After picking up the parts to build the new railing for the church steps, we discovered that the drill bit we used to make the holes in the concrete for the anchors had gone AWOL. After spending almost an hour going through the church tools looking for the bit, we decided that we didn’t have the time to get another bit and install the rail that I had just assembled, so we come back Sunday after morning service and drill holes and pound in anchors then run the nuts and bolt down the rails.
After coming back from the failed attempt to install the rails, I had to walk to the store to buy cat food. “The store” in this case is a mile away, resulting in a 2 mile round trip. On the to the store leg I found some bad infrastructure, beg buttons that failed to trigger the pedestrian crossings, so I called Garland Streets to complain aboutnotify them of the situation. On my return trip all the beg buttons functioned perfectly. So that was a win.
Speaking of win, I bought two quick-picks for the PowerBall tonight, one annual payments and the other cash option. Should I be so lucky as to win tonight there will be a major shift in tone and subject matter for this blog as I will be spending my money on getting bike infrastructure done to CROW Manual specs installed in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. That would be Monday-Thursday. Friday-Sunday would be building my Sprint-T and Mini Sprint-T, a step-by-step recounting. So my two favorite subjects, keeping people safe from cars, and building cars, in alternating segments. Crossed fingers. XD
Up first is a SWSS down the road a piece from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Cyclist killed in Killeen fatal accident At least this was a more sophisticated way of saying “swerved”: “began riding his bike diagonally“.
Our Daily Ted, Part 1. Morning Links: Expo bike path meeting tonight, and bikes may or may not be banned from Camp Pendleton
Ted part 2. 47-year old bicyclist killed in collision with semi in Downey Wednesday am Surviving a collision with a semi is really dicey.
Still in CA. Family of cyclist killed on Page Mill seeks witnesses I place at least half of the blame for this wreck on infrastructure that had cyclists crossing highway traffic to get from one bike lane to the next in the same direction.
Infrastructure from America’s Copenhagen. Martin Greenough died one month ago: Here’s the latest from ODOT, the BTA and his girlfriend
Also from Portland, the battle for trail access continues. With River View access in the balance, NW Trail Alliance urges attendance at council meeting The vest reason why this is improtant is this quote: “Commissioners Fritz and Fish trashed an inclusive public process to remove cycling from the list of approved activities in the Park. There’s no scientific evidence against allowing bikes, and the community listening process clearly showed that there is very high public interest in allowing them.”
From NYC we finally find out what it takes to get a killer driver thrown in jail for more than a few days. Serial Reckless Driver Who Killed UWS Woman Sentenced To Up To 3 Years The dude drove from 1982-99 without a license, and gathered in the following convictions: 1 hit-and-run, 3 speeding (including 2 aggravated speeding in excess of 30 MPH over the limit), 5 disobeying a traffic control, 1 failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, 2 no license, 2 running red lights, 2 no insurance, 1 unsafe lane change, 1 improper signalling, and a separate conviction for aggravated unlicensed driving. “In the six months prior to the killing, Mercado had hit three other pedestrians, including a 13-year-old boy in Queens.”
Then again they have “stuff” like this. Driver Who Killed Fort Greene Pedestrian Doesn’t Even Get His License Suspended Yeah, it was suspended when he drove into the sidewalk to avoid hitting a bus, but they took the car so it won’t hurt anything to give him his license back. /s (where is that sarcasm html tag? It has been promised for years)
From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike comes news they are going to “Do something about it”. St. Pete Police trying to prevent pedestrian, cyclist deaths So they are apparently criminalizing splitting the crossing to make sure you can get from one side to the other by waiting for traffic to clear on the other side after crossing in the gap from the near side. You know instead of criminalizing hitting pedestrians and cyclists.
More on a MD cyclist killing. Neighborhood activist grapples with son’s alleged role in murder
You may be forced to connect your car to a device that sends your driving data on things like braking and acceleration to your insurance company. The big data of bad driving, and how insurers plan to track your every turn Forced as in sure they will “sell” you insurance, but only people who can afford to pay someone else to drive will be able to afford it.
Serious infrastructure news. New Mode Choice Model Helps Officials Make Stronger Case for Transit Improvements Better transit means fewer drivers means better cycling even without infrastructure improvements, but it also mean infrastructure improvements to handle the “last mile” problem.
Your assist bike might really be able to die some day. IU scientists develop biomaterial for fuel cells That’s right, living fuel cells that are more efficient than what we have now. Just add hydrogen and get electricity.
And it might be made by this company. Yes, Ford is Serious About Electric Bikes (Still)
From the Great White North is another report on that ridiculous sentence for killing a cyclist. Cyclist’s parents rip sentence for driver in hit-run and Driver who hit and killed cyclist Tom Samson sentenced to six months in jail I keep seeing “3 months served on weekends” and I also keep seeing things like 15-22 weekends and they just don’t mesh. By my math 3 months is 46 weekends. Just saying.
I really don’t know how to classify this tidbit from Bermuda. Retro-style bicycles prove a St George’s hit The only comment was a complaint about the bikes blocking the sidewalk outside the store.
More on the ridiculous sentence of a driver assaulting a cyclist with his car. Angry war vet who mowed down and killed cyclist jailed for nearly 5 years Five years for a deliberate murder? TANJ!
Another SMIDSY wreck only this one actually got prosecuted. Man avoids jail after hitting cyclist who came ‘close to being killed’ with his lorry Nothing near enough for the seriousness of the wreck, but better than nothing which is what it would have gotten a few years ago.
More on the situation in Malta. Cyclists and motorists The driver blames all road sins on cyclists, or the fact that cycists exist.
And it’s not your imagination, drivers really do think that all cyclists break the law on a regular basis. What Do Drivers Really Think About Cyclists?
And I’m outta links again.
Billed @$0.02, Opus the Poet
Witch on a Bicycle 