Still alive, doing better than Rush, and the Feed

I survived another idiot in the street last night, who was almost enough to ruin my ride. Not entirely, because riding in mid-60° temperatures with mild breezes was just too nice to let an idiot behind the wheel ruin it for me. This is one of those brief periods during the year when the winds die down for a bit without temperatures going into the deep freeze or the oven in the suburbs of Hell. Actually I can’t remember the winds quitting while the temperatures were in the deep freeze, so no breeze with no 110°F temperatures then. Anyway, it was a really nice ride last night in spite of the idiot that almost hit me.

Perhaps the guy that almost hit me was trying to get away from this wreck. Piedmont Pastor Seriously Injured In Bicycle Wreck If he couldn’t see 2 bikes in the street in front of him in broad daylight, I wonder how he didn’t get a ticket for failure to yield. TANJ! To avoid use the hit-from-behind protocols, to prevent use SBR.

In the same state as WoaB is a report on a man that was apparently deliberately struck from behind while riding on the shoulder of a road. Bicycle rider struck, killed “Our news partners at the Beaumont Enterprise report the car swerved out of its lane and struck Gumberger.” That sounds like a description of a deliberate act to me. Lawyer’s take Bicyclist George Gumberger Killed Riding Along Shoulder of Texas 105 in Beaumont, Texas And in none of the reports I read on this wreck do they even mention the driver’s name, mush less any action against him.

Getting closer to home as more links come in, a wreck in Austin. Blotter: Police identify cyclist killed on North Lamar I really don’t understand how this wreck happened. Why was the cyclist kneeling beside his bike? Why was he hit in the turning lane? The interesting thing is this is being investigated as a homicide rather than as a traffic “accident”. More Man hit by car, killed on North Lamar on Thursday night and Man ID’d in auto-ped crash The only thing I can come up with that makes any sense is that this was the second wreck of the night for the victim, he was hit by another vehicle and knocked off his bike into the center turn lane, and as he was collecting his wits and the bits off his bike he was hit a second time by the vehicle that killed him.

More news on the hit-and-run driver that killed a cyclist in the bike lane in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 6 years running. Driver in Fatal Rickenbacker Causeway Crash to Remain Behind Bars The driver is going to be held without bail because he violated his parole after a drug bust. While it is good that he is being held where he can’t hurt any more cyclists, drivers that aren’t on parole from drug busts are just as dangerous and still get released on ridiculously small bonds.

Another article on that report on how much danger HGV represent to cyclists. HGVs pose increased risk of death and serious injury to cyclists Again the news that uncontrolled bleeding is the major single factor leading to death is really surprising to me.

More infrastructure news from Scotland. Safety call after second cyclist death

Serious problems with blind drivers in Oz. Off yer bike: Brimbank’s sorry tale Three out of 4 wrecks happen during broad daylight by drivers that claim to have never seen the cyclist until after they hit him or her. That says nothing good about the state of driver’s licensing in Oz.

And more infrastructure in Enn Zed. Campaign over hazardous cycle spots Another Anglophone country that has ceded its roads to the motor vehicle and discovered that making those roads safe again costs a whole lot more than they gained by giving the roads to cars…

And those are all the links that give me fits today (correcting my grammar from previous posts).

Billed @$0.02, Opus

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Dry roads, and the Feed

As I rode back from my meeting last night there were patches of dry pavement showing, and I woke to completely dry roads in front of my house in the suburbs of Hell. I was wrong about the grass being dormant, as it appears there are some areas that need mowing as soon as the ground dries out enough for me to be able to walk on it. Muddy ground is especially hazardous with my injury as I can turn an ankle in a blink of an eye, due to the combination of having poor kinesthetic senses because of the nerve damage, weak muscles due to the scar tissue, and the longer lever arm due to having to wear a lifted shoe on that foot. And I need to show Blue some lubricant love after 2 rides in the wet.

Up first is a drug bust that went very bad for surrounding civilians, including a cyclist that just happened to be riding by. Six Hurt, Cruisers Struck as Truck Flees St. Louis Police The guy was hit twice as the suspect fled, once as the suspect was backing away from LEO, and a second time as he turned around to drive in the normal direction. The best way to avoid this is for police to get more time at the range to SHOOT THE DRIVER instead of everyone else in the car, or issue “car stopper” weapons when going on drug busts that will prevent a car from leaving. There used to be a 12ga slug round that would break a car frame or shatter the engine block. It was basically a Grade 8 bolt blank machined with a pointy end instead of with threads and a hex head, and a plastic sabot shell to prevent it from damaging the barrel of the weapon. Oh, there was nothing the cyclist could have done to prevent this wreck. Another link Six injured as truck flees St. Louis police

Another reason why lawyers are hated, as a cop that was 0.001 below the legal definition of drunk 4 hours after a wreck that killed a cyclist was somehow “not drunk” at the time of the wreck. Cop wasn’t drunk when he killed bicyclist, 13, attorney says Apparently this attorney has never heard of blood alcohol regression where the BAC% can be determined from using the rate at which alcohol is metabolized and a known concentration from after the fact. But common sense alone will tell you that 0.079% 4 hours after the wreck was in excess of 0.08% at the time of the wreck. Using the formula given in the link the cop was @0.10%, drunk by the 1975 standard. Fry this cop. Also, find out who prevented the test until 4 hours had passed and charge them with accessory after the fact to murder.

From CA a wreck report that is almost as informative as allowed under UK media laws. San Bernardino man killed in bike crash Three sentences was apparently all this man rated for his violent death by motor vehicle.

A drunk cyclist was also under the influence of drugs at the time of his death by motor vehicle. Drugs found in LaPorte County teen’s body OK, drunk and drugged and riding a bike backwards, how could we possibly prevent this wreck? (Where’s that sarcasm tag in HTML?) The BAC% alone would have made this almost inevitable, but add MJ and prescription drugs to the party and you get a cyclist that has no idea what he’s doing.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 6 years running, a cyclist is hit “crossing a road” well between intersections. Plant City cyclist, 29, killed in collision with Jeep in Dover I find this improbable because of the location, and also because of the locale. Without being able to see the physical evidence I can’t say for sure that it was not a crossing cyclist, but until I can get outside verification I’m going to call this one a SWCC.

Prosecution begins against the man that drove off the road to hit a cyclist on Old US66 in NM. Man to be arraigned in cyclist’s 2010 death in NM I’m still not convinced from the reports I have read the driver didn’t do it on purpose The descriptions in the driver’s words are that he spent about 15 seconds looking away from the road at 60 MPH after he saw the cyclists ahead on the shoulder, that’s roughly a quarter of a mile. (Actually fifteen seconds at sixty miles an hour is exactly a quarter mile, it’s the time that is a rough estimate).

A different kind of wreck from the Great White North. Cyclist collides with dog in Uxbridge, Ont. and Cyclist in critical condition after collision with dog in Uxbridge I’m sure the dog lovers are going, “Oh the poor puppy!” while the cyclists are plotting turning both dogs into Chinese take-out, but it is an illustration of how vulnerable cyclists are, and why wearing a helmet is a good idea at least in North America.

More on the Kanata 5 trial and the sentencing of the man who assaulted them. ‘Kanata 5’ hit-and-run victims struggle to forgive I’m sorry Canadians, but 2 years for almost killing 5 people then leaving them to die or not, is not an appropriate sentence. For a single cyclist, yes I could see that kind of sentence. But this guy was found guilty of 10 counts in this trial and he was only sentenced for 2! More MorningFile: Farazli infection rates normal, sentence in cyclist hit-and-run, Waverley Street fire

Assault with a deadly weapon in Oz. Swerved to hit cyclist You would think they were from TX instead of Oz, the way they drive. And the primary concern for the condition of the vehicle instead of the victim…

A bike wreck in Oz. Teen on bike injured in car collision Not enough for me to say how to avoid except “Intersection protocols” since the cyclist was in an intersection when he was hit. I have to say that wasn’t a residential street that kid was crossing, it looked like a minor highway with a wide median. Do you think they have “stale green” issues in Oz like we do in the US?

Cyclist woes in Enn Zed. Martine Rolls: Focus on safe cycling

More Infrastructure! news from the UK. Is this the start of cyclist pressure on Westminster? and Cyclists protest over London road safety Family of Edinburgh cyclist killed last week launch safety campaign

And that’s all the links I have today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Before I filter and do my “normal” post, some chitchat

I’m slowly recovering from yesterday’s rides, the easiest of which was the RoS. All told I had 39 miles (63km) and change in less than 8 hours running around Garland, Grand Prairie, Arlington, and White Rock Lake. And I don’t care what the name says Grand Prairie is about as flat as an alp. Anytime I can coast to over 35 MPH with only 5 MPH at the top of the hill, without pedalling, that’s a long steep hill, not a “prairie”. The other issue I had yesterday was calories. Between the wind and the hills I burned way more than my usual 37 Calories per mile, and by the time I got home I was definitely feeling it. I only brought a few snacks; chips, cookies, and a 3 Musketeers bar, and I had to skip lunch because I was literally on the road during that time. So when I got home I had sore knees, and a huge appetite, and woke up famished this morning. Oh, and I still have sore knees. As this is grocery day I’m lucky there are no hills between here and the grocery store. It’s just one mile of dead flat both ways.

There were so many links that I was only able to filter half of the Feed before my computer started having fits and slowing to a crawl, and I didn’t even open the RoS links. So this will be a “scattered” post, as I will have to insert links between the paragraphs about other links, which disrupts the flow of the post, but because of the number of links today, that’s unavoidable. I apologize in advance.

Death and injury in CA, courtesy of hit-and-run drivers. Bicyclist tragically killed in accident over weekend Technically he didn’t lie to LEO, he did witness the wreck, just as a participant. Anyway, hit-from-behind protocols assuming there was someplace the cyclist could have used as an escape route, but seriously I don’t think there was time for the cyclist to do anything to avoid this wreck. Or in any of the other wrecks mentioned in the article, which also mentioned the Hummer driver from India that hit or nearly hit 5 vehicles in 3 wrecks injuring 2 cyclists and 3 motor vehicle occupants and killing a third cyclist last week.

A cyclist killed by a hit-and-run driver during Bike to Work Week is remembered as the public is requested to provide information about the wreck. Family: Hit-and-run victim was devoted to cycling and his faith The guy sounds like a real nice guy, but even if he was a jerk and rode like one that doesn’t excuse hit-and-run. Again, hit-from-behind protocol but the wreck site doesn’t give many escape options as shown in the pictures that went with the link.

A KY cyclist with full legal reflectors gets hit from behind. Bicyclist killed in accident on Leestown Road near Midway The cyclist had “standard reflectors” which means that a driver with “standard headlights” should have been able to see him from 300 feet out and avoid hitting him, but he didn’t. So, who was at fault again? That’s right not the person in control of a deadly weapon, but the victim.

Cyclist vs insurance company in OR. Cyclist vs. New Seasons Someone tried to make this out to be the fault of company that operated the truck, but it’s really their insurance that was acting like the back and of a male donkey.

A SWCC in Canuckistan. Teen cyclist killed in north Edmonton Cyclist wearing clothes gets hit mid-block while riding next to parked cars during daylight hours, nothing the driver did wrong, right? Except we know better that this was an unsafe pass by a driver not paying attention to the road and other road users. I will grant that it is possible that the kid rode out from between parked cars, but unless there was something for him to have been riding from I don’t buy the “suddenly pulled from between parked cars” excuse. And unless the victim died of head injury with no other life-threatening injury, the helmet wearing was not an issue, either.

There are apparently no shortage of idiots in Scotland. Police appeals after Etape event This would have been a terrorist attack had the victims been other than cyclists.

Fewer cyclinst in London are dying, but more are getting injured. London cycling deaths down but casualties up So, cyclists are getting better at dodging cars, but still not good enough?

A hit-and-run in Oz. Hit and run furore The rider is indeed fortunate to only have a broken arm and road rash, a fraction of an inch closer and this would have been fatal.

Several links to a cyclist getting hit from behind in Enn Zed. A cyclist has been killed on State Highway 1, north of Blenheim. and Cyclist killed near Blenheim named also Police name cyclist killed OK riding after midnight without lights, even with a full moon, not real smart, and I couldn’t see any reflectors on the back of the bike in the pictures., so double not “bright”.

E-assist bikes are becoming a hot topic as gas prices continue to climb even as crude prices drop. E-bike or scooter? Which is the safer bet? In Canada, and in NY state Should Electronic-Assisted Bikes Be Treated Like Cars? Just a note, in the US Federal regulations apply unless state laws or regulations are more permissive. Federal rules are “working” pedals, 750 Watts (~1 HP) maximum, and 20 MPH without pedalling on level ground. Here in TX there is no max power limit, 100 pounds ready to run (which local LEO have interpreted to mean “if the bike runs without it, it isn’t part of the ‘ready to run’ weight), and 20 MPH max without pedalling or posted limit with pedalling, if you can’t ride with power without pedalling then you can ride as fast as you want up to the posted limit. My crank-assisted e-bike fell under that permission, even though I geared it to only do about 20 MPH in top gear.

Infrastructure! in Northern California. Discovering the Bay Area’s biking heaven Good roads with low traffic that attract cyclists, in TX those would be slated for a chip seal with 1 1/2″ aggregate, ASAP!

A cyclist that was mentioned in previous links to the Ride of Silence speaks about infrastructure and the need to share it with cyclists. Share The Roads: A Cyclist’s Plea It just takes a few seconds patience to not hit a cyclist and save a lifetime of tragedy.

ND cyclists say it’s a matter of attitude. Bicyclists say attitude changes needed to share the road Like I wrote earlier, a few seconds’ patience saves a lifetime of tragedy.

More on cycling and attitude in this link on National Bike Month in the US. National Bike Month is Here

Cyclists in Oz are saying pretty much the same thing. Take care with cyclists: advocacy group There is something in Anglophone culture that hates cyclists, because I see the same thing in every English-speaking country. Cyclists are not respected in any country where English is the native tongue.

Fun on a bike in NJ. Washington slept, but you should bicycle

Lastly, some more RoS links. Bike ride honors injured, killed cyclists worldwide and Bikers take memorial ride in silence also Cyclists Ride to Remember Riders Killed by Vehicles and again Bicyclists ride to send message, pay respects still more ‘Ride of Silence’ sends message not done yet Ride of Silence remembers cyclists killed on the roads not done yet Cyclists let silence speak for injured, dead still more Mourning the loss of cyclists in silence and Cyclists to take to Gatineau streets in silent ride more Ride of silence for dead cyclists and Bicycle “Ride of Silence” in Woodinville and Redmond Wednesday Night another link from the paper of record for the Mother Ride, posted 3 days ago Solemn ride of silence unites cyclists worldwide That’s right, the hometown paper for an international movement didn’t even send a single reporter to the local version of the event. The one person that mentioned the event wasn’t even a news reporter but a sports reporter. TANJ!

And that’s all I have today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Grocery shopping day, and an ugly Feed

Yes this is the day that I do “mule duty” as the designated beast of burden to bring home the comestibles, since I consume the majority of them. Everyone here is trying to lose weight, but I seem to be the only person using the “exercise more” side of the equation to increase Caloric consumption so I can continue to eat like I want so I end up eating most of the food that comes in the house. Since we try to consume food as lightly processed as possible that means we bring home lots of produce and ingredients to prepare, I get all the heavy stuff, and then as much of the rest as I can stuff into my 1980s era Army ruck, and my wife has to carry the overflow which usually isn’t much, often just 2 loaves of bread is all she has to carry home from the store. Door-to-door getting groceries is a 2 mile round trip for me, a little over a mile for my wife who just takes the bus from her work to the stop in front of the store and usually walks home because it is quicker than waiting for the bus, which only takes about a quarter mile off the walk anyway.

Up first is a hit-and-run on a cyclist in a designated bike route. Hit-and-run on Shore Drive injures cyclist This was obviously a hit-from-behind wreck that the cyclist never saw coming. Rear-view mirrors and hit-from-behind protocols as linked at the top of my blog would have helped. It might not have prevented the wreck but it could reduce the severity of the injuries sustained. BTW the comments are growing at an alarming rate most blaming the cyclist for being there to get hit. Don’t read the comments.

A SWCC wreck in CA. Bicyclist taken to Lodi Memorial after collision with car on South Hutchins The damage on the weapon vehicle is consistent with a hit from behind wreck by a distracted driver, but without seeing the damage to the bike I can’t state for sure exactly what happened. I do know that the driver’s statement should be taken with about a 2-kilo grain of salt. But, assuming the driver’s story is accurate then the cyclist also could not have seen the car until it was too late to avoid, which means this intersection should have a reduced speed limit and a 4-way stop so that people can cross the road without having to dodge cars they can’t see until the last second, moving @45 MPH.

Another report on the court case against the man that hit a cyclist that was lighted like a Christmas tree from behind and then left the scene. Man pleads not guilty in bicyclist’s death The evidence in this case is so overwhelmingly against the defendant I don’t understand why he doesn’t just fall on his knees and beg for mercy from the court. If he does that he might get off with a minor slap on the wrist and still get to drive when he gets out. Of course Swarzman will never get “out” of being dead after he was hit and left to die by the defendant.

Even though this is a UK wreck I’ll post it anyway as the severity was enough that what happened is easy to figure out. Cyclist left severely injured after crash The cyclist was in the passenger side of the front seat after having come though the windshield, which indicates an impact at a high rate of speed on the part of the car. The front windshield of a car is much stronger than the back one. Even when hit at 27 MPH the rear window of Dr. Thompson’s car was only broken, the cyclist was not actually inside the car, but this cyclist was actually inside a car after going through the front windshield, indicating an impact speed in excess of 40 MPH relative to the windshield. The comments indicate that the cyclist was riding downhill at or near the speed limit when the car turned in front of him and he hit the car very early in the turn. This would be the UK equivalent of the left cross.

Outrage in the UK over a cyclist’s killer getting a minor slap on the wrist. Tragic cyclist’s partner hits out at driver’s ban Kill a cyclist get…”She just walked away with 180 hours’ community service. That will be over in no time and just one year off the roads.” At 15 hours per week-end the killer’s community service will be done by the end of July if she gets started now, and she never loses a minute from her regular job, which was driving a bus but she won’t be doing that for a year. If she decides to do the community service in larger chunks then she could be done by the end of June, assuming she works only 40 hours a week and doesn’t get started for 2 weeks.

Moving to Infrastructure! down the road from WoaB HQ in the suburbs of Hell, Austin is discussing what can be done in the wake of a hit-and-run against a cyclist that was lighted well in excess of the legal minimums. Cyclist death prompts closer look at bike lanes The cyclist was in exactly the same place he would have been with lines painted on the street, just outside of the door zone on the right side of the lane, would a line painted on the street have prevented the vehicle from hitting him from behind? Well no, but hitting a cyclist in a bike lane makes fault easier to prove than just hitting a cyclist from behind because of the lane change involved.

In Delaware, cyclists’ lives are valued more than the few seconds it takes to pass one safely. Delaware Senate passes bill to give cyclists space Don’t read the comments section…

Another Ghost Bike in CA. Ghost Bike Memorial Reminds Cyclists Of Dangers In both wrecks mentioned it was somehow the fault of the cyclist for not following some unwritten law about wearing a helmet or reflective clothing rather then the driver for hitting a slower vehicle in front of them on the road. How about reminding drivers that it is against the law to hit people with cars even when those people are not driving a car.

Final link is to a report on how to fit a bike so that riding it is not a pain in the … ‘It should not hurt to ride a bike’ Getting a bike that fits you is the first thing you should do when you start riding a bike. That means buying a bike that isn’t too big or too small. For wedgie bikes more than 4″ of exposed seat post means your bike is too small, less than an inch means it is too big. The majority of BSO sold through big-box discounters are too small to way too small, basically kids’ bikes sold to adults as adult bikes.

And that’s all the bike news I have for today. Happy Cinco de Mayo for my Hispanic readers, or “Get drunk and pretend you’re a Mexican” day for my readers in the US.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Late report after working all day, the Feed

This report got started very late because I was at my church selling baked goods for our annual Spring Bazaar (Bizzare). I spent way too much time on my feet, which are hurting like the dickens, and afterwards we had a little Shearing of the Sheep ceremony, where I lost my hair and beard as I transition to Summer. I had to tighten the chin strap on my helmet after the event, and my head feels much lighter.

Up first by reason of proximity is a fatal wreck in San Antonio. Bicyclist killed in Schertz accident OK, this is another one of those wrecks that just makes my blood boil. The cyclist was JRA, minding his own business when the truck pulls out from a driveway moving fast enough to kill him on impact. So, this should be a simple case, right? Yes, simple as in no charges brought against the truck driver for violating the cyclist’s right of way and killing him.TANJ!

The big story of the day is the cyclist that was hit-and-run by a city bus in NYC. Cyclist Killed By MTA Bus In Manhattan and Police: MTA Bus Kills Bicyclist on Upper East Side and Delivery bicyclist killed in collision with city bus and finally a video that I can’t watch here at WoaB Cyclist Hit By Runaway Bus – New York Post OK distilling the text articles down we find that the cyclist was going west to east, was hit by the front of the bus so had to be in view for at least a second, at this point nobody knows who had the right of way, and as of the last article posted the bus had not been found, so onboard video of the wreck has not been reviewed. Regardless of who was at fault, the bus driver committed a hit-and-run, and must be prosecuted. There is no provision in the law that allows a driver to “not know” that they have hit someone, there is only did the driver leave the scene of the wreck without lending aid to the victim, leaving contact data and giving a statement to the police in case of a fatality or serious injury. None of those happened in this case, so the crime has been committed. Now the question is will the police bring charges and will the prosecution prosecute?

Moving halfway across the country to OH the trial of the drunk driver accused of killing a cyclist continues. Trial Continues In Crash That Killed Cyclist Let’s review the facts of the case as they are known: The driver blew a BAC% of 0.109 at the scene, the driver had been drinking for almost 24 hours and awake even longer, whether the cyclist had reflective gear and a tail light or not was not relevant because depending on which web site you believe sunrise was either before the wreck or 5 minutes after, so daylight conditions prevailed, the cyclist was riding legally on the road, not facing traffic, and oh, yes THE DRIVER WAS DRUNK. That one fact negates anything the cyclist might have done. To avoid a wreck like this as a cyclist, use the hit-from-behind protocols. It couldn’t hurt, and you might save your life.

Moving about as far west as we can and still stay in the Lower 48, a minor celebrity in Seattle dies in a mysterious bike wreck. Seattle stage actor dies following bicycle accident The report was long on obituary, miniscule on cause of death.

Moving to Jolly Olde we get another report on the HGV wreck that killed a cyclist in London, Cyclist killed in HGV collision named as student from Spain Nothing added to the story besides the name of the cyclist and official reporting that getting hit by a big truck causes multiple major injuries that are non-survivable.

Moving a little further north to Scotland a woman driver hits a cyclist, who returns the favor. Driver on A8 injured by cyclist’s punch in the face Can’t say I haven’t wanted to do that a few times, a day!

Loads of Infrastructure! articles today: this one was close to home. Death on Dallas trail sparks concern about safety of Austin’s trails

Baltimore and the entire state of MD. A call for better bicycle safety This might help, enforce the law and prosecute people that hit cyclists in bike lanes. What a concept!

The widow of a pedestrian killed by a delivery cyclist on the sidewalk calls for cyclists to stay in the street. NYer Of The Week: Widow Of Man Killed By Cyclist Now Pushes For Road Safety Education The “road safety education” is just so much palp, what she really wants is to get cyclists off the sidewalks. Problem is until cyclists feel that riding in the street is safe they will continue to ride on the sidewalk. Even so cyclists riding on the sidewalks isn’t the real danger to pedestrians as drivers kill pedestrians by driving on the sidewalks at a rate of about 1 a week in NYC, while cyclists kill about 1 a year in the city. I would prefer that cyclists ride in the street, preferably in a bike lane or other bicycle infrastructure. Ideally, all 3 modes would be separated with each having a space, with consequences for violating that space by the less vulnerable user. And I mean that for bicycles violating pedestrian space as much as I mean that for motor vehicles violating bicycle and pedestrian space. Everybody has to have a “safe” place for transportation that doesn’t require “buying in” with a motor vehicle.

And that’s all the news that gives me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

A rather full Feed today

Nothing much going on in my personal life today, shopping and life maintenance activities, that’s about it.

Up first is a second cyclist killed in the most deadliest county in the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bicycle. Second Cyclist in 2 Days Killed by Car in Sunrise The first 2 cycling fatalities in the US are in the same Florida county. This was the same county that led the country in 2009 in cyclists killed, one of a group of 3 FL counties that had almost 8% of the US cycling fatalities and 50% of the FL cycling fatalities in 2009. BTW this was another hit-from-behind wreck, you know where to find instructions on how to avoid a similar wreck.

An idiot cyclist with an idiot lawyer in CA. Santa Cruz City Council to vote on crash claim: Rider says bike lane crossing over Beach Street tracks unsafe I’m sorry but making a bicycle crossing over a railroad track 100% safe is impossible. There is a finite chance of injury every time a cyclist crosses a railroad track no matter how skilled the rider. It’s a very small chance, but it’s there.

In NYC police are cracking down on bicyclists that don’t signal turns. NYPD Crackdown on Brooklyn Cyclists Who Don’t Signal Turns Really? All the drivers now signal their turns and drive the (30 MPH) speed limit so you need to take care of the cyclists? Or is it you can catch the cyclists easily, but not so much the drivers.

From the wilds of Canuckistan a lawless cyclist gets a head injury. Duncan cyclist airlifted to Victoria hospital with severe head injury New Year’s Day “‘It’s not confirmed if he was wearing a helmet,’ said Day, noting bicycle helmets are mandatory in B.C.” OK this is a case where a styrofoam magic hat might have prevented a head injury, or it might be a case of emergency personnel losing the remains of the helmet while caring for the victim. The victim may have collided with the curb and a power pole which exceeds the impact capability of helmets certified to strictly bicycle standards which are only good for one impact.

We have a huge lump of stories from Jolly Olde today with this one leading off about a cop running over a cyclist in Scotland> 9am Briefing: Police officer was driving car that killed Hogmanay reveller Not much here, but it’s interesting to note that not even cops are immune to hit-and-run psychology.

Still wandering around the UK, the firm that employed a drunken driver that was talking on his cell phone when he killed a cyclist “responds” to accusations. Fatal accidents and “buzzed” riders – Thames Materials responds I don’t know what to say about this one, but under US laws the firm would be at least partially on the hook for their driver.

Cyclists are still hopping mad over the very lax sentence handed down for hitting a cyclist from behind and killing her. `Cover up’ claim over cyclist’s road death Lots of reading there, but not much solid information. Lots of guessing going on as to why the charges were reduced so drastically.

Notice is posted that a cyclist’s death is under investigation. Inquest into cyclist death From other reports I have read on this wreck, the cyclist was not actually drunk in spite of having just left a drinking establishment on the night in question.

And that’s all the news that gives me fits today, I got lots more links but the stories are either very old, or don’t have any real information. In other words I got a lot of links from the UK today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

It’s Saturday and I have muggle things to do

I have things to do so this might get a little terse. That is unlike my usual loquaciousness this will be short.

Up first because I felt like it is a UK wreck report with clear reporting on who is at fault in a bike wreck… Cyclist hurt crashing into closed Blackburn cemetery gates Apparently they locked a group of kids inside the cemetery and when they came to leave the gates were in the way… Don’t read the comments.

More on the hit-and-run of a cyclist in SoCal. POLICE SEEK HIT AND RUN DRIVER WHO INJURED CYCLIST This was the cyclist carrying a six pack of beer in a backpack. I read in a story that I can’t link to that police are claiming the beer saved the cyclist from serious injury at the cans ruptured and dissipated the force of the impact, but when I looked the report up to link to today I got a 404 error. Anyway again, hit-from-behind protocol, links at the top of all my blog pages, yadda yadda yadda.

Back in the UK the sentence of a driver that hit a cyclist head on while speeding has been slightly increased. Stephen McKay’s fatal crash ban now four years OK he still only has 6 weeks of community service for killing a cyclist, but his driving ban (and hopefully the amount of time he can be sent to prison if caught driving?) has been extended to four years.

In Enn Zed an injured cyclist advises everyone to be more careful on the roads. Cyclist urges all road users to take more care This was the right cross crash that is the equivalent of the left cross in countries that drive on the right. That the cyclist managed to avoid getting hit by the second wheel of the rear tandem axle rig on the trailer after getting hit by the first wheel is nothing short of amazing and speaks to the resilience of youth.

In the US a Ghost Bike has been installed to remember a cyclist killed in Lawrence KS. Ghost bike memorial honors cyclist killed in hit-and-run Today is the one-year anniversary of her death by a drunk driver that left the scene and failed to render aid. RIP Rachel Leek.

And that’s all the news that gives me fits today. Now go do something awesome like ride a bicycle.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Not holding much hope for Gigi, and the Feed

Gigi’s fate is in the hands of the GPD. I know, that is a scary thought for me too.

Up first because something had to be is a report on a cop car hitting a cyclist in the bike lane! Cyclist injured in collision with Boulder deputy’s cruiser Long story short, the cop pulled out of a parking lot and T-boned a cyclist on a state highway in the bike lane. State cops investigated because not in local yokel’s jurisdiction, state cops give local cop ticket for violating the right of way of the cyclist in the highway. Cop faces big fine under new state law that went into effect about a year ago. As for how to avoid, you can’t without a big “S” on your chest.

A MI man is injured while riding a bicycle on I 94. Interstate 94 cyclist in fair condition Alcohol was believed to be involved.

What appears to be another red-light runner gets hit in GA. Bicycle rider injured in wreck with SUV in Warner Robins If you’re going to run the red light make sure there are no cars coming.

Another rider down in Sacto. Sacramento bicyclist killed by driver Not a lot of infor mation besides the existence of the wreck, the link to the other article is dead now and just goes to the media outlet’s home page.

From Jolly Olde, killing a cyclist will result in significant amounts of community service. Driver who killed cyclist escapes jail sentence more Ban for driver in cyclist death crash The picture of the killer emphasizes his inner moron, he looks like he might have a double-digit IQ on a good day. That might be why he wasn’t sent to jail, too stupid for it to make an impression on him. Let’s recount: driving above the speed limit on a dark wet road with loose items in the back of the truck that upset the balance of the truck when he went too fast around the first corner making his truck go out of control by the middle of the second corner which then made him hit the cyclist. On top of that he has several charges for assault and brandishing makeshift weapons. He doesn’t need jail, he needs an institution!

Here’s a good one: 3 kids admit stealing a scooter and running over a cyclist with it but since the owner can’t be traced they don’t get charged with the theft, just the hit-and-run. Three13-year-olds held in 2-month-old accident case No, you aren’t imagining things. In spite of the paper publishing the license plate of the scooter, because the VIN had been removed from the vehicle they were unable to trace the owner who in any case hadn’t reported it stolen (that police could find, but then remember, they couldn’t find the owner in spite of having the plates and the vehicle in their hot little fists).

From Enn Zed, a coroner reports that the deceased cyclist wasn’t wearing the right sort of florescent reflective clothing. ‘Cyclists need to be visible’ If a driver can see the stripes painted on the roads, then that driver can see a cyclist or pedestrian on the roads or they need to be banned from driving on account of being too stupid to drive. Note that in this case the cyclist had reflective florescent panels on her clothing and bike, a bright LED blinky light and was 15cm (6″) off the side of the road, but the driver was 45 cm (18″) off the side of the road to avoid the trucks in the other lane. To admonish cyclists for not being visible enough at this point is pure hogwash. The only thing that would have made her more visible would be a police car with its emergency lights flashing driving behind her.

After a cyclist dies from what could have been survivable injuries FL politicians reopen a closed fire station near the end of a major bridge and tourist attraction. Crandon Park Fire Station To Reopen 24-7, For Now There is strong speculation that the cyclist might have lived had there been quick response from emergency personnel, but more than a half hour elapsed between the wreck and first responders showing on scene. First responders are a vital but mostly invisible part of good cycling infrastructure.

Back in TX a group of cyclist is taking off on a 800 mile+ trip to honor fallen LEO. Bike riders trekking to remember fallen officers That’s one of the problems with TX, if you want to ride around the state to do something, it takes a month and you ride almost a thousand miles to do it. Good LEO are vital to riding safely on the roads, bad LEO on the other hand Just makes things worse.

Finally it’s that time of year again, Ride of Silence is coming up. It’s time for cyclists to hit the road and Anderson cyclists join worldwide Ride of Silence also Local cyclists band together for ride of silence set for May 19; route changed slightly this year Since I am minus a bicycle at this point I don’t know if I will make the Mother Ride for the RoS.

And that’s all I have today, updates on Gigi as they come in.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Bicycle zombies take over the news, people still getting killed by cars, the Feed

Yes, “zombies” are all the rage now, and have spread from the UK to the US. In the meantime cars are still killing people at a rate of nearly 110 people a day in the US, and nobody is saying anything about that (except me and a few other bicycle fanatics). I feel a rant coming on, and I don’t think it is going to be pretty.

Up first is another report on the waste of human skin that had 20 beers before going out and driving into 2 cyclists, killing one. Driver who downed 20 beers, killed cyclist gets 25-40 years in prison This is the guy that in a previously linked report the victim’s mother gave him a Bible and said he was going to heaven. I hope she’s wrong about that, because if there was ever a guy that deserved to suffer, this is the guy. Interesting that the previous reports said the disgusting piece of filth got 45 years determinate sentence, but this report has him as serving 25-40. I wonder who’s right.

In other court news the driver that dragged a cyclist 860 feet under her car while the man was screaming and beating on the car (that part was new information), is facing undisclosed criminal charges in the case. Driver of car that dragged bicyclist in Natick to face criminal charge The complaint was filed Nov. 25 in Framingham District Court against Lorraine Peterson, 61, of 359 Berlin Road, though police redacted the specific charge. Apparently public records are not public for certain people.

More on the wreck that killed the driver while only slightly injuring the cyclist he hit. Vehicle crashes kill 4, injure 5 Not a good day to have been driving a car, or riding a bicycle for that matter. If I’m reading the report right the vehicle hit the cyclist on the north side of the street and then crossed the road to hit a tree on the south side of the street. That ain’t normal. Hitting a cyclist isn’t what I would call “normal” but the circumstances of the wreck speak to me of a person who was dieing before they hit the cyclist, and the tree just finished the job. This sounds like a stroke or heart attack in progress when he left the road the first time and grazed the cyclist and then tried to stay on the road and pulled left on the wheel, then died. I know that’s an awful lot to pull from a tiny report…

Another hit-and-run in LA CA. Cyclist struck in West Hollywood hit-and-run Not much to go on in this report, but it appears to be a typical right hook wreck, good that the cyclist survived.

In Scotland a cyclist has a run in with a bus and survives. Cyclist in serious condition after accident with bus and from the Beeb Cyclist injured in bus accident It’s good to know that you won’t get hurt driving a bus into a woman riding a bicycle [/sarcasm]. For those who live on my side of the pond, it appears the woman was trying to turn across traffic when she got hit. They drive on the wrong side of the roads in Scotland so you have to turn right to cross traffic, not left.

Someone driving a silver Mercedes is going to have a rough time of it when he gets caught. Cyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run As per usual in UK wreck reports I can’t say anything about how to avoid a similar wreck, other then to always be alert, this cyclist being able to say make and color may very well result in the miscreant being brought to justice.

And what seems obvious as the nose on your face is debated in the UK. Cyclists are not a menace, Spectator debate decides In the end the argument was mass times velocity, would you rather get hit by 200 pounds going 20 MPH, or 4000 pounds going 35 and up? In the overall scheme of things it was like getting hit in a rugby game versus getting hit by an artillery shell. Every once in a while someone will die in a rugby game, but not often, but get hit by a car and you stand a good chance of dying or being permanently injured.

A cyclist is injured in a left hook wreck in Oz. Cyclist injured after collision with car I noticed the cyclist got a few licks in on the car as he was hit, tearing off the passenger side mirror and crumpling the hood a bit and only sustaining minor injuries in the process. As they say “Good on ya!” for returning fire in the face of the enemy 😉

Still trying to figure out if the guy that hit a cyclist in South Africa was just stupid or culpable. Cops hunt for evidence in cyclist death Hit from behind in the cycle lane, and there’s a question of culpability? Did these guys get their training from AZ LEO?

And the “bicycle zombies” meme makes its way to these shores. ‘iPod zombies’ blamed for UK road deaths Note that in this article from the people that actually make the iPod, using one on any vehicle that one is in control of is not a good idea. Bicycles because you might get hit by a car you didn’t hear, cars because they distract you from your environment, and you already have way too many distractions while driving a car anyway.

An opinion about the ruckus over the recent pedestrian deaths by bicycle in the City of Brotherly Love. Road Rage at Philly Newspapers Why are Ronnie and Stu whipping up fear when cars and trucks pose a bigger threat? Because they don’t like bicycles in their streets, and making then out to be a danger to pedestrians arouses fears that they can use to get them legislated away from their city…

On the same subject but from a different direction. Registering bicycles will not prevent any accidents If there was just some way we could easily identify cars so that when the hit someone and drive off the owner could be brought to justice… and pedestrians they just wander around like they own the place, we need some way of identifying pedestrians too… 😛

I hope NY has a better time of it than TX when they pass their 3 foot passing law. NYS Assemblymember to Introduce Safe Passage Law for Cyclists This is desperately needed legal infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians.

And SF finally gets to build bicycle infrastructure again. Eyes On the Street: SF Gets Its First New Bike Lane in Three Years The paint was barely dry before people started using the new bike lane, who had been trying to ride vehicularly but because of driver attitudes were not having a good go of it.

And that’s all I have today, but there will be a rant later, I still haven’t figured out how I’m going to phrase it yet.

Billed @$.02, Opus

I can hardly lift my arms, but here’s the Feed

Well, I pruned some more today, on the live oak out back. I don’t have much upper body strength or endurance any more, so I lopped a few branches off with the pruner and had to call it quits. Then I filtered the Feed and now here I am to post the reports and make comments.

Another SWSS/SWCC wreck in the Pelican State (Louisiana). Cyclist killed at 171 and La. 394 and Bicycle rider killed near DeRidder I find the description of the wreck highly suspect. Especially the part where he was going east on 394 and then turned around to go east on 394…

What sounds like a left cross wreck in CA. Cyclist killed in traffic accident identified CA has the same laws about turning vehicles as TX that requires turning traffic to yield to traffic that is not turning, whether that traffic is oncoming traffic on the same street or road or traffic on the street or road that is being turned on. Hopefully there will be at least a ticket filed against the driver that killed the cyclist.

Another report on the DC cyclist killed by a cop cruiser. Md. cyclist who was killed by police cruiser identified Yeah, anyone that believes the cop was going under the speed limit, I have some oceanfront property in El Paso I would like to sell. I’m not saying the cyclist wasn’t at fault, just saying the likelihood of the cop driving under the speed limit is so low as to be invisible. The fact that they made the statement thus renders all of their other statements suspect. The grain of salt required is about the size of a semi-trailer.

Another report on the kid killed in DE. Teen cyclist killed on 273 ID’d Again the rider was thrown into a car that was in front of both vehicles. This indicates to me that traffic was stopped and the kid did not run the red light like the cops say.

More on the NY state cyclist that was hit by a transit bus. Cops: Greenburgh cyclist was riding alongside bus; bikers invited to ride at funeral The cyclist appears to have been doing exactly what he should have, I still don’t know why LEO haven’t charged the bus driver with running down the cyclist. NY law requires the passing vehicle to pass safely, which means far enough away that you don’t scare the other operator to death. That didn’t happen this time. So why no ticket or charges?

A TX lawyer thinks that Gov. Goodhair’s veto of the Vulnerable Road Users Bill (SB488) may have contributed to the driver that killed 2 people on a tandem bicycle not getting any kind of ticket or charge. Texas Governor Perry Vetoes Safe Passing Bill: Cyclist Deaths The Result? I just want to know what the Helotes LEOs were thinking when they decided that the guy in the truck did nothing illegal when he killed the 2 cyclists.

A case in Scotland that just floored me as the police report wasn’t allowed to be read into evidence. Scottish jury finds case against driver who killed cyclist ‘not proven’ Of course it wasn’t proven, the judge threw out the most important evidence against the driver. Again, what was he thinking?

Again I had to pick myself up off the floor when I read about a multiple repeat drunk driver was facing in the way of charges in Enn Zed. Drink-drive charge ‘appallingly inadequate’ “Downer, who has two previous drink driving convictions, could face a maximum of five years behind bars.” Five years for drunk driving that killed somebody, that’s just a travesty.

And a trio of people that train together for bicycle riding suffered similar wrecks. Cyclist tells of horror crash The man was killed while the wife was recovering from a previous crash, and the personal trainer was in a coma for 5 weeks from the wreck that killed the man… What a mess.

The 2010 Tour of the Battenkill will have a stage dedicated to Veterans. 2010 Tour of the Battenkill Announces Ride to Benefit Injured Veterans If you can do this next year Witch on a Bicycle says do it.

And that’s all for tonight.

Billed @$.02, Opus