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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I finally ran out of links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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D&D was cancelled so I get a break in the middle of making the post, and the Feed

The D&D game scheduled for this afternoon was called off because the logistics just couldn’t be made to work. There were too many people who needed rides to get there in time because even those of us who have DART access still have over a 90 minute ride to the game. There is one person who no longer has a car and also does not have DART access, so getting that person (and her character sheet) to the game requires someone with a car to go get her.

The weather system that has brought record high temperatures to the Northeast has brought cool, damp, and cloudy conditions to Casa de El Poeta. The AC hasn’t kicked on more than a few minutes total in the last 3 days, even with the dryer going while my son did his laundry. In fact as I type this it’s only 74°F in my office that normally sees 78-80° all summer long. Outside is only 68° so I might be changing from shorts to long pants soon.

Up first, victory (lower case). Driver convicted in deadly 2014 SXSW crash that killed 4, injured dozens Life in prison without parole…

Still in the city that the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell is a suburb of. Dallas already needs a new ‘bike czar’ as 2014 hire Ashley Haire prepares for ride to Denver This is why we can’t have nice bicycle infrastructure.

Hey, wanna throw stuff on the Trinity Trail? Bike riders to ‘bomb’ Fort Worth trails with milkweed for monarchs Save the Monarch butterfly and get a great bike ride in at the same time!

The big story today is the PA cyclist getting hit from behind by a semi. Bicyclist killed in crash with tractor-trailer near Penn State New Kensington entrance and Bicyclist killed in crash with tractor-trailer in Upper Burrell Now the story is the driver moved over to pass but had to move back before completing the pass because he didn’t allow enough room for oncoming traffic. And then the cyclist “fell” under the truck’s wheels. They claim “witnesses” saw this pass attempt, I just want to know how many were not in the truck.

Next big story is a cyclist fatally buzzed by a dump truck in West Canuckistan. Cyclist killed in Richmond collision and Cyclist killed after collision with dump-truck The article has a Street View of the crime scene under similar weather conditions to the time of the wreck that shows there was nothing to obstruct the view of the cyclist from the truck. So what actually happened is a matter of conjecture.

Down in KS it sounds like a cyclist is hooked or crossed by an unknown vehicle. Hutch teen injured after riding her bike into a car Other than the cyclist nothing was mentioned about the vehicles involved in this wreck.

Over in the most deadliest state to walk or ride a bike in the US, a cyclist is right hooked. Flagler student injured when SUV hits bike The driver was given a ticket in the wreck. The cyclist got unspecified injuries.

Still in the most deadliest state, a little girl is hit by a suspected drunk driver. Girl riding bike hit by SUV, critically injured Nothing about the mode but it’s pretty sure the 5 YO was not commuting to grandma’s house.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Swift justice in Highland Park DUI hit-and-run case, and protected bike lanes spread across US

Still in CA cars take up a massive amount of a project that has nothing to do with cars. San Diego County Spends $36M To Give Employees Free Parking Three quarters of the cost for building a park was moving parking for cars to free up the land… 😛

What the freaking Hell? Woman driving in collision that killed Mark Angeles receives traffic citation That’s a $260 maximum fine for killing a cyclist.

More infrastructure news from PA. How Advocates and Agencies from the City and Suburbs Came Together for the Manayunk Bridge Trail The main story on this was the struggle to find funding. Then they put the parks department in charge of it. For Those Confused About the Manayunk Bridge Opening/Closing Times… Seriously, they lock the place up at dark and don’t open back up until 0800, what kind of highway is this?

NYS still refuses to bring their laws about e-assist into the 21st Century. HELP WIN THE USE OF E-BIKES IN NYS Despite Federal regulations that changed e-assist bikes status to “bicycle” back in 2002 NYS insists that they are “motor-driven vehicles” and can arrest the rider and confiscate the bike if not registered as a moped. But, because of the Federal regs they can’t be registered because they lack a valid VIN and can’t get one because they aren’t motor vehicles.

Cyclist injured in the Great White North. Courtice cyclist, 14, in Toronto hospital after being hit by truck Umm, the geometry of this wreck does not make sense especially since they didn’t claim the cyclist was riding salmon.

More on the cyclist buzzed by a truck in the GWN. Brampton dad’s devastating hit-and-run death still a mystery Apparently they know he got hit by a truck, but there were too many trucks in the area to know which truck was the one.

The end of Daylight Savings Time has been seriously messing with people in the Great White North. Cyclist injured in hit and run in Lorraine They have no idea of what happened before the driver left aside from clobbering the cyclist with a motor vehicle.

Another hit-and-run still in the GWN. Driver drove off after asking if cyclist he hit was OK, police say What happened to all the “polite” Canadians?

Update on the attempted murder of a cyclist and 2 policemen in Canuckistan. Police lay charges in officer-involved shooting Apparently the cyclist was “just an accident” but the cop was “attempted murder”.

Seriously, hit-and-run conviction wasn’t enough to do it? Cabbie who injured cyclist in hit-and-run incident gets taxi licence back after landmark High Court decision So being convicted of two serious driving offenses is not enough to automatically lose your taxi license, they have to prove it?

I don’t link to UK wrecks very often because there is so little in the report because of UK media laws, but this one is an exception. BREAKING: Cyclist dies following collision in Banbury Another cyclist killed because of an HGV…

UK bicycle infra not up to CROW manual standards gets called out. Fears that someone will be killed on A81 Bidirectional bike track separated from a 45 MPH arterial by nothing more than a curb.

More crap UK infrastructure. Calls to ‘sort Mill Road out once and for all’ as cyclist fights for life after motorbike crash

Switzerland has the same situation as other EU countries, cars are getting better at protecting those inside, but not those outside. Serious e-bike and other cycling accidents rise Drivers are still running into things at the same rate, but people inside motor vehicles in those wrecks are not getting hurt. Those outside motor vehicles are still getting injured and dying at the same rate.

A low-information report from Enn Zed. Cyclist killed after being struck by car And another subtle dig at cyclists to remind us that the cyclist is dead but nobody in the car was injured in any way.

Last link I got at like 0100, but it’s freaking awesome. ‘Decoy’ rider puts spotlight on bike safety law — PHOTOS They did a 3-foot law sting! And I love the “Crash Test Dummy” bike jersey.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m done for today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Grocery Day, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OMG this is so Texas… Cartoon: Bikes and cars

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

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

I seem to have another lipoma that needs removing, and the Feed

Just got back from a more than 6 hour trip (with 2.5 miles of walking) to get to my PCP and get set up for an MRI to determine exactly what is on my neck and how it should be removed. At this point they are “pretty sure” it is a lipoma because it’s too big to be a sebaceous cyst and also too hard, sebaceous cysts are usually squishy and painful when prodded like I was getting prodded today. One thing is for sure, we are going to have to change PCP after this because there is no way Mrs. the Poet could survive that trek if there was anything seriously wrong with her. I had to have a lie down after I got back because of the pain from doing all that walking and standing around waiting.

Up first is a report on a cyclist injured a long but not too hard day’s ride south of WoaB. Cyclist fights her way back from critical crash, arduous recovery Her head injury was initially much worse than mine, but her treatment was as much better as you would expect from 14 years of medical progress. You go girl!

A little further on south from that wreck, we have people remembering those killed in the SXSW wreck a year ago. SXSW crash memorial dedicated and Cyclist group remembers those lives lost at last year’s South by Southwest crash The crappy weather we have been going through this past weekend contributed to a bad turnout, and the really bad news I read was there has been no move to prosecute the driver since the original charges were filed shortly after the wreck.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Another successful CicLAvia, Seleta and Sadik-Khan chat, and 15-to-life in fatal DUI hit-and-run

This one just screams “Stop the setup, people are looking!” SF Attorney Withdraws His Plea In Death Of Cyclist Just before sentencing, the judge recuses himself because people he knows were on the letter-writing campaign for leniency? it sounds like Smith and Murphy were trying to pull a fast one and make the consequences “go away” for the accused lawyer, and they got caught.

In better news the cyclist whose wallet was stolen while he was being cared for by the driver that hit him is slowly coming out of the coma he has been in since the wreck. Cyclist who had wallet stolen while injured awakes from coma and Cyclist Hit By Truck, Robbed As He Lay Hurt In Oakland, Speaks First Words Since Awakening From Coma Having his wallet stolen was just adding insult to literal injury in this case. His medical bills are so high that he will never see the end of the debt he has been buried under.

Another link to the CT driver who killed a cyclist after drinking for several hours and left the scene with the cyclist dying in the road and tried to cover up the evidence. Driver To Serve 8 Years In Prison In Hit-And-Run Death Of Weston Cyclist The thing that bugs me most about this is he is getting more time for the coverup than for killing the cyclist, and that ain’t right.

Another killer driver who is getting punished more for leaving the scene and covering up the wreck by disposing of the weapon vehicle than for killing a human being. Guilty sentence 3 years on for driver who hit and killed cyclist before disappearing to Australia And for hooning off to Oz too, I guess.

And there’s another idiot bragging about committing hit-and-run against a cyclist on Twitter. Anyone knocked off their bike sometime before 10.00 today (22nd March)? Someone claiming it on Twitter Idiot, bragging about breaking a law, and then trying to hide it by deleting the account? Don’t you know the Internet never forgets?

Run them off the roads, then attack them for being on the sidewalk? Police hunt man who attacked cyclist for riding on St Kilda footpath

It begins, we must crush this before it is allowed to spread, crush it without mercy. Hyogo Pref. to require bicycle riders to buy insurance Can you imagine having to buy bicycle insurance for your children? I would imagine that most people would just say why bother and never buy the kids a bike.

Our first Bike Month link is from LA. Get cycling during Bike Month

Included because we still have to deal with people who think like this. Tips for Drivers and Cyclists to Keep Everyone Safe

Riding an e-assist bike is just like this except most people can’t charge their batteries in 10 minutes. It’s like riding a bike, only it’s electric When that assist kicks in it’s like you just got a brand new pair of legs, at least on the bikes I built. But I built my assist bikes to maintain speed on hills, not to go blazing down a flat road without pedalling.

And I’m blessedly out of links, the Stoopid, it buuuurrrrnssss us!

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Snow in the morning and high 40s in the afternoon, and the Feed

Never has the expression “Don’t like the weather in Texas? Wait a few minutes” been more apropos than today. We had about an inch of snowfall this morning, and nearly 50°F this afternoon. I mean, really?! Snow followed by 20°F above freezing temperatures? Whose idea was this anyway? (I know, nobody had the “idea” for this weather, it just happened as a result of natural forces at work)

Up first is a “What were they thinking?!” report from Enn Zed. Ad covering truck window could have caused cyclist death and Advertising blocked truckie’s view in cyclist death Really? The damn trucks are nearly blind to the passenger side anyway, so you make it worse by covering the passenger side window? Did your parents have any children that lived? Because that is about the stupidest thing I have ever read. This is on a par with removing safety railings from a catwalk or finger guards from dangerous equipment.

Back to the US for another pair of links on the guilty plea of a hit-and-run cyclist killer. Motorist Pleads Guilty in Death of Bicyclist, Leaving Scene and Motorist pleads guilty in death of bicyclist, leaving scene I had some other links to this yesterday. I’m still of the opinion that the driver was treated much too leniently for the attempted coverup of the crime.

Another bad day for Ted Rogers in Our Daily Ted. 89-year old bike rider killed in San Diego; police blame the victim

Maybe if a few “captains of industry” are nearly killed cycling something will get done about bicycle infrastructure? Millionaire entrepreneur explains why cycling — and not golf — is the new sport of choice for young professionals I see what the guy is saying, but I can’t relate to it. One of the comments helped in understandistuping the difference, golf requires a mostly-fixed long length of time to participate, including getting there which may take two hours of driving each way, then 4-5 hours on the course, with very little actual exercise during the whole exercise.

And I’m hoping the sudden change in direction doesn’t cause emotional whiplash, but for some reason in spite of 10-20 cyclists a year dying mostly because of crappy infrastructure the people in charge can’t manage to spend more than half of their budget. Revealed: London’s most dangerous junctions for cyclists – as transport chiefs under-spend £50m road safety budget The fact that they only spent £29 million of £82 million in their budget with a number of known hotspots that desperately needed fixing with several that had killed cyclists repeatedly over the last few years, well there are words that I can’t use and keep the “SFW” rating on this blog.

Still in Jolly Olde relatives of victims ask their government for punishments that are more in line with the seriousness of events when drivers kill. Family of Ross and Clare Simons – killed riding tandem bicycle in Hanham – to meet PM David Cameron The killer in question for this article killed two people while driving illegally and will only spend less than 10 years total on prison.

Still in the UK, the peril of using bad statistics when talking about bicycle safety. Insurance giant’s cycling ‘study’ shows the perils of poor statistics Somehow they got from an official government statistic of 2% of bicycle wrecks involving “no lights” to the 1 of 3 wrecks caused by a lack of lights, so what other bad information did they use?

And over in Ireland, someone won’t let the tragedy of a cyclist getting killed go away. Flowers and stars for tragic cyclist killed in Limerick

And in “late to the party” news, Forbes discovers the “safety in numbers” theory of bicycle safety. The More Cyclists In A Country, The Fewer Fatal Crashes – Report [Infographic]

My short little legs are not the target audience for this article, but I found it fascinating never the less. Building the Next Dirty Sixer This is a buildup article on a bicycle with 36″ diameter tires. The standover height for this bike is roughly 6″ greater than my inseam.

Last link, if you’re getting a custom bike built like the one in the previous paragraph, it pays to have a good working relationship with your mechanic. Here’s how. AngryAsian: Things you should never say to your bike shop mechanic

And those were all the links I could wade through today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Post! or something and the Feed

Making beans today because we are having a guest and my beans and rice were requested. I have red kidney beans instead of the small reds I had before, so slight change in texture from the usual, but the flavor should be about the same as usual. And good news, one of the people here without a job is at a job fair. I have a job, actually several jobs even if you don’t include this blog, so I’m speaking in the third person non-ironically. I’m still having computer issues related to the latest versions of Flash and Chrome OS but there is a ticket out on that so maybe soon I won’t get crashing while I’m working? Please? The issue of the wandering cursor is getting worse, too, and appears to be related to the number of Flash ads I have in tabs or open windows, so back to the first problem.

Up first is another article that puts blame on the infrastructure for placing cyclists next to fast traffic when a cyclist was killed by a driver who was DUI and texting. A driver killed Tom Palermo in Baltimore, but road designers deserve some blame, too Specifically blamed are multiple wide lanes of traffic and a median that looks like a highway to a drunk person with the cars on the wrong side of the bike lane to prevent the drunk driver from hitting the cyclist.

Bicycle deaths in the Windy City more than double. 7 Chicago cyclists died in auto-bike collisions in 2014, up from three in 2013: data Actually 2013 was an anomaly, 7 dead cyclists a year is an average year, and 2014 is one less than 2012.

From ABQ is a report that bad infrastructure hurts lots of people even when only one is actually physically injured. One injured bicycle rider, many victims Looking deeper this is another “I ran over a cyclist, now I’m a victim, too!” from someone safely enclosed in a light armored vehicle.

More on the SF truck driver who killed a cyclist being found “negligent” after escaping criminal prosecution. Truck Driver Who Killed Cyclist Amelie Le Moullac Found Negligent Just like OJ, he got away with the criminal charges (because of a wimp PD and DA rather than from having a good lawyer) but was not able to escape the civil courts.

Updates on infrastructure spending in WA. WSDOT Report: Bike/Ped and & Safe Routes to School Projects up for state funding in 2015-17 In a nutshell, about 20% of the projects that need to be built “yesterday” are getting funded, with some of those needing to be built “last week”, not just “yesterday”.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: CicLAvia comes to the Valley, bike confusion east of Barstow, and why our roads are dangerous

A Facebook group devoted to bicycles not just as transportation but as a transformative force for good. Bikemuters – Public Transformation

“Not enough room” to build bicycle infrastructure? Once again, ask the Dutch. Dutch Suburbs Are Like America’s, and Protected Bike Lanes Work Fine There The trick is not to just assume that people will drive everywhere if that’s the only alternative to staying home. Give people a choice and they might choose to ride a bike. Hell people are choosing to ride a bike even when that really is not a viable choice because of a lack of infrastructure. Just look at the number of people riding bicycles in Garland, TX, the literal “Beautiful Suburb of Hell” where WoaB is located. Garland is one of the most car-dependant towns in the US with an average annual mileage of 19+K miles a year. And in spite of this there are people other than me who live without motor vehicles, riding bikes and taking transit where they need to go.

Dude, when you get assaulted with a motor vehicle and then assaulted for a second time when the driver gets out of the vehicle while you’re on the ground, and you have a camera recording the event, take it to the police, don’t just post it to YouTube. Police issue cyclist appeal on Twitter after shocking ‘van assault’ video is shared on YouTube

And last link is a collection of e-assist devices that were all destined to “change the world” by being cheaper and easier to install on your bike. All-In-One E-Bike Motors For An Environmental Commute Swap out the front or rear wheel, run the wire to the throttle or the pedal speed sensor, and wallah! electric power to aid your legs…

And those are all the links I have today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

The truck is LATE! and the Feed

OK my birthday present to myself seems to have gone missing. Tracking from the vendor said the truck left their warehouse late Wednesday morning and was expected at my house about 1800 +/-. It is currently 1540 as I type this on Thursday afternoon, and not even a call to verify I will be at the house for delivery. The vendor has my land line number that has only rung once today for someone trying to get money from someone else, I have called my land line from my cell and verified working status, and my stuff is “out there somewhere”. My level of frustration is climbing by the hour, I think partially because this is something that has been almost 50 years in coming. I have wanted a Bucket ever since seeing my first Fad T with a psychedelic panel paint job in 1969. A T Bucket is Car, distilled to essence. Four wheels, an engine, steering, brakes, and a place to sit, that is what a T Bucket is. If it isn’t part of Go, Whoa, or Which Way it isn’t on a T Bucket, which is what I like about that particular kind of car. And now mine is missing before I even got to see it. 😥

ETA I got another e-mail from the vendor saying my stuff will be delivered tomorrow and that the Wednesday by 1800 e-mail was sent in error.

I’m really hoping this is pure karma and not anyone “helping”. Driver who fatally struck cyclist dies in crash I prefer to think that karma ran over his… that’s why there was no witnesses or evidence.

An SC cyclist apparently ran a stop sign just before getting killed. Coroner identifies cyclist killed in Spartanburg Co. wreck and Officials identify cyclist killed in Boiling Springs collision Intersection protocols include waiting at stop signs to avoid getting hit. This wreck took place at the boundary between residential and rural in a mostly-rural area, in the Dutch model there would be a bicycle highway running parallel to the road where the cyclist was killed that would be reached before the cyclist reached the highway and eliminated the need to cross the highway.

A NE cyclist is killed by a drunk driver. Bicyclist Killed In Crash South Of Lincoln Mode of the wreck not given, but the intersection makes it possible that intersection protocols might have been of use. Getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” including the penalty for drunk driving and for killing a cyclist would have prevented this wreck, most likely.

More on the pedestrian death in Central Park. Cyclist-pedestrian crash deaths rare, as are resulting lawsuits and Did a Cycling App That Turns Casual Rides Into Time Trials Play a Role in the Central Park Bike Death? Ugghhh! If the media would spend anywhere near the amount of ink on people getting killed by people driving on the sidewalk (about 50 a year in NYC) as they did on the third cycling death since 2006 then maybe there would be fewer people killed by people driving on the sidewalks. I mean there have been more people killed by lightning in Central Park than there have been killed by bicycles in the entire city… Not that I am minimizing this death. It is tragic, and deserves every bit of attention paid to it.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Charges filed in death of randonnuer Matthew O’Neill; pro cyclist honored for abandoning race

Some good Infrastructure! news from NM. $1M to boost Santa Fe railroad crossing safety for pedestrians, cyclists

Legal Infrastructure in DC. What is “contributory negligence,” and why is it such a big danger for cyclists and pedestrians?

A little infrastructure from NYC. Why Do Cyclists Ignore Red Lights?

A little infrastructure news from Oz as they get ready to implement a 3-feet-to-pass law. Cyclists welcome tighter rules for motorists overtaking bikes

And that’s all the links I found today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

My life is getting too interesting now, and the Feed

Well, now, how can I put this? I can’t, so you’re just gonna have to take my word for it that things are getting interesting as in the Chinese curse sense (“may you live in interesting times”). I have a gig that I had to sign an NDA for because it is just that interesting… and I feel like I’m channeling Bugs Bunny Bugs the Beautician … Again

I’m trying to read other news outlets about other things besides bicycles. Can I just say the Gov Goodhair is treading on perilously thin ice? And that I make high-quality bicycle-drawn tumbrels for the most uncomfortable and undignified ride possible to that final public appearance and I’m looking for some crowdfunding… (Actually, I think that might be a good source of future income, making tumbrels and requiring the soon-to-be departed to pay for the privilege.)

NYPD hates cyclists so much that they literally would not lift a finger for one. >trigger warning< Brooklyn Cyclist May Have Found Her Hit & Run Driver, But NYPD Won’t Question Him and Cyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run, but no arrests and BSNY says Put this in your bottom bracket and inflate it. And I put those up in the order I got them in the Feed. Can you imagine having to find your assailant and the weapon vehicle and still not being able to get an arrest? (Well, yes I can, but that is a different matter entirely.)

Imagine having a wreck and getting seriously injured because you went by a bush at exactly the wrong time. Cyclist Seriously Injured in Auto Accident Near Evans and Grape That Closed Intersection Sidewalk cyclist fell off because a bush blocked the sidewalk and a car was passing at the exact same time, so infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent. Infrastructure “up to non-Dutch First World” standards would have worked also.

That wreck I linked to that I couldn’t tell if it was MA or VT? It was NH >le sigh< Cyclist Struck by Vehicle Still nothing about the mode or even a precise location as of this posting, so Infrastructure! to prevent.

More on the cyclist killed by a garbage truck in the Great White North. Grief-stricken officials defend safety measures of Ride the Rideau Of course they are grief-stricken, the victim was management-level… Scanlan: Cyclist’s death should prompt calls to improve safety Can I say I hope this conversation results in the adoption of the Dutch CROW manual for bicycle infrastructure?

Another link to that cyclist killed in Scotland. Cyclist killed in crash with car and Cyclist in Aberdeen killed in crash with car As I predicted media are now posting stock pictures of police vehicles rather than pictures of the crime scene.

Another cyclist killer facing a slap on the wrist in the UK. Motorist facing prison for causing cyclist’s death Sure prison is a “possible” sentence, but we all know that killing a cyclist in the UK is only slightly more frowned-upon than littering.

Approaching closure in Oz. Guilty plea in cyclist’s death Now we wait on sentencing…

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: No contest plea in Phillip O’Neill case, the Times gets it on 3-foot law, AnyKicks squeaks by

Lifestyle from CO. Benefit ride Sept. 20 for injured Fort Collins cyclist

Infrastructure! news from Seattle. A rider’s review of Seattle’s new 2nd Avenue bike lane A little too late for the cyclist lawyer killed there last week.

Infrastructure news from Oz. Bike advocates want motorists to leave more space on roads for cyclists

And those were all the links that gave me fits or giggles today. Slightly higher ratio of giggles to fits than yesterday.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Ramen on Bean Day, and the Feed

I have someplace to go this evening (as I’m writing this) and I will probably have to finish the post after I get back from my gig. I’m going to do data entry for a political phone bank this evening, since I’m crap as an operator since the wreck. I have zero improv skills since the wreck and I knew my public speaking skills were gone the first spoken word gig I had after the wreck. I was speaking like I had never been on stage in my life and had never had any training in how to use my voice. I had some slight improvement for a few years then things have been steadily deteriorating ever since. So I take my laptop and transcribe phone sheets into a database. This saves the callers considerable time and also allows people without laptops to call as quickly as they are able.

The ramen bit is I needed something that could be whipped up in a few minutes for Mrs. the Poet before I left and also be done when I needed to go, so I’m using ramen in the traditional Japanese way rather than the American way of “noodles in pot and 3 minutes later in stomach”. I’m adding leftover veggies and a couple of whipped eggs to the noodles to make the pack of ramen into a meal for two. It’s quick, it’s easy and it uses up leftovers. That makes it perfect for tonight.

It looks like a hit-and-run in South Texas is today’s leadoff story. Driver kills cyclist then flees the scene in Harlingen Scene pictures show this as a hit-from-behind on the right side of the bike lane (making assumptions from what appears to be a puddle of blood next to the curb) which means the driver of the weapon vehicle left his lane and went almost to the curb to hit a brightly lighted cyclist. This means the cyclist was riding extra legal as in as legal as possible and also means that protocols are moot for this case, the driver would have just killed the cyclist further from the road had he bailed any further to the side than he already was. Dutch infrastructure standards would be to put the person that approved this design in jail because of the inevitability of exactly this occurrence. This was a highway with speed limits much too high for a simple bike lane to be safe. Without a barrier this wreck was inevitable, the infrastructure here is simple appeasement. Ask Neville Chamberlain how well appeasement works. Dutch quality infrastructure to prevent.

A little to the north of that a cyclist discovers that when you’re carrying drugs you need to not ride salmon. SAPD: Several drugs found on cyclist riding on Broadway St. Or at least just obey LEO when instructed to ride with traffic instead of dropping the bike and running away on foot.

Sometimes it seems like everything is out to get us, even the trees. Cyclist struck by falling tree, critically injured in Winnetka and this later link Chicago actress Molly Glynn dies after being struck by falling tree The duo was riding in the forest when a strong pop-up T-storm broke nearby and the outflow from the storm on the ground toppled trees. This is in the Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot, Interrogative category or an act of [$DEITY] depending on your religious self-identification.

Still in the Chicagoland area we get a SWCC fatality. Bicyclist killed at Bridgeport intersection Note the narrative, the cyclist was unconscious a the scene and died after being transported and the driver of the weapon vehicle was operating without a license, but they still believed him when he claimed the cyclist was the one running a red light. Get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” and the driver of the weapon vehicle may have found cycling so convenient that he would not have been driving, saving two lives.

A bike-on-bike wreck in MA. Somerville Bicyclist Killed In Medford Collision With Motorcycle As of this posting with neither participant able to talk to LEO and very little evidence was left at the scene so I have no idea what to do with the built environment to avoid this wreck but since 90% of the wrecks I cover would be eliminated by Dutch quality infrastructure I’m going to go with that to prevent.

I’m not sure if this wreck was in MA or VT, but a kid paying more attention to his cell phone than where his Weapon of mass destruction was going managed to hit a cyclist from behind riding 3 feet away from the actual road. Cycling: Recent incidents a reminder of perils of riding Also a MTB cyclist pranged it a good one the same week. This is another one of “those wrecks” that human cyclists can’t evade because they are already at the limits of their escape route, and only a barrier or massive amounts of distance will prevent a similar wreck, or developing technology that causes a car to come to a complete stop if a cell phone is used in the car. Something that makes the phone catch fire if the car is in motion and the phone is in use? That might be a little safer than stopping the car while trying to call police because someone is trying to carjack you, then you can throw the flaming phone at the carjacker.

“Final” word on a CA wreck. No charges filed from Irvine cyclist killed in Newport Beach If the narrative is correct this wreck appears to be a cyclist that left-crossed himself, which is tragic but not the fault of the driver.

A SWSS wreck in CA results in a deceased cyclist. COLLISION KILLS 60-YEAR-OLD CYCLIST IN CHULA VISTA Hit from behind protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and infrastructure will prevent a similar wreck by removing the ability of the motor vehicle to get within striking distance of any cyclists.

Another CA wreck as reported by Ted Rogers. 61-year old bike rider killed in Huntington Beach; second cycling death in the city in just five days The wreck is known to have been in an intersection, and that’s about all they know as of this posting.

The initial criminal charges for a hit-from-behind wreck in ND. Man who struck deaf, blind Norwegian cyclist cited There were two people on that bike, the blind cyclist was just the stoker. And I’m thinking he wasn’t the only blind man on the road that day, knowhutimean?

LEO are hunting the weapon vehicle in this hit-and-run in AK. Troopers looking for driver in hit-run collision; 1 cyclist seriously injured The narrative reads that the weapon vehicle went off the road to hit 2 cyclists riding on the shoulder. This speaks of pre-meditation to me, or just general Dumbassery. Neither scenario leaves cyclists with much if any options to avoid the wreck considering they were already off the road on the shoulder so that leaves Dutch quality segregated infrastructure and presumed liability legal infrastructure to protect cyclists from drivers like this.

Tragedy in the Great White North as a rider on a charity ride gets hit. Ride the Rideau cyclist hit, killed by truck and Mother of two killed in Ride the Rideau cycling event Nothing about the mode, just the cyclist was hit by/with a dump or garbage truck while on the course raising money to fight cancer. I assume they do charity rides in the Netherlands, too, so get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Cyclists in Scotland are in danger. Cyclist dies after Aberdeen crash and North Anderson Drive closed northbound after cyclist seriously injured in smash What I could see in the pictures was a hit-from-behind wreck, which means the pictures will probably be taken down shortly to comply with UK media laws. So, protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Another low-information wreck from Oz. Crash cyclist seriously injured The scant description of the wreck as a “two car crash” makes me think that this might not have been a wreck that a human cyclist could avoid.

Infrastructure! argument from about 80 miles east of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Readers take sides on bicycles on public roadways

Infrastructure argument in far West Canuckistan. Cyclists, pedestrians collide on Vancouver’s mean streets You know when infrastructure is properly designed for everybody there are no “mean streets”. Just sayin’, yannow?

Lifestyle in Seattle. Maj. Margaret Witt reflects on fallen cyclist’s legal legacy and Hundreds gather in Seattle to honor cyclist killed by truck No, no, no. The cyclist was killed by a dumbass politician, the truck was just the murder weapon. Remember, this project would have been completed a year ago if some dumbass hadn’t delayed it to score political points. That person should be in jail now.

Lifestyle in NV. Cyclists memorialize rider with ‘3 Feet for Pete’ ride

Lifestyle in NC. Friend talks about Greensboro man killed while riding bicycle

And what does the future hold for the lowly bicycle? FUTURE BIKE: TECHNOLOGY

And those were all the links that didn’t make me want to kill someone with my bare hands gave me fits or giggles.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet