a stale green crossing where the cyclist had the right of way over the cop car. But since the comments have been closed for the article the only place you will see that is in this blog.

A WV cyclist is blamed for getting right hooked. Keyser man injured in bike/van crash at Memorial Bridge Nothing more I can say about this.

CT LEO are asking the public’s help in finding a cyclist’s killer. Shelton PD Seeks Help Finding Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed A Cyclist

DiYDoT in action in Portland. Activists use traffic cones to improve safety of bike lane along new Orange Line MAX Yay DiYDoT! Doing what the regular DoT can’t or won’t do to make streets safer.

Lastly, did anyone order a box of kittens?

And that’s it for 2015. Here’s hoping 2016 is at least a little better.

Billed @$0.02, Opus the Poet

Another Grocery Day, and another Feed

Well, we bought groceries again today. I also treated a bunch more claw marks in my leg courtesy of Clint and Clyde, who decided swatting at each other from either side of my leg was a great fun thing to do, while said swats were claws out and mostly missed each other but managed to connect pretty regularly with my leg. Such is the life of a cat owner. One grocery purchase was something of a waste though. We bought milk, but not any coffee or cereal to put it in. I sometimes will drink plain milk, but not enough to justify buying a whole gallon at once. Fortunately we got the gallon with a 50% off sticker because I like the lowfat 1% milk that doesn’t sell well around here this time of year (this is the time when people buy whole milk or even half and half).

Up first this wreck reminds me of mine. Bicyclist grazed in Brevard County hit-and-run crash The driver of the city vehicle could face misdemeanor charged “if he knew he hit the cyclist”. “Duuuhhhh, did I hit something?” Salmon cyclist did not do himself any favors, but the law really needs to be changed so that pretending to “not know” you hit someone does not become a “get out of jail free” card.

Still in “FloriDuh” is this update on the fiery crash that dismembered a cyclist. Questions arise after new details released in fatal car crash with cyclist

Cyclist in MI hit by right-turning delivery vehicle but at this point nobody is saying where the cyclist was when he got hit. Cyclist injured in truck vs. bicycle crash in Ann Arbor There is an MUP that complicates the intersection and at this point the cyclist could have been in three places that could have been occupied by the truck. Two were legal places one wasn’t, how much you wanna bet they decide the cyclist was in the place that wasn’t legal?

Our Daily Ted part the first. Morning Links: Re-approval of Mobility Plan moves on; Breeze blows into SaMo; Caltrans nixes induced demand

Daily Ted, the second part. Guest Post: Felicia Garcia looks at Councilmember Cedillo’s Opposition to Mobility Plan 2035

Up in America’s Amsterdam, I’m not sure if this is just normalizing blind drivers or an honest attempt to protect cyclists, or maybe both. TriMet will hand out free lights and safety gear at ‘Be Seen Be Safe’ event After the article where a cyclist was killed by a driver left-crossing driver at noon (12:02 pm) on a bright, sunny day and investigators said there was “no way” the driver could have seen him because the cyclist was in shadow for a fraction of a second approaching the intersection you can see why I might have this conflict.

Infrastructure news as WDOT joins the 21st Century. A first for Washington: Green paint for bike lanes on a state highway

Making more infrastructure changes in OR. With Blumenauer in his corner, Novick pressures ODOT for changes on Barbur People have been asking for bike lanes on that street for years now partially because drivers treat the street like a speedway because it is overbuilt for the amount of traffic it carries most of the time.

Are drivers getting more aggressive? Taking the pulse: Aggressive driving in Portland Well since my attempted murder took place in 2001, I would say how much more aggressive can they get? But maybe DFW drivers have been moving out to PDX in droves lately…

Hero dog gets a hero’s funeral. Military service held for dog killed by bicyclist

Hit-and-run in CO. Cyclist killed in hit-and-run in Brighton LEO are not releasing anything about the mode of this wreck until they know more.

It’s rare but it does happen when cyclist density gets high enough. London cyclist dies after collision with another rider

Road rage just never does anyone any good. Former soldier faces jail after road rage crash left cyclist brain damaged for last 15 months of life The driver could get life for the beating. Now if he had run the cyclist over he could have gotten as much as 250 hours of community service. It strikes me as odd that the basically the same crime with two different weapons could get such disparate sentences.

Some car makers think e-assist bikes are going to be about the only vehicles left on the road besides bicycles in the coming years, and they want to get in ahead of the curve. GM executive hints at a foldable, electric bike for commuters A folding bike that fits in the trunk because cars are no longer allowed in cities?

This letter writer is blaming his anger on the wrong thing. E-bike frustration understandable The thing that is annoying him is drivers who can’t drive switching to e-bikes because they don’t require a license, and also because the silly little scooter things sometimes get saddled with two riders because they have the same seat as a regular scooter.

And I’m out of links again. Come back early Saturday morning for more.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

D&D was cancelled so I get a break in the middle of making the post, and the Feed

The D&D game scheduled for this afternoon was called off because the logistics just couldn’t be made to work. There were too many people who needed rides to get there in time because even those of us who have DART access still have over a 90 minute ride to the game. There is one person who no longer has a car and also does not have DART access, so getting that person (and her character sheet) to the game requires someone with a car to go get her.

The weather system that has brought record high temperatures to the Northeast has brought cool, damp, and cloudy conditions to Casa de El Poeta. The AC hasn’t kicked on more than a few minutes total in the last 3 days, even with the dryer going while my son did his laundry. In fact as I type this it’s only 74°F in my office that normally sees 78-80° all summer long. Outside is only 68° so I might be changing from shorts to long pants soon.

Up first, victory (lower case). Driver convicted in deadly 2014 SXSW crash that killed 4, injured dozens Life in prison without parole…

Still in the city that the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell is a suburb of. Dallas already needs a new ‘bike czar’ as 2014 hire Ashley Haire prepares for ride to Denver This is why we can’t have nice bicycle infrastructure.

Hey, wanna throw stuff on the Trinity Trail? Bike riders to ‘bomb’ Fort Worth trails with milkweed for monarchs Save the Monarch butterfly and get a great bike ride in at the same time!

The big story today is the PA cyclist getting hit from behind by a semi. Bicyclist killed in crash with tractor-trailer near Penn State New Kensington entrance and Bicyclist killed in crash with tractor-trailer in Upper Burrell Now the story is the driver moved over to pass but had to move back before completing the pass because he didn’t allow enough room for oncoming traffic. And then the cyclist “fell” under the truck’s wheels. They claim “witnesses” saw this pass attempt, I just want to know how many were not in the truck.

Next big story is a cyclist fatally buzzed by a dump truck in West Canuckistan. Cyclist killed in Richmond collision and Cyclist killed after collision with dump-truck The article has a Street View of the crime scene under similar weather conditions to the time of the wreck that shows there was nothing to obstruct the view of the cyclist from the truck. So what actually happened is a matter of conjecture.

Down in KS it sounds like a cyclist is hooked or crossed by an unknown vehicle. Hutch teen injured after riding her bike into a car Other than the cyclist nothing was mentioned about the vehicles involved in this wreck.

Over in the most deadliest state to walk or ride a bike in the US, a cyclist is right hooked. Flagler student injured when SUV hits bike The driver was given a ticket in the wreck. The cyclist got unspecified injuries.

Still in the most deadliest state, a little girl is hit by a suspected drunk driver. Girl riding bike hit by SUV, critically injured Nothing about the mode but it’s pretty sure the 5 YO was not commuting to grandma’s house.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Swift justice in Highland Park DUI hit-and-run case, and protected bike lanes spread across US

Still in CA cars take up a massive amount of a project that has nothing to do with cars. San Diego County Spends $36M To Give Employees Free Parking Three quarters of the cost for building a park was moving parking for cars to free up the land… 😛

What the freaking Hell? Woman driving in collision that killed Mark Angeles receives traffic citation That’s a $260 maximum fine for killing a cyclist.

More infrastructure news from PA. How Advocates and Agencies from the City and Suburbs Came Together for the Manayunk Bridge Trail The main story on this was the struggle to find funding. Then they put the parks department in charge of it. For Those Confused About the Manayunk Bridge Opening/Closing Times… Seriously, they lock the place up at dark and don’t open back up until 0800, what kind of highway is this?

NYS still refuses to bring their laws about e-assist into the 21st Century. HELP WIN THE USE OF E-BIKES IN NYS Despite Federal regulations that changed e-assist bikes status to “bicycle” back in 2002 NYS insists that they are “motor-driven vehicles” and can arrest the rider and confiscate the bike if not registered as a moped. But, because of the Federal regs they can’t be registered because they lack a valid VIN and can’t get one because they aren’t motor vehicles.

Cyclist injured in the Great White North. Courtice cyclist, 14, in Toronto hospital after being hit by truck Umm, the geometry of this wreck does not make sense especially since they didn’t claim the cyclist was riding salmon.

More on the cyclist buzzed by a truck in the GWN. Brampton dad’s devastating hit-and-run death still a mystery Apparently they know he got hit by a truck, but there were too many trucks in the area to know which truck was the one.

The end of Daylight Savings Time has been seriously messing with people in the Great White North. Cyclist injured in hit and run in Lorraine They have no idea of what happened before the driver left aside from clobbering the cyclist with a motor vehicle.

Another hit-and-run still in the GWN. Driver drove off after asking if cyclist he hit was OK, police say What happened to all the “polite” Canadians?

Update on the attempted murder of a cyclist and 2 policemen in Canuckistan. Police lay charges in officer-involved shooting Apparently the cyclist was “just an accident” but the cop was “attempted murder”.

Seriously, hit-and-run conviction wasn’t enough to do it? Cabbie who injured cyclist in hit-and-run incident gets taxi licence back after landmark High Court decision So being convicted of two serious driving offenses is not enough to automatically lose your taxi license, they have to prove it?

I don’t link to UK wrecks very often because there is so little in the report because of UK media laws, but this one is an exception. BREAKING: Cyclist dies following collision in Banbury Another cyclist killed because of an HGV…

UK bicycle infra not up to CROW manual standards gets called out. Fears that someone will be killed on A81 Bidirectional bike track separated from a 45 MPH arterial by nothing more than a curb.

More crap UK infrastructure. Calls to ‘sort Mill Road out once and for all’ as cyclist fights for life after motorbike crash

Switzerland has the same situation as other EU countries, cars are getting better at protecting those inside, but not those outside. Serious e-bike and other cycling accidents rise Drivers are still running into things at the same rate, but people inside motor vehicles in those wrecks are not getting hurt. Those outside motor vehicles are still getting injured and dying at the same rate.

A low-information report from Enn Zed. Cyclist killed after being struck by car And another subtle dig at cyclists to remind us that the cyclist is dead but nobody in the car was injured in any way.

Last link I got at like 0100, but it’s freaking awesome. ‘Decoy’ rider puts spotlight on bike safety law — PHOTOS They did a 3-foot law sting! And I love the “Crash Test Dummy” bike jersey.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m finally out of links today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet