Twelve years gone

I moved this blog over from MySpace November 23 2008. That makes twelve years since I did the move. I had been looking for a new place to home the blog since MySpace started censoring the blog for having too many links, back when I was reporting on bike wrecks by linking to articles on other sites that had first or second-hand reports about people getting hit on bicycles. I’m not going to say I was in any way responsible, but this was shortly before MySpace went down the proverbial tubes.

Twelve years, at least eight of which I spent mired in virtual gore and broken lives, trying futilely to keep what happened to me from happening to other people. It might not have been futile, I might have saved one or two people from getting hit because of my protocols for not getting hit. But that was only a drop in the bucket, comparatively. Thousands of people still got hit every year and had their lives permanently altered, and almost never for the better. Hundreds more had their lives ended every year. And that was just in the US. It felt like I was swimming upstream in a Mississippi of blood, and I had to stop for my own mental health.

Which brings us to the current phase of the blog. I almost never mention bicycles, because I’m still not quite over when I got hit on mine. As you might have noticed I’m letting another old obsession run wild, my obsession with hot rods. I used to be a sports car racer way back when, and there has been some cross-pollination between the two cultures with my favorite competition, autocross, becoming the “new thing” for hot rodders as shown with the Optima Ultimate Street Car Battle, and Goodguys Rod and Custom shows, and minor or major gatherings of hot rodders all over the country having autocrosses as part of the show. I used to be pretty good at autocross, winning class and placing high overall, so this time I’m planning on building the type of car I’ve wanted since 1968 to run the type of racing I was good at since the early 1980s, with a few touches of my own. The biggest “touch” is an exo-skeleton frame inspired by sprint cars, mostly because the rectangular tube ladder frame of most T-buckets had the torsional stiffness of cooked pasta and was very heavy for what you got in structure, and the suspensions that you got from most kits was rudimentary at best, with high roll centers and a habit of jacking the inside rear tire during hard cornering causing a sudden transition from plowing understeer to oversteer in the blink of an eye. Not the vehicle for making FTOD runs on an autocross course. And putting a roll cage on for safety made putting the body on an exercise in full scale building ships in bottles.

So, there you have it. A nutshell look at where we came from, where we are, and maybe where we are going.

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No D&D today, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m out of links for the night.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Another Grocery Day combined with a UPS run, and the Feed

I just took over $40 a month off my internet and cable TV bill by sending a bunch of unneeded equipment back to Verizon, and dropping a bunch of channels we never watch. The only channel I didn’t get but really wanted was MAV TV. Well the only channel I didn’t get that was available through FiOS, I still wanted to get Funimation Channel for my anime fix but that was not an option. Anywho while I was going to the UPS store I had the phone out capturing check-ins and prize boxes to get that next gift card, and hit my bag limit before we got back to the grocery store. That puts me even closer to that next gift card.

The blister situation on my foot has gotten both better and worse. The “swollen” part from yesterday turned out to be a second blister underneath the first blister. That first blister started to peel off the bottom of my foot so I cut the dead skin off so that it wouldn’t tear off and pull out some live skin. After doing that the other blister immediately started feeling better. So that’s good-ish.

Up first, we cyclists sometimes have soft spots for critters, especially the ones that get hurt on the roads. Cyclist comes to aid of injured deer All together now: “D’aaawwww!”

Since we are in CA anyway, how about our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: 77-year old victim of bike hit-and-run dies, arrest made in Expo Park road rage murder case

Daily Ted, part 2. Mountain biker dies from trail fall in Riverside County

Still in CA, another link to the SFPD report blaming a cyclist’s fatal wreck on not being in the bike lane that wasn’t there. SFPD Once Again Blames Cyclist For Own Death, City Refuses To Release Video Of Accident

More from CA as people local to the wreck blame the infrastructure for the wreck as much or more as they did the driver and cyclist. Bicyclist killed Tuesday was a Silicon Valley executive Basically the cyclist was hit because the bike lane went from the shoulder to the median across a 50 MPH speed limit pair of lanes on a highway with a lack of signage warning drivers that bicycles were going to be crossing the highway. I think I found the winner for today’s “really crap infrastructure” tag. Seriously, what the Hell were they thinking? More Palo Alto: Bicyclist killed on Page Mill Road and Bike Accident Scene Palo Alto Nov1st

Not In CA, they caught the bus driver that killed a pedestrian in NYC. MTA Bus Driver Arrested In Fatal Hit & Run Has History Of Arrests So besides being partially blind, the dude had very poor judgement.

WI cyclist run over by a semi. Woman killed in bicycle vs. semi crash, police say Hit-from-behind wreck that seems to be at least partially the fault of the cyclist for riding too far to the right, which encouraged the truck driver to not move over to pass. So yeah this was all the truck driver’s fault.

NE rider severely injured by hit-and-run driver gets blamed for the wreck. Suspect Vehicle Located In Hit & Run Which Injured 6 Year-Old Riding Bike “Omaha City Council Member Garry Gernandt said speed bumps weren’t the answer, but rather, parents need to “control their kids.”” While the kid was hit riding in front of his house with parental supervision by a driver who has abandoned his vehicle miles away from the wreck. The local pol is now living on a steady diet of crow.

Meanwhile in OH. Alliance boy on bike injured by hit-and-run driver The comments section was blocked for this link.

More on the WA cyclist hit by a bus. Cyclist injured when hit by transit bus on Bainbridge Island Again, the cyclist was hit from behind by the bus, that pretty much absolves the victim from blame. Drivers must see and avoid whatever is on the road in front of them.

FL cyclists say drivers need to look out the windshield and not drive in the bike lanes. Bicyclist death highlights need for awareness I can see the bike tire mark on the car bumper, why can’t the LEO investigating the wreck? I wish I could see the bike too. The thing that bothers me is the lack of damage to the front end of the car, besides what looks like a tire mark there is almost nothing until the crushed roof and windshield. There’s the tire mark on the driver’s side bumper, a slight scuff mark on the hood directly behind the mark on the bumper, and then the crushed windshield and roof. Very strange.

Another report on the cyclist shot by an insane man in CO. Iraq veteran and father-of-two named as cyclist who was shot dead at random by Colorado gunman despite pleading for his life Another thing we know is the gunman was reported to 911 several times before he started shooting, but LEO could not respond because CO is an “open carry” state. Seriously, there are no words that can convey my emotions about this.

In Canuckistan the driver who hit a cyclist in a hit-and-run wreck comes back to have a shot at the cops investigating the wreck, who them shoot back. Calgary police shoot man after ‘shocking, wanton’ post-hit-and-run attack, narrow miss for officer “While emergency service personnel attended to the seriously injured cyclist, the subject vehicle reappeared on Dermot Baldwin Way and drove directly at the officers,” said police Chief Roger Chaffin late Tuesday night. The driver was reported to have deliberately targeted the cyclist with the stolen vehicle. I blame Rupert Murdoch for the attempted murder wreck and subsequent attack. 😉

More on the pinball wreck of a cyclist in the Great White North. Cyclist dies after being struck by two vehicles on Highway 27 in Etobicoke The impact damage on the weapon vehicles, especially the first one, just looks wrong for the narrative.

More on the cyclist hit by a truck in the GWN Police looking for five drivers after cyclist killed in Brampton I still say he fell off his bike after getting buzzed by the truck that ran him over.

A Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot, wreck in Jolly Olde. Two people are injured after a BMW chased by an unmarked police car ploughs into a bus stop, lamppost, car and cyclist No kitchen sink?

A coronial inquest has found that Irish truck drivers are blind and need all the help they can get to see a cyclist. Truck driver unaware he had run over cyclist, inquest told Coronial inquests are not intended to find guilt, but rather to find out how to prevent future deaths from the same cause. So apparently this one decided that two headlights and two tail lights mounted at two different heights on the back of the bike were not enough and the cyclist needed to do more instead of the truck driver watching where he was going.

Last link is an echo of the way I felt when I took the wrecks out for a while last year. Rick Vosper: Haunted by the Ghosts of Dead Cyclists

And that’s all I got today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I was going to go out and get more check-ins and captures on my phone game but the pain in my foot said otherwise, and the Feed

Yep, that blister yesterday has turned into a swollen mess today. The blister collapsed (whether it popped or the fluid was reabsorbed I can’t tell) yesterday evening, and today the site is swollen and painful to touch, but no longer has a blister. But before I discovered that I was planning on taking a bus ride to get my “bag limit” again so as to get another gift card as quickly as possible. I went out to get the mail and my foot wasn’t all that bad, but by the time I finished reading the comics I knew there was no way I was going to walk to the bus stop on that foot.

Up first, changing the source of information about who actually uses bicycle infrastructure several days’ ride south of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Why Business-as-Usual Bike Planning Fails Low-Income Cyclists I recognize the disconnect between the people who actually have to ride a bicycle for transportation, and those of us who are heard at regional planning meetings. But they still somehow manage to put motor vehicle infrastructure everywhere needed or not.

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Calbike ranks LA area state legislators, and no charges in the Texas death of a San Diego cyclist

And Daily Ted part 2. Guest Post: BAC member Jonathan Weiss explains California law on riding side-by-side

Still in CA. Why am I afraid to ride a bike? The answer is “Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure, and infrastructure.”

Not done with CA yet. Cyclist injured in collision on Kansas Avenue Assuming the narrative is accurate and not something pulled from the driver’s subconscious this shows why cyclists have to be aware of traffic before entering the street. Or it could be a SWCC incident where the driver “didn’t see” the cyclist until just before impact and the driver’s subconscious creates the narrative the cyclist was crossing the street.

A really bad wreck in NYC. MTA Bus Driver Arrested In Fatal Brooklyn Hit & Run The video is pretty damning, the pedestrian was hit after she crossed the centerline to the lane opposite direction of the turning bus. Had the bus made a legal left turn there would have been no wreck, had the driver stopped when he hit the pedestrian she might have survived.

Similar wreck but no hit-and-run results in “no criminality suspected” when the driver sticks around. No Charges For MTA Bus Driver Who Killed Pedestrian In Queens Crosswalk Just because the driver wasn’t drunk and had a valid license it doesn’t change the fact that he ran over a pedestrian in a crosswalk with the right of way, which is a crime in NYC.

Back to the west with a hit-and-run wreck in OH. Alliance boy, 11, riding bike injured in hit-skip accident The cyclist was crossing the street (legally I assume) and the driver never stopped. Here’s hoping the driver is found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, given a fair trial and a decent hanging. Just kidding about the hanging, everyone knows I’m the guy who puts drivers in cars about to go through a high-speed car shredder.

A very strange wreck in AZ. Cyclist critically injured in west Phoenix crash The cyclist was hit from behind, and then the driver hits a wall on the opposite side of the street. Seriously, WTF? Was the driver drunk?

Cyclist hit by a bus in WA. Cyclist struck by bus on Bainbridge Island Hit from behind as the bus approached a stop. I’m calling this on the bus driver.

Cyclist loses concentration and rides off the MUP as it gets to a bridge. Woman injured in bike crash near bridge While not as dangerous for other people as distracted driving, distracted cycling can still be bad for the cyclist. Pay attention to where your bike is going.

What is it about conservative politicians and transportation funding? State Funds for Transit in Ohio Have “Evaporated” Since 2000 This link came out the day after the link on bike/ped funding getting eliminated by Congress, what is it about transportation funding and conservative politicians that seem so antithetical?

In the Great White North a cyclist is the pinball in a pinball wreck. Cyclist killed on Hwy. 27 Initial hit seems to be a hit-from-behind, and it really goes downhill from there. The question then arises as to how far to the left the cyclist was in the lane and was the second vehicle going the same direction or the opposite direction since the intersection does not seem to have figured into the wreck except as a landmark to place the location for readers.

Intersection wreck in Enn Zed. Cyclist critically injured in Hamilton The cyclist seems to have had the right of way and the driver most definitely seems to not have had the wreck on purpose.

And from Oz a video of a UK cyclist taking a header on an off-road bike trail. Cyclist’s helmet saves him from serious injury That was a serious endo.

And I’m out of links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Grocery day again, and the Feed

Still looking at a low-budget grocery day, but we’re still cool. Just waiting for Mrs. the Poet’s retirement check and all, taking the money out of my massage budget. I can live without massage for my neck a lot better than I can without food. And I made beans and rice again last night so we are good for food, except things like dairy and produce anyway. The budget will cover the stuff we need to buy this week. So don’t worry, I’m not going to starve, or anything like that.

Up first are two links to a little girl getting hit in CT. 10-year-old on bicycle struck by car, critically injured and 10-year-old on bicycle struck by car, critically injured in Bridgeport At this point I don’t know how many “witnesses” were not driving the weapon vehicle, so tentatively categorized as a SWSS with the option to downgrade to “kid acting like a kid”. I strongly suspect “kid”.

Solo wreck in CA, unknown if the rider just “fell down” or if he had help falling. Update: Bicyclist identified who was killed after crashing his bike, hitting light pole in San Clemente and Ted’s take on the wreck. Orange County bike rider killed in solo fall; 50th bicycling fatality in Southern California this year That’s one of the problems with bicycles, you can be killed in such a way as to leave zero evidence.

While we are at it Here’s Our Daily Ted part 1 (which came after part 3). Morning Links: A little LADOT bike lane slight-of-hand, more Rowena fallout, and how bicycling makes lives better Yeah, the Beautiful Suburb of Hell uses “lane miles” to count bike lanes as well…

Daily Ted part 2. Man walking bike killed by train in Placentia Monday night Did he not see the other train coming, or did he assume the first train would finish in time to get off the other track?

Speaking of bike/train wrecks. Police: Man, on bicycle struck, killed by train near St. Louis I have lost count of how many times I posted this, but avoiding getting hit by a train is easy-peasy: Just stay off the tracks until you are sure there are no trains coming.

The citizens of NYC won’t give up on finding the driver of the weapon vehicle that killed a cyclist on City Island Bridge. Who Killed Gabriela? And now we know why there were different vehicles listed in the early reports, nobody could tell what the weapon vehicle was. Even with a video.

Still in NYC. Interactive Map Helps You Publicly Shame Bike-Lane Blockers I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with one of the comments, this will eventually just be a map of bike lanes.

Also in NYC is a strong demonstration of “correlation is not causation“. Spike in Tickets to Cyclists on UWS Leads to Drop in Injuries, Police Say While they are chasing down cyclists running red lights in a clear intersection, there are drivers violating pedestrian right of way and getting away with it, speeding and getting away with it, turning right on red through a crowded crosswalk and getting away with it…

Another article on the DIY DOT in Boston. A Guerrilla Bike Lane Made With Flower Pots Forces A City’s Hand That someone had to do this should be a deep shame to the city.

A MI driver sees a hit-and-run and calls it in while trying to do first aid. Traverse City Man Discovers Injured Cyclist After Hit and Run, Calls 911 The cyclist had a head injury and was walking away with the broken bike and refused assistance until LEO showed on the scene. They have a loose description of the weapon vehicle.

A wreck of unknown mode on OK. Prague bicyclist killed in evening crash Well it was an SUV and a bike at an intersection. And that pretty much covers all we know now.

More on the man killed in the NC pinball wreck. Man killed cycling just months after escaping homelessness Dang, that’s rough. Just got off the streets and into a safe place to live and gets killed on his way home…

And then there is this wreck in SC. Cyclist hit, killed Tuesday night on Wadmalaw Island SWSS wreck. What more can I say?

An IA cyclist is remembered. Ankeny ride remembers killed biker

This wreck is reminiscent of Larry Schwartz’ wreck lo those many years ago. Cyclist injured after being hit by a truck’s mirror The thing this cyclist had going that Larry didn’t was the relatively low speed of the weapon vehicle.

“Debate” on restricting cyclists because there may have been one pedestrian death from a cyclist some time in the past. Cyclist debate for Faversham town centre and road.cc’s take on it Faversham councillors keen to rid town centre of ‘arrogant and fast’ cyclists Interesting that the only mention anyone can find on the web of this pedestrian fatality is the article from Kent Online about the debate where the councillor brought it up. Not saying he was lying, just not being specific about the century this fatality took place.

Someone took this guy’s picture, and they were the last ones to see him alive except for the driver who killed him. Poignant last picture of cyclist before he was fatally injured

Meanwhile in Oz. Vic man arrested over cyclist hit-and-run Typical, hit a cyclist then hide out for a while untill all the drugs and alcohol are gone from your system so all you get will be a gentle caress upon the wrist.

This is a future that can’t come soon enough for me. Self-Driving Cars vs. Cyclists: What Does the Future Look Like? Basically autonomous cars are going to drive like we all think the stereotypical grandma does, and cyclists and pedestrians are going to be safer for it. I would even give up the right to my Sprint-T if it meant that I could get anywhere I wanted by bike safely.

And I’m all outta links now, whee!

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Happy Canada Day, and the Feed

First let me wish my Canadian Readers a happy independence day. I know I make fun of where you live (The Great White North, East Canuckistan, West Canuckistan, Far West Canuckistan) but believe me when I say I do it out of love. You guys are awesome (you had same-sex marriage 10 years before we did as just one example) and I have loved your country ever since my baby brother was born in it 53 years ago (St. John’s Newfoundland, right after it was declared a separate province) and every time we lived there since. I haven’t been back since the early ’70s, but I stay current as I can given how little news comes from north of the border. I mean besides Rob Ford, he’s sorta like your Chris Christie only on drugs, and not trying to take over the country.

Second the reason why this post is going up so late with so few links is I went to get “Arthur, Arthur Dent” rubbed on and transit to the new therapist killed about an hour each way, plus waiting for the bus, plus having to get money from the bank to pay for the massage, and then an hour for the massage. But it was worth it. My range of motion is temporarily only limited by the bones and ligaments in my neck, not by the muscle binding up and not allowing more contraction or extension. I can already feel the muscles starting to tighten back up, but for the moment it’s wonderful.

Since we started out talking about Canada and everything, here’s another link to that pinball wreck that caused a pole to fall on two cyclists. Greater Toronto Area cyclist dead after violent crash More Driver arrested after cyclist, 47, killed in Dufferin St. collision No new facts in the case, just new reports that makes it doubly sure that the cyclists were just waiting on traffic to clear and the lights to change when the power pole fell on them.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: 19-year old bike rider shot in Commerce; more naked folks on bikes; and mobile LA bike repair Included was a link to an attempted murder by motor vehicle on 3 cyclists hit near Sacramento. I’ll include that link if I see it in the Feed, but Ted gets CA news a day ahead of me.

Hey, a bunch of links about cops doing the right thing in Seattle. Police: Intoxicated driver killed cyclist Saturday night and Seattle police: Driver who hit and killed cyclist was intoxicated also DRIVER ARRESTED AFTER KILLING BICYCLE RIDER IN SEATTLE The driver stopped, was suspected of being drunk since he was falling down and other suspicious behavior, and he was arrested.

Another shocker as LEO are looking for “enhancements” to a hit-and-run in WY. Police still investigating Casper hit-and-run that injured bicyclist Find as many “enhancements” as you can, boys, hit-and-run should be treated like attempted murder when the victim survives, and murder if the victim dies…

Another WTF moment in Detroit. Man on bicycle shot and killed during robbery on Fenkell on Detroit’s west side Nothing you can do as a cyclist to avoid this, as you can’t outrun a bullet and unless there is heavy traffic you can’t outrun a motor vehicle.

Back to the Great White North for this little infrastructure blurb. THE QUICK, THE SAFE AND THE CYCLIST Another “death vs speed” chart to go with the hundreds of other charts that say pretty much the same thing.

The tide is turning against drunk and distracted drivers that kill cyclists in Jolly Olde. Jail for woman who killed cyclist after using phone while driving Now we have to hope that she doesn’t spend 6 months in jail and then go to a halfway house.

And just when it was starting to look like things are improving. Community order, driving ban and fine for driver who caused cyclist’s death Yep another round of “community service” for killing a cyclist.

So, who gets to go to jail for this death? Cancelled plans for a safe roundabout ‘could have prevented’ cyclist’s death, says politician The planned changes would have added at most a couple of seconds to clearing the junction while saving cyclists’ lives and bodies, but apparently a few seconds is too great a cost to pay for a cyclist’s life.

And they wonder why cyclists do this? Cyclists stage another mass ‘die-in’ protest at Bank in continuing battle to raise awareness of cycling safety in London

Or why they do this? Cyclist Jeremy Vine reveals he films bad drivers and sends footage to police This is the guy that says a camera is more important than a helmet for a cyclist in London.

Another useless “safety” gadget. Introducing the Varia™ Line of Smart Cycling Devices from Garmin® – Rearview Bike Radar and Smart Bike Lights to Help Create a Safer Riding Environment Alerting starting at 140 meters means the alert is going to be pretty much constant when I ride to church for example.

Bosch expands their crank assist motor line. Bosch Announces More Torque, More Battery and Other New eBike Technologies More power storage at the same weight/volume? How much empty space did they have with the old batteries?

A solar-assisted recumbent trike with a “swamp cooler” AC. Solar Assisted Air Conditioned Tricycle with Unlimited Range

When you get hit you need a good lawyer on your side. Meet the Chicago lawyer who represented cyclists before it was cool

And I’m out of links and patience as my legs decided they haven’t been annoying enough lately and just swelled up and started itching, so I’m going to finish this up and have a lie-down and then do dishes.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

These links will thrill and sicken you, watch out for the third paragraph

I’m going to use one of those clickbait “you’ll never believe…” headlines after I get the post composed, but at the moment it just says “snarky title”. You know the kind of thing I’m talking about, “10 famous people that killed someone, number 7 will chill you to the core” and it turns out they were in the same building that someone died in their sleep. Today was grocery day and I didn’t get enough money out by about $10 so we had to put a loaf of bread back and skip the planned outing tomorrow that Mrs. the Poet really didn’t want to go on in the first place. We would have had to walk more than a half mile in the rain if the forecast is to be believed, and her tolerance for walking in the rain with me is pretty low any more. Her tolerance for walking in the rain with or without me pretty much evaporated the day after she retired.

The Big Story today seems to be the doctor killed on his way to work in Oz. Cyclist killed in collision with truck in Rose Bay and Devoted doctor Henri Sueke killed in Rose Bay cycling to kids’ ward also Devoted doctor Henri Sueke killed in Rose Bay cycling to kids’ ward That last link changed as I was trying to create it. The headline literally changed as I was trying to copy/paste. From the pictures it looks like the truck passed too closely to the cyclist and forced him into the parked cars there being scrape marks that look like they were caused by a turning pedal on some of the cars. That’s too damn close, as the cyclist’s mangled bike and body attest.

Back in the states, I can’t remember if I cursed this guy or not. State reports 2 Southern Nevada inmate deaths What is not in the headline any more since the second death is this was the guy that killed a cyclist while driving drunk on the sidewalk after jumping the curb with his light armored vehicle. He was driving under the influence of booze and prescription drugs. I have to admit I had a flash of schadenfreude when I saw the first headline, but after that flash, not so much. Am I glad he will no longer be a threat to cyclists in NV? Yes, but as long as he was in prison he was alive and still not a threat to cyclists, the only time he was a threat was when he was driving under the influence. Keep him out of motor vehicles and he’s still not much of a threat to anybody. Did he deserve a long prison sentence for killing another human being? Yes and he got it. Did he deserve a chance to contribute to society after he completed that sentence? We will never know because he died long before his first parole date. The reason I even mentioned the “curse” is I have a vague memory of being very angry about this wreck back in 2009 because the cyclist was dragged a significant distance under the SUV before he died. I think I was still mad, or got angry all over again, when he was convicted and sentenced. So, I may have pronounced a curse that he would die in prison.

Update on the victim of a Boston pinball wreck. Teen killed while riding bicycle; family hopes for Haiti burial If any of y’all can shake a spare buck or two that direction I know I would appreciate it. For the family, because the cyclist is long past knowing one way or the other.

Ugghh! Really? Ghost bike memorial for killed cyclist stolen again The first time it was stolen by a scrapper looking for metal he could sell. Who knows the culprit this time. That anyone would desecrate a memorial to the dead of any kind…

Our Daily Ted. Bike rider killed after swerving across traffic on Oceanside highway

Salmon CA cyclist misses train crossing signals, and just misses the train. Sacramento bicyclist escapes serious injury in brush with light-rail train

Cyclist left-crossed in OR. Driver cited in crash that left bicyclist seriously injured I’m glad to see that the driver was found at fault for hitting the cyclist riding under the speed limit…

Apparently there are some seriously blind drivers in AL also. Vestavia Hills cyclist dies, another one recovering after an accident in Gulf Shores and Bicyclist Hit By Car At Gulf State Park Dies Hit one cyclist, it could have been a blind spot, but hit two means either you are not looking where you are driving, or you did it on purpose. Either answer deserves serious prison time in my book.

Dear NY Post editors: Die in a fire after a big meal of five star (us) pad thai. Killer cyclist gives son a lesson in how to break the law “But Opus, how can you be so mean to the nice NYP editors?” Because they never do this kind of followup on any drivers who run over pedestrians in crosswalks, this is harassment, pure and simple. Because for some reason the NYP has it in their tiny brains that cyclists are some kind of terrorists (they actually had an article online a few years ago stating such). Pedestrians killed by cyclists in NYC since 2001: eight. There were more dead pedestrians a month by motor vehicle just since the start of the year. So why the hate-on for cyclists, NY Post editors?

A little upstate from NYC. Father sues RGRTA over cyclist’s death This is another SWSS wreck, but for some reason nobody saved the forward video view from the bus cameras… That tells me exactly the same thing retaining the video from the SoCal marine base bus wreck told me, the bus driver didn’t see the cyclist until impact and then swerved left.

And over in CT. Woman nearly killed riding bike in 2011 will speak in Milford Saturday Sounds like it should be inspiring.

More on the KY driver charged with murder in the death of the Horsey Hundred cyclist. Man charged in cyclist’s death ‘a really good guy’ who may have drinking problem, wife says Yes he might be a “really good guy” when he is not drunk and stoned behind the wheel, but the charge of murder still stands. And now we know he tested 0.3 in a previous drunk driving incident? That is near the 50% fatal level of BAC%. And I just looked to see how many drinks it would take for a man that looks to weigh about 220 to get up to 0.3, but the chart doesn’t go that high, interpolating put it about 20 drinks of hard liquor or about 10 Fl Oz of pure ethanol…

More on NC infrastructure. Death of cyclist highlights cost of making roads bike-friendly The left the word “not” out of the headline. “Death of cyclist highlights cost of not making roads bike-friendly” Because a dead cyclist is too high a price to pay for drivers to drive unhindered in speed without having to pay attention to what or who they might be sharing the road with.

More on the CO cyclist murdered by a gunshot instead of a motor vehicle. Windsor police ask for help investigating cyclist’s fatal shooting You know why they are investigating this so hard and hit-and-runs against cyclists so poorly? Because anyone could get shot and killed even driving a car, while fatal hit-and-runs tend to happen to cyclists and pedestrians only. I mean I’m sure someone could get killed by one light armored vehicle getting hit by another light armored vehicle, but when that happens neither light armored vehicle can leave the scene in the majority of cases. So getting shot and killed is something that could even happen to the LEO investigating, or the people reporting the news. Hit-and-run happens to “other people” not driving cars…

I fail to see how the cyclist “caused” this wreck, as reported he was still in the same lane when the motorcyclist wrecked behind him. Bicyclist sought in hit-and-run motorcycle crash

Over in Jolly Olde they are discovering that putting trams in the old bike lanes without putting in new bike lanes leads to problems, not the least of which is getting someone to keep a record of the wrecks caused by the tracks. Lawyers warn of cyclists’ tram risk People are getting seriously injured and hauled away by ambulance, but there are no records of the injuries outside of the hospital?

Back in Oz, bicycles and trams don’t mix well, the infrastructure for trams tends to cause bicycles to wreck. Cyclist trapped under tram after Flemington crash There was a report the cyclist might have been forced into the tram, but not confirmed at the time of this posting.

Put this one in the “I’m not surprised” bin. HGVs failing to fit hi-tech cyclist savers

Next stop on the worker’s comp bicycle protest ride in the Great White North. Injured Workers Stop in Oshawa During 600 km Bike Ride to Draw Attention to a Compensation System Being Dismantled by the Liberal Government

Legal infrastructure in West Canuckistan. Ormiston v. ICBC: yet another case for recognizing paved shoulders as lanes of travel for cyclists?

And I think I’m outta links (checks) yep, all gone.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Things just keep getting better for my neck, and the Feed

I can’t believe how much better my neck is feeling just 3 days post-op. It is like a whole world of difference between Monday and Friday in terms of pain and mobility. I can stand up straight, no back pain, and only a tiny bit of discomfort on the incision site. I am so glad I finally got this thing done. Even sleeping is better now…

Up first are a bunch of links to more RoS articles, this being that time of year. Cyclists blessed, ride in silence also Cyclists hit the road to honor past victims and Ride of Silence to Commemorate Death of Maui Cyclist not done yet Cyclists share message for drivers and another report from South TX McAllen event honors injured, killed cyclists and Event honors injured, killed cyclists from MI Holland Ride of Silence remembers, honors local cyclists killed while riding a bicycle and this even Ride of Silence to honor injured or killed bicyclists still more Ride in Silence draws 250-300 to Clermont not done yet Bicyclists ride in remembrance of those killed another one from Maui Bicyclists conduct silent ride to remember slain Kihei cyclist

Remembering one of ours killed in a terrible way. Funeral Friday in Windsor for murdered cyclist John Jacoby, service at Faith United Church of Christ Now they are calling the death a murder, but why not when a cyclist is just left to die after getting hit with a much more deadly weapon, a motor vehicle? A later report Funeral held for Windsor cyclist found shot, killed More Race Canceled Amid Anxiety Over Colorado Roadway Shootings This was not just about the cyclist who was shot, but all the other vehicles that got shot, too.

Our Daily Ted. LA County DA rules Gardena police were justified to shoot and kill the unarmed brother of a bike theft victim

Still in CA, we get another person failing to look both ways before crossing a train track with the crossing arms down. Woman Riding Bicycle Killed By Train In Riverside Not getting hit by a train is easy, you just have to not be on the track when there is a train on the track.

More on the teen killed in a MA pinball wreck. Driver in crash that claimed young man’s life unlicensed and Boston man held on $250,000 bail in death of cyclist

Had he survived, the teen driver in a VT wreck that killed a cyclist and the driver while driving nearly three times the speed limit would have been facing murder charges. With raw candor, Hinesburg chief opens up

Does an intersection that encourages trucks to make right turns without stopping cause drivers to hit cyclists on the through route? Widow’s lawsuit aims to make Route 75 safer for bicyclists People are getting hit regularly, and the widow is offering to pay for a traffic signal to prevent another wreck but nobody is taking her up on the offer.

NYC continues to not meet their Vision Zero goals monthly. NYPD: Drivers Injured 991 Pedestrians and Cyclists in April, and Killed Seven They’re 7 shy of meeting the goal for April…

You can’t fix it when you don’t know where the problems are. Cyclists, pedestrians lack a good crash reporting system If you don’t know where people are getting hit…

This Canadian rider uses their legal system to get compensation for neglected infrastructure. Injured cyclist sues city for $152,500 over potholes The pothole had been reported repeatedly over a period of months and not fixed even after the cyclist wiped out…

A cyclist in Jolly Olde gets hurt in an attempted bike-jacking. Cyclist injured in attempted robbery in Doncaster

In NYC a cyclist uses a Citi Bike to maneuver through the streets and rob people. Video of Man Believed to Be Bike-Riding Thief Is Released

In other infrastructure news, this is why TX will never see Vision Zero as a priority. Speed limit signs installed around Denison High School Yes that is a 35 MPH “School Zone”. Moving cars quickly is much more important than keeping children alive in TX.

And the DIY DOT begins operations in TX. Residents of Big Lake Take Fixing Potholes Into Their Own Hands

Ghost Bike in the UK. “What happens if you don’t come home?” The White Bike script to debut at Edinburgh Festival of Cycling

Total waste of time and resources. Cyclist invents handlebar lights to signal safer future on roads For these to be effective drivers would have to be looking, and if drivers wre looking then we wouldn’t need to use flashers. These might work a bit better if only because the shape attracts attention. Cyclists attach testicle shaped Bike Balls to seats to improve road safety

And there probably won’t be a Sunday post because of 18 hours of televised motorsports, between Monaco, Indianapolis, and Charlotte… and the pre- and post-race shows… And 1400 miles of oval and road (street circuit) races… (drool)

And I’m out of links tonight.

I have an interesting new development, and the Feed

Something interesting happened after losing “Chris Christie” off my neck, my abs started hurting. I have finally been able to sit and stand straight for the first time in months if not over a year, and my abs are complaining about the extra work. On the flip side I haven’t had any back pain since the operation, so when my abs get back to their original endurance (I have been working them pretty hard to make sure they were strong enough before the operation) I will be pretty much pain free. This will be territory I have not recently explored, as the lump had me leaning forward so much that if my neck wasn’t hurting my back was or they both were hurting, pretty much constantly. What will I do with myself now that I don’t have any aches and pains? One thing I do have to complain about is all the adhesive residue left behind by the bandage. It couldn’t hold the bandage on, so why is it still sticking to my skin? It’s icky and annoying.

The big story today seems to be the cyclist shot outside Denver. Windsor employee on bicycle fatally shot on Weld County Road 15 and Bicyclist gunned down near Windsor also Park caretaker for Town of Windsor shot and killed while bicycling and this blurb TODAY: More May Gray; Windsor Cyclist Fatally Shot; Yelp Review Lawsuit not done yet FBI joins Windsor cyclist fatal shooting investigation Friend Of Cyclist Shot & Killed In Windsor: ‘I’m Mad’ At this point they don’t know if this was a road rage killing or a random shooting, but they are saying it was probably deliberate because of the second bullet wound. And I don’t know what a cyclist could do to avoid either scenario because some people just seem to lose their minds when they see a cyclist on the road.

The other topic that is generating links is the Ride of Silence. The local report of the Mother Ride of Silence. Ride of Silence to be observed Wednesday across the World Another TX report from the RGV Cyclists Bring Awareness to Sharing Roads Bend Event to Honor Injured and Killed Cyclists and from NC Wednesday’s Ride of Silence to honor injured, killed bicyclists from DC Bicyclists riding in silence to honor those killed on roads From CA A ride to remember those killed riding bicycles More CA MOVING TRIBUTE HELD FOR CYCLISTS KILLED, INJURED IN SAN FRANCISCO From the most deadliest state to ride a bike “RIDE OF SILENCE” TONIGHT HIGHLIGHTS DEADLY DANGERS FOR CYCLISTS IN MIAMI From AL Ride of Silence honors cyclists injured, killed on roads; promotes bike safety From UT Provo Ride of Silence: Keep bicycling from PA with an additional protest Capitol protest highlights Pennsylvania bicyclists killed in 2014 From Midwest corn country Ride of Silence Wednesday evening From the Great White North Ride of silence will remember fallen cyclists and Local Cyclists To Remember Those Killed While Riding Their Bikes also Silent ride honours injured, killed cyclists You can tell it was Canadian because they spelled “Honour” with the “u” A San Francisco Cyclist’s ‘Amazing Renaissance’ — and Sudden Death Remembering a specific cyclist killed in SF to highlight the RoS.

Along with the RoS are Ghost Bikes. Ghost Bike Dedicated to Topeka Woman Killed in Bicycling Accident also ‘Ghost bike’ memorial to highlight bike safety

Another cyclist shot in CA this time. Updated: Bicyclist shot to death in Santa Ana was in confrontation earlier And TN Nonprofit gives away bikes in honor of man killed in shooting

A cyclist was killed in a pinball wreck while waiting for a red light. Man riding bike killed in Boston crash and Man arraigned after death of Dorchester cyclist also Driver Arrested In Dorchester Hit-And-Run That Killed Teen The driver of the vehicle involved in the initial impact that sent the second vehicle into the cyclist attempted to drive away but did not get far as his vehicle was too damaged, and he was caught.

A major problem for cyclists when they get hit. Tim Flynn: Bias undermines cyclists’ safety When you get hit using bicycle infrastructure that is supposed to be segregated and a motor vehicle hits you crossing it from a parking facility instead of stopping and waiting to cross when safe and the LEO does not know the bike infrastructure has the right of way over the driveway, well then you have a problem.

You may also have a problem in Oz with LEO bias. Cyclist seriously injured in alleged hit-and-run criticises Victoria Police who ‘never came’ to scene The ambulance came to the scene but LEO never did…

Also from Oz about LEO. Alarm bells as more children hit on Victorian roads Pedestrians and cyclists on their ways to school are placed at the mercies of drivers that don’t care or who don’t see anything smaller than a late-model Mini on the roads in front of them. This is a problem that needs to be corrected somehow.

Infrastructure from PA. City bike-share program off to fast start I like to read about successful bike share programs.

Infrastructure news from the Great White North. Cyclists on safety along the Rideau Canal They’re talking to the wrong people for this one. It’s not the people who continue to ride there that are concerned about safety, it’s the people who won’t ride there. The people who still ride there think it’s “safe enough”.

“Safety” festival from CA. Bike health and safety expo to be held in Redlands Mall parking lot

UK lawyers are all about the bad parts of cycling. UK Claim Lawyers illustrate road dangers for cyclists

And why cyclists ride in the road, Part I have completely lost count now. Why Cyclists Ride Two Abreast

Our Daily Ted came in a bit late today. Morning Links: Koretz reportedly kills Great Streets bike lanes in Westwood Village; new Redondo bike lanes paved

I think I’m out of links (checks) yep all done now.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

You could be costing me money, and the Feed

I have a situation that the blog service provider shares advertising revenue with me when I get enough people reading my blog on a daily basis. The problem is you have to read my blog AT my blog, not in your e-mail, or via your FB app, or RSS feed reader. I have enough subscribers to make some money if you read and click on my blog, but I don’t get a penny if you read someplace else. Love you all, but I can’t emphasise enough that I only get paid for your eyeballs when those eyeballs are at the same URL as this blog is originally published. And now back to our regularly scheduled nonsense and infrastructure news (if there is difference I’ll let you know 😉 )

Up first, I seem to always be near really great things in my life, and I did it again. This is about something that is a short ride on DART away from me. How One Weekend in Dallas Sparked a Movement for Urban Change This was another “I was there” situation for me. I was surprised at how fast some of these installations went from “demonstration” to “permanent”. And now the rest of the world is learning about it.

An exceptional edition of Our Daily Ted. Hundreds turn out in Hollywood for Sunday’s Finish the Ride Lotsa pictures there, Ted.

While we are talking about CA, here’s an article that treats death by motor vehicle as a public health issue. Public Health Menace Grows There were more cyclists killed in just one city last year than people died of Ebola in the US. And which one gets more attention?

And it looks like we have dodged a bullet this time. California mandatory helmet law set back following intensive lobbying from pro-cycling campaigners We are going to have to be careful on this one, it already has a comeback scheduled.

And FL does it again, a driver seriously injures a cyclist on the sidewalk without ever actually hitting the cyclist. Driver, cyclist hospitalized after car strikes pole in NW Miami-Dade So basically the cyclist was collateral damage to the other wreck as damaged infrastructure falls onto the sidewalk. And much like a pinball wreck I have no idea how you avoid getting hit by a chunk of infrastructure dislodged by a speeding driver running into it.

Two links that seem to encourage Stockholm Syndrome for vulnerable road users, first from NOLA. How New Orleans drivers and cyclists can move beyond ‘us v. them’ Look at the difference in the two sets of stories related, cyclists are assaulted, threatened, and nearly killed; drivers are annoyed by cyclist behavior that does not actually cause any harm. Even where cyclists break traffic laws, they are the only ones harmed. But cyclists have to “understand” drivers feelings?

And in this link about NYC. Finding Vision Zero Not taking an “Us vs Them” mentality when Us are dying at the hands of Them strikes me as an “Odd Thing” to do.

And while we are in NYC anyway, here are a few more links about the city. Driving a bus in a crowded city must be super easy. Video: NYC Bus Operator Keeps Busy By Reading While Driving Hey, it’s just a multi-ton killing machine surrounded by squishy pedestrians, no need to pay all that much attention to what you’re doing.

I wonder if this was the same driver caught in the video before they pulled him off the bus. Bus Driver Runs Man Over In The Bronx, No Criminality Suspected Driver hits person standing at bus stop as he was pulling out, was that a passenger who got left behind and was trying to get the bus to stop and let him on?

A memorial for all the pedestrians and cyclists killed in NYC last year. 10th Annual Ghost Bike Ride To Honor Pedestrians And Cyclists Killed Last Year and Photos: NYers Gather At “Ghost Bikes” To Demand Safer Streets And people still don’t understand the biggest cause of death in the city is the motor vehicle. More Ghost ride honors killed cyclists, pedestrians

And part of the memorial weekend was posting silhouettes for every person killed by motor vehicle violence in the city last year. While they were being put up the people doing the installation were almost part of next year’s installation. Tractor Trailer Crashes Into Memorial For Traffic Fatalities This is just so, not ironic, there’s a better word, because this is not irony. Irony would be getting killed by a person riding a bicycle, this is more of another instance of the city not being the place for a huge truck.

More on why it is so hard to keep drivers from killing. Man gets probation for Harlem hit-and-run death of cyclist PROBATION! For killing a person and leaving him to die in the streets. TANJ!

The cyclist injured by another cyclist riding a wheelie through a red light will get some money from the wheelie cyclist. Injured tandem cyclist to be compensated by Gullane teenager This is part of the criminal proceedings, so the kid will pay, or else…

Before and after a UK safety protest. Vigil planned for dead cyclist and after PICTURES: Stop Killing Cyclists vigil for rider killed at Lambeth Bridge The pictures pretty much explain everything…

And why they did it… Building industry ‘must help stop slaughter of cyclists under HGVs’ One contractor is responsible for 3 recent deaths, leading to protests in the streets. All but one fatality in London this year have been the result of collision with an HGV, protests in the streets. If only protests in the streets did any good.

Another wounded vet ride, this one somewhat close to WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Injured vets prepare for ‘Ride 2 Recovery’

Remembering the first person to ride a bicycle around the world. Happy Thomas Stevens Day!

And I’m out of links, go ride a bike!

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet