I’m Schrodinger’s Millionaire again, and the Feed

Yes I am once again simultaneously filthy rich and dirt poor until 2045 local time when the Powerball drawing takes place. Seriously, Schrödinger didn’t need to use a cat in a box to illustrate something being two things at once, he just needed a lottery or sweepstakes drawing. And he could have saved the trouble of building a cat-killing chamber triggered by radioactive decay for his random event. But I suppose Schrödinger’s Sweepstakes wouldn’t be as memorable as the cat experiment. And I know that Schrödinger’s Cat was a thought experiment, not an actual physical experiment involving a real cat. That would be silly, and cruel to the person that had to put a cat in a box with all its claws. OK and cruel to the cat in the box too.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: 75-year old cyclist cuffed and ticketed for riding legally on I-15; Specialized says they’re sorry

Still in CA. DEVORE: Ghost bike honors cyclist killed in crash with car

This is going to be a major theme in today’s post. Parents of children killed in DUIs call for tougher laws Incredible as it may seem more than 40 years after the founding of MADD it is still only a misdemeanor no matter how many you get in the state of PA.

And over in AK, they’re having hearings in reaction to the death of a cyclist. Daughter of cyclist killed in 2014 hit-and-run testifies against bill to soften sentencing laws

And Bike Portland weighs in on language used to describe bike wrecks. Dear fellow journalists: This is why you should use #CrashNotAccident

And today we get 4 days of wrecks from NYC. Hit-And-Run Driver Fatally Struck Man Who Was Allegedly Lying In East Harlem Crosswalk Video of the crime scene posted showed the victim just “appearing” in the intersection. One second he’s not there at all, the next he is lying on the street, having been dragged from someplace as he slides into the intersection.

And another NYC ped is hit and killed in another crosswalk. City Blames Pedestrian After Cop Fatally Runs Him Over In Crosswalk The video of the fatal wreck is just nauseating when seen after reading NYPD blaming the victim for his own death.

Well one out of 3? Hit-And-Run Taxi Driver Says He Thought He Hit A Pothole, Not A Person I’m sure every pothole makes your car go up first instead of falling down into a hole.

A KY girl misjudges the speed of the cop car that stops in front of her. Young girl injured after riding bike into the side of a police cruiser Yeah, this has happened to me minus the impact. Approach the intersection with the belief that slightly slowing will cause you to pass behind the car, and the car stops. I had to slam on the brakes to prevent a wreck, the girl had no place to go and hit the car.

More on a wreck in Scotland. VIDEO: Tributes left at roadside for tragic teen cyclist killed on Moray road

More on an Oz truck driver who saved a cyclist. Ettalong Beach truckie recognised for heroic act on M2 motorway

And possible fun times. Polish Moon Ride Registration Open The post-ride festivities look to be as much fun as the ride. Enjoy!

And I’m out of links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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Things are a bit somber here, and the Feed

Even the cats are a bit subdued as we here at Casa de El Poeta were informed that Mrs. the Poet’s youngest sister died this morning from respiratory arrest. This was totally unexpected to everyone except the deceased sister who had been telling people she wasn’t going to be alive to see any of the festivities this summer ever since last summer. She leaves behind a bereaved partner of more than 2 decades whom she never married. Mrs. the Poet will be leaving for the memorial service Wednesday, and the cats and I will hold down the fort here.

Up first is a driver left crossing 8 (eight!) cyclists down in Austin. Bicyclist team hit by van in Lakeway Three cyclists were injured while many bikes were damaged. Driver given ticket… Lawsuits to follow.

On the other side of the state from that wreck a cyclist is hit by a train while waiting for another train to clear the tracks. Bicyclist struck, killed by train in Canyon Wrecks like this are why I state in the protocols to NOT BE ON THE TRACKS when there is a train in the area, you can’t hear the other one coming if your attention is absorbed in the one crossing first.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: New women’s hour record, Ed Begley Jr. bikes the Oscars, and no more $10k tech bikes

Daily Ted Part 2. Bike rider killed in early morning Victorville collision; SB County deaths already exceed total for all of last year

Still in CA. Montclair police search for hit-and-run driver that struck, killed bicyclist and Candlelight vigil held for Montclair bicyclist killed in hit-and-run My opinions on hit-and-run drivers are well-documanted on this blog. The driver deserves no mercy when caught, as he showed no mercy on the deceased.

Also in CA. Fontana bicyclist’s death serves as reminder of how drunk driving can cause tragedies There are tags for this blog that explicitly convey my opinions of drunk drivers. That would include the tags for this post.

Hit-from-behind wreck in WI, multiple links. Lena bicyclist killed after struck by truck and UPDATE: Bicyclist struck and killed by SUV in northeast Wisconsin is ID’d also UPDATE: Man identified in bicycle crash this too Cyclist’s death warns drivers & riders to share the road At this point there has been nothing released on the mode of the wreck other than both vehicles were going the same direction. So it might have been a buzz job or punishment pass or the driver could have just failed to process the existence of the cyclist in the road.

Serious injury wreck in MO. Carthage cyclist sustains serious injuries in accident The wreck is being blamed on a ninja cyclist.

From CO comes a plea for drivers to pay attention to cyclists on the roads. Letter: Cyclists have right to be on Fort Collins’ roads Comments typically blame the cyclist for being on the road where he was killed.

A UT hit-and-run driver is seriously undercharged. Collision injures cyclist, driver cited for leaving scene The driver removed the weapon vehicle from the scene and then tried to hide it from LEO, why wasn’t she charged with interfering with an investigation?

Memorial service in WA. Memorial ride honors Yakima bicyclist killed in crash This wreck was caused by a driver believed to be impaired and charged with vehicular manslaughter.

We have a bunch of links to a very busy NYC wreck factory this weekend. 3 Killed and 2 Injured in Hit-and-Run Crashes Across New York City and Three People Killed In Separate Hit-And-Run Incidents also NYPD Releases Video Of Hit-And-Run Driver Who Killed Cyclist In Park Slope this too UPDATED/CORRECTION: Pedestrian Killed On 5th Avenue This Morning In Apparent Hit-And-Run, Cops Say not done yet Man Killed By Driver Who “Felt A Large Bump” You will have to just read the articles in the links. There are way too many wrecks with no actual cyclists involved.

Memorialization of a cyclist killed by another drunk driver. Family, friends dedicate ‘ghost bike’ to cyclist struck on Richmond Road See the tabs, again, for what I think of drunk drivers.

Last NYC link is infrastructure. Councilman Admits Mischaracterizing Prospect Park West Bike Lane During Battle Over It This remains ridiculous.

Infrastructure from West Canuckistan. Stanley Park Causeway improvements complete three years after tragic death of cyclist This wreck was caused by a pedestrian pushing a cyclist in front of moving traffic.

Legal infrastructure in Oz. New cycling laws come into play today including increased fines Highly questionable legal infrastructure changes making cycling infractions more expensive than driving infractions. I mean when you think about how many people get head injuries in cars, why don’t they have helmet laws for drivers and passengers in motor vehicles? And have $300 fines for not wearing them?

And final link is a repeat that needs repeating. How to Pass a Bicyclist

And I’m all out of links, now I have to console Mrs. the Poet about her sister’s sudden demise.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another day spent pounding pavements, and the Feed

This was a rough one as I went to the bank to get some money out of the firewalled account, and then went grocery shopping for the stuff we couldn’t get yesterday because we didn’t have the $ in the non-firewalled account. And I still forgot the yogurt, so no yogurt for me and the poor little kitties. 😦 And I discovered that I really need to get my toes done because my toes hurt like mad from getting the too-long nails pressed against the inside of my shoes as I walked. I really wish I could still get to all my toes by myself to trim my toenails.

And I keep writing about the Sprint-T (both sizes) but many of you don’t know how long this desire has been fermenting in my brain. U.S. Speed Sport “Instant T” T-Bucket History Not quite this long, but not very long after this.

Up first in the bike links is Out Daily Ted. Morning Links: Notes from Neil Storm Stephany sentencing, and update on new Camp Pendleton bike policy

Still in CA is this infrastructure link. They’ve Invented An Ingenious New Type Of Intersection That Could Save Lives The don’t noticeably slow bike or car traffic and protect the cyclists from the cars. Good show.

With SnowmageddonII hitting the entire east coast north of FL this weekend here’s a cheery thought about the road conditions. Why rain is more dangerous than snow

This SC hit-from-behind wreck may have involved excessive speed. Woman Killed While Riding Bicycle to Work The driver had to be hospitalized, this usually means the cyclist caused a spray of glass inside the passenger compartment which requires a fair amount of velocity. LEO are not elaborating on this aspect at the time of filtering.

Meanwhile in NYC. 15-Year-Old Boy In Critical Condition Following Williamsburg Hit-And-Run When I filtered this link there was a bicycle in it, but I can’t find the bicycle now. Just a body in the street, and a red minivan.

Still in NYC a driver moving an SUV at a service garage manages to hit several parked cars in the street and two pedestrians pinning one to the side of a building. NYPD: Gas Station Worker “Lost Control” Of SUV, Ran Over Cop’s Foot, Pinned Woman To Wall I can’t believe they didn’t say “No criminality suspected” on this one. I guess that’s because he ran over a cop.

Not done with the city yet, here’s some infrastructure bad news. Say Goodbye To Jay Street’s Vital Bike Lanes “Do any of these lane designers actually ride bicycles in the city? Or is “bicycle lane” just a button in their CAD program?” j44ke. He (she?) said it better than I could. Making the street more dangerous so that cars had easier access to the BQE. (SMH)

Over in SD they are trying to force cyclists off the roads. Bicyclists Belong in the Traffic Lane

They finally got around to charging the driver in this case in MI. Suspect charged after hit-and-run death of cyclist in Ann Arbor At least they didn’t wait until the driver killed himself in another wreck like in my case. October to January…

Up there in West Canuckistan they gots an attempted killer on the loose. RCMP seek hit-and-run driver who injured cyclist in Willowbrook They turned the Mounties on him, and you know what they say about Mounties and suspects.

Still up there in the Great White North. Killer of LaSalle cyclist sentenced to nine months in jail I don’t think there is an “m” in years. There is a serious disconnect between the seriousness of the crime and the severity of the sentence.

When the building used to store your bike gets condemned, while you’re recovering from a severe chronic illness they might lose the bike. Disabled woman’s lifelong dream of cycling across Canada dashed after bike vanishes Woman has a relapse of the disease that left her riding a hand bike and had to put the bike in storage while she went home to recover and then the bike turns up missing.

In Jolly Olde a cyclist is stopped for having a flashing light 10 years after the law was changed to allow flashing lights. Police mistakenly stop cyclist for flashing rear light “We Googled it and we were wrong.” Really, the law changed in 2005 and you’re just now finding out about it?

Good news from the UK. Yeovil cyclist who suffered head and leg injuries thanks mysterious Good Samaritan When you’re hurt don’t try to “tough it out” like this guy. He had serious injuries that needed attention from medical personnel, not a home fix-up.

Rider down in Malta. Cyclist, 79, seriously injured in Birzebbuga traffic accident and Cyclist, 79, hit by car in Birżebbuġa And that’s about all LEO are saying about the wreck.

A bus hits a cyclist and takes out 3 more and leaves the scene in Oz. Gold Coast bus hits cyclists, one injured The hit-and-run is barely mentioned. “It is believed the Surfside Buslines driver was unaware he clipped the cyclist, with the bus continuing after the incident without stopping.” Seriously, WTF?

Useful art from discarded bike parts. These Awesome-Looking Chandeliers Are Made From Salvaged Bicycle Parts Used chains and wheels and a few eectrical bits, et voila! Let there be fashionable light.

Old post just brought to my attention today. So I Went Automobile Shopping… What if car buying was like bike buying? How many cars would get sold?

As the weather gets colder your e-assist bike (and your EV) will lose range because batteries don’t like cold> There’s a worrisome problem with electric cars that no one’s talking about For cars there are a couple of things you can do, pre-heat the car interior while the car is still on the charger so you are using grid rather than battery power to do the heating, and switch over to seat heat rather than cabin heat while on the road to stay warm without using as much battery power. On an e-assist bike you provide the heat inside your clothing, but the battery losing range because of the cold slowing down the chemical reactions inside the battery still applies.

Last link, this is why I have to take so many mental health days from this blog. Feeling More I know to some it seems like I can report on some serious $&(^ and it doesn’t phase me, but I have to take a lot of breaks and go read comics or other stuff between making links on this blog.

And on that note I’m going to throw a couple tags on this post and try to unwind a bit before bed.

I’m fuzzy on Grocery Day, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m finally out of links.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Yay, I mean OUCH! I have a cat, and the Feed

This is what happens when your kitten starts to fall off your lap while you’re trying to type. Warning, it ain’t pretty.

Front claws in the thigh, back claws in the calf and he still ended up in a pile of fluff on the floor. Fortunately it didn’t hurt that bad initially, until I started to disinfect the scratches with hand sanitizer. Then it really hurt. But as you can see there is no infection, so the pain was worth it. The kitty hugs and kisses are worth it too.

Up first, a cyclist is killed by a driver in a stolen car he didn’t know was stolen. Cyclist and driver killed in crash on NW 12th Avenue in Miami and Bicyclist, Driver Killed in Fiery Crash in Miami also Video Shows Aftermath of Fatal Fiery Wreck in Miami this, too Bicyclist, stolen car driver killed in violent Miami crash, police say not done yet Questions arise after new details released in fatal car crash with cyclist OK as it stands now, the driver of the car thought he had a screaming deal on the Lexus which turned out to be stolen. I don’t know why he was being chased by LEO but you can see in the one surveillance video the Lexus and several cop cars following close behind. The cyclist was reportedly almost on the sidewalk after crossing with the light when he was hit so hard his legs came off his body, about a block before the car hit several objects and a tree on the side of the road and burst into flames. As for what a cyclist could have reasonably done to avoid this, I got nothing.

The other big story is over on the Isle of Man, where the kitties with the funny tails come from. Suspended sentence for driver who killed cyclist on Isle of Man upheld following appeal and Sentence unchanged for driver who killed cyclist So basically cyclists are worth about the same as the island’s famous cats.

A MI cyclist is hit “crossing” the road. Cyclist, Still Unidentified, Seriously Injured in Crash SWCC that I can’t say anything about because I don’t have any pictures of the bike. At this point they aren’t saying who had the right of way, or much of anything aside from the intersection and the direction of the weapon vehicle.

Over in AL a cyclist is blamed for getting hit from behind. Cullman bicyclist struck, killed by vehicle on St. Joseph Drive OK so maybe lights and reflectors on the bike would be a good idea, but the fact remains the law says drivers have to only drive as fast as they can stop in the distance they can see clearly, and this driver didn’t.

Salmon cyclist gets hit in GA. Cyclist struck after riding down the wrong way on Turner McCall Boulevard This is a textbook case of why you ride with traffic. The driver was turning right and looking left when he pulled in front of the cyclist and buckled the front wheel of the bike.

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: BOLO alerts for a bike thief and a stolen e-bike, and a section of the LA River bike path closes

Daily Ted, part 2. Bellflower bike rider killed in August hit-and-run; one-third of LA County bicycling deaths are hit-and-runs

Still in CA another link to the guy killed trying to get to the bike lane in the median. Cyclist killed on Page Mill Road The consensus at this time is most of the blame in this wreck is on the infrastructure and the extremely dangerous merge across two lanes of 50 MPH traffic to get from one bike lane to the other.

Meanwhile on the other side of the country we discover the driver that flipped his car over on top of the guy walking on the sidewalk was not driving with a valid license. Unlicensed Driver Arrested After Killing Man On Crowded Brooklyn Sidewalk He was trying to prevent another car from passing him and lost control. Of course because he didn’t have a license to remind him that driving is a privilege and not a right.

Yay! Infrastructure changes coming to NYC. DOT To Unveil Plans For Protected Bike Lane On Amsterdam Avenue Small steps, baby steps.

And then they totally blow the progress they made with the bike lanes and pedestrian protection with this BS. Drivers Keep Killing Pedestrians, So The NYPD Will Crack Down On Jaywalkers Is stoopid an STD? Because if it isn’t then fvck the NYPD. A full 33% of the victims were not even in the street.

Changing the laws because NYPD doesn’t care otherwise. New Law Would “Protect” Pedestrians Once The Countdown Clock Starts NYPD is saying that once the countdown clock starts you lose your right-of-way as a pedestrian.

The way to avoid getting killed in Canada isn’t to wear a helmet, you need to grow ovaries. Female cyclists have lower hospitalization rates, study finds Of course this is exactly counter to experience in the UK where 6 out of 7 cyclists killed in London was a woman crushed by a semi or large delivery vehicle.

This just seems like a good way to get an assault charge. Injured cyclist to meet driver “Good afternoon, this is the man who crippled you for life. Please try not to strangle him with his own intestines.” Yeah, I can see that working real well.

Sometimes Bicycling Magazine gets it right. Five Cyclist-Blaming Headlines—And How to Reframe Them The one I hate is the drunk driver that doesn’t get mentioned until after 2 paragraphs of victim-blaming. Except there is usually 5 or 6 paragraphs of victim blaming.

Last link may end up being one of the most important changes to e-assist technology in history. Hydrogen Fuel Cells Are Becoming Too Big to Ignore Cars could refuel/recharge in about 5 minutes, e-bikes in 5-10 seconds. Imagine 10 seconds connected to a high-pressure hose instead of 2 hours connected to mains current.

And I’m done for the day. I went out again to build up some points on that mobile game and managed to clear $0.40 +/- but it was a bit rough on the feets.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I really need to get some new shoes, and the Feed

I had to do some banking today so I did a little walking around to score as many points on my cell phone game as I can so I can collect another Amazon card like I did today. I deposited $11 to my Amazon account this morning from playing a game on my phone, how neat is that? The downside is I now have a blister on the bottom of my foot, again. So, new shoes?

Up first is a charity rider getting hit going across TX. Cyclist on national tour for veteran rights dies in crash Nothing explicit on the mode, but the location suggests a hit-from-behind wreck. But I’m more concerned with the mission of the ride, the number of homeless veterans.

Infrastructure and culture clash in LA. Bikelash in Baton Rouge LA drivers are some of the most entitled SOBs in the world.

More information on the cyclist killed by the crazy gunman in CO. Bicyclist Killed on Colorado Street Was Iraq War Veteran and Police release names of 3, including bicyclist, killed in shooting spree near downtown Colorado Springs Survived two war zones, but not the home front.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Yet another attack on federal bike funding, workshops on providing park access in LA County

Still in CA we get a wreck with lots of information about everything except the wreck. Bicyclist Struck, Killed By Car Near Palo Alto and Fatal Los Altos Hills accident claims Palo Alto cyclist At this point we know from the pictures is the impact was very close to an on or off ramp for a major highway, suggesting the cyclist was hit in a right cross, or the driver merging across the cyclist’s path from the left as the cyclist went straight at the edge of the road. I will keep an eye on this wreck for more information.

Not done with CA yet. Grieving Mom Calls for Safer Streets After Fatal Market Street Bike Collision SFPD cited the wrong law in this wreck report, much like they blamed the cyclist who was hit by a truck making a right turn where she was riding instead of calling it the right hook it really was. This wreck they were blaming the cyclist for leaving the bike lane that isn’t there to leave. That’s right, they blamed the cyclist for leaving the bike lane that does not exist on that street.

And another cyclist is blamed for not riding in the bike lane that isn’t there. Bicyclist critically injured after being hit by car in Santa Ana Oh yeah, another freaking blind driver hits a cyclist that “came out of nowhere”.

From the most deadliest state to walk or bike in the US we get “FloriDuh! man” on trial. Trial Begins for Man Accused in 2012 Broward Cyclist Deaths Running from cops he kills two people out for a Sunday ride. In TX that’s murder, apparently also in FL.

Still in FL another link to the guy who forgot how to move over and pass a cyclist. Bicyclist Struck, Killed In Melbourne I hope they put the driver under the jail (and about 20 feet of concrete).

More about the drunk driver that ran over a couple riding a tandem in MD. Docs: Drunk driver lied about fatally hitting cyclists The comments section was livid that the driver had such a low bail. Me, too.

More on the cyclist shot in PA. Loved Ones Remember Philly Teen Gunned Down While Riding Bike Too many shooting victims this week…

An OH cyclist pushing his bike up a hill gets hit by a blind driver. Joseph Mundy, Daniel Brown Jr.: 1 pedestrian killed, another hurt in evening crashes I don’t know what the cyclist could have done to not get hit, the narrative tells me he would have been hit riding or pushing the bike.

The DIY DOT does it again in NYC. Brooklyn Cyclists Ticket Cops Parked in Bike Lane Yeah!

Still trying to understand why tossing a few pennies at bike/ped infrastructure is such a problem for the current Congress. Funds for Walking and Biking Under Attack in Congress This Week Are they really that mad at “the poors” that they don’t want them to be safe in anything less than a 3500 steel box that they can’t afford?

As I was saying it doesn’t take a lot of money to make really great bike infrastructure as proven with this link. 2015 TIGER Grant Standouts for Cities Go to BRT, Bike Trails and More

A little personality profile. Meet Team Reeve Cyclist Christine Markow

Another cyclist gets hit in the Great White North. Cyclist struck by car, seriously injured on Sunday More Family thanks strangers for helping injured cyclist

And I’m outta links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Cold pizza for breakfast, and the Feed

I got to have one of my favorite breakfasts this morning, cold pizza. I had leftover frozen pizza last night, so Breakfast! Yum. Usually when Mrs. the Poet is home we wipe one of the cheap pizzas completely out between the two of us and I don’t get my favorite breakfast, but today I did. I’m looking for every upside on this I can find.

Up first because nothing really struck me as super important today is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Map of closed Orange Line bike path, dangerous Rowena, and Stephany too high to be responsible There’s no such thing as being “too high” to be responsible, being high is what made you legally responsible for the wreck in the first place.

Still in L.A. Lowrider bikes as activist tools: General Dogon’s rolling art works are part of Skid Row history Not the first time bicycles have been used as adjuncts to political action, see the Suffragette Movement.

Still in CA. Bicyclist hit by vehicle in Huntington Beach “Suddenly veered into the bike lane” should be investigated as attempted murder first, then as a traffic wreck. But as the narrative is posted now it sounds like someone decided to murder a random cyclist.

Note done with CA yet. Murder by DUI Trial to Begin in Death of Bicyclist Unfortunately, that’s what it takes to get murder charges brought in the death of a cyclist, second DUI with the death.

Still not finished with CA yet. Bicyclist killed in collision with vehicle identified I hate when the only narrative was the wreck was at an intersection and the driver remained at the scene.

Closer to WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Bicycles should top Austin transit priority list, group says Yes for less than the cost of 2 miles of urban freeway you can get a completely built-out urban bike network.

Near one of the places I used to live in UT a cyclist apparently runs a red light. Cyclist in critical condition after early morning crash There was a comment that the cyclist was hit in the crosswalk, which meant he was probably riding in the sidewalk before the intersection, and as I frequently say, sidewalks are not bicycle infrastructure.

Cyclist down in MA. Hudson man killed in hit-and-run Black Ford F-150 does a hit-and-run, why does that not surprise me? I think the only thing that would make me less surprised would be that it had dark tinted windows.

Another dead cyclist in DE. Bicyclist killed on Hazlettville Road This is about the wildest example of a SWSS I have ever had the displeasure of reading, a cyclist suddenly leaving a bike lane directly in front of a motor vehicle. The fact that the driver was facing the setting sun I’m sure had nothing to do with hitting the cyclist from behind./sarcasm I left the angle brackets off because WordPress still has not implemented the sarcasm HTML tags.

Moving on up to NYC we get another wreck with “no criminality suspected” by the NYPD. [UPDATE] Cyclist Killed By Truck Driver At Queens Intersection Check that, the updated report is the driver was arrested at the scene for violating the victim’s right of way. Color me flabbergasted, I never thought NYPD would actually apply that law when there was a cyclist as the victim. Look at the picture with the victim’s bike under the front bumper of the truck. The cyclist more than likely never knew the truck was turning until it hit her, because it was behind her until impact.

Cops who tasered a man riding a bicycle go to trial on federal charges. Federal trial lined up for police who Tasered Hillsboro man after bike infraction IMHO there’s no excuse for tasing a man on a bike.

A little physical infrastructure news from Portland. Why the new traffic signal at N Cook and Vancouver is such a big deal I think the really big deal from this is the signal was equipped from the outset with a sensor that can detect a bicycle without a bunch of crazy maneuvers to find the 1″ wide “sweet spot” that a bike will trigger the light.

More infrastructure news from the ATL. Streets Have Changed Before, and They Can Change Again People have such short memories. Things have not always been this way, and they will not stay this way in the future.

Unlike NYC right hooking a cyclist is not a crime in Canada, and may not even be an infraction. No charges to be laid after fatal cyclist/truck collision TANJ!

A wreck up in West Canuckistan injures a cyclist. Cyclist injured in crash Driver hit a cyclist and then hit a power pole, then ran away from the vehicle? No that’s not suspicious at all.

Cyclist down in far West Canuckistan. Injured cyclist in James Bay aided by passersby, emergency crews One minute you’re riding your bike, and a fraction of a second later you’re on the deck with your bell rung, missing one or more teeth and your helmet busted.

Cyclist in West Canuckistan gets doored on camera. Video of cyclist getting doored sparks debate Fortunately the cyclist was not seriously injured in this wreck, nothing beyond getting shaken by the suddenness of the situation. One second there is a clear way to the right of the vehicle to get to the beg button, the next it’s full of passenger side door.

More on a wreck in Enn Zed. Police name cyclist killed in crash Well now we know who was killed, but not if he was hit.

It’s a wreck, not an accident. Stop Calling My Daughter’s Death a Car Accident I remember this wreck, the little girl was holding her grandmother’s hand when the grandmother was brushed back and the little girl run over while crossing in the crosswalk with the light.

Getting there any way possible sometimes means taking a bike. Avoiding Risky Seas, Migrants Reach Europe With an Arctic Bike Ride Any way you can.

And I’m outta links today. Program note, I have a D&D game tomorrow so there may not be a post.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Happy Fourth of July, and the Feed

Since this post won’t be seen until after midnight I have no problems with putting tomorrow’s date on it. So happy 239^th birthday United States of America! You don’t look a day over 230 😉

On a personal note, the massage seems to have had a lingering effect on my neck mobility and pain discomfort levels. I still hurt after working on the blog all day, but before I do I feel great and have full left-to-right mobility of my neck, and nearly full up-and-down range of motion. The edge of the dent is still noticeable by touch, but I don’t think that anyone who didn’t know where to look could find it just by sight. But the big bunch of skin wadded up from where “Chris Christie” was removed is still quite visible. I’m just hoping I can tilt my head back far enough to ride Francis/es to the Full Moon service tonight, but since I have to work on the blog post, probably not. I’m sure I could now after the massage if I didn’t spend hours bent over the computer, but I have to spend hours bent over the computer… for you (and my sanity, I get a little “off” when I don’t write anything).

Up first is a story about a person recovering from a bike wreck just a town over from WoaB. Cyclist finds freedom after holiday weekend crash nearly took her life Another drugged and/or drunk driver hits a cyclist. Best wishes on a continued recovery to the cyclist.

“Stuff” like this is why I hate display a strong antipathy towards the NYPD. Pedestrian Killed By Private Garbage Truck In Bushwick Hit-And-Run The body lands outside a crosswalk and the NYPD calls it a “mid-block crossing” meaning the Right of Way law can’t be used against the hit-and-run driver…

The driver of a vehicle that ran down a cyclist legally crossing the street while the weapon vehicle was doing 80 MPH in a 30 zone says he didn’t do it. Man Alleges Innocence in Bicyclist’s Hit-and-Run Death He may not have been driving, but it was his car and the glass found in his hair was a match for the glass in his windshield, so he was there. So if he doesn’t give up the name of the driver they are going to have to assume it was the guy with cuts on his face and windshield in his hair.

Speaking of drunk idiots, another link to the Seattle bike wreck caused by a driver who admits he had 4 beers and his ADD meds right before he hit a cyclist. Prosecutors: Seattle driver who killed Ravenna cyclist was drunk I am still bothered by the fact that he only had half of one beer at the restaurant and looked sober on the security video, and less than a half-hour later he was stumbling drunk. I have no sympathy for drunk drivers, I’m just not 100% convinced this one was really drunk.

Our Daily Ted. Weekend Links: Cyclists help save missing woman, bike cop injured in fall, and Sac cyclists injured in car assault

Remember that report I linked to earlier this week about the Nepal National MTB team getting caught near the epicenter of the earthquake and then going into action ferrying supplies to places cut off from any other ground traffic? Dates set for 4th annual Disaster Relief Trials This is how you can train for that.

And another rerun on the “safety in numbers” hypothesis. Why It’s Safer to Walk and Bike Where More People Walk and Bike There might be an infrastructure connection that is being missed, because places where lots of people walk and/or ride bikes usually have lots of infrastructure that makes those activities feel safe, and the feeling of safety translates into actual safety because there are so many people out on the roads and streets.

Sometimes it takes a crazy person to do great things. ‘Battle Mountain: Graeme Obree’s Story’: Edinburgh Review Not trying to be rude, Mr. Obree’s mental health issues are mostly public knowledge, and his contributions to the Hour Record are equally public. I’m just making the observation that to do something crazy sometimes takes someone who is having mental health issues to do it right.

More OR infrastructure news. Another bicyclist injured on Powell at CHS prompts ODOT action Remember what I said in the previous paragraph? It holds true here too.

If you always wanted to own your own TdF bike team, here’s your chance. “That’s no team bus … ” – Lego recreates Sky’s Tour de France line-up (and Death Star) This is an almost-unique Lego set, the winner’s set and the prototypes are all that will ever exist of this.

What does a world-class trials rider do after getting paralysed from the waist down. Video: Trials legend Martyn Ashton Back on Track in film charting his first mountain bike ride since life-changing 2013 crash Build a bike he can stay on, then learn to ride it, of course.

Now for the extended caress on the wrist. 😛 Driver pleads guilty to causing death of Denbighshire cyclist by careless driving Yep, House arrest for three months with a 1900-0700 curfew, and “banned” from driving for 5 years combined with a tiny (£145) fine. That will teach him to not kill cyclists. I put the “banned” in quotes because in reality he can drive for his own needs pretty much without interference, he just can’t drive for pay any more.

And a lawyer wins a national prize in Jolly Olde. Peebles cyclist is a true Pioneer

And I’m out of links, while the washing machine is going through second rinse on half of my underwear drawer. You know it’s amazing how small a load of laundry I have after a week and a half of no Mrs. the Poet doing laundry every other day. And yet when she was doing the wash every other day, there was much more clothing in the machine than when I didn’t do laundry for a week and a half. How does that work out?

Billed @€0.02, Opus the lonely Poet

I feel like I got hit with a truck again, and the Feed

My son couldn’t get over here to do grocery day yesterday, so I had to grab the old ALICE ruck and walk up to the store myself. This is one reason why I need to recover as fast as I can and get back on Francis/es, so I can go back to doing the grocery shopping on my own without having to have someone drive me there and back. I only got the items I’m about out of, milk, yogurt, soda, and bread. Well, except for the bread all of those items were pretty massive, and I made the mistake of combining a trip to the hardware store two blocks up the road to pick up new door knobs and locks to replace the ones that just broke this morning. Anyone remember that song from “Hee Haw” about bad luck? Yeah, they could put a few verses in there for me. Anyway I had a gallon of milk, 2 2-liter bottles of generic soda, 4 pounds of yogurt, a bottle of beer, three doorknob sets, a front spindle to a 1937 Ford and 8 stainless steel bolts to fit the steering arm holes on the spindle (which I brought to the hardware because I needed to make sure the bolts fit), and two loaves of bread. And now I wanna lie down and have a nap. Or something. Yeah, something because as I was getting up from my desk to have that little lie-down my back decided “This would be the perfect time to seize up!” so it did. And that was about two hours ago and I haven’t even started to filter links, so here’s to working through pain. Except it doesn’t really “hurt” as much as “not work right”.

And before I forget THANK YOU SCOTUS!!!! for making marriage equality the law of the land. This isn’t like Roe v Wade where women got control over doing something that they would really rather not do if circumstances were different, this is people in love doing what people in love do, getting married. So get out there and get married to the person you love. I charge competitive rates and can do Wiccan and Klingon rituals (but I have to find a new priestess for the Klingon ritual, my last one has gone to Sto-Vo-Kor). Contact me if you are in the DFW area and need to get a religious service done. I guess this means I will have to take down the Gay Marriage Challenge page as not only was nobody able to convince me that same-sex marriage was bad, but neither were they able to convince the SCOTUS.

The big story as far as links are concerned is the UK driver getting arrested for murder in the death of a cyclist who was hit-and-run earlier in the week. Investigation into Harworth cyclist death becomes murder probe and Police name man charged with cyclist Richard Pencott’s murder as family pay tribute also UPDATE: Police arrest man on suspicion of murder after cyclist killed in Harworth not done yet Man arrested following death of cyclist Not a whole lot to say in this one because of UK media laws, but arrested for murder is really something. It has been frequently said in both the UK and this country that if you want to commit a random act of murder just get in a car and drive until you see a cyclist to run over, then claim momentary blindness after the fact. Until I saw this I would have said killing a cyclist was a “perfect crime” as it seldom gets prosecuted, and even when it is prosecuted convictions are few and far between, and when convicted the “sentences” are laughably lenient, mostly community service. But when you structure community service correctly it can be a great deterrence against the perpetrator ever doing it again, because they won’t have much free time to commit another vehicular assault. Not much of a deterrence to others, but that one will never hit another cyclist. Are you kidding me? Man charged with murder after cyclist dies in collision

Our Daily Ted, part one. Morning Links: Metro commits to DTLA bikeshare, US pros swear they’re clean, and $50K reward for fatal hit-and-run Even Ted has a link to the UK murder arrest.

And Daily Ted, part two. Update: Arrest made in horrifying high-speed Highland Park fatal hit-and-run If the road diet planned for the street where the cyclist was killed had been allowed to go through the driver would not have been able to reach anywhere near the speed he was going when he hit the cyclist. And now I see they caught the guy who was still drunk 4 hours after hitting the cyclist, which means he was super drunk at the time of the crime. They found pieces of the victim still on the car when they arrested the driver. More Man arrested after bicyclist is killed in hit-and-run in Highland Park Gil Cedillo is an accessory to this crime.

So, NYPD, how is that Vision Zero thing going for you? Issuing lots of tickets for people running down people in the crosswalk or bike lanes? NYPD: Drivers Killed 18 Pedestrians and Cyclists in May, and Injured 1,262 So, that would be a “no” on tickets for people hit crossing in the crosswalk or riding in the bike lanes.

What is wrong with drivers in AZ? Truck runs into four cyclists Seriously to hit 4 cyclists at once in front of witnesses (oncoming traffic) and scatter them “like popcorn”, is either attempted murder or someone that needs to never drive again.

More on Google trying to make Silicon Valley more like Amsterdam or Copenhagen. Google’s bike plan aims to turn Silicon Valley into the next Copenhagen $5 million seems like a lot of money, and it is, but for the number of communities they are talking about and the spread they have to cover because of sprawl, it’s a very large drop in a fairly large bucket. To extend the metaphor, they have covered the bottom of the bucket, but have a long way to go to fill it.

When you have a memorial ride for just the cyclists killed in the last two weeks, there is something terribly wrong with the infrastructure. Local Cyclists To Ride For Those Who Died In The Past Two Weeks

Oh the horror! Most area cyclists aren’t wearing helmets while riding, Statistics Canada says Windsor area cyclists are riding at about 21% helmets, while Victoria are riding with 83% helmets. So Victoria riders have how much lower head injury statistics than Windsor? Any? Buehler?

Road.cc looks at the KSI stats and comes to the same conclusion I did: UK drivers everywhere are prats. DfT admits “ever increasing problem with pedal cyclist casualties” as serious injuries rise 8 per cent Cycling increased 3.8% but serious injury went up 8%? Yep, your drivers are crap. Or maybe your roads are crap and having mediocre drivers isn’t helping any. But yeah something somewhere along the line is crap and people are getting permanently injured because of it.

Perhaps the problem is a lack of enforcement? Campaign for ‘properly enforced’ speed limits after cyclist killed in collision

Sisyphus has a stone, cyclists have politicians. Devon MPs spearhead cyclist safety campaign

And in the meantime we get things like this. Alan Cronin: Man in court charged with death by dangerous driving after cyclist killed

Last link tonight is from Oz again. Motorists, cyclists all need re-education Some cyclists don’t know the rules, but all cyclists are just doing their best to “not get hit”. So the education really needs to be on drivers so they can Know when cyclists are riding according to the laws and not hit them.

And I’m ready to go to bed, or at least lie down for a bit and try to relax.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the extremely happy about the SCOTUS marriage decision…

I’m not dead yet, and the Feed

Here it is day two of living alone without even a cat to keep an eye on me and I’m still alive. 😀 If the blog goes off the air more than the regularly scheduled breaks on Saturday then you’ll know what happened. But I really don’t think there will be any problem with maintaining life support here at Casa de El Poeta. One of the things I have been doing is leaving dishwater in the sink all day so that food doesn’t get dried to the plates and silverware and so I don’t have to run a sink full of water for a plate and a glass and a fork, saving water. One thing we are going to check on this vacation is how much more electricity and water gets used when Mrs. the Poet is here and constantly cleaning up things instead of letting things accumulate to where it can all be done at once. This will take place over a full billing cycle from the electric and water people, so a valid comparison can be made. This will be interesting to see.

Up first is yesterday’s Daily Ted as he posted after I got done filtering. Morning Links: Brake-checking driver harasses cyclist; curb-jumping drivers don’t get Redondo bike lanes

From NYC they caught the woman in that video from a couple days back who ran over a man and got out to look at the body, then got back in her car and left. Woman Arrested After Running Over Elderly Man, Getting Out To See Him Bleeding, Then Driving Away She hit him, stopped and backed off the body, got out to look at the body, then drove away to leave him to die in the street. As one commenter put it, “There is a special place in Hell for her…”

Also from NYC, a guy is just sitting waiting for the bus when all of a sudden there is a car on his head. Vietnam Vet Killed By Alleged Drunk Driver While Waiting For Staten Island Bus The driver of the weapon vehicle was cut off by a left cross driver and then lost control of her vehicle because SHE WAS DRUNK AT 1300. Then for whatever reason she was not hauled away for killing someone while drunk but given a city citation for driving while ability impaired. Seriously NYPD, WTF!?!?!?

Apparently riding around stupid rednecks is dangerous. Cyclists nervous after several deaths in South Mississippi “Cyclists should be treated like people, not animals” Hell treated like an animal would be a step up, at least people stop when they hit an animal. As pointed out in the article there are two problems here, people who don’t know the laws, and LEO who won’t enforce the laws. And then there is the complete and utter lack of any infrastructure other than the Natchez Trace Parkway federal bike route, and a short bike path connecting some casinos on the Gulf.

And another report that UK drivers are not improving, but their cars are. Cycle serious injuries rise 8% in 2014 Overall killed on the roads goes down, cyclists and pedestrians KSI goes up (again), what other conclusion could be drawn?

More good news from the UK. Revealed: Birmingham’s most dangerous roads for cyclists All those people getting killed just trying to get from A to B… Well not ALL of them were trying to get from A to B, some were riding for “fun”, just like some people driver for “fun”.

Another massive protest of infrastructure not fit for use in Jolly Olde. PICTURED: Hundreds protest at Bank junction after death of cyclist Ying Tao who was hit by tipper truck Well they have attracted the attention of the media, at least. Now if they can just get the attention of the people in charge, the oligarchs who really run things.

And some people are just “not nice”. Motorcyclist refuses to stop engine during silence for dead cyclist

Presented without additional comment. Widow of cyclist killed by Crossrail lorry considering civil action after driver found not guilty of causing death by careless driving

More on that government report in Oz that initially I only found out about the “cell phone” provisions mentioned. Turns out there was a whole lot more. Report to VicRoads recommends cyclists be blameless in any crash with a driver After checking out police reports and that wreck study done with the video cameras the researchers decided that cyclists wer so seldom at fault that drivers should have to prove that a wreck was the cyclist’s fault instead of allowing the only witness left alive to come up with a song and dance about “coming out of nowhere”.

And cue the vitriolic outrage from drivers. YOUR SAY: Should drivers always be held accountable for crashes involving cyclists? Arrgle garble licenses, rego, insurance, road tax, suicidal Lycra louts terrorizing grannies in the crosswalk!!!!!1!!!!!!!11!one!!

Will cars go out of fashion? Buying a car could soon be a thing of the past, and Ford is desperate to find what’s next Oh that I could stay healthy long enough to enjoy that!

Last link, there was an e-assist world championships? E-bike… Worlds?! The bikes were EU street legal, which meant that most of the time the riders were on their own as the speeds were too high to get assist, or the trail too steep for the motor to do anything except carry its own weight. Good for testing the athletes, not so much for improving the bicycles.

And I’m all done tonight.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet