Unlike Garfield I have a reason to hate Mondays, and the Feed

Yeah, I used that headline once before so sue me. I just opened the Feed folder and … UGH! Just the headlines from the first story in each report makes my stomach churn. I might have to take another Mental Hygiene Break shortly.

On another note there will be a break coming this summer. My 40^th HS reunion is coming up the first part of August, which will require I take a trip to Salt Lake City. I haven’t been back to SLC since 1978, it will be interesting to see the changes since then. There was a local hamburger chain called “Arctic Circle” that was everywhere back then, I want to find out if any are left.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Belgian cyclist killed in wreck with race moto; 7 of the 8 most dangerous Valley intersections

Remember the psycho attacking cyclists last year in the Twin Cities? Police: Bicyclist Hit, Critically Injured Near Uptown Mpls. I can’t say this had anything to do with what went down last year, but with the lack of any reporting from LEO that’s still on the table. 🙂

When the criminal courts won’t prosecute, you have to resort to the civil courts. Bicyclist’s family files wrongful death suit When a person goes blind but doesn’t stop driving even after several wrecks, and finally kills someone because they are driving blind there should be greater repercussions than just losing your driver’s license. Just saying, it was already illegal for this guy to be driving, and all they did was make it illegal for him to be driving, how is that any kind of punishment? Did they put him on “double, secret, probation” to go along with the loss of the already-lost license?

A wreck in DE. Bicyclist killed in crash along U.S. 13 in Dover and Del. police investigate crash that killed cyclist The geometry of this wreck screams stale green/yellow for the cyclist, and a driver not paying attention to what is in front of him. Or that he was lying about which vehicle ran the red light.

Another SWCC wreck in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Bicyclist Struck and Killed in Jackson County Since I can’t see the wreckage I can’t say for certain this is a crock, but the smell is certainly there. The cyclist being hauled unconscious from the scene means the only voice in this story was the driver’s.

Crap infrastructure in the UK is unlikely to get better. Government’s laughable cycling blueprint does nothing to boost safety You can’t make world-class bicycle infrastructure when you have literally no budget to build anything. I mean 2.1% of the motor vehicle budget (unless they are using “billion” as “million million” in which case that is .0021%) would build 1 project per year in the entire UK for the next 5 years as long as that project was just paint on existing pavement, otherwise it’s one project for the 5 year span.

Instead of proper infrastructure, cyclists get accused of “hogging” the roads. Cycling groups in Cambridge area told to stop hogging roads by police but riders hit back at drivers Can’t ride in the road, can’t ride on the sidewalks, are cyclist supposed to just float?

Are cats the vector for road rage? Study: Parasite hosted by cats may cause road rage I can confidently say my kitties have never caused me to lose control.

People have been saying that if something wasn’t done about the massive caravan that follows and mingles with the back of the peloton at pro races someone was going to get killed. Tragedy strikes pro peloton: Belgian rider Antoine Demoitié killed by race moto at Gent-Wevelgem “Someone” is named Antoine Demoitié.

More on the ghastly hit-and-run murder attempt in Oz. Australian driver ‘deliberately swerved’ to mow down cycling dad and Car seized in relation to running down Victorian cyclist If they don’t charge the driver with attempted murder… TANJ!

And the same weekend as the incident in the previous paragraph. Bottle hurled at cyclists along Bruce Highway The only thing that prevented a tragedy in this case was the total lack of athleticism of the passenger in the ute. I have seen children throw with better accuracy than that idjit.

Crap infrastructure is not helped by squads of crap drivers. Torquay’s Horseshoe bend needs safety works, say cyclists after latest crash And cue the comments section for brainless demands for cyclist taxes, registration, and insurance to “pay for” the roads that cyclists are already overpaying for. I say when drivers can stop speeding, running red lights and stop signs, running in to other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians, then they should start to get roads paved and potholes repaired. And maybe a freeway or two. There was one good comment:”@Velo Velo, you need to sign up to the ATO’s cyclist rebate scheme. They assessed my taxable income last year as $0 and handed back all the GST i paid. The ATO also let council know you’re a cyclist and boom. No rates. And then if you buy a house, the state government waive the stamp duty. It’s pretty sweet. No wonder the anti cycling mob are furious.”

And things are just bad for everybody in this part of Oz. Horror start to year on Mornington Peninsula with six people killed on roads since January Really 6 people in less than 3 months is a “horror”? We had 16 people killed here in TX this weekend Complete Texas accident reports and news.

And why there are ghost bikes in Oz. The haunting purpose of Rebekka Meyer’s ghost bike

This Li-Al battery looks like it might make e-assist bikes practical. Chinese researchers develop new battery technology Putting the Lithium into the electrolyte and using carbon and aluminum electrodes means the lithium never has to form a lattice while charging, drastically increasing the energy storage and cycle life.

And I finally ran out of links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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We had pizza for dinner, it must be Grocery Day, and the Feed

Yep, grocery day means cheap frozen pizza for dinner. Not that that’s bad, just routine. We didn’t have to buy much this week because of all the stuff we got last week.

The Big Story today is a hit-and-run in WA. BELLEVUE POLICE SEEK VEHICLE THAT HIT, BADLY INJURED BICYCLE RIDER and Bellevue cyclist nearly killed by hit and run driver also Injured woman found on Bellevue bike path; police searching for hit-and-run driver and the one that grabbed my attention Motor magazine readers help police ID hit-and-run car Yep, a bunch of gear-heads went out of their way to identify the weapon vehicle used to injure a cyclist on a bike path. If I’m reading the narrative correctly the cyclist was either hit standing in the bike path waiting to cross an intersection, or hit crossing with the right of way. Whichever mode was in effect, I really don’t see any way for a human cyclist to avoid this wreck, especially the one where she was waiting to cross. BOLO for the weapon vehicle, a 2013-15 Honda Accord with a broken headlight.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Connecting the dots in LA doping scandal; bike routes through Camp Pendleton closed next week I ask you, would car drivers tolerate the only safe route through an area getting closed with no alternative designated?

First of several infrastructure articles from America’s Copenhagen. Neighborhood association demands immediate investment in Cully Blvd after latest fatality The street in question is basically a speedway built when engineers were applying highway construction standards to city streets to make then “safer”.

More infrastructure on a larger scale of mind. Janette Sadik-Khan replays her ‘Streetfights’ to a sold-out crowd You can’t think small when planing bike infrastructure, you have to think in terms of networks and interconnectedness. Individual projects to move that forward can be done in small bites, but there has to be a full meal in the plan.

And why we (and Portland) can’t have nice things. New Seasons customers visit new store — and park their cars in state’s new bike lane – UPDATED A big part of the problem is ODOT don’t know how to build a bike lane. To. Save. Their. Lives. (Or anyone else’s.)

Deadly hit-and-run in NOLA. Bicyclist killed in hit-and-run on Leon C. Simon Drive; NOPD seeks black SUV and Bicyclist dead after hit-and-run I think my antipathy towards hit-and-run drivers who kill is well established. This is one of those situations that I would strap the driver back into the driver’s seat and give him or her a last ride through a car shredder.

Halfway through the legal process on a MI wreck. Plea agreement reached for teen accused in bicyclist’s death while civil suit remains in court I’m of the opinion that the charges were way too lax, but I’m not the one extracting justice from the perp’s wallet.

Speaking of extracting justice through the wallet. Attorneys reach settlement over cyclist killed in 2013 Again, in a situation like this the only way to get any justice you have to go through the wallet.

Some (sorta) good news from AZ. Woman arrested in Gilbert hit-and-run that killed bicyclist Given the situation this was about as good as news could have gotten. I don’t know what the perp being pregnant has to do with locking her up… Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.

FloriDUH! Cyclist, 54, struck, badly injured on St. Pete Beach If the driver “never saw” the cyclist, how do they know the guy was riding across the street? And ugh! “dark clothes” again.

OH infrastructure. City report recommends keeping Central Parkway bike lane issued, then quickly recalled I love when they try to hide good news about bike infrastructure.

CT cyclist becomes the voice of an entire population. Clinton cyclist finds herself ‘a voice for others’ after truck-bike accident I can relate to her situation.

A bit of US national infrastructure. Safer Streets Ahead for Bikers and Walkers with New Federal Safety Rule

How is your transit system running? A Mexican athlete races Mexico City’s subway in the latest man vs. machine showdown This can happen in a system with good walkability between stops, here in the Metromess there are only a couple of stops where this is even imaginable.

More infrastructure, now from the UK. Plans for dangerous Stamford Hill junction slammed in wake of crashes Crap infrastructure is crap. Whodathunkit?

And one thing that usually goes with crap cycling infrastructure is members of the political class who hate cycling. Senior Liberal Democrat says “Cyclists do not belong in towns” That sure is a funny way to spell “cars” innit?

Also infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Traffic lights that detect cyclists coming to York

Over on the Emerald Isle, a cyclist and a semi have an unfortunate meeting. Cyclist injured in collision involving articulated lorry and Female cyclist rushed to hospital with serious injuries after being hit by truck

Another cyclist in Ireland is hit, and unfortunately killed, by a semi. Cyclist dies following collision with lorry in Lisburn This was an intersection that has been previously identified as needing improvement, but which hasn’t been done.

One driver takes out 2 out of 3 cyclists on a ride. Two cyclist hurt in Vic hit-and-run crash

And the lawyer thinks the new laws in NSW are just peachy. New cycling laws ‘controversial but safe’ Stockholm syndrome? Maayyyyy beeeeee?

And it is late and I got up early this (yesterday?) morning. In fact it’s after Gigi’s “bedtime” when she loses her internet (0300 CT) so she’s going to be mad she doesn’t get to review the post while it’s still “fresh”.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

More stuff came in after Mrs. the Poet went to memorialize her sister, and the Feed

Maybe I could get a job writing headlines for UK newspapers, whadyathink? Anywho, Mrs. the Poet is now safely ensconced at O’Hare waiting for her connection to La Guardia where her dad and step-uncle will be picking her up for her trip to the boonies of Upstate NY. I expect to hear back from her when she gets to he mom’s house.

But the part for the Mini Sprint-T came in this afternoon and I couldn’t resist slapping the temp adhesive to some of them and mocking them up. The first thing I did was assemble the 700R4 transmission and mount it to the back of the engine, the second thing I did was add the EFI throttle body to the manifold. Then as soon as I could move things around without dislodging them I took a picture in front of the bucket in about the same orientation as the last mockup picture.

Can you see the problem? Look at the location of the transmission tailshaft assembly in relation to the body. Now can you see the problem? The end of the transmission is literally right next to the driver’s hip. Now in my case that’s not a problem because my ass is narrow and deep. I am literally 13″ wide in a 22″ space where the tailshaft is, so I have plenty of room to park my butt. Other people trying to drive my car are not going to be as comfortable. But wait! There’s more!

Can you see the other problem?

See how wide the transmission is all the way back? That’s going to impinge on lateral leg room almost all the way to the seat. I had previously measured the width of the footbox as 7.5″ to 8″ at the bottom with a little bit more room for the left foot as the tumblehome of the body went out as the side of the body went up. Taking the firewall out and sliding the transmission inside the body really shows how little room there is.

As you can clearly see the 700R4 was not designed for a severely dropped T-Bucket. I’m obviously going to have to provide a foot rest for the passenger and do a lot of contouring for the transmission tunnel to get everything and body inside the car. Ain’t engineering with pre-existing components fun? 😛 That thing in front of the engine is a combination of the timing cover, water pump, front engine mount, and alternator and power steering mounts all molded as a single piece. The balancer/crank pulley fits in the half-moon notch at the bottom that matches a hole in the front of the block, the water pump pulley goes on the water pump, and the alternator goes on the passenger side and the power steering pump goes on the driver side both at crank level.

Up first, a kid can’t even play in front of his own home without risking sudden death. 4-year-old boy hit, killed in parking lot in southwest Houston Seriously, are you in that big of a hurry that you run over a kid? The only “good” thing to come from this is “Police said, at this time, they do anticipate the driver will face charges.”

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: CicLAvia previews, Cycling Without Age comes to El Monte, and ToC teams announced

Still in CA. Bicyclist Killed on Monday Identified as 16-Year-Old Hesperia Teen hit-from-behind by a driver not paying attention, I bet a dozen doughnuts that LEO figures out some way of blaming the cyclist hit from behind instead of the driver that hit him and left the body spread over the hood of the SUV.

Legal infrastructure in CA. How does the three-foot rule apply when there are already bike lanes in place? Move over to pass at least 3 feet away from cyclists. Whodathunkit?

More infrastructure in CA. CELEBRATING PAGE STREET I would be interested in finding out how this works out as far as safety and usability.

More infrastructure from America’s Copenhagen. City reboots plan for SE Ankeny traffic diverter, preps for others This was supposed to be a greenway mainly dedicated to bicycles with cars “allowed”, but they are taking it over.

More infrastructure, of the IT kind. City of Portland’s 823-SAFE hotline now offered online So now you Portlanders have choices on reporting dangerous conditions.

Another link to that cyclist with an ICE-assist bike getting hit from behind in FL. Police ID bicyclist hit, killed on Westside And another media outlet feels the deceased’s criminal record has something to do with the wreck.

CO hit-and-run wreck where the bike was resting neatly against the rider’s backpack on the side of the road. Pedestrian Hospitalized In Mysterious Hit & Run In Fort Collins Can you say “tampering with the evidence”?

Over on Jolly Olde people are losing their minds over a guy bringing a bike on a nearly-empty train. Another ‘selfish cyclist’ on a train row as passenger takes up SIX seats with bike

Screw up installing bike racks so that they can only hold a quarter of the bikes intended? It’s an art. ‘Useless’ bike racks by Tube station were intended as public art, north London council insists No, seriously, it’s art.

Bike mode share in Tokyo is a cultural thing instead of an infrastructure thing. Why Tokyo Is Home to So Many Cyclists But So Few Bike Lanes

And last link is an e-assist bike share system. Crunch Time for Madrid’s BiciMad Electric Bike Hire Scheme Apparently putting nice bikes in bike share leads to disappearing bikes?

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Nice weather for Grocery Day, and the Feed

I know it’s a little late now, but I should have tagged the Mini Sprint-T in yesterday’s post since so much of the first paragraph was devoted to it and there was a picture of it in the post. Anywho, we are having a nice spring day out, in the middle of February, in Texas. Birds are singing and I have already seen the crane flies (those things that look like huge mosquitoes) on the storm doors. Climate change! Woo!

I know some people are wondering why I spend so much time on the Mini Sprint-T when I’m a bicycle safety blogger and know how dangerous motor vehicles are around vulnerable users like pedestrians and cyclists? Well one reason is I need to build something. I would prefer to build a car or a recumbent bike but I don’t have the space nor resources to build something like that now. If Dad’s house hadn’t sold for $75K under appraisal I would have a lot more $$ for building the full-size car, but that water is way under the dam now. So I’m working with something I can afford with the resources I have now. I’m solving most of the problems I would face with the Sprint-T while working within my budget for the Mini Sprint-T. Also, model cars are very safe around vulnerable users so long as you don’t step on them. The cars, not the vulnerable users, don’t step on the model cars. You might cut your foot stepping on the model car.

Up first, an OH driver claims “blindness” from “sun glare” for driving about 100 feet on the shoulder to hit 5 cyclists head on. You won’t believe what happened in court. Bike Cleveland on Wolf verdict: ‘It is seriously regrettable that justice was not served’ Yep “Not guilty” of vehicular homicide. Once again proving that if you want to commit random murder, buy a car, not a gun.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Killer SD hit-and-run driver has a bad night; next Griffith Park access meeting on Wednesday

Still in CA. Cyclist struck, injured by WES train in Tualatin When I filtered they were still trying to figure out how he got hit, stating the victim “rode directly into the path” of the train. As I have pointed out numerous times in the past avoiding getting hit by a train is laughingly easy, just don’t be on the tracks when the train gets there. Why this rider didn’t do that is under question at the moment.

More infrastructure in Portland. Opinion: If we’re serious about cycling, let’s get serious about cycling infrastructure

Hit-and-run in PA. Two people were in Jeep at fatal hit-and-run in Upper Milford, police say This is an update on the ICE-assist bike hit head-on by a vehicle cutting the left turn. And my speculation from yesterday was apparently correct that the cyclist was legally lighted at the tine of the wreck. The Street View of the scene shows the cyclist had a through road without a stop sign while the weapon vehicle was facing a stop sign before making that left turn. The really despicable part is they both got out and looked at the victim’s body and mangled bike in the road before leaving him there to die.

What other job could you (almost) kill someone and get a paid vacation. Cambridge officer cited for hit-and-run crash that injured bicyclist Seriously, leave someone to die in the street and get a paid vacation? I suspect DUI was involved, the cop knowing that leaving the scene would get him out of the worst of the charges by preventing testing.

In TN it appears we have a SWCC wreck. Bicyclist Injured On East Main Street After Colliding With Pickup On Tuesday The narrative would also fit with a buzz job or punishment pass that went way bad (for the victim).

I think MT stands for the amount of compassion for the victim in their hearts. Man sentenced to 6 months in jail for killing cyclist in 2014 accident Except no, he wasn’t. He got 90 days in jail and 90 days house arrest, not 6 months in jail. The cyclist is taking a dirt nap while the driver gets only 90 days in jail and another 90 days at home sleeping in his own bed and pooping in his own toilet and eating his own food not bought from the lowest bidder.

Up in West Canuckistan LEO add insult to injury for a salmon cyclist. Cyclist struck, then fined

Still in West Canuckistan. Suits filed in cyclist deaths The owner of the weapon vehicle is throwing the driver under the bus, all but claiming the car was stolen. And they are still trying to blame the cyclists for getting hit by a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road?!?

Still in West Canuckistan, a little infrastructure article. Vancouver Bike-Share Gears Up for Summer Launch

Meanwhile in Jolly Olde. Cyclist injured after car accident in Cobham Wreck, not accident. but anyway, from the picture it looks like hit from behind because of a failure to pass safely.

More on #Nohelmet-gate in the UK. Row breaks out on Twitter after police ‘blame’ injured cyclist for #NoHelmet Please comment, should I mention all the wrecks where the drive wasn’t wearing a helmet and firesuit and blame the wreck on lack of either? Or would that be (too) petty?

Another hit-and-run leaves a lucky cyclist injured but alive. Bid to trace car in cyclist hit-and-run Hit from behind protocols to avoid or reduce injury, crush and shred vehicles used to commit hit-and-run to prevent, with the driver inside in cases where the victim dies.

Today’s candidate for the “really crap infrastructure” tag. Potholes are a ‘disgrace’, says cyclist That road looks more like an obstacle course.

Cyclist down, UK. Cyclist killed in collision with Range Rover was ‘loving husband, father and friend’

Cyclist down in Oz. The Beat: Brisbane news, weather and traffic No details about the wreck or if any other vehicles were involved.

Brave women making a difference if they don’t get killed. A group of bicycling women are defying norms in the Middle East

And I’m out of links again.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Wedding anniversary, Grocery Day, and the Feed

Yep, 38 years ago we got a baby sitter to watch the eldest son and got hitched. It was probably the only shotgun wedding where the groom’s father was the one holding the shotgun on the groom. Mom and Dad wanted grandkids, they just were not expecting them quite that soon. I was barely 19 at the time.

On the other part of the headline, we has foods now, yay. There was a sale on coffee flavor greek yogurt so I picked up a few cups, and some peach for Mrs. the Poet. The cats can’t eat yogurt any more so we didn’t worry about flavors they can’t share because now that’s all of the flavors. I feel sad for them because it was kinda fun watching them eat the yogurt off their little saucers, but they outgrew being able to eat dairy and I don’t want to smell their nasty farts. Seriously, that’s how you can tell when it’s time to stop giving the cat yogurt, when a UN weapons inspector stops by the house because of reported leaks of poison gas.

Also in the background is the Duels at Daytona Sprint Cup races that set the field for the Daytona 500 Sunday. Yay, racing.

Up first is another round of Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: A bridge over troubled roadway, post memorial hit-and-run, and buffed Cipollini in the buff Super Mario is Mrs. the Poet’s favorite bike racer, mostly because she likes the name “Cipollini”, and I have to admit he looked really good in that picture. (Yes I clicked through.)

Our Daily Ted part 2. Attorney Solves the Great Mystery of the “No Biking In Crosswalk” Signs

Still in CA that hit-and-run Ted mentioned. Bicyclist injured in hit-and-run after memorial for teen killed in bike crash and Cyclist hit after attending memorial for teen killed in bike accident I don’t know why the first link spent so much time on the kind of bike that was hit because it had nothing to do with the left cross followed by the driver leaving the scene of the crime. And as it was a left cross there are a list of protocols that will reduce the impact of a left cross, assuming you have time to react, posted in a link at the top of the page this is posted on.

The dead cyclist whose memorial the injured cyclist in the previous paragraph was leaving. Community Mourns Tragic Death of 13-Year-Old Student Killed in Bike Crash They are now saying the bike had brakes that were not very effective in stopping the bike. If this was a result of the robbery attempt the cyclist was fleeing or unrelated bad maintenance not released at this posting.

Also from CA. Co-workers remember cyclist killed in San Jose hit-and-run as ‘hardworking’ Lots of hit-and-run in CA this week, I hope that’s not a trend. The fact that they found the weapon vehicle with the plates removed tells me that the hit-and-run was deliberate, and possibly the wreck that preceded it.

Still in CA some of these things are not like the others, can you tell what’s different? Bicycle Safety That’s right, all the things suggested to drivers are all LAWS, while some of the things suggested to cyclists are NOT LAWS.

Are we never going to get away from CA today? FONTANA: Foothill Blvd. crash kills bicyclist, prompts DUI arrest OK everybody, what does the Witch on a Bicycle say is the thing to do with drunk drivers who kill? That’s right, put them back in their car and run the freaking car through a high speed car shredder. Seriously, by the time the pain signal from the driver’s feet get to the brain said brain is already confetti. Aside from the slight mess involved the execution is completely humane.

Moving to MO and another stupid hit-and-run. Two weeks after hit-and-run, cyclist grapples with injuries and unsolved case Finding red mustang convertibles from partial plates is Hard! It’s not like they can just to a computer search of the registered red mustang convertibles looking for the partial and hope for a match… SMH…

Legal infrastructure in OH. “I AM Traffic” – Getting Out of a Ticket & Revisiting AFRAP Unfortunately too many LEO and judges are only aware of the general case for these laws, and not that the exceptions cover as many as 100% of streets and roads in a jurisdiction. That is what was discovered one town over from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell when they did a CIS survey. They now have BMUFL signs posted at the city limits.

This SC girl has done good. South Carolina Teen Rides Face of America to Honor Veterans and Inspire Others You Go Girl!

Gotta love the street names in Jolly Olde. Councillor says Nuns’ Corner ’roundabout plan’ is ‘outrageous’ All that work, and it still wouldn’t meet CROW Manual standards.

Another funny street name, similar problems. Toll Bar roundabout: School drop-off bay plan to help allay safety fears It would be much simpler to just ban the source of the problem, all the motor vehicles crowding into the same tiny space.

This car has been burning up the e-assist message group because it uses 5.3 pounds of H2 in a compressed gas vessel and a fuel cell pack instead of a bulky battery pack. This car travels 300 miles on just 85oz of (hydrogen) gas If it scales down that would be 300 miles of assist in a package smaller than a 25 mile battery.

And on the T-Bucket front, this car takes big motor in tiny car to the extreme possible with current technology. Allison V 12 T Bucket by Cliff Hix Yes it does say 1710 cubic inches and 1840 HP in a 3200 pound car. That makes the Sprint-T’s 430 HP and 1750 pounds curb weight look anemic, but I still think the Sprint T could beat it to the eighth mile, just barely. After that the massive HP of the V-12 and crappy aero of the Sprint-T would combine to let the Allison T top end me in a drag race. Now if there were a couple of hairpin turns and slaloms involved then the Sprint-T would be in its bailiwick and the airplane engine car would be a fish out of water.

And now I’m outta links and Mrs. the Poet beckons from the boudoir.

Bye.

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.

Happy President’s Day, and the Feed

Well I have a day off from one of my gigs today, because that gig is with the Feds and I don’t have access to my work materials on Federal holidays, so more time to drink coffee and read comics, Yay? This is another one of those tiny jobs I get that pays almost nothing for doing almost nothing, except for today when I get paid almost nothing for doing nothing at all. I win 😛

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bikes banned from Burbank bridge; defaced signs led San Diego cyclists astray Those signs looked like they had been shot with acid paintballs, completely illegible.

Drivers in FL trying hard to live down to their reputation? Bicycle rider struck and killed by a car in Boca Raton The picture of the bike lends some credence to the claim that the cyclist was crossing the intersection, but the location of the bike and the age of the cyclist (84) make me doubtful the traffic light was red when he entered the intersection.

A wreck in GA. Grady High School freshman struck, killed while riding bicycle in Midtown While I’m reluctant to blame the cyclist on this one, I am willing to say she may have been at fault in the wreck.

Cyclist down in WA. Woman injured as pickup strikes her bicycle in Everett Hit from behind wreck not at an intersection certainly seems to point at driver at fault and the protocols for avoiding that kind of wreck are linked at the top of the page.

Wreck in NYC, now with more information. Cyclist Clings To Life After Being Hit By Truck Driver In Tribeca Well maybe not so much more information.

More on that MA cyclist. 15-year-old cyclist severely injured in hit-and-run crash in Lowell

What does the budget hold for those of us on two wheels and no motors? Obama’s 2017 Budget Request: What It Means for Cyclists I don’t think any of the “green” proposals will last long enough to return to Obama’s desk.

Crap infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Compensation for wheels damaged beyond repair in pothole is refused by council The “defect” was one that would only damage a bicycle, and which would be virtually invisible until you were on it and your wheel was in it.

Driver runs cyclists off the road and then gives them the finger, courts return the favor to the driver. Middle finger councillor appears in court after Devon cyclist incident I would think that a driver that gave the finger to the people he just ran off the road would get convicted of something far worse than “careless” driving. Just saying dudes. That is not the behavior of “careless” that is what someone who acted deliberately does. Does this seem like £140 and 8 points behavior?

Really? Really?! Forest Row cyclist: Truck driver could have killed me That could have gone so bad so quickly with a large truck of some description that close, literally he couldn’t have gotten any closer without killing or seriously injuring the cyclist.

More infrastructure from the Midlands (I think?). ‘Tram safety simply isn’t good enough’ says cyclist Put the trams where the bike lanes used to be and you guarantee there will be conflicts.

Legal infrastructure from Craig Ferguson’s homeland (Scotland). Cyclists’ petition to end David and Goliath legal battles nears 10,000 Still trying to get presumed liability in UK laws.

Blotter report of a bike wreck between two bikes has a rare death. Four people have died following four separate crashes on Victorian roads.

Crappy drivers in Oz are still crappy. Life-Threatening Injuries For Cyclists And Motorbike Riders Rose Significantly Between 2001-2010 As in every country keeping count, as cars get better fewer drivers and passengers are killed but more people outside cars are killed because drivers are not getting any safer but the insides of cars sure are.

Enn Zed bike culture. Cyclists rally for injured rider

And a wreck in Enn Zed. Ashburton and Dunedin cyclists critically injured Two wrecks, but only one narrative, of the driver failing to yield.

And we’re all out of links. finally. Program note I have another trip to the Lab Rat Keeper tomorrow afternoon so the post will be way late.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Not feeling well today, and the Feed

Yep, I’m in actual pain right now from a gum problem, there is exposed bone on the inside of my right lower jaw where my wisdom teeth were extracted about 30 years ago. I don’t know what could have caused this, and I don’t care because it is very uncomfortable. I mean we are not up to “broken fibula bouncing around in my leg” levels of pain, but above “post removed hardware holding bones together with a slide hammer” pain. I am only having issues with this because proximity is making my right eye water sometimes and that makes it hard to see what I’m doing. Mrs. the Poet looked at it and her interpretation is it looks more like a series of infected areas along a cut, which makes a little sense considering all the chips I have been eating the last 2 weeks.

Now what makes this really fun is I’m writing a service that I’m going to put on this Sunday on the subject of “Love”. It is really hard to get enthusiastic about love when one eye is watering from discomfort. But I will muddle through somehow.

Up first is this notice from Bike Friendly Garland about a local event. Bridge Dedication, Ribbon Cutting Set for Feb. 13 Unfortunately I will not be able to attend this event, as I will still be unconscious after completing the post around 0300.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Planning Comm preserves Mobility Plan, PV bike lanes threatened, and register for River Ride

Still in CA. Police Update: Cyclist Killed This Morning By Hit-and-Run Driver on Winchester Blvd. I loathe, hate, despise and find drivers who hit-and-run appalling. Especially the one who just abandon their vehicles. If you drive home you could just claim blindness and stupidity (“I didn’t know I had hit anything”), but if you ditch the car you know damn good and well you hit someone and left them to live or die as their fate dictates. A suitable punishment would be hitting them in the abdomen with a 16 pound sledgehammer and then leaving them unconscious for 48 hours. If they die, that’s their karma, if they live then they get minimal medical care to keep them alive but nothing for repairing any non-life threatening injuries like torn muscles or spinal injuries. If you had been killed by a hit-and-run driver I’m sure you would feel similar to me. Not identical, but similar.

Also still in CA. A Problem We Can Solve: Commercial Vehicles Blocking Our Lanes My take can be summed up thusly:

Meanwhile in NYC… Bicyclist clings to life after being struck by crane truck in Tribeca and Cyclist Clings To Life After Being Hit By Truck Driver In Tribeca The driver of the wepon vehicle claimed the cyclist ran a red, but would you trust a driver to give an accurate accounting of a wreck? The back of the bike from the picture in the first link looked too smashed up for a cyclist who was crossing in front of the truck, but the TwitPic was less definitive about direction of impact with the bike still under the truck. So we have a classic SWCC wreck, unless someone has video of the wreck that shows the cyclist actually running the red.

Still in NYC. Driver Arrested For Killing Midtown Pedestrian, But Will Vance Follow Through? This was the same DA who let a truck driver off because the victim was 5’5″ and the driver couldn’t possibly see someone that short.

Speaking of that… Manhattan DA Drops Charges Against Coca-Cola Truck Driver Who Killed Pedestrian In UES Crosswalk

More hit-and-run in MA this time. 15-year-old cyclist severely injured in hit-and-run crash in Lowell See above for my feeling on hit-and-run (ugh!).

Legal infrastructure in America’s Copenhagen. Police write 15 citations for illegal driving during Clinton enforcement action 15 tickets/arrests for cars, 2 for bicycles (no lights after dark).

And more physical infrastructure changes in Portland. Update: City extends new bike lane on SE 34th Avenue The bike lane was advisory so that trucks could access the noodle shop (gotta have supplies to make the noodles from), but truck access was diverted to another street that still would get to the shop so now everything is just peachy.

Infrastructure news from the city my brother lives and works in. Ashley River exit ramp work beginning This is the first stage of installing the bike lane, but I’m doubtful of the second stage where they block off the right lane but don’t allow bicycle access and then see how the traffic moves. One of the benefits of bike lanes is they allow people to use a bike instead of a car and still have a modicum of safety.

Good news everybody [/Professor Farnsworth] The Truth About Cycling and Brain Injuries tl;dr if you don’t get brain damage in the wreck you are not likely to develop brain damage later as long as you have recovery time after the concussion.

This was in the feed and I’m not sure if I posted this particular link when it came out, so here you go. ‘Dooring’ charge laid in death of e-bike rider So glad to know that if someone kills me with the door of his car in Ontario he will face up to $365 (CDN) in fines and 3 points against his license.

Not-so-Jolly Olde. Learner driver’s guilt as cyclist hit by car “In a letter to the court Cooper stated that both she and her passenger had thought the cyclist was on the pavement and that he would stop.” This is a typical “roads are for cars” attitude. The cyclist is permanently maimed but will only have to come up with £702 and 5 points on her license. TANJ!

Crap infrastructure in the UK (do they ever do anything else?) “Failure of ambition” on London Quietways

Someone did something stupid with this company’s logo all over the vehicle so they are suing the… guy who took the picture? JM Clark Ltd threaten legal action over helmet cam footage after driver is filmed using phone at the wheel Yeah, that’s not gonna pass muster, at all.

And I’m outta links again, so time to proof, tag, and post. Gigi is gonna be mad at me because she won’t have time to finish reading before her internet goes off at 0300 my time. I’m trying to figure out where she is from that but I keep coming up with odd shutdown times or somewhere in AK or HI. If she’s in HI then I’m jealous…

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I cooked dinner tonight, and the Feed

Well most of it anyway. We splurged and bought ³/₄ of a pound of chicken livers because I haven’t had chicken livers in years. Part of the reasons for that is Mrs. the Poet refuses to go through the mess and bother of cooking them, primarily because she can barely eat them. I wrapped about half a pound of bacon around the livers and fried them up, a preparation method that leaves the livers so that I love them, and Mrs. the Poet will at least have a couple of ounces total uncooked weight so she gets some protein in her meal. Anyway that takes a while to cut the bacon strips in half, wrap them around the livers, and fry them up. So I ended up losing about an hour from the filtering process preparing the blog post, but as this was Friday and I have to wait until after midnight to finish filtering I could afford to take the time out for cooking. And they were goooooood…

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bike beats car in race to beach, Calbike wants your take on bike politics, and BMX legend dies

Still in CA. Bicyclist Suffers Major Injuries in Head-On Crash Near Jalama A person claiming to be the driver in the comment section said she was to the right of the centerline and the cyclist was on the wrong side of the road.

And speaking of that BMX legend, here’s a link off of my Twitter feed. Dave Mirra, BMX Legend, Dead At 41

Down in Houston a 3YO cyclist is run over by a driver that did not know he was there when the SUV started moving. Former UGA star Danny Ware fighting for body of son killed in Texas Again this is more of an issue with the blind spots of the SUV around kids.

In WI a kid-authored bill would make cycling the official state exercise. Kids Advocate for Biking to be State Exercise With two bike manufacturers in-state (Trek and Volae), this is really a no-brainer choice to make.

A bill presented to the FL legislature would strengthen the state 3-foot passing law and extend it to other road users. SPEAK UP FOR SAFETY OF PEOPLE ON BICYCLES, PEOPLE ON FOOT One of the major changes proposed is to put teeth in the law when a driver hits a cyclist from behind (or a pedestrian or any of the other classes of “vulnerable users”) substantial fines are levied against the driver.

More infrastructure news from FL. Recent accidents raises concerns for local cyclists It’s worth noting that of the recent wrecks listed none were the cyclist’s fault and would have resulted in the enhanced penalties in the proposed bill mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Update on an injured CO cyclist. Fort Collins cyclist hit by car remains hospitalized I do wish they would stop saying drivers don’t get hurt when they hit cyclists with their cars.

Death-defying report from NY. Police log: Dogs chase man on bike

Another link to the saga of the unlicensed driver in an HGV running over a cyclist wearing HiViz and blinky lights waiting at a red light. Lorry driver who killed cyclist jail appeal rejected Did he seriously expect to get a reduction in his sentence after having multiple driving convictions and driving without a license or insurance when he killed the cyclist? He’s lucky they didn’t find a way to increase the sentence.

Infrastructure-related wreck in Oz. Cyclist falls on deteriorating Bellarine Rail Trail amid calls for repairs It seems they can’t decide if the cyclist wrecked because the surface was bad, or because the surface collapsed underneath her.

New gadgets for the tool geeks out there. The 6 coolest accessories we’ve spotted this week That suction-cup bike carrier looks interesting.

And I think I don’t have any more links (checks) Nope, no more links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another long day on the road, and the Feed

I had another long day out paying bills today, but I’m finally through for the month. Now all I have to dump money on is getting the plumbing fixed. And the day-to-day living expenses, like the $15 I dropped on dinner last night. That’s a lot of money on our budget, but lordy that was a lot of food! Something else I dropped some $$ on was renewing my membership in the HRC, supporting them as they move on from marriage equality to other forms of discrimination (did you know a person can be fired for being gay in TX?)

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Beach bike path closed, slap on wrist in Glendale hit-and-run, and six years for drunken OC driver

Still in CA a story that originally had the weapon vehicle posted as a motorcycle. Cyclist critically injured by suspected DUI driver in Berkeley I’m not sure if this was deliberate or just a slight error in editing: “Police said witnesses who saw the crash stayed with the woman until help arrived, and were able to provide statements.
“Unfortunately this circumstance is more common than we’d like,” observed Lt. Montgomery.” I’m glad they caught the driver immediately, but that might have had more to do with the weapon vehicle being rendered undrivable by the wreck, than anything the driver intended to do.

Also in CA 5 Things Cyclists Do You Didn’t Know Are Perfectly Legal Well I knew, but that is partially because I see stuff about one or more of the list every year.

Meanwhile in NYC they finally get bike lanes and traffic calming on one of their most deadly streets. Amsterdam Ave Bike Lane Approved After Heated UWS Community Meeting Gotta love the tears shed for parking while arguing over people getting killed.

Speaking of people getting killed over infrastructure here’s a report from America’s Copenhagen. Victim of collision at notorious Greeley/I-5 intersection comes forward That has to be the worst bike lane crossing I have ever seen either IRL or on the Internets.

More on the dangerous and ADA non-compliant swing gates at a railroad crossing in Portland. Activists (temporarily) take the swing out of TriMet’s swing gates TriMet was complaining about this disrupting their “data gathering”, so I’m wondering what kind of data they are gathering and how.

And after all that crap infrastructure here’s some done right. Detour done right: 21st and Belmont shows how construction zones should work

Opinion piece in OH Please give cyclists more room on the road OH drivers are about the same as drivers in every other anglophone country.

And some good news from WI for a change. Traffic deaths in January were the second lowest since WWII Of course there is also the statistic that road fatalities mirror the local economy…

Over in Jolly Olde is a none-too-jolly cyclist. Call for review into EMAS after injured cyclist left 2 hours at roadside I was left in the road for only a few minutes after my wreck back in 2001. But then they thought I was dead until I told them I had a broken femur.

I think about the only thing that can be as bad as being in a wreck is being the first person on-scene after one, particularly when the victim dies or bleeds profusely. UPDATE: Driver traced after man killed in lorry hit-and-run in Greenwich And in this wreck the victim did both for the cyclist waiting in line directly behind the weapon vehicle. Condolences to the victim’s family and the cyclist who saw the wreck.

This cyclist shows a lot of heart after almost getting killed. Cyclist consoles woman driver seconds after she almost kills him

Another good-hearted cyclist. Cyclist’s 1,000-mile trek in memory of tragic cousin

And this one just makes my blood boil. Elderly driver who killed charity cyclist is spared jail due to age and Elderly driver who killed mother-of-two cyclist spared jail So she was old. That shouldn’t hamper making an example out of her.

And I’m out of links finally, so proof, tag, and publish then off to bed sometime after 0300 since it’s 0311 now.

Billed @$0.02, Opus