I had real COFFEE today, and the Feed

Finally I had a cup of coffee that tasted like COFFEE instead of vaguely brown water. Pro tip, the reusable K-cup filters are only good for a small cup of coffee, there is just not room for enough grounds to make a 16 oz (473.176 ml) cup of coffee. Seriously, even going to 10 oz is seriously over what the little things can do without using an espresso ground coffee. If you have a coffee grinder that can go to espresso then you can get 10 oz easily, but drip grind won’t give you enough surface area to extract all the good flavors because of the limited amount of time the water stays in contact with the grounds. The Keurig is halfway between a drip brewer and an espresso machine as far as extraction is concerned. Higher temperature and more pressure than a drip brewer, lower than an espresso machine. If you have the reusable filters go with espresso grind. Now I need to find a good coffee grinder.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Memorial ride for RPV cyclist, 11-year old advocate writes for Times & Mt. Hollywood stays car free

Still in CA. Meet the Ovarian Psycos: women of color building a movement on bikes These are the people who do the Clitoral Mass ride once a year, a Critical Mass just for kick-ass women (womyn?).

Lots of Portland infrastructure links today. State begins project on Broadway near Rose Quarter Monday If they get this right it will be an improvement for all modes, not just the modes with engines or motors.

Good transit and good cycling go together like hotdogs and mustard. Bus riders’ union launches new campaign: Discount fares for low-income people Sure they are great separately, but put them together and you have a killer app that gets you across town letting the bus protect you from the cagers, while extending your reach far beyond the bus deep into unserved territories. The technical term is “first mile, last mile”

And when you integrate infrastructure it synergizes your investments. New Portland Plan Addresses Walksheds and Watersheds Together When you install paved streets and drains and cover those drains with sidewalks all at the same time it works better and costs less money to do. Whodathunkit?

Update on the cyclist critically injured in a MN hit-and-run. Update: Cyclist Injured In Hit-And-Run Still In Critical Condition and $1,000 reward offered in hit-and-run crash that critically injured bicyclist in Dakota County Yeah, he’s not going to be riding again any time soon after that latest surgery. I hope something equally gruesome happens to the driver, or they could just recycle the vehicle with him still in it.

Something fishy in this OH wreck. Cyclist hurt in collision with highway-patrol cruiser Notice that they aren’t blaming the cyclist for this wreck even though there were intoxicants involved on the cyclist’s part. The wreck mode was hit-from-behind, so they probably have dash cam recordings of the cyclist’s lane position and track. My guess is this was a SWSS initially until someone took a look at the video, then backtracked.

A MA hit-and-run. Cyclist injured in Wellesley hit-and-run So all my Boston readers BOLO for a Toyota P/U with front end damage and report it to LEO.

This is slightly disturbing as WoaB heavily promoted these guys. Wounded Warrior fires execs over spending accusations If I’m reading the article correctly these clowns took money donated for rehabbing injured veterans and spent it on luxuries for themselves. Shame on them.

A Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment from Jolly Olde. Serial drink-driver who killed cyclist in crash jailed for just seven years This idiot had EIGHT!(8) DUIs, and never passed a test to get a license, and somehow he was still free to drive. “Taylor, of West Molesey, was also banned from driving for nine years.” He never had a license, and you think a court order will stop him from driving in the future? I have this bridge…

Well if they survive they won’t Wiggins on London Bike Boom – cyclists aren’t going to go away I get what he’s saying, gas is cheap now, but it won’t stay that way and people will still have to get around. Riding a bike is way faster than the bus in London (and for short trips even I could get around faster than DART, especially if there was a detour to the transit center and a transfer to a different bus involved. Point to point a bike is faster than a bus unless both points are on the same bus route. Then it all comes to how many times the bus has to stop for passengers.

Woman accidentally locks herself in a van, cyclists hear her pounding on the door/side of the van and let her out. Charity cyclists free woman trapped in van for 4 hours

Cyclist is buried after a wreck in the Emerald Isle. TEENAGE CYCLIST KILLED IN ROAD TRAGEDY LAID TO REST

A UT grad is hit and killed in Singapore. Woman dies in bus accident; arrested driver suspended pending inquiry Ordinarily I don’t report Singapore wrecks because their laws are so, so different from ours, but the victim in this one made me link this one.

And this from Oz. Sydney cyclists reportedly fined £225 – for trackstanding Apparently the sight of cyclists maintaining balance without putting a foot down for an extended period of time just blew the LEO’s mind, they had never heard of such sorcery.

And this. Sydney cyclists say new laws don’t make them feel safer – MPs set to debate scrapping them The abuse cyclists have been receiving since the change in the laws has been skyrocketing, and drivers have been interpreting the passing law exactly backwards of the intention, instead of moving over the meter they are claiming cyclists have to get a meter off the roads when a car passes. I wonder if they are all idiots.

And I’m all outta links now.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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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).

We’ve been here 7 years now, and the Feed

November 23rd is significant for a number of reasons beyond being the day JFK was shot in 1963. It’s also the day I started posting my blog here after getting more or less kicked off of MySpace for having excessive links 7 years ago. I dual posted for about a month with the link to this blog at the bottom of the old blog on MySpace and went from 800 readers per day to about 50 (but on the other hand I’m still going, has anyone heard anything about MySpace in the last year?). I have gotten some recognition from my peers since moving to WordPress, sometimes had enough readers to actually get a few bucks from advertisers, and gotten some free stuff to review a few times. Overall it has been fun, but there have been a few times when it got so overwhelming I just wanted to walk away and read web comics and ride my bike. But I persevered, got some counselling, and just put my head down and kept going. Which brings us to today. But before I do today, 52 years ago I was rudely awakened from my nap in the kindergarten class of Iliahi Elementary School in Wahiawa, HI to be told that the President had been shot and killed in Dallas. My immediate question was what country was Dallas and when were we going to go to war with them.

Ordinarily I start inside the US and work my way out, but today the story closest to WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell is in Mexico City. Protesters demand traffic safety in Mexico City after cyclists’ deaths and Mexico City made itself more bike-friendly—and cycling accidents went up Part of the problem seems to be drivers as one of the cyclists was hit from behind by a bus in the shared bus/bike lane. I don’t see how cyclist education would do anything to prevent that.

Baby steps towards justice for a cyclist killed in NYC. City Fires Contractor Responsible For Tree That Killed Cyclist In Red Hook This is the first stage, firing the contractor. Then comes charges, prosecution, and eventually a brisk rap on the wrist, followed by a lawsuit that bankrupts the contractor.

Still in NYC a local newspaperfishwrap wets its pants over the prospect of an Idaho Stop law. The NY Post Is Terrified Cyclists Might Someday Be Allowed To Cautiously Run Red Lights Not the best picture to illustrate the article, a salmon cyclist holding a demitasse of espresso while riding with one hand and holding a shopping bag to the handlebars.

And in the meantime real killers are allowed to stalk the streets unimpeded. MTA Bus Driver Strikes Pedestrian In LES Crosswalk Since the victim was in the crosswalk I’m going to assume he had the right of way until proven otherwise.

Back to the other side of the country for Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: LAPD still looking for hit-and-run cyclist, and a bike rider critically injured in SoLA hit-and-run That “hit-and-run” should be in quotes in the headline, because the cyclist hung around until everybody else left and nobody took his contact data… Even the cop looking for him says as much.

Still in CA a memorial to a 9 YO cyclist killed with a van. Irvine grieves for boy, 9, struck and killed on bicycle Apparently they are assigning a large part of the blame to the driver on this wreck, because every time they mentioned motor vehicle operators the words “slow down” were in close proximity.

A bit of infrastructure news from the war zone in CA. Vineland Bike Lanes: So Much Space, So Much Failure It’s really hard to ride in bike lanes when they are full of cars. Too bad CA isn’t a “Stand Your Ground” state so that cyclists could shoot drivers in the bike lanes with their deadly weapons deployed against the cyclists.

A ninja cyclist is hit in PA. Cyclist injured in State College The cyclist had the right of way, but because he was riding ninja the driver couldn’t see him to yield he got hit and blamed for the wreck.

A driver failed to take care of his diabetes and killed a cyclist during a hypoglycemic blackout. Delivery driver who hid the fact he was diabetic from his employers at Currys PC World killed a cyclist when he blacked out at the wheel during a hypoglycaemic attack Yes they spell it with too many vowels, I think it’s to make up for the lack of them in Wales. Anywho they gave him almost 4 years (44 months) in prison for the killing (and I suspect for withholding the information about his diabetes).

A government official in the UK who seems to get most of his news from Fox gets called out on his misinformation. Cyclists pose more dangers than motorists, claims transport minister Fortunately, more rational heads prevailed and called his BS. There are in fact 63 pedestrians killed by motor vehicles for every one killed by cyclists, and 46 injured by motor vehicles for every one by cyclists. And even on sidewalks the ratio is highly skewed in favor of cyclists by more than 34 to one.

They caught a hit-and-run driver in Oz, and they don’t seem likely to let him go cheap or easy. Geelong man charged over alleged hit-and-run that killed cyclist “Azzopardi was remanded in custody and scheduled to appear again in March.” So Aussie cyclists will at least get most of the Austral Summer minus this threat to life and limb.

Another article on how your city could save $$ by increasing the bike share of traffic. Planning for Less Driving, Not More, Would Lead to Big Savings And it doesn’t take much to realize these gains, just enough people on bikes to slow down motor vehicle growth 1% will do it.

And vehicles like this will help it happen. HISTORY BICYCLE CAR

And I’m outta links again. Program note, I will be away from the internet for tomorrow and Thursday so no post until Friday.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Now that bills are paid it’s Grocery Day, and the Feed

Yep, another day to spend money! We had a bunch of loyalty card savings and coupons that stacked with the loyalty card, so we ended up saving almost as much money as we spent. And we have an ample supply of candy for the kiddos this Halloween. And then for me 11/01 and later. 😀

Sad news from just up the road, the cyclist hit on a group ride in Allen back during the summer has died from his injuries. I don’t have a link, just a PM on FB from a relative who is aware of this blog. This link was the next ride he was to lead but couldn’t.

More news about the CA cyclist crushed by an errant shipping container. Long Beach Cyclist Dies in Freak Accident and Bicyclist crushed by falling shipping container was Long Beach resident As previously reported the container was loaded onto a flatbed instead of the trailer actually designed to haul shipping containers and was “secured” with cargo straps instead of getting mechanically attached to the trailer, because they were trying to break a drivers’ strike at the port.

Remember that time you found the remains of a dead cyclist half in the street and half on the sidewalk? ‘Disturbing’: Passerby recalls finding bicyclist killed in Ann Arbor hit and run Oh, that wasn’t you.[Emily Latella]Nevermind![/Emily Latella] More Police identify bicyclist killed by hit-and-run driver in Ann Arbor

Expensive justice is finally obtained in the death of a 3 YO crossing the street in NYC. Driver Who Killed 3-Year-Old Allison Liao Finally Admits Responsibility Allison would be entering kindergarten this year. The terms of this settlement are highly unusual, but as there is a video of the little girl walking with her grandmother in the crosswalk and the weapon vehicle just running right over the little girl while knocking the grandmother back on the behind, I think showing that to the jury would have head far worse results for the driver.

Still in NYC. Losing Your Fear Of Biking NYC: “Get Big” VC is not how to make cycling grow in mode share, VC is surviving the infrastructure we have to deal with now. Riding in NYC is mostly VC on steroids as drivers pretty much ignore the bike lanes except to park in them.

Not out of the city yet. In NYC, More Severe Injuries After Painted Bike Lanes Installed, Study Finds My take on the question: drivers in NYC are predominantly assholes who think any unoccupied spot of asphalt is “theirs” and flat out do not “see” cyclists as “occupying” that chunk of pavement.

From America’s Copenhagen in OR. Bike-friendliness and walk-friendliness are actually pretty different, study says My take: You can have bike-friendly, you can have walk-friendly, but the only way to get both is to make it not car friendly because you have to really slow down cars to mix all 3 modes in the same street.

Still in PDX, they are having similar problems as NYC, just not on the same scale because of fewer cars. People in Portland are driving cars where they don’t belong The lead picture is an SUV in the MUP of the Hawthorne bridge. There is a good 8-12 inch curb between the motor vehicle lane and the MUP. The people making the comments on the site think the front suspension is probably a jumble of twisted metal by now.

Still in OR they have discovered the joys of e-assist for going up hills. E-bike investment in Salem The secret is connecting the motor through the human gearing so the power stays pretty much the same even when hills make the going slower.

Time for Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: LA asks drivers to stay after they hit someone; suspect identified in North Fig hit-and-run

Some Letters to the Editor in CO. Cycling initiatives are beneficial to everyone

The ICBC keeps digging itself deeper and deeper. ICBC suggests cyclist at fault for colliding with allegedly impaired driver First rule of holes, when you find yourself unable to climb out STOP DIGGING DOWN! The ICBC does not appear to have heard of this rule.

More on the UK cyclist who injured a pedestrian and did not leave contact information. City police appeal after pedestrian seriously injured in collision with cyclist DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS! If you do hit a pedestrian, don’t leave without making SURE that someone in charge (LEO or ambulance attendant) has your contact information. And don’t let them leave, either until that information has been exchanged.

A little infrastructure news from Scotland, where my elder daughter lives. Cycling accident map: Road incidents on the rise

The scourge is spreading to Switzerland. Road accidents: stay at the scene! Seriously, are we going to have to resort to doing to hit-and-run drivers what I have advocated for drunk drivers? Chain them to the steering wheel and run their car through a shredder?

Last link is perfect. Magic Hour Watch it in video form, it’s really good that way.

And I think I might be done.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I paid bills and now my feet hurt, and the Feed

I spent most of the afternoon walking around Garland getting bills paid and banking done. My feet are killing me, especially that spot on my left big toe that always has a huge callous removed when I get my toes done. My feet feel like I have been beating on them, which tells me I need more shock absorption in my footwear. Oh, well, something else I need to spend money on. It will go somewhere in the middle of the list of things to spend money on.

Up first because links, and a cyclist killer gets prison time. Former Episcopal Bishop Heather Cook sentenced to seven years in drunk-driving death of cyclist and Bishop who killed cyclist while driving drunk gets 7 years also Judge sentences ex-bishop who killed cyclist while driving drunk this too Ex-Maryland Bishop Sentenced to 7 Years in DUI Death of Cyclist not done Bishop Who Killed Cyclist While Driving Drunk Gets 7 Years

Next because it’s strange and bizarre, and also has lots of links. Bicycle rider killed by container falling from truck and BICYCLIST KILLED AFTER CARGO CONTAINER SLIDES OFF FLATBED TRUCK, FALLS ON HIM IN LONG BEACH also BICYCLIST CRUSHED BY CARGO CONTAINER IN LONG BEACH IDENTIFIED AFAIK the wreck was caused by an improperly secured container on a trailer that was not designed to haul cargo containers being driven by a scab driver hired by a union-busting conglomerate. tl;dr The cyclist was killed by corporate greed.

This looks like a good place to put the link to Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Caltrans takes another step forward; CHP wants to improve bike safety, while cycling deaths up

Still in CA, more judicial bike news. Huntington Beach Man Convicted of Murder in DUI Hit-and-Run Death of Cyclist The minimum sentence is 16 years before parole.

More on the cop being in the right place at the right time to catch a DUI hit-and-run driver. Bicyclist killed in West Covina hit-and-run, driver arrested Pity he couldn’t have been in the right place and time to arrest her for DUI before she killed someone.

At least they didn’t call it a race this time. Injured veterans finish 500+ mile bike ride As a vet WoaB strongly supports our injured and wounded warriors.

Today seems to be the day for judicial news about bike wrecks, as this link from MI shows. Sentencing is Tuesday for Romulus woman who hit, killed boy riding his bike Killed while driving impaired by illegal drugs… Like the guy convicted of murder in CA a few paragraphs upstream.

Still in MI. Man on bike killed in hit and run in Ann Arbor overnight They are still examining the debris left from the weapon vehicle to try to identify it.

A couple of states over in MN they decided there wasn’t enough evidence to suspect another vehicle in the death of a cyclist. Ramsey Co. Sheriff: Vehicle No Longer Believed Involved In Cyclist’s Death “(D)octors determined that his injuries were not consistent with the bike accident.”

This CT link is just so full of “NO DUH!” Blunt trauma killed Torrington bike rider, state medical examiner says The guy was hit with a semi, that is pretty much the definition of blunt force trauma.

This NC wreck screams “assault with a deadly weapon” for the cyclist. Cyclist injured in Fayetteville crash Hit a cyclist, sideswipe a car, and hit a pole. The driver was either trying to kill the cyclist, or impaired.

Some Portland political news that could have an impact on other cities looking to Portland for guidance. Six bike-related issues that might take a turn with Hales out of the race

Still in Portland, something else that could impact bicycle safety in the rest of the country. At Wonk Night, County DA announces effort to change state law The change spoken of is the massive gap between a traffic ticket and vehicular homicide when someone with a car kills while breaking a traffic law. When the victim survives the gap is even worse as there is nothing that a driver can be criminally charged with.

Now this is an amenity. Portland Downtown Marriott adds in-room bike parking This would not work with Francis/es, but it might work with Blue or Gigi. I would bust a gut trying to get Francis/es up on that hook, cargo bikes are not meant to be lifted by the handlebars.

Infrastructure problems in SC. Charleston’s king tide floods are a sign of what the world will face as oceans rise Kinda hard to ride in the bike lane when the whole road is under water.

When they perfect driverless cars enough to replace human drivers, will they be allowed to drive? Will City Regulators Treat Driverless Cars Like They’ve Treated Uber?

Up north of Portland in far West Canuckistan. ICBC blames cyclist negligence for highway bike death Still trying to wrap my head around the concept that a cyclist hit head on by a vehicle driven by a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road while the cyclist is riding on the right side of the road with a chase vehicle(!) is at any way responsible for the wreck. The fact that the chase vehicle was hit and both occupants killed hasn’t even been entered into the equation yet.

Crap infrastructure is still crap in Jolly Olde. Killed Northumberland cyclist’s sister’s anguish as another bike rider hit This makes several cyclists severely injured since the wreck that killed the woman’s sister, all in the same intersection.

Surviving relatives of a UK cyclist killed by a driver who legally was banned from driving but the paperwork had not gone through yet speak out against what he did. Katy Charlton confronts driver Neil Urwin who killed her husband Andy

A rare cyclist-on-ped wreck in Jolly Olde. Schoolgirl injured after hit-and-run with cyclist in Sheffield DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS! And especially don’t hit a pedestrian and leave the scene without making sure the pedestrian either isn’t injured or is getting care and you have left your contact information.

Last link is from Enn Zed. Cyclist critically injured in Tauranga crash This is the “We drive on the left side of the road” equivalent of the left cross.

And I really want to get to bed now and rest.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Mrs. the Poet is out of town again, and the Feed

Mrs. the Poet decided she missed seeing the leaves turn colors as the seasons changed, so she’s taking a week to do some leaf-peeping on her relatives’ dime. So I’m batching it again for the next 8 days. Fortunately we have frozen pizza and ramen and plenty of dry beans and brown rice in the pantry, and since I’m the only one going to eat them I can make beans and rice as spicy hot as I want. So I will tomorrow. I had to make sure Mrs. the Poet had some spending money for her trip so I had to spend about 90 minutes going 7 miles round trip to the bank. But I got her the money and everything is hunky dory financially for her.

The Big Story today was the cyclist hit from behind by a bus in SF. Berkeley Cyclist Killed in Market Street Collision With S.F. Muni Bus and Cyclist Dies In Market Street Collision With Muni Bus also Muni Bus Hits & Kills Cyclist On Market Street [Updated] At this point I still don’t know what really happened except the cyclist fell and the bus ran him over from behind. We will all know more when the video from the bus is released, if it ever gets released.

Still in CA and still in SF. Cyclist Injured In Collision At Haight & Steiner The cyclist was observed by several witnesses to run a red light and hit an SUV waiting to make a left turn.

And still in CA our Daily Ted. Guest Post: A detailed look at commuting mode share in Los Angeles, and how bikes lanes fit in Gee I wish I could get guest posts instead of just leaving dead air when I can’t post.

Experiments in how to prevent bus wrecks ongoing in CA. Driverless Bus Testing Coming to Bay Area I don’t know how it would handle a bicycle falling over in front of it. The wreck from earlier this week would have been an interesting test for the AI.

Not out of CA yet. Cyclist Injured in Coast Highway Collision Survivable right hook situation, but only just barely.

Yep, more news out of CA. Murrieta Cyclist Killed by Suspected Drunken Driver in Lake Elsinore Another drunk runs another cyclist from behind 😛

Closer to home a cyclist rides up on a murder in progress on a bike path in Dallas. Cyclist witnesses man hacking at a jogger on a popular Dallas biking, jogging trail I have ridden this trail many times day and night and can vouch for how scary it is at night where the homeless people have broken the few trail lights. That underpass is especially dark and scary at night, and not all that nice during the day.

On the subject of cyclists and edged weapons, they grow some seriously hardy cyclists in KS. Lawrence man seriously injured in apparent stabbing, rides bike to hospital Yeah, that is like comic book tough there.

More on the OH cyclist killed in a hit-and-run. 70-year-old cyclist killed in hit-and-run and Lorain County fatal hit-skip witness: ‘The driver absolutely knew that he had hit this gentleman’ I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that this driver has stated that instead of passing cyclists safely by slowing down and waiting for oncoming traffic to clear he would just run over the cyclist. I have seen too many people put that in public under their real names to not think it could happen IRL.

One of the good guys in the religious debates was hit by a car while riding his bike. Richard Dawkins debate organizer Larry Taunton injured in bike wreck The narrative sounds like a left cross wreck.

Over in MO we get a hit-from-behind wreck. Southwest Missouri bicyclist killed in collision with car Not much more information than that in the link.

Moving over to LA we get more information about that cyclist run over from behind on the shoulder of the road. Police identify cyclist killed in crash and Update: Baton Rouge police identify bicyclist struck, killed Sunday while riding on Plank Road; pickup truck driver accused of DWI Not much new information here.

Over in GA a cyclist is killed with a busload of school kids. Atlanta cyclist, 21, killed in collision with school bus and Bicyclist struck, killed on Ga. 400 Report is that this was a salmon cyclist going the wrong way on a freeway exit ramp for some reason. I just wish he hadn’t done it in front of a bus full of kids.

Moving up to MA. Cyclist seriously injured after pickup, bike collide on Bernardston Road Monday afternoon The wreck almost didn’t happen. Notice the lack of damage to the bike, the one good picture of the bike it looks like the chain is still in place. The driver in this wreck just barely tapped the cyclist. Kudos to the driver in this wreck on making it much less worse than it could have been.

This VT wreck was caused by a guy bombing a MTB trail and not knowing where the road crossings were. Cyclist injured after being hit by car in East Burke I know it’s fun, but you have to do a reconnoiter of the trail so you don’t go blasting through a road crossing in front of a car or worse.

When I filtered this NYC wreck they still didn’t know what happened. [UPDATE] Woman Killed By Tractor-Trailer Driver While Crossing Bushwick Street Now we know the victim was crossing with the light in the crosswalk when hit by a truck making a left turn.

Still in NYC, a person waiting at a bus stop is killed in a pinball wreck. Pedestrian Killed By Truck Driver “Didn’t Have Time To Run” SUV hit the truck, truck jumps the curb, the lady waiting on the bus is sitting on the bench where the truck went after it jumped the curb.

Hit-from-behind wreck in IL. ‘Incredibly energetic’: Belleville teenager riding his bicycle killed after car struck him I’m still trying to figure out how hitting a cyclist from behind is not a violation on the part of the driver.

Injury wreck in NV. Cyclist Injured in Accident With Car They say he ran the stop sign, but the geometry of the wreck says the cyclist misjudged the speed of the weapon vehicle. The bike was almost all the way across the intersection when the cyclist was hit.

Infrastructure changes at an intersection where a through cyclist on the main road was hit by a truck turning right. Improvements coming to intersection where bicyclist died Note that they don’t put a cop there to write ticket after ticket until the truck drivers stop running the stop sign at speed, they put in a bigger stop sign like the truckers couldn’t see the other one. And this one just floors me,”Carroll County asked the state to reconsider the bike route designation for Route 75.” Don’t make it safer for people who are using it, try to keep the bicycles away.

And final link is a bit of uncommon sense from Oz. More people will cycle when everyone accepts cyclists’ right to be on the road

And I’m done for today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Grocery day again, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An IA cyclist is remembered. Ankeny ride remembers killed biker

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m all outta links now, whee!

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Ghisallo! it was a hot day to be out walking, and the Feed

In case you are wondering, the Lady Ghisallo is my personal feminine deity, a pre-Roman mountain goddess whose worship survived mostly intact at least into the 8th Century in the mountains north of Rome, when a nobleman set upon by bandits retreated into one of Her temples and was granted sanctuary by the bandits, who respected Her temple. The noble was so impressed by the devotion shown by the bandits that he lobbied the Vatican to declare her a Madonna or a Pagan mother of Jesus. This was the same way that Bridget became St. Bridget in Ireland, couldn’t stomp her out so she was made a part of the church. She is a protector of travellers and the RC patroness of cyclists.

And the reason I was out wandering in this heat was I had to change my phone provider, so that I could upgrade my phone to something smarter. And in the process I got a better plan, unlimited texts and calls, with 1 GB of 4G LTE data and unlimited 3G data, none of which I touch while connected via WiFi like I am now while listening to a 10 hour Derpygroove video while composing this post. whoops I got an ad in the middle of the first go around of the song so now I’m listening to Plastic Beach from the Gorillaz. I’m still learning how to use the phone so there may be interruptions in the composing of the post.

Up first, just like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps going and going… Brian Koonz: Marine loses legs, finds strength in bike ride across America And going and going… Keep on trucking Marine dood. Is it just my imagination or has his chest gotten bigger since he left Sandy Eggo?

Normally these two-wheeled modes are not in conflict with each other. BICYCLIST, MOTORCYCLE RIDER CRITICALLY INJURED IN NORTHWEST SIDE CRASH and Bicyclist, motorcyclist injured in Old Irving Park crash this too Bicyclist Injured In Crash With Motorcycle In Old Irving Park [UPDATED] As I read the reports now, the guy on the motorcycle was speeding and hit the cyclist from behind, causing both to go down hard. No word on how the two conflicted because there is plenty of room for both modes to share that stretch of street unless the motorcyclist was excessive speeding.

Still in the Windy City a drunk driver who killed a cyclist while driving 50 MPH on a city street with a 0.127 BAC% will not face one of the many charges against him because expensive defense lawyer. Driver Who Killed Cyclist Bobby Cann In Alleged DUI Won’t Face Homicide Charges According to the comments this was one of the lesser charges and since IL doesn’t “stack” sentences it wouldn’t have made much difference in how long he stays in prison.

Another cyclist hit by a drunk driver in NYC. Cyclist In Critical Condition After Getting Hit By Allegedly Drunk Driver In Long Island City and Cyclist Seriously Hurt in Collision With Car Near Queens Plaza, FDNY Says The pictures pretty much tell the story, drunk driver (and passenger?) hit cyclist from behind because nobody was paying attention to what was in front of the vehicle…

More on that CO dump truck driver hitting and killing a cyclist while passing illegally. Dump truck driver charged for fatal cyclist crash The cyclist was killed because the driver literally could not wait for the 20 seconds it would take to clear the bridge and pass safely. Hang the driver. And possibly a few of the people leaving comments on the article. Gigi would love the “Stoopid and H8” there.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Busting on Beverly Hills and its San Diego soulmates, and a Chitown writer busts on bikes

Meanwhile in eastern WA. Cyclist found dead on State Route 2 near Leavenworth I like whoever is running this investigation. Dead cyclist beside the road, suspect a hit-and-run.

And in Seattle. Cyclist’s Helmet Cam Captures Moment SUV Hits Him Then Speeds Away That was a scary wreck.

Another link to the ride for a cyclist killed winning the “door prize”. Patricia Keenan, P.E.I. cyclist killed in B.C. crash, honoured at rally

I would like to see our state level politicians doing a city-to-city ride, just to see what it’s like to use the built environment. Duceppe, Peladeau kick off 100-km pre-election bike ride through Quebec

Bad infrastructure link of the day. NZTA abandons cycle safe trial after a day I think someone needs to read that CROW manual again. Bike lanes on either side and a single car lane is for 20 MPH speed zones or slower.

Better, but still crap. Is Vision Zero Skimping On Bike Lanes? There is too much real estate devoted to storage of private motor vehicles. One lane of parking should go for a decent bike lane protected by parking.

Dangerous crap. NYC’s Most Dangerous Area for Cyclists Is Fort Greene-Clinton Hill

More UK crap infrastructure, systemic this time. Calls for action to halt rise in cyclist casualties

I think I have run out of links (checks, nothing on the other window except a Twitter Feed) Yep, all gone.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m out of links tonight.

Grocery Day, and the Feed

I will be stopping the filter and post process to go shopping for comestibles today. I’m mostly recovered from yesterday’s travels and travails, except my neck is hurting more than usual and my arm still feels like a pincushion from trying to find a vein. There is also still a bruise where they nicked a vein but didn’t get a good stick. That spot is more uncomfortable than the other places they stuck needles in my arm. I still have not heard back from the doctor about what they found, if that is a good or a bad thing I don’t know.

Up first we have lots of Ted Rogers after the break yesterday. Morning Links: Upcoming bike events, new sustainability webisode, and a driver beats a bike rider with a bat Yeah, why use a bat when you already have a weapon that you can use with impunity, your car?

Today’s first Ted post. Morning Links: Turns out running a red light is no big deal, and you really can ride with your kid to Dodger Stadium So, they have bike parking at Dodger Stadium?

And the less-happy second post today. Unidentified bike rider killed in Bloomington collision Condolences to the victim’s family and other loved ones.

And the third post today is less fatal but no less happy. Action Alert: Panorama City NC sneaks in agenda item to remove bike lanes on Chase Street at tonight’s meeting I don’t know about CA’s Open Records law, but here in TX you can’t add items to the agenda after it has been posted.

Still in CA, 15 years after the feds said e-assist bikes are bicycles, CA starts to say the same thing, maybe. AB-1096 Vehicles: electric bicycles This bill mostly adopts the Federal standard except the “Class 3” allows EU e-mopeds to be operated as bicycles with certain limitations.

A TN wreck is felt throughout the community. Teen killed in bike crash remembered by loved ones and Loved ones remember teenager killed in bike crash The thing I don’t understand about this wreck is the cyclist was reportedly riding at the right hand edge of the road going the opposite direction from the weapon vehicle. IOW riding with traffic on the opposite side of the road. The driver was reported to have “swerved” to the far side of the road just before he hit the cyclist. So, why haven’t they filed murder charges against the driver?

More on the MI driver getting away with murder. Prosecutor seeks just sentence in bike death Turns out the walking dead man killer drunk driver will only spend 6 months in county jail, not the full year we had been lead to believe earlier and most definitely not the 2-5 years of sentencing guidelines.

After that downer note, here’s something a little more upbeat. People passionate about pedaling discuss the city’s cycling future as part of NOLA Bike to Work Week

NYC still killing pedestrians and cyclists at pretty much the same rate as always. 35-Year-Old Mother Of Three Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver Near Her Brooklyn Home The victim was knocked out of her shoes, indicating a high-energy impact.

And yet another case of gross stupidity on the roads. Drunk Driver Allegedly Caught With Crack, Weed, And Child In The Car Felony Driving While Stupid…

Is your bike on this list? Then get in contact with me so I can understand how a QR can get caught in the brake disk and cause a fall. Trek Bicycles is recalling nearly 1 million bikes for a safety issue that resulted in one rider becoming paralyzed. and Nearly 1 Million Trek Bicycles Recalled After Riders Injured also Trek to recall nearly 1 million bicycles after injury reports I have been riding bikes with QR levers since the mid-’90s, and I have never had a QR lever even get anywhere near the hub, brake disk, or spokes. The only way a traditional QR lever could even get close would be if the QR was completely released and the wheel held on with the “lawyer lips” on the dropouts. So if you have one of these bikes share a picture of the QR in question so we can figure out how this is supposed to work.

Hasn’t this been tried out there at least once already? Ride Solutions ad campaign advocates awareness of bicycle commuters I could almost swear I remember a very similar campaign from a few years back from the same area.

Does anyone know what the deal is over at road.cc? I had three links queued up to post and I’m getting “access denied” on all 3 of them now. And a page just went up explaining what happened. Access denied

More bad infrastructure in the UK. Cyclist injured in crash at Oxford junction criticised by cycling group Just to clarify, it is the junction that was criticised, not the injured cyclist. The infrastructure is crap, the cyclist’s skills maybe yes maybe no.

I know bicycles are relatively low damage and non-lethal, but still DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS! Woman scarred for life after cyclist knocked her over and raced off And don’t leave until the pedestrian has been tended to by emergency responders and details have been exchanged.

I thought there was no such thing as gun crime in the UK. Cyclist stabbed and shot dead in Peckham last night Not sure what triggered this, but the perps really screwed the pooch on this one. Shooting someone in the UK is not taken lightly.

Another link to the drunk driver that killed a cyclist while showing off his unregistered vehicle while driving without a license. ‘Show off’ driver Tykeran Hamilton jailed for 11 years for causing death of cyclist Alan Knight

Bike wrecks can be strange, the victim in this wreck died on the spot, but the bike was in good enough condition to be ridden away from the wreck. Fatal crash bike rolled out for road safety rally It’s almost as if someone decided they needed a prop to display to drum up awareness of bicycle safety.

Wounded Warrior ride in my state. Wounded Warriors bicycle into Keene Friday morning

And a similar ride in the DC area. April 24 26 Face Of America Bicycle Ride Brings Injured Veterans To Dc Region

Can you make people see you if they are not looking? HEADS UP! Then you need to use new “Spray On Meth”! Guaranteed to perk up even the most addled driver out there so they see you and your bike.

Is this ad sexist? If you have to ask, it probably is. Is this thing sexist? Introducing the “Bike Test”

OMG this is so Texas… Cartoon: Bikes and cars

I think I might be out of links. Yep, all done.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet