I need a new laptop, and the Feed

It’s looking like the Chromebook is about to be replaced whether I like it or not. I’m getting keyboard issues, things like keypresses not getting registered or keys getting stuck, and also the touchpad sometimes puts the cursor where I tell it and clicks when I click it, and sometimes it just does nothing. If I’m doing my sums right I got the Chromebook late March 2013, which makes it right at 3 years old now and used as much as 18 hours a day for work and recreation, an average of say 9 hours a day, every day since March 2013 so 3 * 365 * 9 gets roughly 9800 hours of use. That’s a lot of ham-fingered typing, clicking, and page views, so the little lap top has a right to be worn out. There are some things about Chrome OS that I’m [not thrilled] with, specifically their habit of doing OS updates without permission. This has caused me to lose functionality for certain things several times when I really needed that particular thing to work, like when I lost MP4 audio right before doing a presentation that was dependant on MP4 videos as emphasis for certain points of the presentation. I mean what good are music videos with no music?

Up first, affluenza killer Ethan Couch is transferred to the adult criminal system, which means his probation is about to get severely altered. Couch case transferred to adult court

On the far northwest corner of the same county WoaB World HQ resides, cyclists are getting tired of getting hit. Coppell Cycling Community Nervous After Rash of Accidents With Cars Yep, once again physics proves that what would be a minor fender-bender for a car or truck is an extended hospital stay when a cyclist subs for one of the cars or trucks. I’m really glad they are going with the BMUFL regulatory signs instead of the “Share The Road” advisory signs that are frequently interpreted by drivers as “Bicycles get out of my F&$(*&% way” signs.

Now Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Koretz prevaricates on Westwood Blvd, possible 15 years in SD hit-and-run, and sing the joys of hi-viz

And Daily Ted Part 2. Ventura bike rider killed in midnight hit-and-run

Still in CA and still about hit-and-run. Suspect arrested in San Jose hit-and-run that killed cyclist This was the H&R where they found the weapon vehicle with major damage and minus license plates a few miles from the scene. So it’s not like the driver can claim lack of knowledge about hitting the cyclist.

Also still in CA, if they are going to pay people to buy ZEV, shouldn’t the one with the lowest full-stream emissions be part of the deal? Action Alert: Sign the Bike Rebate Petition

Trying to get FL out of worst-place ranking. Florida Launches Hit-and-Run ‘Bad to Worse’ Campaign When you look at how much more deadly a wreck becomes when the victim is denied access to quick intervention by medical personnel, preventing H&R and getting EMTs and ambulances on scene ASAP seems like a no-brainer for reducing the death rate.

Some good news on infrastructure in PA. Grant approved for Rail Trail expansion in Newville The expansion will take the rail trail right up to the local HS, providing a safe route to and from the school, meaning less motor vehicles on the roads around the school. It was fortuitous that the school abutted the old railroad when it was built.

More good news in PA. PHILADELPHIA’S NEW MAYOR PLEDGES 30 MILES OF PROTECTED BIKE LANES IN FIVE YEARS

Update on a NYC bike wreck victim. Family raising money for funeral of Staten Island bike victim struck by car This was the guy hit and killed by a driver on pot (and other medications) at the time of the wreck.

Moving to Jolly Olde, the driver that ran over a cyclist waiting at a traffic light has admitted to “careless” driving. Victoria cyclist death: Essex lorry driver admits killing Boris bike rider This has to be a plea deal.

More links to the wreck where a UK cyclist was assaulted by a road-raging driver. Witness appeal after male cyclist seriously injured after argument with female driver and Cyclist chased for 200 yards by road rage driver: I thought I was going to die

This time it looks like the glass was placed during construction, not thrown down as an act of terrorism. Has glass in the asphalt stopped the racing at Odd Down Cycle Circuit?

Remember that thing about Super Mario nude except for a helmet for a bike picture? Here it is an all its NSFW glory. Mario Cipollini baits helmet lobby – by wearing one, and nothing else Well technically he had shoes and socks on…Mrs. the Poet says he “Looks good. Needs to put some clothes on, but he looks good.”

A little bike infrastructure is about to be lost in the UK. South Cambs BikeBus scheme to close after lowpassenger numbers They were trying to get people out of the city for countryside rides, but they didn’t feel safe there either.

More legal infrastructure from Scotland. Drivers who hit cyclists should be ‘presumed liable’, says record breaker Mark Beaumont Another voice in favor of presumed liability.

Wreck in Enn Zed. Former Canterbury basketball player injured in crash I really can’t tell anything about the wreck from the crime scene pictures, what could be the weapon vehicle was probably moved by medical personnel to get better access to the victim.

And I’m outta links finally. Time to put the post and the writer to bed.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

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Yesterday was a busy day, and the Feed

Yesterday was another day spent mostly away from Casa de El Poeta, being a volunteer for the HRC and mostly riding DART. I had to miss morning services because it took all morning to get from home to the bowling alley where HRC was holding their fund-raiser (Carnibowl), specifically that part of the morning when morning services were held. I got done early enough to make it to evening services at church, and then home to catch up on my e-mails. I finally got caught up on those about 0145, so I decided to just bag it and head to bed.

This morning was interesting mostly because we got checks for a class settlement for getting ripped off by Wells Fargo when we had our mortgage through them, to the tune of nearly $800 total for the six years involved in the settlement.

Up first is part 1 of Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Improving bike safety on Bouquet Canyon, less liability on bike paths, and doping gets mechanical

Part 2 of Our Daily Ted. Bike rider killed in South LA collision last week

And Part 3. And the winner is… I deliberately did not submit an entry for this because I have bikes I could ride with a little work and I thought that someone else should hav a crack at it that doesn’t have a bike. Ted agreed with me as you can read in his post.

Still in CA. Cyclist killed in latest hit-and-run Another article that is more concerned about the clothes the cyclist was wearing than the fact the driver left the scene with an injured person on the road.

Guess what happened in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bicycle? Bicyclist killed in Sarasota hit-and-run identified Hit from behind and hit-and-run, all it takes to make it a trifecta of Stoopid would be an impaired driver without a license.

Still in FL. Cyclist, 16, dies in hospital one week after wreck in Royal Palm Another wreck that blames a cyclist for not being in a crosswalk.

Cyclist down in CO. 53-year-old Ft. Collins cyclist injured in crash

Update on a cyclist down in NM. Bike ride organized to support injured teen

Over one state in AZ, another hit-and-run. Boy on bicycle injured by hit-and-run driver Another article erroneously suggesting that cyclists belong in a crosswalk.

More on that OH cyclist killed by an impaired driver. Cyclist dies after hit-and-run; driver to be charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, police say “The driver, Melinda Woodall, 34, of Amelia, tried to hide three bottles of pills in her bra after hitting 42-year-old Michael Prater of Cincinnati on Kellogg Avenue.” There was also drug paraphenalia inside the car.

This NY wreck looks like another serious case of windshield bias. Investigation nears end, driver to be ticketed in Hammond cyclist’s death Hit-from-behind and the driver will get… TWO tickets (not just one). TANJ!

VT infrastructure news. COUNCIL APPROVES CONTROVERSIAL BALLOT QUESTION ON BURLINGTON TRAFFIC CHANGE I want to know who put giving all the streets and roads over to cars up for a vote?

Another wounded veterans ride. Ride 2 Recovery helping local veterans cope with injuries and PTSD

A confessed candidate for life in prison over in Jolly Olde. Drink-driver admits causing the death of a cyclist in Walton crash I think I have made my opinions of drunk drivers known over the last 7 or so years I have been doing the blog here on WordPress. The thought of this waste of skin actually getting back out on the roads again just makes my skin crawl.

Also in Jolly Olde. Floral tributes at Great North Road in Newcastle after cyclist dies in hospital Sounds like a great guy taken too soon.

Even the best place in the world can be made better. Even Copenhagen Makes Mistakes

Over in Oz, another driver gets a serious case of the Stoopids when he sees a pack of cyclists on the road. Cyclist’s on-bike camera shows road rage incident in Glen Forrest If I wasn’t positive the guy that tried to kill me was dead and buried…

Still in Oz… Cars are ‘lethal weapons’: killed cyclist’s partner voices her anger and grief Anybody remember that Mythbusters episode where they compared driving while talking on a cell phone to drunk driving, with drunk driving coming out slightly better?

A wreck in Enn Zed. Cyclist avoids serious injury in riverside crash Hit from behind wreck that turned out not-too-bad considering. His ‘bent is now really bent, but a wrecked bike is better than a wrecked life.

And I’m outta links, time to proof and tag and get this thing published.

Billed @$0.02, Opus the Poet

Another Grocery Day, and another Feed

Well, we bought groceries again today. I also treated a bunch more claw marks in my leg courtesy of Clint and Clyde, who decided swatting at each other from either side of my leg was a great fun thing to do, while said swats were claws out and mostly missed each other but managed to connect pretty regularly with my leg. Such is the life of a cat owner. One grocery purchase was something of a waste though. We bought milk, but not any coffee or cereal to put it in. I sometimes will drink plain milk, but not enough to justify buying a whole gallon at once. Fortunately we got the gallon with a 50% off sticker because I like the lowfat 1% milk that doesn’t sell well around here this time of year (this is the time when people buy whole milk or even half and half).

Up first this wreck reminds me of mine. Bicyclist grazed in Brevard County hit-and-run crash The driver of the city vehicle could face misdemeanor charged “if he knew he hit the cyclist”. “Duuuhhhh, did I hit something?” Salmon cyclist did not do himself any favors, but the law really needs to be changed so that pretending to “not know” you hit someone does not become a “get out of jail free” card.

Still in “FloriDuh” is this update on the fiery crash that dismembered a cyclist. Questions arise after new details released in fatal car crash with cyclist

Cyclist in MI hit by right-turning delivery vehicle but at this point nobody is saying where the cyclist was when he got hit. Cyclist injured in truck vs. bicycle crash in Ann Arbor There is an MUP that complicates the intersection and at this point the cyclist could have been in three places that could have been occupied by the truck. Two were legal places one wasn’t, how much you wanna bet they decide the cyclist was in the place that wasn’t legal?

Our Daily Ted part the first. Morning Links: Re-approval of Mobility Plan moves on; Breeze blows into SaMo; Caltrans nixes induced demand

Daily Ted, the second part. Guest Post: Felicia Garcia looks at Councilmember Cedillo’s Opposition to Mobility Plan 2035

Up in America’s Amsterdam, I’m not sure if this is just normalizing blind drivers or an honest attempt to protect cyclists, or maybe both. TriMet will hand out free lights and safety gear at ‘Be Seen Be Safe’ event After the article where a cyclist was killed by a driver left-crossing driver at noon (12:02 pm) on a bright, sunny day and investigators said there was “no way” the driver could have seen him because the cyclist was in shadow for a fraction of a second approaching the intersection you can see why I might have this conflict.

Infrastructure news as WDOT joins the 21st Century. A first for Washington: Green paint for bike lanes on a state highway

Making more infrastructure changes in OR. With Blumenauer in his corner, Novick pressures ODOT for changes on Barbur People have been asking for bike lanes on that street for years now partially because drivers treat the street like a speedway because it is overbuilt for the amount of traffic it carries most of the time.

Are drivers getting more aggressive? Taking the pulse: Aggressive driving in Portland Well since my attempted murder took place in 2001, I would say how much more aggressive can they get? But maybe DFW drivers have been moving out to PDX in droves lately…

Hero dog gets a hero’s funeral. Military service held for dog killed by bicyclist

Hit-and-run in CO. Cyclist killed in hit-and-run in Brighton LEO are not releasing anything about the mode of this wreck until they know more.

It’s rare but it does happen when cyclist density gets high enough. London cyclist dies after collision with another rider

Road rage just never does anyone any good. Former soldier faces jail after road rage crash left cyclist brain damaged for last 15 months of life The driver could get life for the beating. Now if he had run the cyclist over he could have gotten as much as 250 hours of community service. It strikes me as odd that the basically the same crime with two different weapons could get such disparate sentences.

Some car makers think e-assist bikes are going to be about the only vehicles left on the road besides bicycles in the coming years, and they want to get in ahead of the curve. GM executive hints at a foldable, electric bike for commuters A folding bike that fits in the trunk because cars are no longer allowed in cities?

This letter writer is blaming his anger on the wrong thing. E-bike frustration understandable The thing that is annoying him is drivers who can’t drive switching to e-bikes because they don’t require a license, and also because the silly little scooter things sometimes get saddled with two riders because they have the same seat as a regular scooter.

And I’m out of links again. Come back early Saturday morning for more.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I got caught in the rain coming home from my haircut, and the Feed

Trip to the bank, trip to the hardware store, and trip to the nearest haircut place when they said they knew how to do a flattop haircut. Unfortunately they had only a vague idea of what a “flattop” was and what I got was more of a high and tight than a flattop. What I was looking for was something close to this.

But what I got was this.

And I look a lot more unhappy in that picture than I intended to, wow. I guess that’s what getting caught in the rain and having to change all your clothes and put your shoes in the shoe dryer looks like. It wasn’t raining when I left the bus stop 0.4 miles away on the main road, but the water was running ankle-deep in the street by the time I got to the corner of my street less than 10 minutes later.

The Big Story today is a UK politician having a bike wreck because someone tampered with his brakes. Police open investigation after Labour councillor is injured after bicycle brakes cut and Cyclist seriously hurt after saboteurs cut brakes After years of anti-cyclist propaganda from the Murdoch media empire is anyone surprised about this? Seriously check your brakes after every stop where you leave your bike unsupervised, you never know what kind of sick sociopaths will take delight in your possible death or dismemberment.

Next biggest story was a tie between this Oz story and the next paragraph. Qld road safety push after cyclist death and Bike group calls for urgent review of inner city truck use The “shocking” news that there is a 25 foot (7 meter) blind spot in front of a conventional cab truck isn’t really news, but the fact that there has been nothing done about this blind spot to the passenger side of the truck in all the years since it was discovered is disturbing.

Back in the US we have another cyclist killed in gun violence. Witnesses: Man riding bike shot, killed on near north side and Man riding bike shot and killed on north side It appears the cyclist was killed by pedestrians on the sidewalk, rather than a drive-by shooting. So you’re dead if you do (ride in the street) and dead if you don’t.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Tragedy in Santa Clarita, LA announces Vision Zero, and too much racing news for one day

Wildfires in the PNW impact a treasured Portland bike event. County urges bikers to use TriMet as wildfire smoke fills Portland streets (updated) It came ][ this close to getting canceled, but the wind changed direction to push the smoke away from the city a bit.

Closer to home, another hit-and-run in Austin. Popular Austin cyclist falls victim to hit and run The good news is he’s alive and looks like he will recover without further disruption to his life after he heals.

I’m sure this MD cyclist wishes the driver had left the scene instead of what he did. SUV Driver Cited for Hitting Cyclist, Road Rage: Police He beat up on a man with a broken arm and rib and threw a wheel into the woods so the cyclist couldn’t follow him, and his bail was set at only $25K? TANJ!

A young cyclist in LA is killed when he fell over into a truck’s rear wheels. Young boy killed in bicycle accident in Opelousas Gee I wonder what would cause a bicycle to fall over into the rear wheels of a truck? A buzz job or punishment pass maybe? Or a horn blast just a few feet away from his head?

AZ cyclists are having problems with streetcar tracks. N4T Investigators: Another cyclist files lawsuit over streetcar tracks The problem is not the tracks alone, there is also a lot of traffic in the intersection and a cyclist has to have superhuman levels of multitasking to be able to watch for traffic as well as for road defects and streetcar tracks, and the costs for the cyclist could be extremely high, and I’m not just talking about the $300K lawsuit filed for medical expenses.

A NJ cyclist ran out of luck. Newark man, 23, killed in Granville crash Given that no information about the wreck is coming from LEO, and the driver is in jail, maybe a drunk hit the cyclist from behind semi-on-purpose?

How much does not having bike lanes cost your city? Bike-lane advocates cite new Albany County data on cost of injuries The direct, to-the-cyclist cost of a wreck can be higher than the median family income of the city. The average cost is almost the median income in the city, so it doesn’t take much worse than an average wreck to get way past the “average” cost for a wreck.

Back in AZ for encouragement to ride. Get out and ride, but be safe

Bad wreck in NYC. Chinese food delivery guy, 65, seriously injured after hit by truck in Brooklyn Remember the story from Oz about conventional cabs and their blind spots to the front passenger side? Same thing applies here.

Beautiful article from MO. Ghost bikes honor cyclists killed on road

Is “fell over in front of me” the new “I didn’t see him”? Cyclist killed in Rosemont La Petite-Patrie Québécois are more like Parisian French than your average Canadian, but still a lot better than the average N’Yawker. This just sounds so… suspicious.

And Rob Ford is casting a huge shadow on Toronto cyclists. Most cyclists are not considerate

This is what most of MY bike rides feel like. What Happens When A Tank Crashes A Bike Race

Last link, sometimes we can do great things. A Katrina hero: He hopped into a boat and became a one-man rescue squad He kept rescuing people for days, over a week. And he was One Of Us. Given that level of exertion he pretty much had to be, or some other kind of endurance athlete.

And I’m outta links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet (only 6 more shopping days until my Deathday, be sure to hit your favorite liquor store so you can celebrate properly, at home)

Today’s delayed blog post brought to you by new shorts, and the Feed

I had to go out in the heat again, this time to buy shorts (outerwear) because the ones I have now are well on the way to becoming rags. I have one (1) pair that is not split up the back and only useful for wearing around the house when I don’t want to bother getting dressed, and that pair is developing huge holes where the pockets used to be. The corners of the pockets started to tear away from the then pants, and even though the pockets have been removed the holes continue to grow with every wearing. So I go to the store to buy new shorts I can wear on the bike or just “around”. Back soon, I swear. 😀 OK, I bought 3 pairs of shorts on sale at the Old Navy across the street from the sporting goods store I shopped first and rejected for costing too much, total costs $21.01 including tax. I got one black, one medium grey, and one light green pair in my size on sale for 50% off. So now I don’t have to wear raggedy shorts outside just to have pockets for stuff.

The Big Story continues to be the impaired driver who crossed 4 lanes to hit a sidewalk cyclist head on. Driver charged after cyclist hit and killed in Hickory and Police: Driver charged after cyclist hit, killed in Hickory and this one that was very hard to track down ‘I’ve never seen anything like that’ That last one I had to do an archive search at the paper because the URL and headline had changed. That “nobody would have done something like this on purpose” quote is exactly what makes me think he “done it on purpose”, or as Mrs. the Poet says, “Only someone who did it on purpose would say it that way.”

Remember that woman killed on USBR 36? Charges filed in Alton bicycle death

Someone wanted to show that this death was not an accident. MAN SHOT AND KILLED WHILE RIDING BICYCLE IN WYNNEFIELD Got out of the car to stop the cyclist and shoot him in the face, then got back into the car. That pretty much defines “not an accident” for me.

A cyclist in MA finds that drivers do not pay attention to bikes anywhere. Cyclist injured after colliding with car in Brockton Cyclist negotiating a parking lot and driver not looking for bicycles in the parking lot. And a miraculous transformation took place, “The man was riding a bicycle in the parking lot of the Westgate Mall about 10 a.m. when he turned into a car.” I wish I could turn into a car sometimes. Does anyone remember Turbo Teen?

Commentary on bicycle infrastructure in MN. Thoughts on danger and biking The chances of getting hit are low but non-zero, and the consequences fall mainly on the cyclist because there is little likelihood of prosecution in a wreck. And the article that brought on this article. Hit by a car (again) in Downtown St. Paul, or why we need the bike plan The cyclist was taking the least-awful route between destinations, not the “best”.

And a less local look but still from the same city. Is a safe bike ride too much to ask?

And it isn’t limited to drivers vs. cyclists, either. WATCH: Horrifying video as man is struck by car and thrown into the air in road rage brawl They hit the guy with his own car after failing to hit him with their fists.

I think this might be infrastructure-related, seeing as this was the scene of one of the UK’s worst motor vehicle wrecks before this bike wreck. Cyclist dies after falling from notorious bridge in North Yorkshire Dales The bridge has been in existence at least since 1925 when they had a big wreck there that killed 7, but that is no excuse especially since they had the wreck in 1975.

This door prize was within inches of being fatal. Heart-stopping moment cyclist falls into path of a black cab after swerving to avoid car door Cyclist injured, bike and cab damaged, all because the driver of the weapon vehicle failed to maintain a proper lookout.

And this from the Emerald Isle of my ancestry. High death and injury rates among cyclists alarm road safety campaigners Maybe adopting the CROW manual instead of trying to reinvent the wheel would do the job?

And I’m outta links again. Only 26 more days until my Death Day celebration! I think I want some new dice this year, I don’t have enough d6 for my D&D3.5e Warlock10 that I’m playing, and none of my digital rollers will let me roll damage in one roll either. I have magical devices that give me a total of +13 to hit with Eldritch Blast (ranged touch attack), and a total of 10d6 damage when I hit, which I do anytime I roll a 2 or higher against almost all enemies.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet

Grocery day again, and the Feed

I did a resupply run this afternoon. Picked up some ramen, and frozen pizza, some hot fried chicken and canned green beans, plus the usual milk and yogurt supply. Also I picked up supplies for game night. We decided that having water in bottles was equally as important as having caffeinated beverages so I picked up a case of water to go with the other stuff that was on a serious sale this week. We don’t want to have any more people passing out from dehydration or getting buzzed on sugar and caffeine, like we did today. That’s right, we played another RPG today. I’m getting more socialization this month than I usually get in a year.

There is precedent for charging the driver in that head-on wreck in NYC with murder. When a Driver Had a Seizure and Killed Two in Manhattan, It Was Murder The driver in this wreck was very similar to the driver in the wreck this week right down to neglecting to take his anti-seizure meds before the wreck. It all hinges on what the DA thinks about the value of a cyclist’s life.

More on that wreck mentioned above. Beep calls for safer roads around Barclays after cyclist killed in crash As I said on another article about the wreck, given the circumstances about the only thing that would have prevented this death was installing jersey barriers between the bike and motor vehicle lanes.

NOLA has a problem keeping killers in prison. Widow of Ironman cyclist outraged as husband’s killer paroled after 14 months Fourteen months on a 60 month sentence for killing a person with the judge’s statement that he wanted to make it longer on the prisoner’s record. And don’t forget that the driver injured the other cyclist who was in the street with the deceased cyclist then left the scene. More Man who killed 1 cyclist, injured another is released after 14 months

The previous paragraph doesn’t make me sanguine about getting real justice for the murder killing of this cyclist. Man wanted in death of New Orleans cyclist surrenders I am glad he was at least put behind bars initially…

Two nearly identical wrecks in the same intersection in less than 2 weeks tell me there is an infrastructure problem with that intersection. Second cyclist injured in car crash at same Janesville intersection Both cyclists ran the stop sign at the bottom of a hill in front of a car that did not have a stop sign… Maybe a 4 way stop? I really don’t know, but there is obviously a problem here.

A swoop and squat road rage attack on a pair of cyclists in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike. Sanibel cyclists allege road rage in crash video The doctor admitted to using his vehicle as a weapon against the cyclists but that was before he had been Mirandad, so the statement could not be used in court. But it still can be used against him in a civil suit.

This would be the perfect time to fix this broken infrastructure instead of make it like it was before but with a better surface. Crandon Boulevard repaving, bike-safety improvements to start on Key Biscayne There needs to be a barrier that can stop a car between the bike lane and the motor vehicle lane(s), not paint and a rumble strip. How much does it cost to replace a human life? Less than putting up a barrier that can stop a drunk driver from entering the bike lane?

This is a very misleading headline. Gov. Snyder signs bill to drink wine, beer while biking This has nothing to do with drinking and cycling, it is about being the engine to a large open vehicle for many people and allowing ethanol as a fuel for what is essentially an HPV bus.

This does not seem familiar at all to me… United Airlines Employee Accused in Hit-and-Run That Killed Des Plaines Bicyclist I wonder if he was related to the low-life that hit me.

The cyclist was not at fault in this wreck. Austin Robert Gilliam: Family of cyclist killed by semi-truck pleading for drivers to be cautious And cue the troll in the comments ranting about “Bikes don’t pay taxes!”

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: More fallout from fatal Gardena police shooting; Lance calls the Froome kettle black Yeah, glad I’m not covering that rotten kettle of fish…

There are still a lot of good people out there… NDSU student bikes cross-country to raise money for brain injury victims

From West Canuckistan. Driver arrested following hit and run accident involving cyclist Funny but I never see any articles about “Vehicle used in hit-and-run seized by police to be destroyed after trial”.

From Jolly Olde road.cc has an article on the coroner’s inquest for one of the cyclists killed in London this year. Cyclist’s death down to ‘moment’s lapse of concentration’ says coroner And if the infrastructure is such that a “momentary distraction” can kill you, your infrastructure sucks.

And finally I’m done. Gaahh! [slump]

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Tired

And diphenhydramine helped the swollen foot problem now I have a staying awake problem, and the Feed

I tried an experiment last night and took a generic Benadryl before going to bed, and woke up with a normal-sized foot. The problem is as soon as the diphenhydramine wore off the foot went “poof” and started swelling again because whatever made it swell in the first place is still active. So I am slightly sedated by allergy meds as I compose this… (What is the code for a yawn smiley?)

Up first is Our Daily Ted Part 1. Morning Links: Lawyer disputes unarmed, bike-fixing Hawaiian Gardens man reached for deputy’s gun

And Daily Ted Part 2. Guest Post: Provoking, Scaring and Piercing, the (Driver’s) Reptile Brain Part 2

Possible infrastructure improvements in NYC. Renderings Show What A Greener South Bronx Waterfront Might Look Like Gee more people standing in the bile path, quelle suprize.

While we are in NY here’s another link to the disgusting story of a killer driver getting essentially no punishment. DMV: Six-Month Suspension for Driver Who Killed Sammy Cohen Eckstein Suspending the license he didn’t have for 6 months is not even a slap on the wrist, it’s a stern finger shaking.

More on the NYC biking gender gap. Why More Men than Women Participate in NYC’s Bike Share Program The answer is found in the Good Book (no, not that one, the CROW manual).

More on the CO death of a cyclist following an unsafe pass. Fort Collins driver who killed cyclist charged Dang, the cyclist was in a bike lane? Why isn’t this a murder charge then?

More on the NOLA hit-and-run cyclist killing. NOPD releases vehicle description in fatal hit-and-run Another blasted Ghost Bike for another cyclist killed while following the dictates of the law.

More on a cyclist hit and killed in the Great White North. Students of Ontario cyclist killed during hit-and-run offer support through GoFundMe campaign

And more on a hit-and-run in the Great White North. Deinsberg St-Hilaire charged after Andy Nevin killed in hit and run on Leitrim Road Finally…

You might want to remember that cameras are everywhere these days before you assault someone with a deadly weapon. Caught on camera – the furious clash between a parish councillor and the group of cyclists who say he ran them off the road Yep, they have a video of the whole thing, but because of UK media laws can’t show anything but a few screen caps from it.

Something happened in the Emerald Isle. Man held over Clontarf hit-and-run released without charge Usually the Irish are very strict and harsh about hit-and-run, what happened this time? I suspect that the recent sharp rise in the fines and prison sentences associated with hit-and-run may have had something to do with it, but I’m just guessing.

Good advice from Oz. Awareness the key in keeping everyone safe on our roads Until the infrastructure improves cyclists will have to keep that head up and moving and alert for cars, because drivers are certainly not looking for bicycles.

Speaking of infrastructure… Paris to let cyclists skip red lights

And more infrastructure. ACT government spends big on cycling but safety concerns remain This could be used as a guide on “How To Waste Money on Bicycle Infrastructure”.

And a good article on more generalized infrastructure. Infrastructure vs Helmets

And now I’m outta links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the swollen Poet

Looking at another long day, and the Feed

Well, the computer crashed twice during filtering. So I know it’s going to be a long day when that happens. Usually that means I had too many pages with Flash ads running on them for the available memory on my Chromebook which has 2GB of memory. So when you read the links, only open one at a time, s’il vous plaît. OK, maybe two. [Monty Python]Four is right out[/Monty Python]

Up first because the injured (killed?) cyclist was pretty much ignored in the other casualties and because the number of dead and injured in this one incident was so high. Three Killed As Car Ploughs Into Shoppers and Man kills 3 driving into crowd in Austria — on purpose, authorities say also Car ploughs into crowd in Graz, Austria Sorry about the auto-play videos on those. So as it appears as I post this, the guy went off his rocker after getting kicked out of the house by his wife and starts looking for someone to take it out on and these people were handy as he drove into a car-free section of town (roads still passable because delivery vehicles were needed for shops in the district). Either the cyclist was not among the named dead or the fact that the dead person was the cyclist mentioned earlier did not make it into the article.

Our Daily Ted. LA bike rider attacked with machete, bad news from Hemet, plus Bicycle Coffee and pleasant private bike cops

And another link to the machete attack. 18-Year-Old Bicycle Rider in Critical Condition With Skull Fracture, May Lose Hand After Late-Night Machete Attack

Still in CA. Family of Rady Children’s CFO killed in bike crash wants answers, apology If the airbags were deployed this indicates a very severe impact for hitting a person riding a bike, an impact where there was a significant force transmitted to the car by the body of the cyclist. That is a BIG hit.

Not out of CA yet, would you rather have this drunk on a bicycle or behind the wheel? Cyclist falls, gravely injured in Chula Vista As it is, the falling-down-drunk cyclist hurt exactly one person in this wreck, himself. Most drunk drivers manage to avoid hurting themselves while injuring or killing others.

Machete attacks seem to be the rage this weekend. Brooklyn Man Arrested For Road Rage Machete Attack In Holland Tunnel Road rage, that is… I know, it is a bad pun but in my defense I saw 30 deaths in links that won’t get posted here. Interesting that he was charged with assault when all he hit was the car… are cars people now, too?

Not sure about this report from Seattle. UPDATE: Woman hospitalized after bicycle/car collision at Delridge/Dakota AFAIK this seems to be infrastructure related because the cyclist was hit in a bike lane but the driver did not hit-and-run.

Holding a hit-and-run driver accountable in the Great White North. Woman charged in hit-run death of cyclist remains behind bars

Lifestyle news from the Great White North after another hit-and-run death. Tribute held for cyclist, 26, killed in hit-and-run and Vigil held for cyclist killed in Yorkville hit-and-run

Don’t hit puppies either! Puppy owner thought cyclist had killed dog in ‘hit-and-run’ collision Off-leash dog runs under the cyclist and gets run over, not the cyclist’s fault, but you could hang around for a few minutes to show compassion for the owner.

Not again… Cyclist killed in crash with tipper truck at Bank junction in the City of London That makes 8 dead, 7 caused by trucks, and 6 victims have been women. Is there something in the water? or does it have more to do with the state of the infrastructure that places cyclists in the blind spots of trucks at intersections where neither party can see what the other is going to do?

Does it seem like every time a tiny bit of paved space is taken back from cars it’s a big news item? Closing Streets to Cars for Walkers and Cyclists Is Getting More Popular by the Minute

Infrastructure news in ME. Leg Work: Seeking safe passage in Maine crosswalks, on foot and on wheels A vulnerable road user bill is long overdue in most states.

More infrastructure news from VT. Another View: Our goal is zero deaths

First of several infrastructure articles from north of the border. Brian Dexter: Cyclists, get on the sidewalks! Basically what this guy is saying is if you aren’t going to provide safe infrastructure for cyclists, let them use the spaces for pedestrians even if it’s sub-optimal. Better than they should get killed.

And more blame the victim from Canuckistan. Motorists, cyclists share responsibility — improved weather often means rates of fatalities on roadways increase

This is the time of year when cyclists ride in honor of people not killed or injured riding bicycles. Wounded Warriors Canada Battlefield Bike Ride Participants Raise $500,000 for Ill and Injured Veterans and their Families As a vet and a cyclist you know I am endorsing this one.

This truck makes a better window than a door. The Safety Truck Could Revolutionize Road Safety I can personally think of several bike wrecks where something like this could have made a difference.

And I’m all out of links. And sanity, but that was pretty much a given years ago.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

I have sorta recovered, and I don’t stink anymore, and the Feed

Yesterday’s gig to repair an adult tricycle damaged in transit was lots bigger than what I posted in the haze of exhaustion and body funk I came home with. There were 2 wheels that needed truing that I couldn’t put on the truing jig because they didn’t have axles after removing them from the back of the trike, so I had to do the best I could on the trike, there was a persistent noise from one side that would not go away no matter what I did, that I traced down to the outer bearing on the left side (I think it no longer has any lubricant in it but I can’t get to it without taking it to a shop with more tools than I have). There is also an intermittent banging from the drum brake on the drive side wheel that nothing I do will make go away for more than a block or two, but goes away on its own after a mile or so. I think that is the brake drum hitting the brake band, because I don’t see any other sign of contact in the brake. And of course there was the dented fender that had to be repaired without damaging the powdercoat because the entire trike would have to be repainted it match the color if I damaged the coating enough to require a re-paint. That meant the dent could only be mostly taken out because there was nothing I could do to shrink the metal that was stretched in the original incident. As I posted yesterday the normal way to do that is to apply heat to a dull cherry color, then hammer and dolly smooth and quench to complete the shrinking process. I was just lucky that the back of my extra-large Crescent™ wrench was the right contour and had sufficient mass to work out that dent leaving minimal wrinkles behind.

Today we are having beans and rice, which means I’m cooking dinner. I so enjoy this particular vegan entrée that I taught myself how to cook it because nobody else would make it. I don’t know why, it’s tasty, completely nutritious (you could live on it and some leafy greens indefinitely) and aside from being time-consuming to make is not hard to cook (I mean I’m making it, how hard could it be?). People who eat it and don’t have to be nice to me say they like it, so why is it that I’m the only one making it? I guess that is just one of those mysteries. I know I’m going to get lots of chances to eat beans and rice when Mrs. the Poet goes to see her relatives in Upstate NY without me this year…

Up first is a link to the Wales edition of the World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR). Naked cyclists were a shock on the street – but all in a good cause

The “Big Story” is the Oz sportscaster getting a gentle caress on the wrist for deliberately running down a cyclist during a road rage dispute. Mark Bosnich handed 12 month good behaviour bond after ‘clipping’ cyclist’s back wheel with his BMW in road rage collision also Premier League – Mark Bosnich escapes conviction for running down cyclist in his BMW I mean really, what amounts to deferred adjudication for an assault with a deadly weapon, with injury? TANJ!

A little happy infrastructure news from NYC as a 167 YO bridge is reopened to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Photos: Hurrah, The High Bridge Reopens After 45 Years I’m glad it wasn’t torn down during the time it was unused, because any street space in NYC that isn’t overrun with cars is a blessing, a bridge triply so.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Completing deadly Rosemead Blvd; Times seeks video of police shooting in Gardena bike theft

And Part numero dos. Breaking news: no sentencing in Eric Billings case today; driver found with narcotic drug behind bars

And also in L.A. Driver Sought in Hit-and-Run Crash That Killed Cyclist in South L.A.

A little good bike news from the city next to WoaB. Richardson Texas Gets Recognized As A Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community The Beautiful Suburbs of Hell are not even on the list for “Nice Try”.

Down the road a day’s ride from WoaB. Teen cyclist killed after colliding with car in East Austin The road is described as “narrow” yet the cyclist was blamed for “swerving” in front of the weapon vehicle. You can’t have both, either the road is narrow and the cyclist controls the full width of the lane, or it’s more than 14 feet wide and there is (barely) room to pass with 3 feet of clearance.

Next state over a pedestrian pushing a broken bicycle is hit at the side of the road. LSU professor, struck and killed while walking her broken bicycle, described as a distinguished, beloved faculty member

And I can’t tell if this person is trying to get more people on bikes, or warn those already riding to stop. Letter: Cyclists encouraged to be safe

One of the problems (as always) is infrastructure that varies in quality from crap to lethal. Cyclists urge drivers to share the road

Another academic is killed riding a bike, this one in KS. Washburn grad: Glenda Taylor was ‘a champion of students’ and Area art, academic community, cyclists mourn fatal accident

Many questions but few answers for the survivors of an AL hit-and-run victim. Family of woman killed while riding bicycle looking for answers And Stoopid comments about why she got hit.

UK cyclists are pretty steamed about the (lack of) quality in their infrastructure. ‘Die-in’ staged for cyclist killed in Camberwell and Cyclists hold ‘die-in’ vigil for Esther Hartsilver after fatal crash in Camberwell That was a very loud, very eloquent protest with very few words used.

Not every driver in the UK is a homicidal maniac all the time. Injured cyclist thanks Good Samaritan who came to his aid in Trowbridge Most are not (homicidal maniacs) som are for a small amount of time, and a tiny minority are full-on raving batshit crazy 24/7. The one that stopped to help was in the majority that is the first category.

And someone wrote a book about bicycle couriers in today’s London. On Your Bike Life expectancy slightly better than a soldier in a war zone, with crappy pay that sometimes gets stolen by the company you work for to pay the “rent” on required equipment.

It’s a good bet that the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell will never see any of this money. 7 Cities Get $375,000 to Work on Bike-Share Equity In order to study bike share, one must have a bike share to study.

Update on a WI bike wreck. Bicyclists killed in crash were longtime Northwestern Mutual employees What got left out was they were also extremely experienced and safe cyclists, but they still got killed.

Update on a MA bike wreck, as the victim gets buried. More than 1,000 mourn Mansfield teen killed in bike crash

Last link, a FL media outlet asks if cycling over the age of 70 was worth the risks. Biking over 70: Do the rewards outweigh the risks? Well if you live outside of the most deadliest state in the US to ride a bike (and also walk) maybe…

And I’m (finally) out of links. This has been a terribly long day.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Well, this is fun, and the Feed

I was looking at the hair left on the ground today after Sunday’s “Shearing of the Sheep” ritual and I noticed that while all my wavy locks were gone there were still clumps of beard and moustache hair blowing around the back yard. Apparently the critters like my hair but not my beard so much. Well as long as I’m having a positive impact, I’m good with that.

I’m having to reconstruct the post after accidentally deleting it and I’m having problems getting one of the links back, to an article on cities taking responsibility back for their walking infrastructure which I can’t seem to find again. This has been a sore spot for me as we have that issue here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, property owners are responsible for the sidewalk and any grassy space between the sidewalk and the street in spite of that being city-owned right of way. Hell we can’t even do anything about people who park on the sidewalk blocking it for walking.

Lots of people getting hit in the crosswalk by turning vehicles in NYC this week. 13-Year-Old Boy Struck By Driver While Walking Bike Through UWS Crosswalk “No criminality suspected” because beat cops in NYPD don’t know the law that went into effect in September, hitting pedestrians in the crosswalk is a misdemeanor. Damnit I know the law and I live in TX, why don’t people paid to enforce that law know about it?

Another person is hit in virtually the same way, left-turning vehicle in a crosswalk. MTA Express Bus Seriously Injures Midtown Pedestrian And that cyclist picture is from 2013, Gothamist. Bad form. Crossing in the crosswalk and hit by a vehicle making a left turn makes this a slam dunk “Failure to yield to a pedestrian with right of way” bust. Book ‘im Danno.

An off-duty cop is hit-and-run by an off-duty bus driver, something tells me this is one case that will be “Criminality suspected”. Off-duty MTA bus driver arrested after striking cyclist with car Sure didn’t take them long to find the driver when there was a cop involved, even a reserve cop.

Well after all that here’s a little Daily Ted to peruse. Morning Links: Carfree Griffith Park could be sacrificed for well-healed homeowners; LA beats New York That UK article about near-misses set my hair on end. Of course that is pretty much the standard case with my hair after getting my head shaved.

An arrest was made in SC. Police: Arrest made in hit-and-run involving cyclist This arrest was made because the cyclist had front and rear video recordings. WoaB strongly recommends installing these if you have the funds.

Another arrest in FL. Driver who killed Cape Coral cyclist facing 30 years The fact that the driver was doing 102 MPH just 4 feet before hitting the cyclist says it all for me, this was deliberate random mayhem with the cyclist as collateral damage. If he hadn’t hit the cyclist he would have hit and killed someone else and probably himself as well.

But in CA we can’t even get charges filed. CHP: No charges recommended against truck driver who injured bicyclist The driver was not paying attention to the road and drove in the bike lane hitting the cyclist, and they do nothing? TANJ!

In the other CA (Canada) we get much the same thing. No charges in accident that saw Ottawa cyclist killed in collision with dump truck “No reason was given in the release on how they came to the decision.” As I recall the cyclist was riding straight and the truck was turning and BAM! dead cyclist.

This cyclist is lucky to be alive. Cyclist punched in ‘nasty’ road rage attack in Cambridgeshire and collides with oncoming car OK you got angry at a cyclist, who doesn’t? I mean there they are fit and healthy and riding down the road for the few hundred dollars (or pounds) it costs to buy a bike and nothing more aside from food and clothing which they would be buying anyway, and they make you slow down for a few seconds and totally ruin your day. But really setting up an ambush to beat one up is probably really dumb, especially when you almost kill him. That goes from “traffic boo-boo” to “attempted murder” in 0.001 seconds. And all that time you lost from being behind a cyclist is minor compared to the time it took to set up the ambush, and the time you get to spend in jail awaiting trial, and then the endless years of prison time because you got mad at a cyclist in front of you on the road. Now don’t you feel really dumb?

Well, the killer is off to prison, but the question remains: “Why and How? and could it have been prevented?” Families of charity duo killed on A30 near Newquay request a full inquest into deaths is held Well the driver had been falsifying records about how much time he had been driving, had been working “off the clock” to make more money, and hadn’t slept in almost a day, so it looks like there really isn’t any way to prevent this with the current built infrastructure that has cyclists and heavy trucks share the roads. More laws would just be more laws broken in this case, as the driver broke a series of major trucking laws and labor laws to try and get a little more £££…

Infrastructure in Boston. Boston Plans Protected Bike Lane for Dangerous Avenue Guys? there is this €90 book that tells everything you need to know about building bicycle infrastructure that works for drivers and cyclists and has been proven to work for over 20 years now…

And in Sweden they are doing similar things but excluding cars completely from their cities and not missing them. How Stockholm Became the Ultimate Walkable City

Do we really need a “luxury” e-assist bike? SPA Bicicletto Electric Bike Looks Amazing, but the Price Is Painful – Video, Photo Gallery Yeah it looks nice… even has halfway-decent range if there are no hills.

And I am bereft of any more links, ciao.

Billed @€Opus the Poet