Someone used a motor vehicle as a murder weapon in VA

I have seen the video and I’m in shock. Something fell from between the weapon vehicle and the one it crashed into, something that looked like cloth over flesh but I couldn’t get a good look at it to make sure. I’m getting most of my coverage from Twitter as I missed the TV news shows. I’m going to have to quit now because typing is causing my back to spasm like I’m dying. I’m going to publish this and lie down

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About that K’zoo wreck

The wreck in Kalamazoo has been dominating my social media, so I will make a comment on it myself.

It sucks.

But wait there’s more. The driver should be tried on 5 counts of murder, and 5 more counts of attempted murder for the 4 surviving cyclists and the pedestrian who was grazed just before the cyclists were hit. I’m serious about this. This was just as much a mass murder as the Santa Barbara shooter last year, with the added caveat the “shooter” in this case was only stopped by the failure of his weapon, which he then abandoned in an attempt to escape.

Seriously, this asshole needs to be looking at multiple consecutive life sentences without parole, along with seizure of assets to pay back victims’ medical bills and confiscation of any proceeds he gets from prison industries beyond one bar of soap a month and a new toothbrush every Christmas. I’m serious on this one, the survivors (aside from the one pedestrian who was only grazed) are looking at medical bills that will run into the millions of dollars between them. I speak from experience on this one. My bills from 15 years ago were $250K for the initial stay, with another $45K to $50K for each of the subsequent operations required to fix the things that were either missed in the initial carnage or had to wait for some healing to take place before they could be done, like removing my hardware after it was no longer needed to hold my leg together. Add 15 years of medical inflation on to that…

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Sleep deprivation is a &(%$&, and the Feed

I signed off last night about 0500 after finishing the writing part shortly after 0430. Yes it takes me about 25-30 minutes to proof spelling and links and tag after I finish the creative part. And then it usually takes a minimum of an hour to shut the brain down so I can sleep, usually closer to two hours. I was wakened slightly after noon by a loud vehicle (I’m assuming it was a garbage truck) and Mrs. the Poet yelling at “bad cats” and quit fighting to get back to sleep about 1400 and checked the mail. I’m still bleary-eyed as I type this at 1700.

And I’m watching the Sprint Cup practice when this commercial for Marathon gas comes on with the jingle about a “full tank of Freedom”. “Freedumb” indeed. 😛

Speaking of Sprint Cup, some of the drivers are some of us. NASCAR drivers pedal from St. Augustine for bike safety Four hour ride, so about 100km away from the track. I’m betting that lap around the track lasted a lot longer than the 45-47 seconds it took during final practice today…

Ted was a bit busy today with all the news coming at him. Morning Links: Temple City shoots down safe streets on Las Tunas; ridiculous and sublime new bike offerings

Part 2 of Daily Ted. Formerly homeless man dies five weeks after Yorba Linda collision

And an incredible Part 3. Fontana bike rider killed in early morning collision; no details available Poor Ted, this is what happens when you have lots of subscriptions to local media sites, you get to report the bad news quicker.

Still in CA. BART Struggles to Balance Current Needs with Vision for Future BART gets people off the streets in S.F. making a huge impact on bike and pedestrian safety. So this might not seem to be a bike link, but it’s totally a bike link.

Up in America’s Copenhagen, DIY DOT to the rescue! Bike lane in danger? Cone power to the rescue! Riders replace the cones when they get knocked over, unlike plastic bollards that require equipment and chemicals most cyclists don’t carry on their bikes.

Also from Portland, someone said something Really Stoopid. GOP candidate promises to end gridlock forever by adding a lane to each freeway There are no words for how Stoopid this is. This guy has literally never heard of Induced Demand until this article posted and someone emailed him a link on the subject.

And crap infrastructure is never so bad that it can’t be made worse, even in Portland. City proposes shifting future downtown bikeway from Alder to Taylor/Salmon Changing a direct, mostly flat route to one that adds about a mile to the total trip and completely routes the cyclist away from retail and other commercial destinations.

FloriDUH! strikes again. Bicyclist injured in Charlotte hit-and-run crash I’m sorry, but what do you call it when a driver swerves into an occupied bike lane, hits a cyclist, and then leaves the scene without stopping? Aside from attempted murder or assault with a deadly weapon that is.

Continuing on the “Stoopid driver” theme for the moment. NYPD: Cyclist fatally struck by car, driver arrested Driver impaired by drugs, not mentioned if they were medication or recreational drugs. But still “Stoopid” either way. More Allegedly Stoned Driver Charged With Manslaughter After Fatally Striking Staten Island Cyclist The later link says the driver was on pot at the time of the wreck.

And infrastructure news from NYC that will flat-out floor you. It did me. Astoria Will Get Three Protected Bike Lanes Despite Local Drivers’ Objections Yep, bike lanes in spite of driver’s complaints, because too many people were getting killed or injured. and to the idiot that said “at some point traffic calming becomes traffic impeding.” boo, hoo, hoo. You were extremely lucky your death machines were not banned outright, because that was on the table.

Good infrastructure news from IA. Bicycle safe passing bill clears Iowa Senate committee This is the most radical concept in bicycle safety that I have seen in a long time. “Change lanes to pass”, like you would a car or tractor or combine. Radical, I tell you.

A mandatory helmet bill in VA is killed in committee. Why bicycling advocates are happy legislators killed a helmet bill Combined with the studies that show that mandatory helmets don’t actually decrease the rate of head injury, just move it to a different part of the head that isn’t covered by the helmet or by impacts that exceed the survival envelope of the helmet.

Crap infrastructure in VT. A VICIOUS CIRCLE? STATE WANTS SAFER ROTARY IN BRATTLEBORO Note the comment that all the problems are caused by bicycles. SMH.

From Jolly Olde, really they are calling this a hit-and-run and not assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder? Cyclist left seriously injured after hit-and-run following row with driver Motor vehicles are the only weapon that an obvious assault would be called an “accident”

And this cyclist has a case for police negligence as they refused to take a report for his wreck that smashed his bike. Cyclist feels he’s had a rough ride despite lucky escape in road smash The bike was rendered unridable, that makes this a reportable wreck under UK laws. Both vehicles were not able to leave the scene under their own power, that raises the wreck to reportable status.

And I am finishing up too late for Gigi to even read it before she loses her internet at 0300 my time. I mean it’s almost 0300 right now and I haven’t even proofed, much less tagged.

Still just plugging along and nothing much happening, and the Feed

I’m still prowling the web for raw stock to build the Mini Sprint-T after failing to find local sources for single-project size lots of sheet, rod/tube, and strip polystyrene. None of the local hobby stores carry anything in plastic raw stock, and the local plastics distributors won’t sell anything resembling hobby lots of supplies. Deja vu all over again, this was the same thing that happened a few years ago when I was buying raw stock for making custom bicycles that I couldn’t get by cannibalizing bikes left on the side of the street.

Up first, NYPD decides hit-and-run is legal. Cyclist killed in Brooklyn hit-and-run and Brooklyn Cyclist Killed By Hit-And-Run Rental Truck Driver also NYPD: Still Defending Hit-and-Run Drivers to the Press [Updated] Why is it that when a crime is committed with a car NYPD falls all over itself to absolve the driver of criminal charges? This wreck was a hit-from-behind wreck after the cyclist crossed the intersection with no escape route. the way to the left was blocked by the truck, the way to the right was blocked by a high curb.

Still in NYC is this counting of accumulated death and injury for last month. DOT: 1,445 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 16 Killed in December [Updated] Vision Zero only works when LEO is signed on to enforce laws, but as we saw in the previous paragraph NYPD actively works to not enforce traffic laws that protect vulnerable users.

Our Daily Ted part one. Morning Links: Possible murder on Irvine bike path; public meeting tonight to discuss traffic in Griffith Park

That murder Ted was talking about. Police: Irvine man’s death on bike path is investigated as a homicide

Daily Ted part two. 69-year old bike rider killed in Calexico; first bicycling fatality in Imperial County since 2012

Still in CA. Caltrans seeks 5,000 volunteer motorists for mileage fee pilot program The proposed program will extract user fees from vehicles proportional to the damages done by the vehicle without depending on a gas tax since electric vehicles don’t use gas.

Also still in CA, red light running cyclists are a menace, drivers doing the same thing… [Update] State Senator Seeks To Reduce Fine For Red-Light Violation So the year after raising the red light fine on cyclists they reduce it for drivers who actually killed dozens of people in CA from failing to stop before making a right on red. RIiiiGHT

Seeing the MO flag on a 15 foot pole bill as the victim blaming it really is. WHY THE MISSOURI BICYCLE FLAG BILL IS NOT AS FUNNY AS YOU THINK

Up in the Great White North. Quebec coroner issues 3 recommendations after 2014 cyclist death

From Jolly Olde what appears to be a punishment pass. Maidstone cyclist captures near miss in Dean Street

Still in Jolly Olde, today’s our day for murder/attempted murder on the roads. Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after woman found injured in the road Don’t you just hate when the news outlet feels compelled to tell people that the person inside the light armored vehicle used to seriously injure someone was unharmed during the commission of the mayhem?

And burying the Big Story way down in the post, deliberate assault in Oz. Female cyclist injured in road rage attack on Beach Rd, Beaumaris and Coke bottles thrown at cyclists in shocking Beach Road attack also Woman hospitalised after shocking road rage incident Chuck a full bottle of cola soft drink at someone’s head should be classified as an assault, if not a terroristic act.

Are you worried that you are not as green as you could be on your bike? Is there such a thing as eco-friendly bike lube? As pointed out in the article, riding a bike is already seriously green even using the “worst” bike lubes, there is only a tiny bit to be gained by going to another kind of bike lube.

One thing heavily touted about driverless cars is eliminating drunk driving, but now you’re telling me that won’t happen? Are self-driving cars legal? And if so, can I drive home drunk in one?

More stupid infrastructure tricks. 12 of America’s Biggest Highway Boondoggles There are an uncomfortably large number of TXDoT projects on that list.

High hopes for e-assist bikes’ future. 1 in 3 bicycles will be an e-bike by 2023: Study Possibly too high hopes, the projections seem unrealistic.

Last link is something that is on every parent’s mind when their kid(s) is(are) out on two wheels. What to Do When Your Kid Crashes a Bike

And that’s all I got today. Apparently I missed Penguin Awareness Day, not that I need any more awareness of penguins with my name. More tomorrow.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Another day another $0.70 after Medicare and SS, and the Feed

For the self-employed even when we don’t make enough money to actually pay taxes, we still have to pay taxes on income specifically the Social Security and Medicare taxes, which come to roughly 30%. Interestingly enough if I made enough money I wouldn’t have to pay any SS or Medicare taxes… But my income is so low that I’m almost off the bottom of the scale for paying it. My income from wages is so low that I’m not actually paying all that much in SS or Medicare, I think maybe $2 or $3 a year, and the rest doesn’t count as “wages”. Kinda like those hedge fund guys that pay a fraction of the income tax and none of the SS and Medicare tax on their incomes because they don’t count it as “wages”. I mean really, the amount quoted in the headline is about how much I make in “wages”.

Up first, a TX man gets so drunk he forgets that he has the perfect weapon and uses a gun instead. Texas man went on deadly shooting spree while drunk driving in Oklahoma, killing two motorists I would say he’s a dumbass, but he would have to gain about a dozen IQ points to get that smart.

Meanwhile in Sin City. Car Mows Down Pedestrians On Las Vegas Strip, Killing 1 And Injuring Dozens and Driver who mowed down crowds on Vegas Strip asked valet to call 911, police say More than 50 injured or killed, and people scoff at me when I call motor vehicles WMD.

The driver that ran down a cyclist in S.F. CA is in court on murder charges. Man accused of murder in Tenderloin car theft collision back in court

Since we are in CA anyway, here’s Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Hard-hitting real-life safety PSA, and Big Blue Bus leaves bike-riding boy stranded in the rain

Still in CA. On the Mobility Plan and rush hour bus bunching: equity for bus riders? Good transit helps make streets safer for cyclists, too.

Over in KY. Family of Lexington cyclist killed in accident donates bikes to kids

US infrastructure on the Federal level. U.S. Gov’t. May Get More Serious About Cyclist/Pedestrian Deaths in 2016 They still don’t know if the problem is huge, really huge, or enormous, and when they find out they might actually do something about it. Or they could just buy the CROW manual and follow that and everything would be wonderful.

Low information article about a bike wreck in the Great White North. Cyclist struck, injured at Dufferin and Davenport The headline contains most of the actual news in the article, which is kinda sad, really.

Three years, and they still haven’t reached sentencing yet? Man in 2012 hit-and-run that killed cyclist could face year in jail The really annoying thing is the maximum sentence is still less than half the time the cyclist has already been dead. He died more than 3 years ago, the maximum sentence is 18 months, which he won’t even start serving until next year.

More on the insane suggestion that cyclists should be charged congestion fees when there are too many cars for the roads. ‘Cyclists should be considered for a Cambridge congestion charge’, says highways boss Since you can move 8 people on bicycles in the same space as one in a car, if there is a congestion charge for bicycles it should be ¹/₈ as much as for a motor vehicle, or since bicycles are smaller than motorcycles charge what they would charge the motorcycle, which was nothing. And that right there shows the hypocrisy of charging bicycles for congestion. It has been suggested the “expert” who said bicycles should also pay congestion charges was Keith Peat, noted anti-cycle motorist.

Meanwhile in Oz, they are almost s insane but they carried through. Cyclists in NSW can now be hit with massive fines and have to carry photo ID and NSW cycling laws: metre passing laws a win, but others are bewildering I’m trying to figure out why “raising of the fine for riding without a helmet from $71 to $319 – an increase of 350 per cent” is a good idea while the fine for failure to wear a seat belt remains the same… What is it about the Aussies and their weird compulsions about bicycle helmets?

And that’s all I got today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

My car is shipping east, and the Feed

According to the Amazon Package Tracker my model kit left Anaheim headed east in a slow semi trailer at 0508 PST, but my take is it went into said trailer at 0508 and probably is leaving as I type this. Now it is possible that they loaded the trailers yesterday and it left this morning but as I am always prepared for the worst while hoping for the best I’m gonna stick with “tossed into the trailer at 0508” scenario. That and the fact that I worked in such a facility many moons ago back when I was a strapping young poet with few marketable skills besides the ability to run a MS-DOS computer and muscles to here. And for those not old enough to remember MS-DOS was a text-based OS with a command line interface, and you had to remember the commands to use to get the computer to do things. And also which floppy disk was program and which one was data for that program. I’m going to let you Google what a floppy disk is. It was a dark time when the internet was still controlled by DARPA and BBS ruled the cyberscape… Again they are not supposed to have the package with my car here any sooner than Wednesday, and no later than next Monday, so there is still lots of time yet.

And 74 years ago today because of a paperwork error that caused Japan’s Declaration of War to be delivered late, Pearl Harbor was attacked without warning. When you read the links today you’ll know why I made “paperwork error” a thing in that paragraph.

Up first because FloriDUH! Driver ‘killed cyclist while receiving sex act from female passenger at the wheel’ There was a news outlet local to the wreck with another article about the wreck but oddly enough the web page was “not responding” when I tried to load the article… Now this definitely falls under the heading of “things cyclists have no control over”.

Closer to home, a convicted underage drunk driver is caught on video at a drunken party violating his parole. ‘Affluenza’ teen who killed four in drunk driving case seen partying it up in new video My loathing of this particular walking canker-on-the-ass-of-society is exceeded only by my loathing of the judge who accepted the “affluenza” defense and basically let him go.

Our Daily Ted expounds on crap bicycle parking amongst other things. Weekend Links: Deplorable Gold Line bike locker, distracted beach biking, and a 17-mile non-CicLAvia ciclovía

Meanwhile in NYC. SUV Driver Kills 30-Year-Old Woman On Fort Greene Sidewalk None of the charges reflect that he was driving on the sidewalk and hit 3 people, killing one.

Now in America’s Paradise they aren’t fooling around. Driver high on meth gets stiff sentence in cyclist’s death What I was heartened by were all the comments saying that the sentence was weak, not “stiff”. It makes me think that maybe killing a cyclist while sober will get treated the same way at some time in the future.

Now since this guy hit two people and killed one, maybe they put him away for a long time, too? Bicyclist Killed, Pedestrian Injured In Lawndale Crash Or maybe they just give the guy a stern talking-to and send him on his way?

What better way to honor a fallen cyclist than by replacing him or her with dozens more cyclists? Event honoring cyclist killed in Hanover donates 60 bikes to kids We are like they heads of the hydra… Only worse.

Over in KS another gorram hit-and-run. Cyclist injured in hit-and-run on Topeka Boulevard If the location given on the map embedded in the article is accurate, all I can say is “why?” That location was shown as the frontage road for the major road, and the cyclist was hit from behind, then left to fend for himself. Standard diatribes against hit-and-run “drivers” apply.

Infrastructure in MD. Montgomery County pushing forward with Bicycle Master Plan A plan with no budget is nothing.

And this article is why I don’t see anything from the preceding paragraph ever actually getting built. Davidsonville man spared jail time for assault on cyclist after crash Only a $142.50 and 15 hours in community service for assault with a deadly weapon, assault, and leaving the scene of a wreck? And the second assault was after he broke the man’s arm with the deadly weapon, meaning he had no way to defend himself. Has everyone in the damned court gone absolutely bonkers?

Meanwhile in Canuckistan. Friends of cyclist killed on rural Alberta road raising money to benefit widow and young daughters If you’re local to this WoaB strongly encourages contributing to the event.

In the same city, 2 links of infrastructure news. Cycle track complaints have significantly decreased, 3-1-1 data shows The only ones left complaining are the severely entitled drivers.

And whaddya know, build it and they will come. Women cyclists already surpassing cycle track targets They seriously understate the increase in women cycling going from 23% to 32% as an increase of 9%, my calculations are that’s a 39% increase in women.

First link from outside North America is a bit strange. Taxi driver and passenger assaulted by cyclist in Govanhill OK the cyclist beat up two people. Two questions” 1) How could he beat up people inside a light armored vehicle? I’m assuming the doors were locked while the vehicle was in motion. 2) There were 2 of them and only the one “of slim build” cyclist how did the cyclist manage to beat up two against one? And again they were inside a light armored vehicle while he was out in the weather. Methinks there is much more to the story than is presented in the press. The delay in reporting the incident also raises red flags.

In the meanwhile, this wreck is being treated as attempted murder. Police treating cyclist being knocked down as attempted murder and Cyclist in critical condition after collision which police are treating as attempted murder The driver attempted to run over a LEO while escaping the initial wreck, which led LEO to decide the wreck may have been deliberate and no “accident”.

And more on the idiot doing more than 50 MPH on a curve posted as safe for 30 MPH and hitting a cyclist on the opposite side of the road. Dangerous driver who killed Ormskirk cyclist jailed for two years The “I was being tailgated” excuse is as flimsy as a wet Kleenex.

But they let this guy slide almost completely. Driving ban and curfew for driver who killed cyclist Again I would put the “ban” in quotes because it’s only a ban if someone is checking on him. Otherwise it’s a minor inconvenience at worst because he has to driver exactly within the laws to avoid getting pulled over.

But in this case where the driver was a danger to other drivers… Dash cam footage of dangerous overtaking lands driver in jail in UK first No one was killed, or even injured in this incident, but the driver got 8 months behind bars and a 4 month longer driving ban than the killer in the previous paragraph. TANJ!

Meanwhile in Oz… Cyclist killed in collision with car at Bennett Springs and Male cyclist dies after being hit by car in eastern Perth suburb of Bennet Springs

And as insane as it sounds I have run out of links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus (I may switch that back to US$ if the exchange rate keeps changing).

Moar cat pictures, and the Feed

We had a call from the Daughter In Scotland this afternoon and when she was informed we had kittens she requested I post pictures where she could find them. So without further adieu, when the cats stopped bouncing around the house like guided fuzzball missiles I snapped a shot of each.


Enjoy your cat pictures.

Up first are links from opposite sides of the country about the same subject. UPDATED: Driver Who Struck, Killed Bicyclist in Bethesda Won’t Face Criminal Charges and Why Jolene Friedow only got a traffic ticket in the collision that killed Mark Angeles Same problem in two different states, dangerous driving that breaks traffic laws and gets people killed is not an actual crime that can get steep fines and/or prison time. So the “cure” is to make a death as a result of a traffic violation a misdemeanor that carries mandatory loss of license for a period of time with loss of vehicle if caught driving during that time. I leave the amount of time as an exercise for the student.

After that we need something less upsetting, like our Daily Ted. Morning Links: LA’s Mobility Plan up for review today, and a call for to join or renew membership in LACBC

Still in CA. Cyclist injured in Oxnard accident Can I just say this narrative makes no sense? The cyclist was riding north on one street while the driver was driving east on the other, but the cyclist was hit “after entering the roadway.” At what point did the cyclist leave the roadway? The street view shows a quiet residential neighborhood with on-street parking and long straight streets.

Cycling in NYC can get a little hairy. Losing Your Fear Of Biking In NYC: Are Stop Lights Optional? Most of the article is basically saying “Pay attention to your surroundings!” when you ride and noted she only runs reds in places where she would feel safe jaywalking.

Still in NYC sometimes it ain’t safe to walk on the sidewalk. Pedestrian Killed, 3 Injured When Driver Jumps Brooklyn Sidewalk “No criminality suspected” in spite of the fact the weapon vehicle was upside down and flying when it hit the victim. And the fact the driver was driving on a suspended license…

Still in NYC and yet another pedestrian is killed with a car. Cab Driver Had Been Working 16 Hours When He Killed UWS Great-Grandmother Run down in the crosswalk by a driver at work 4 hours longer than legally allowed. And if you’re wondering why I’m including all these pedestrian fatalities, well they would have been just as fatal if a cyclist had been there because every one went through the bicycle area of the road (bike lane or no) before killing the pedestrians.

Another SWCC wreck in IL. Bicyclist killed in crash near Oakbrook Center and Lombard man on bicycle killed in Oak Brook crash The only surviving witness claimed the cyclist ran a red light. Since there is nothing to corroborate maybe he did, maybe he didn’t but either way cyclists have to be ready for drivers on intercept courses in intersections.

I think this was one of those scooter things and not a bicycle in spite of the name. 2 hurt as taxi and e-bike collide in Guelph Since there were two on the bike I’m pretty positive that’s the case, but the speed range is the same for those scooters in the Great White North as it is for e-assist bikes in the US, so everything in this blog applies except the not riding two up on one bike (except for tandems). Looks like a hit-from-behind wreck.

Example of UK clickbait article. I want to be nice to cyclists – but I’m sick of the kamikazes Oohh, surrounded by soft squishy people while in a light armored (excuse me, armoured) vehicle. The horrors. Teh bike cooties might get on you, or something. Seriously woman, get a grip. BTW don’t read the comments section if you like your brains to stay between your ears.

Speaking of crazies, someone needs to slap some sense into this plod. How I was threatened with arrest as a terrorist for trying to take a photo of a police car parked in a bike lane Sounds like this idjit got his training at the NYPD academy…

Nutter kills cyclist with knife several times over, gets long term vacation in the funny farm. Jason Voong guilty of ‘motiveless’ manslaughter and assault Seriously, the man was deranged.

I thought this link was connected to the previous paragraph until I took a good look at the URL and discovered they were not even in the same hemisphere. Man charged with attempted murder over cyclist stabbing Another less than sane person attacks a cyclist for nonsensical reasons. I blame Rupert Murdoch.

Also from Oz. Cycling stars ride to raise safety awareness Maybe they can do something about Murdoch…

More on the Enn Zed cyclist who was walking his bike because it was too dark to ride. Pedestrian killed near Nelson named

Really? ‘Beyoncé On A Bike’ Opens Sexualized Can Of Worms Sex symbol rides a bike, a sensible bike with fenders and a front basket, and everyone goes ape over the picture? Because sex symbol, therefore sexualized. Another example of people just “not getting it”.

I have been making the point for years that while helmets might be useful for individual cyclists, helmet laws just make things more dangerous for cyclists as a whole, and now there has been a study that proves me right. The Latest Evidence That Helmet Laws Don’t Help Bike Safety

And last link another front on the lumen wars. The Case Against Bright-as-the-Sun Flashing Bike Lights I can’t say as I have ever had to deal with one of those bright blinkies, every time I have encountered another bike at night they had reasonable lights or none at all. Most had none at all, nor did they have reflectors. My bike resembles Tokyo at night with all the lights.

And I’m all outta links again. Go do something useful.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m finally out of links today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Large hunks of links are from Twitter, and the rest of the Feed

It takes longer to filter, but I’m finding more and better links on Twitter than I do in my Feed Folder in my e-mail. I think that may be due to having humans directly sending me the links from the articles as they post. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I can give you better links than I used to.

Up first, LEO have found the driver who killed a cyclist earlier this week. PD: Police identify woman who struck, killed bicyclist in Pasadena They haven’t arrested her, just “talked” to her.

More on the cyclist killed in MN by a driver who crossed the entire road to hit him. UMD mourns staff member killed while bicycling in Hermantown and SUV fatally hits bicyclist in Hermantown heading other way on shoulder I’m still trying to figure out why the driver is not in jail for this.

Since we are in “old wreck” mode at the moment, more on the cyclist killed in CA during a time trial event. In the News: Cyclist killed by car in California TT race and CHP Finds a New Way to Blame the Bicycle Rider Yep, getting blamed for the driver that hit you in your lane is pretty low, even for the CHP. Seriously, what would Jon and Ponch say? More Cyclist killed in Esparto was experienced Foster City rider

Still in CA, a hit-and-run driver attempts murder when the victim catches back up to him. Driver charges at cyclist, carries him on hood and Caught On Camera: San Francisco Cyclist Ends Up On Windshield In Apparent Hit-And-Run So two hit-and-run incidents, one that might have only cost the driver a ticket for violating the 3-feet-to-pass law, and a second that might end up with assault charges.

Another AZ cyclist hit from behind in the bike lane. Bicyclist killed in northwest Tucson collision I have lost count of the number of cyclists hit from behind in the bike lanes of AZ this year, but it seems to be too common even if there were only two. The danger zone in this wreck was the mixing zone before the turn lane. The driver failed to yield to the vehicle in front (the cyclist) and killed the cyclist as a result. I know what will stop wrecks like this, but I don’t know how well it would fly in the current legislative climate. When you hit a cyclist you lose your car, 90 days if there was no or non-serious levels of injury, a year for transport to hospital wrecks, and forever if the cyclist dies from injuries or in case of hit-and-run.

Not a bicycle wreck, but indicative of what you could expect as a cyclist if you get hit. NYPD: “No Criminality” as Cab Driver Runs Over Kids on Bronx Sidewalk and TLC: Driver Who Hit Children on Bronx Sidewalk Works for Uber [Updated] The car went completely across the sidewalk and bounced off the building that a commenter stated was 20-25 feet away from the curb, and in the video I thought I saw the left front wheel pointed towards the camera which means the suspension was broken when it hit the curb. I estimate the vehicle speed at 40-50 MPH. But the NYPD doesn’t suspect any criminality for driving 40-50 MPH on the sidewalk full of kids… TANJ!

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Cedillo condemns calls for safer streets, Coronado madness round 3, and more bighearted people Cedillo needs to be charged as an accessory for all the people killed and maimed since he stopped the North Figueroa project literally days before it was to begin for no apparent reason. I still say follow the money.

A restaurant named after the great Eddy Merckx. The Cannibal, a restaurant and butcher shop coming to Culver City, with bike valet Free beer when you wear your bike kit into the establishment.

A CT cyclist gets injured and he’s the guy responsible for getting other people to live more healthy. Norwalk Director of Public Health injured in bicycle accident over weekend This sounds like a buzz job to me. Or maybe a “punishment pass” for daring to ride in the street.

There are good people in this world. Woman injured riding bike wants to thank stranger who helped her Fortunately they filled the pothole but unfortunately not until after her wreck.

Another buzz job in NC kills another NC cyclist. Cyclist dies in road accident Another driver driving too fast to stop in the distance he could see clearly blames the victim for not wearing a glow-in-the-dark clown suit with body armor.

If you are going to carry cocaine on your person, know that you don’t have to submit to a search until after you get arrested, and put some lights on your bike. Bicycle stop leads to cocaine arrest “The pill bottle contained 0.2 grams of powder cocaine” or not enough to get a chihuahua high, much less an adult human being.

Another Wounded Warrior ride north of WoaB. Injured Service Members Ride toward Recovery in Oklahoma’s Capital City If you’re in the area give these guys a cheer when they ride by.

A wreck in Oz involving two cyclists and a car and they can’t figure out who was where and which way they were going. Cyclists injured in Monaro Highway crash How crazy is that?

Also in Oz they have another wreck they are trying to decipher. Police appeal for witnesses after cyclist injured – Dora Creek

Last link, I’m sure you are the kind of person who always makes sure the quick releases on your bike are done up tight, but you brother-in-law hasn’t checked his since Clinton was in office so he might want to check this out. Thirteen bike companies recall models over disc brake/QR concern This is the same QR as the Trek recall only on other manufacturer’s bikes.

And I’m out of links again for the day. Grocery day tomorrow.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

The Long Day just got longer, and the Feed

Friday is my day that doesn’t end until halfway through the next morning, because I wait until the midnight posting to my Feed Folder in my e-mail. Usually though I get enough links to filter that I don’t get a lot of downtime, or I go out and do something and get the post started way after 1800 so that I’m not just sitting around and waiting for links. But today I have the coincidence of nothing on my social calendar combined with nothing in the 1200 post to the Feed Folder leaving me with very few links and lots of time to look at them…

Because why not? I’m putting the Daily Ted first. Morning Links: Protect your bike on Metro buses, motorists behaving badly, and more kindhearted people

Just down the road from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Few Protections for Cyclists

Proving that it can be done, NJ demonstrates how. Man indicted in hit-and-run crash that killed cyclist Wow, three felony charges including two homicides.

And in the UK… Alan Cartwright murder: Joshua Williams guilty of cyclist’s fatal stabbing Proving that cyclist’s lives are only valued when they are killed by something other than a motor vehicle.

Back in CA, where is his bike? Man ‘Sleeping’ in Bike Lane Was Victim of Hit-and-Run Crash: Police I think the CHP officer that reported the man “sleeping” will be called in for re-training soon.

CO cyclist is blamed for getting right hooked. Cyclist injured in crash with SUV “The motorist was not at fault, but the responding officer used “officer discretion” and decided not to cite the cyclist, Cunningham said.” Umm, driver turning across a pedestrian crossing and hitting someone in that crossing is most definitely at fault, unless the person is crossing against the light. And I bet the only one the officer talked to was the driver.

A driver left crosses 8 cyclists, hits 5, and kills one. Bicyclist killed in Brecksville truck accident, others injured And the comments section goes wild, blaming the cyclists… SMH

Update on a cyclist hit in the Great White North. Cyclist hurt in Oshawa collision expected to recover I hate that LEO are still trying to excuse the driver because the visibility was restricted by rain and darkness…

And update on a wreck in Canuckistan. Police seek more info on injured cyclist I don’t see what the problem is, the cyclist was left crossed. That is automatically the fault of the driver no matter what the cyclist was doing.

In Finland they take hitting a cyclist seriously. Motorist who hit cyclist to be indicted on manslaughter, other charges The driver was seen to deliberately hit the cyclist during a road rage encounter…

Meanwhile in Oz. Cyclist seriously hurt, man killed in Mandurah in horror night on WA roads How do you hit someone from behind with the driver’s side of the car and drive off? More Cyclist injured in hit and run in Mount Pleasant, Perth

I have been making this argument from the other side for years… Breaking the Cycle Nobody in their right mind these days would blame women for wearing the “wrong” clothes or being in a bad part of town, at least in the Western world. Well we need to stop blaming cyclists for not wearing helmets or glow-in-the-dark clown suits when they get hit.

And I am out of links, and also my mind 😀

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet