I had real COFFEE today, and the Feed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And I’m all outta links now.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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Not hitting on all cylinders, and the Feed

well, I tried. I set the alarm and tried to get up to go to the bank before the bad weather hit. I even dreamed that I did get up and made myself a nice hot breakfast, but what really happened was I hit silence on the alarm without ever fully awakening, and slept another 2 hours. How I did that is another mystery because I use my cell phone as my alarm clock, because I have trained myself to sleep through the alarm from the alarm clock after working 2nd and 3rd shifts while Mrs. the Poet got up at 0400 to go take the flavor out of children’s lunches. The thing is there is no button to turn off the alarm on the cell phone, just a red area on the screen that moves around depending on how you hold the phone so you have to look at the phone to figure out where the red button is before tapping that area of the screen. Somehow I managed to do that without ever coming fully awake from the dream I was having and just incorporated all of that into the dream. Anyhow, long story short I didn’t get to the bank to get money to buy coffee, so now I have to make do with other caffeine sources until tomorrow.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: The bi-coastal bikelash goes on, and good news on the medical and track racing fronts

Still in CA. Woman Riding Bicycle Struck, Killed by Car in Santee The narrative on this one screams SWSS. I mean “ she suddenly veered left across both northbound lanes,” is kinda the stereotypical “Suicidal Swerve”. Now assuming the narrative is correct and the cyclist did suddenly go from the curb to the inside lane in the blink of an eye, don’t do that, Seriously start making your lane change way early just so you don’t get caught out like this person.

Moving a little closer to home (but closer to Ted than to WoaB in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell). Boy riding bike injured in crash The narrative is believable on this one, the kid went through the intersection without looking for cross traffic.

Remembering a MS cyclist. Kevser Ermin Tragedy Serves as Humble Reminder to Area Cyclists All that about how the victim was riding exactly as required by the law and the driver was 100% at fault, and the first hint about bike safety they give is to ride with traffic. SMH.

Our first link from WI for the day. Police: Man riding bike struck, killed in Milwaukee This is why you shouldn’t weave in and out of parked cars and should ride to the left of them instead, avoiding the door zone.

Another link about the infrastructure in WI. Traffic deaths in 2016 are up about 32% compared with last year Yay! more people getting killed with cars.

Update on a NM bike wreck victim’s recovery. Teen cyclist hit in South Valley says he doesn’t remember crash I remember everything up to the impact, them waking up after coming back to life and asking to be moved gently because I had broken the upper end of my femur. About the only thing I don’t remember was getting hit and then flying through the air and landing. This kid was spared even the little I went through.

More on the AZ wreck that killed NM cyclists. Ken’s Monday Ride honors two cyclist killed on Northwest side and Steller: Tucson’s obligation — to protect visiting cyclists

Looking very hard at the infrastructure in AZ. UA grad student seeks public opinion on cycling, pedestrian safety So, what changes would you make in your local infrastructure? For the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell I would like about a 15 MPH blanket reduction in the speed limits.

Another SWSS wreck in FL. Coral Springs bicyclist struck, killed in Parkland accident There are conflicting reports that put the wreck in the bike lane, or in the adjacent travel lane. Unfortunately the people relating the other reports did not provide links.

I get this as a straight male, I can’t even imagine how bad it would be for a woman. A Biker’s Guide to Dealing With Street Harassment

Infrastructure in Chicago. Curb-protected bike lanes rolled out in Chicago Still way shy of CROW Manual standards, but pushing the AASHTO Manual right against the wall and squeezing as hard as it can.

Another wounded veteran ride with a twist. Ft. Hood shooting survivor joins injured vets on biking journey The twist is that the guy who is the focus of the article was injured just about a day’s ride south of WoaB World HQ.

An example of how cyclists are considered in Oz. Woman falsely confessed to hitting cyclist to scare a man

And what that low regard can cause. Laws a win for cyclists everywhere That’s right, he actually thinks $400 fines for rolling a stop sign or red light on a bicycle and $300 for not wearing a helmet are a Good Thing. Stockholm syndrome cyclist.

And I was sent several variations of this, but since they all say the same thing I’m just including the first link in my inbox. Ostrich Goes Full ‘Road Runner’ To Chase Down Cyclists Seeing as almost the entire video showed the backside of the ostrich in front of the camera bike, yeah I’m not buying the “chase” scenario.

And I’m all outta links, Maybe I can get to bed at a reasonable hour. Nahhh.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Happy MLK Day, and the Feed

Today is the day we pause and remember a major leader of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Biographical note I was living less than 100 miles east of where Dr. King was shot at the time he was shot. So I wasn’t “there” there, but I was in the conflict zone at the time of the conflict. And yes I know that makes me “old”, deal with it. In many ways what Dr. King was trying to do is mirrored in the bike advocacy movement. Not that I am implying that what cyclists go through is in any way as bad as what people of color went through or continue to go through today, we can stop getting killed in the streets just by getting on the bus for example. But there are parallels. Anyway, remember what Dr. King meant to the rights movement, cherish it, and emulate that in trying to get safe bicycle infrastructure installed in your area.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bicyclists help make a better world, and York Blvd is thriving

Still in CA, more links to a driver actually getting a proportional sentence for using a motor vehicle to kill a cyclist. Drugged driver who killed cyclist sentenced 15 years to life and Drugged driver who killed cyclist sentenced 15 years to life

Still in CA a left-crossed cyclist gets his medical bills covered but he had to sue the employer of the driver that hit him. City settles with injured cyclist

Speaking of proportional sentences. Seattle man gets 6 ½ years for killing bicyclist in DUI crash Not quite as proportional, but still leaps and bounds ahead of typical sentences for killing cyclists.

Cyclist killed in OH. Cyclist dies after being struck by car Not much information on the actual wreck, just the outcome.

The most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike takes another victim. Pasco County bicyclist killed after riding into path of vehicle on SR 52 Another SWCC wreck with no word on where the cyclist was crossing from or to.

A little schadenfreude in NYC. Hit & Run Driver Crashes Into Gowanus Canal and Video: Alleged Drunk Driver Arrested After Flipping Car On Upper West Side The video is no longer available through the original source, maybe they will find another place where it was uploaded.

A bit of CO infrastructure news. Boulder to shift gears on protected bike lanes I think that when drivers complain about losing a lane so that cyclists can have a safe place to ride they should plow up everything except the bike lane and leave the street filled with the rubble. But then I have been called an extremist 😉

Good news about cycling from WI. Local Collective Gets Milwaukee Biking After so many bad things about cycling from WI it is really nice to put up a link to something good.

It takes a Canadian getting killed to get MS LEO investigated for biased investigation of bicycle wrecks. A haphazard investigation of Iain Gerrard’s death in America’s Deep South The initial report was a SWSS with a salmon cyclist, but the physical evidence was entirely contradictory to that report. The report from accident reconstructionists was that the driver had 14 seconds to see and avoid the cyclist in the road.

Cyclist down in the Great White North. Cyclist in critical condition after L’Épiphanie crash If the cyclist was “in the middle of the road” wouldn’t a driver who was paying attention be able to see and avoid the cyclist? I mean if the cyclist was right there in front of him, why didn’t the driver use his brakes to not hit the cyclist? And this is probably the only place where those are rhetorical questions.

Infrastructure news from the Great White North. Claremont bike lanes will be well planned Given that the soonest they plan on installing those lanes is 2017 they had better be “well planned”. I mean how much planning does it take to haul in some K-rails and plop them down 2 meters from the edge of the pavement?

No place to (legally) lock up, but sell them bike locks anyway? Almost 200 fork out for discounted lock to crack down cycle thefts in Grimsby “We also need cycle stands, like the ones outside the Cycle Hub, throughout the town.”

Another wreck in Oz. Surf Coast cyclist flown to hospital after being hit by a car A 72 YO cyclist struck by a 74 YO driver? Are they pulling my leg? The driver was judged at fault in this wreck almost instantly by LEO. Intersection wreck so either a hook or cross is my guess as to mode.

This death in Oz is very similar to a wreck in Enn Zed from last year. Wantirna cyclist found dead in Dandenong Creek Cyclist hits a solid bollard in the bike path and falls down in water next to the bike path and drowns, the exact same thing that happened in Enn Zed.

Speaking of Enn Zed, a motorcycle crosses the centerline going up a mountain and runs into cyclists coming down that mountain. Queenstown-bound cyclists struck by motorbike and Motorbike injures cyclists The report from the one link that the motorcyclist had a rear tire slide out just before the wreck suggests he might have been going just a touch too fast.

And those were all the links I had.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

My hands are freezing, and the Feed

I actually had to get out the long-sleeved T-shirts because the house temperature has gotten a bit on the chilly side for running around in shorts. Mrs. the Poet greeted me in two sweaters and a sweatshirt this morning before she went out to do some banking and buy the kittens food that doesn’t upset their delicate tummies. She accidentally bought adult cat food at the dollar store and it has been causing gastric distress at both ends, if you catch my drift. The kittens have not been happy to say the least.

I have been enjoying the heck outta my new chair, with the cushion that actually cushions, and real back support for my aged back. I know it’s only temporary, but this was one of my better purchases of 2015. Of course this meant the previous owner of the job “Keep Opus’ butt off the ground” had to be fired.

I didn’t choose the color or even the chair, it was a Christmas present from 3 years ago. The big problem it had was a 150 pound working limit that my 210+/- eventually squished into oblivion, and the backrest was not much good at supporting my back. The chair was built for a Jr. High/HS kid to use to study at a home desk, not for a large adult male to use 8-16 hours a day as a workstation. The new chair was built for a large adult male to use as a workstation.

Lets start with Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bicycle traffic diversion schools, record-setting rides and a bike friendly LA Planning chief That was just Part 1.

Daily Ted part 2. Describe Your Ride: A car-free, pre-Christmas Highland Park shopping trip

And Part 3 with additional link. Bicyclist killed in Loma Linda collision; first SoCal bike death of 2016 and LOMA LINDA: Traffic accident kills cyclist At this point there isn’t much information to go on aside from the body of the cyclist and a motor vehicle with unspecified damages. OK the wreck was at high noon, so there was no “sun in my eyes” excuse; the weather was halfway decent, so can’t use that excuse; and it was daylight so the lack of lights, reflectors, or a glow-in-the-dark clown suit also don’t figure in. So how are they going to blame this on the cyclist? The Suicidal Swerve?

From that most deadliest of states to ride a bike (or walk) another motor vehicle murder. Teen held in death of cyclist had no license, stolen Mazda Never had a license, driving a stolen car, that’s why I called it a murder. The wreck was completely unavoidable by human riders, the perp’s speeding car jumped the median and hit the cyclist head on.

This also happened in FL. Video: Cyclist mistakes alligator for log It’s an easy mistake as long as the alligator is just sitting still.

A little north of FL we get a drunk driver who can’t stay between the lines and away from people. Aiken man charged with DUI in death of teen pedestrian

A confusing report from TN. Bicyclist seriously injured in Alcoa Hwy. accident This reads exactly like a SWSS narrative, except for the turning into oncoming traffic. That one breaks the pattern. The bike looks like it was still hit in the back from looking at the picture.

More on the cyclist setting the most miles in a year record. Kurt Searvogel betters Tommy Godwin’s ‘unbreakable’ Year record

An OR cyclist runs a red light and glances off the side of a motor vehicle. Cyclist taken to hospital after colliding with vehicle in Northeast Portland

While we are in Portland, here’s an infrastructure article. City uses paint and plastic to enhance bike lane on SW 13th at Clay

A driver in IL nearly gets away with murder. Aurora man gets 2 1/2 years for crash that killed bicyclist in Naperville The comments section were slightly encouraging with many people saying that this was not an appropriate sentence for killing another human being.

A real wreck involving a driverless cab on the sidewalk of NYC. 22-Year-Old Woman Killed By Runaway Taxi On Midtown Sidewalk The driver left the car running while he assisted a passenger and either the car was knocked into gear and the parking brake wasn’t set, or was left running in gear and the parking brake failed, or the worst possible scenario the car was knocked into gear and the parking brake was set but failed.

Infrastructure news from WI. State traffic deaths increased by nearly 13 percent in 2015 Fail.

Lets hear it for the Abstinence-only Sex-ed of bicycle infrastructure. Let’s Bury the Sharrow for Good in 2016 Money has been spent doing “something” while people pat themselves on the back expecting things that are never going to happen.

More on the glorified rail-trail in Germany. So Long, Autobahn: Germany Is Building a Superhighway for Bikes and Germany opens first stretch of bicycle ‘autobahn’

Last link, why you should keep riding your bike in Winter. 11 Things That Happen When You Ride All Winter

I’m antsy to get started on the Mini Sprint-T and I’m out of links.

Billed @$0.02, Opus the Poet

I took care of some bills, now the Feed

I spent the afternoon taking care of bills that went overdue because my paycheck from one of the gigs I was working was delayed a couple of weeks then took several days to clear because it was drawn on a brokerage account. Don’t ask, I get some strange gigs to say the least, and they pay strangely to boot. That’s just part of the territory when you’re undead.

More on that fatal wreck in LA where they charged the driver with homicide before the victim’s body was even cold. Dutchtown High student killed in Ascension Parish bicycle accident; 26-year-old arrested I noticed two things from the article: The evidence is such that they don’t think the driver could have avoided the wreck even if the cyclist was lighted and wearing that GITDCS because of his speed, and the driver was Black. I’m not sure how much the latter fact weighed in determining the previous fact, I would hope it weighed nothing and the evidence spoke for itself.

Another article showing that cars are getting safer, drivers not so much. More American Pedestrians and Cyclists Are Getting Killed on the Roads I really don’t have any better explanation for the phenomena. Cars are safe, drivers are killers.

This totally looks like a good place to put Our Daily Ted . Morning Links: A Vietnamese bike flute, up on the rooftop with St. MacAskill & a self-pumping bike tube

Meanwhile elsewhere in CA. Poor street design makes California city liable for damages in cyclist’s death Yep, in CA you can sue for bad street designs. Here in TX we can’t because of “sovereign immunity”.

Still in CA, a fatal wreck in Buck Owens’ home town. Bakersfield cyclist hit by truck, killed The cyclist was apparently crossing legally when hit by the drunk driver. If you get the time to react intersection protocols might help in a wreck like this.

It took a while but they finally charged a driver in a fatal MA wreck. Turners woman charged in cyclist’s death The driver was observed wandering in and out of her lane before hitting the cyclist from behind on the shoulder of the road.

Another wreck in FloriDUH! from a driver not paying attention to where the vehicle is going. UPDATE: Laurel Hill driver strikes bicyclist near Shoal River east of Crestview LEO in this case are placing ALL the blame on the driver for failing to move over to pass or slow down until a safe pass could be made.

Over in OH someone killed a cyclist Bicyclist struck, killed in Dayton and Bicyclist hit, killed in Dayton ID’d The cyclist is being blamed for not wearing the GITDCS required by Imaginary Laws when he was hit violently from behind. Some LEO need a refresher on the Basic Speed Law. AKA as the Don’t Hit Things law.

Another cyclist fatally hit in OH. Bicyclist Struck & Killed In Newark Another SWSS wreck where the cyclist “darted” through traffic in the right-hand lane of travel.

I wonder how they decided the driver was the one running the red on this one. Utah man charged with running red light, killing cyclist Ah, I see. There were two cyclists and one wasn’t badly hurt and testified the driver ran the red after they waited for the light to change…

Update on a wreck in ND. Driver who killed Fargo cyclist, victim’s widow, daughter featured in ESPN special on distracted driving If something good can come from this…

A MN cyclist tried to beat the train and failed. Bicyclist dies after being hit by Blue Line train at 46th St. Station [facepalm] The gates were down and the lights were flashing and there was a bell ringing, multiple visual and audio cues that there was a train coming. When presented with this just stay off the tracks. That’s how hard it is to not get hit by a train.[/facepalm]

Canadian cyclists have an infrastructure goal. A Billion for Bikes – That’s What We’re Asking For While a billion dollars will buy a lot of bicycle infrastructure, it’s peanuts for motor vehicle infrastructure, like 1¹/₃ freeway interchanges between two freeways, or ¼ a CRC project. (You might want to Wiki that one)

Over in Jolly Olde, don’t hit the pedestrians! Dog walker injured after being hit by cyclist I don’t know where the wreck happened so I can’t say if it was a shared path (which usually are very poorly marked) or a pedestrian-only area. Still DON’T HIT THE PEDESTRIANS! even if they are on a shared path and blocking the way.

Another link to the driver getting away with murder in the death of a cyclist in Jolly Olde. Lorry driver who killed cyclist spared jail over crash at City black spot No signal, just cut over and go for it and if someone doesn’t get out of your blind spot well it’s on them for being there.

This report from Oz just floored me. Coroner pushes for improved safety for cyclists after inquest into Danish cyclist Rebekka Meyer’s death Did you see it? “In handing down her findings, Ms Clements recommended heavy vehicles be banned from roads unless they were fitted with appropriate technologies that would warn the driver of road users within the truck’s blind spot.” Or, do something to eliminate the blind spot in future vehicles especially when there is an area 7 meters long (23 feet) in front of the vehicle and almost as wide as the vehicle where the driver can’t see what is there to get hit. And I don’t know if that’s at cyclist head height or down to the pavement, but I sincerely hope it’s the latter… because the former is terrifying to contemplate.

More on the lady cyclist hit walking her bike through a confusing intersection in Enn Zed. Cyclist in serious condition after hit-and-run and Cyclist still serious after hit-and-run Nobody has come forward to identify the SUV or driver thereof…

And I’m outta links again.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Cold pizza for breakfast, and the Feed

I got to have one of my favorite breakfasts this morning, cold pizza. I had leftover frozen pizza last night, so Breakfast! Yum. Usually when Mrs. the Poet is home we wipe one of the cheap pizzas completely out between the two of us and I don’t get my favorite breakfast, but today I did. I’m looking for every upside on this I can find.

Up first because nothing really struck me as super important today is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Map of closed Orange Line bike path, dangerous Rowena, and Stephany too high to be responsible There’s no such thing as being “too high” to be responsible, being high is what made you legally responsible for the wreck in the first place.

Still in L.A. Lowrider bikes as activist tools: General Dogon’s rolling art works are part of Skid Row history Not the first time bicycles have been used as adjuncts to political action, see the Suffragette Movement.

Still in CA. Bicyclist hit by vehicle in Huntington Beach “Suddenly veered into the bike lane” should be investigated as attempted murder first, then as a traffic wreck. But as the narrative is posted now it sounds like someone decided to murder a random cyclist.

Note done with CA yet. Murder by DUI Trial to Begin in Death of Bicyclist Unfortunately, that’s what it takes to get murder charges brought in the death of a cyclist, second DUI with the death.

Still not finished with CA yet. Bicyclist killed in collision with vehicle identified I hate when the only narrative was the wreck was at an intersection and the driver remained at the scene.

Closer to WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Bicycles should top Austin transit priority list, group says Yes for less than the cost of 2 miles of urban freeway you can get a completely built-out urban bike network.

Near one of the places I used to live in UT a cyclist apparently runs a red light. Cyclist in critical condition after early morning crash There was a comment that the cyclist was hit in the crosswalk, which meant he was probably riding in the sidewalk before the intersection, and as I frequently say, sidewalks are not bicycle infrastructure.

Cyclist down in MA. Hudson man killed in hit-and-run Black Ford F-150 does a hit-and-run, why does that not surprise me? I think the only thing that would make me less surprised would be that it had dark tinted windows.

Another dead cyclist in DE. Bicyclist killed on Hazlettville Road This is about the wildest example of a SWSS I have ever had the displeasure of reading, a cyclist suddenly leaving a bike lane directly in front of a motor vehicle. The fact that the driver was facing the setting sun I’m sure had nothing to do with hitting the cyclist from behind./sarcasm I left the angle brackets off because WordPress still has not implemented the sarcasm HTML tags.

Moving on up to NYC we get another wreck with “no criminality suspected” by the NYPD. [UPDATE] Cyclist Killed By Truck Driver At Queens Intersection Check that, the updated report is the driver was arrested at the scene for violating the victim’s right of way. Color me flabbergasted, I never thought NYPD would actually apply that law when there was a cyclist as the victim. Look at the picture with the victim’s bike under the front bumper of the truck. The cyclist more than likely never knew the truck was turning until it hit her, because it was behind her until impact.

Cops who tasered a man riding a bicycle go to trial on federal charges. Federal trial lined up for police who Tasered Hillsboro man after bike infraction IMHO there’s no excuse for tasing a man on a bike.

A little physical infrastructure news from Portland. Why the new traffic signal at N Cook and Vancouver is such a big deal I think the really big deal from this is the signal was equipped from the outset with a sensor that can detect a bicycle without a bunch of crazy maneuvers to find the 1″ wide “sweet spot” that a bike will trigger the light.

More infrastructure news from the ATL. Streets Have Changed Before, and They Can Change Again People have such short memories. Things have not always been this way, and they will not stay this way in the future.

Unlike NYC right hooking a cyclist is not a crime in Canada, and may not even be an infraction. No charges to be laid after fatal cyclist/truck collision TANJ!

A wreck up in West Canuckistan injures a cyclist. Cyclist injured in crash Driver hit a cyclist and then hit a power pole, then ran away from the vehicle? No that’s not suspicious at all.

Cyclist down in far West Canuckistan. Injured cyclist in James Bay aided by passersby, emergency crews One minute you’re riding your bike, and a fraction of a second later you’re on the deck with your bell rung, missing one or more teeth and your helmet busted.

Cyclist in West Canuckistan gets doored on camera. Video of cyclist getting doored sparks debate Fortunately the cyclist was not seriously injured in this wreck, nothing beyond getting shaken by the suddenness of the situation. One second there is a clear way to the right of the vehicle to get to the beg button, the next it’s full of passenger side door.

More on a wreck in Enn Zed. Police name cyclist killed in crash Well now we know who was killed, but not if he was hit.

It’s a wreck, not an accident. Stop Calling My Daughter’s Death a Car Accident I remember this wreck, the little girl was holding her grandmother’s hand when the grandmother was brushed back and the little girl run over while crossing in the crosswalk with the light.

Getting there any way possible sometimes means taking a bike. Avoiding Risky Seas, Migrants Reach Europe With an Arctic Bike Ride Any way you can.

And I’m outta links today. Program note, I have a D&D game tomorrow so there may not be a post.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Things are weird again, and the Feed

Things are back to what passes for “normal” here at WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. In anyone else’s this would be slightly out of kilter, but for us it’s “just life”. Except for being out of coffee. I haven’t been this low on caffeine since the Great Coffeepot Meltdown of 2013, when we had 2 coffeemakers expire 2 days out of warranty each and I had to go without coffee for almost a week after the second one died. Now that was truly horrible…

Up first on an uncharacteristically light Monday Feed is this hit-and-run outside Houston. Pasadena PD investigating after cyclist found dead in front of bank I’m still trying to grasp what makes a broken bike, dead cyclist, and no driver remaining at the scene an “alleged” hit-and-run.

More on the left cross wreck of a driver turning through a paceline of 8 cyclists hitting 5 and now the death toll has risen to 2. 2nd cyclist dies 7 days after crash in northeastern Ohio I keep reading the cyclists were all well past the intersection and that the driver had crossed over into the oncoming lane of travel, but so far I have only seen one crime scene picture that corroborated that. I linked to that picture last week.

First of a long series of links from CA. Woman identified in crash involving bike, car People keep saying the teen driver in this case was not “distracted” and that he was a “good driver”. If that is in fact the case, this “good driver” deliberately ran into the back of a plainly visible cyclist in bright sunshine.

Cyclist hit during a time trial. Bay Area cyclist struck, killed near Esparto during event Nothing from this article on how the wreck happened.

I don’t know what to say about this wreck. Bicyclist Killed on the Milpitas-San Jose Border Cyclist was riding salmon at night, with no lights or reflectors. What was he thinking?

Our Daily Ted has Ted taking a Mental Health Day. Let’s call it a sick day Since I have done these a time or two (and eventually decided to take Saturday completely off and Sunday as a no-bicycle-links day) I can’t say as I disagree with the sentiment.

And of course you can’t make the dog quit hunting… Sidewalk cyclist killed in Cathedral City

Daily Ted, part 3. San Diego bike rider killed in foggy, early morning Mira Mesa crash after allegedly running red light

And just to show how poorly that Mental Health Day is working, part 4. Unidentified woman killed in Orange collision while riding in crosswalk

They’re still killing cyclists in FL. Ghost bike replaced to mark fatal date How bad are drivers in FL when a bike chained to the side of the road gets hit?

Drivers in KY miss the days when driver’s licenses were found in the bottoms of cereal boxes. Bicyclist Dead In Hit-And-Run Crash I’m sorry, those days are still here…

Another reported wreck where the cyclist was not paying full attention to the roads? Cyclist dies 4 days after being hit by bus That sounds an awful lot like a SWSS. I wonder if anyone reviewed the forward-facing camera footage? Because this sounds an awful lot like that wreck where the bus ran over the cyclists in CA, and the driver said she pulled over to pass and the cyclists “swerved in front of her”.

Serious wrecks outside of NYC. Bicyclist killed in Yonkers; arrest in Garrison crash Apparently Yonkers PD is no more competent than NYPD to their south. But at least in the second part of the story they arrested another driver for hit-and-run on a cyclist.

More from CA of a not-so-bad nature. Bike ride honors EMS personnel, stops in Vallejo

You know what would make this cool for the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell? Having enough bike lanes to make having a closure policy. Trail closure policy for construction and special events We have trails, but all they do is loop around whatever park they are placed.

A CT infrastructure demonstration. New bicycle tour of New Britain attracts 250 According to the guy who sent me this link they managed to hit almost every foot of bike infrastructure in the city with this tour.

A near-tragedy in far West Canuckistan. SUV crumples bike Sidewalk cyclist narrowly avoided getting hit by a driver not looking where the car was going.

Another ghost bike means another dead cyclist. Ghost bike left in memory of Montreal cyclist I hate Ghost Bikes. Not because I hate the sentiment behind them, the sense of loss, the casual waste of human life they represent. I hate the fact that every one that goes up means another cyclist has died by motor vehicle…

And we get another cyclist hit by a train on the same crossing as one was killed earlier this year. Edmonton police investigate collision between bicyclist and LRT train I have posted many, many times about how to not get hit by a train, but the simplest and still the most effective is the “don’t be there” method.

And now I’m out of links, thank [$DEITY].

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

The Long Day just got longer, and the Feed

Friday is my day that doesn’t end until halfway through the next morning, because I wait until the midnight posting to my Feed Folder in my e-mail. Usually though I get enough links to filter that I don’t get a lot of downtime, or I go out and do something and get the post started way after 1800 so that I’m not just sitting around and waiting for links. But today I have the coincidence of nothing on my social calendar combined with nothing in the 1200 post to the Feed Folder leaving me with very few links and lots of time to look at them…

Because why not? I’m putting the Daily Ted first. Morning Links: Protect your bike on Metro buses, motorists behaving badly, and more kindhearted people

Just down the road from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Few Protections for Cyclists

Proving that it can be done, NJ demonstrates how. Man indicted in hit-and-run crash that killed cyclist Wow, three felony charges including two homicides.

And in the UK… Alan Cartwright murder: Joshua Williams guilty of cyclist’s fatal stabbing Proving that cyclist’s lives are only valued when they are killed by something other than a motor vehicle.

Back in CA, where is his bike? Man ‘Sleeping’ in Bike Lane Was Victim of Hit-and-Run Crash: Police I think the CHP officer that reported the man “sleeping” will be called in for re-training soon.

CO cyclist is blamed for getting right hooked. Cyclist injured in crash with SUV “The motorist was not at fault, but the responding officer used “officer discretion” and decided not to cite the cyclist, Cunningham said.” Umm, driver turning across a pedestrian crossing and hitting someone in that crossing is most definitely at fault, unless the person is crossing against the light. And I bet the only one the officer talked to was the driver.

A driver left crosses 8 cyclists, hits 5, and kills one. Bicyclist killed in Brecksville truck accident, others injured And the comments section goes wild, blaming the cyclists… SMH

Update on a cyclist hit in the Great White North. Cyclist hurt in Oshawa collision expected to recover I hate that LEO are still trying to excuse the driver because the visibility was restricted by rain and darkness…

And update on a wreck in Canuckistan. Police seek more info on injured cyclist I don’t see what the problem is, the cyclist was left crossed. That is automatically the fault of the driver no matter what the cyclist was doing.

In Finland they take hitting a cyclist seriously. Motorist who hit cyclist to be indicted on manslaughter, other charges The driver was seen to deliberately hit the cyclist during a road rage encounter…

Meanwhile in Oz. Cyclist seriously hurt, man killed in Mandurah in horror night on WA roads How do you hit someone from behind with the driver’s side of the car and drive off? More Cyclist injured in hit and run in Mount Pleasant, Perth

I have been making this argument from the other side for years… Breaking the Cycle Nobody in their right mind these days would blame women for wearing the “wrong” clothes or being in a bad part of town, at least in the Western world. Well we need to stop blaming cyclists for not wearing helmets or glow-in-the-dark clown suits when they get hit.

And I am out of links, and also my mind 😀

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

The temperature in my office varies between 77 and 78 so why is my butt cold? and the Feed

One of the questions tormenting mankind it is. Either my thermometer is busted, or there is something that has seriously changed in my levels of temperature tolerance. I mean I’m the guy who used to wear shorts year around, now I’m getting cold in a room that is 77°F? That’s a large change of temperature tolerance, or maybe I’m just so heat acclimated that it will take a while to get ready for winter this year. I did notice that I now have a couple of pairs of shorts that fall off if I don’t pooch my tummy out to keep them tight all the time, so maybe I have lost some more body fat or my glutes don’t hang out as far as they used to. Either or both of those could result in my feeling cold because of a lack of internal heat generators or inability to keep the heat I generate contained in my body with insulating body fat.

This popped up again in the Feed. Ex-Episcopal church bishop who killed cyclist pleads guilty to manslaughter, drunken driving and Former Episcopal Church Bishop Who Killed Cyclist While Driving Drunk Pleads Guilty also Ex-Bishop Who Killed Cyclist Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter this too Ex-Bishop Who Fatally Struck Cyclist Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter I could have sworn I did this last month…

It only took two years and the building owners complaining about “squatters”. Police shut down notorious ‘Slabtown’ stolen bike chop shop Why is it they can get a half-dozen cops to run a stop sign sting when some busybody makes a single phone call, but a criminal operation that cops witness in operation goes two years without being able to shut it down?

Same state as WoaB but Kansas is closer than this wreck. Boy struck by vehicle moved to Houston hospital From the damage to the bike I’m going to assume the kid could have made it across the road had the weapon vehicle been doing the 35 MPH speed limit, because I didn’t see anything blaming the victim.

Meanwhile in TN. Bicyclist struck, killed by car in Sumner County and Woman killed while riding bike on Cross Plains highway Hit from behind wreck as the cyclist turned, or is that the next paragraph?

I know for sure this cyclist was hit preparing to make a left turn. Cyclist Struck, Killed In Henderson Co. and Cyclist killed in crash on U.S. 64 in Hendersonville also Henderson Co. Mother Hit, Killed While Riding Bike to Work Notice the cyclist is being blamed for not wearing a helmet or a glow-in-the-dark clown suit, while nothing was said about the drivers not driving according to conditions because they couldn’t stop when they saw her preparing to turn.

In OR two cyclists are hit at the same time by a blind driver. 1 cyclist dead, 1 injured in Newberg crash According to Google the wreck was 30 minutes before sunset and everyone was going west, with an elderly driver behind the wheel of the weapon vehicle. Unfortunately in situations like this cyclists are dependant on drivers doing the right thing and driving according to conditions, because there is nothing a cyclist can do to make herself more visible against the glare of the sun.

If I’m reading this report right the cyclist pulled out right in front of the weapon vehicle without activating the crossing signal. Eleven-year-old boy injured in bike crash The street view shows the switch to activate the crossing lights on a pole on the opposite side of the path from the stop sign, facing away from the path. To put it bluntly this was designed to get cyclists killed.

Some mixed news from IA. UPDATE: Police ID Council Bluffs bicyclist killed, driver arrested Cyclist getting killed = bad, killer getting arrested = good. Another hit-from-behind wreck because the driver failed to drive according to conditions.

I think it’s time for Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: New website seeks to undo Rowena road diet, and more news about kindhearted people

Still in CA. Brentwood: Bicyclist killed by suspected DUI driver ID’d as Brentwood woman Another driver and cyclist headed west, but this time about an hour before sunset.

He owns the championship-winning IndyCar team, he has one driver in the Chase and another who can win his way in, and teams contending for the USSCC in road racing, so he goes for a bike ride to relax. Chip Ganassi injured in bicycling accident I have to say that I didn’t have that much hardware when I broke 4 bones in my wreck.

A wreck in CT leaves a young victim and several people damaged by the wreck from a distance. Classmates remember Waterbury teen killed after being hit by car The only thing about this link that was the same when I filtered it is the URL.

From the really eastern part of the Great White North. Cyclist killed in collision in Sydney Since they aren’t blaming the cyclist on this one and it sounds like it may be an intersection wreck from the side… More Cape Breton Regional Police continue to investigate crash that killed cyclist

Update on another cyclist hit in the Great White North. Injured cyclist is recovering Just a reminder this was a SWSS wreck.

Two links to the same UK wreck at the same paper less than 18 hours apart. Norham Road collision: Man arrested after cyclist injured in North Shields and the later one Norham Road collision: Man due in court after cyclist injured in North Shields The first link makes it sound like a possible attempted murder charge, the second is “causing injury by dangerous driving“.

As more and more cyclists are injured by potholes in the UK, there inevitably comes the backlash against the people who failed to maintain the roads. Injured cyclist plans to sue council over potholes In the UK road users are allowed to sue local agencies in charge of maintaining the roads when they are not maintained.

I have to admit that I clicked on this link mostly to find out what kind of animal a sjambok was. Patrols after sjambok attack on cyclists Silly me, a sjambok is some kind of weapon, but I still don’t know what one looks like so I googled it and found this Sjambok

I think we have a winner for the hyperbolic letter of the year award. Letter: Bicyclists the ‘ISIS of rural roads’ Really, ISIS of rural roads? There must be a huge number of car/bike wrecks where everybody in the car died that I haven’t heard of.

Are you riding with the wrong cranks? Are shorter cranks better?

Rhetorical question: Are you ready to save the world? The World Could Save Trillions With Buses and Bikes

Last link is a different take on the Barnes Dance. Video: Pedestrians Turn Busy Intersection Into Dance Floor

And I feel like hell, again. I need to do something about this, maybe get a better chair?

Billed @€0.02, Opus

It’s (almost) cold in Texas in August, and the Feed

I had to get up early for some church business and a chunk of arctic air has made it all the way down to the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, leaving the morning low at what feels like 0°F but what was really 65°. I mean it was just a couple of days ago that we were experiencing 100°F temperatures, going from heat indexes of 109 to 65 is similar to stepping into the walk in freezer from a 72° room. Unfortunately since all the screens are torn out of the windows we can’t open any windows to enjoy cool air that hasn’t been artificially refrigerated, so the AC units are still running every so often to rid the house of the excess heat produced by two adult bodies, the computer and fridge. Add to that the heavy overcast means we have to turn on the lights to see where we are walking inside the house and we are still using more electricity than we should. Once again this is life in Texas. Update, today’s high was only 78°F.

Up first is the sad evidence of what a toll affluenza takes on a community. Teen who killed cyclist in DUI hit-and-run sentenced to 1 year, 10 days Kill a human while you drive drunk and stoned and rich and you get a lesser sentence than a poor person who kicked and injured a dog. Congratulations judge, you have now made human life worth less than an injured dog.

After that I need a palate cleanser to keep me from putting a fist through my laptop. Photos: Until Dogs Can Bike, Here’s The Best Use Of Dogs And Citi Bike The dogs (except the lazy little white one in the lower right corner) are dragging the cyclist down the street.

Still in NYC, NYPD says FU to a pedestrian killed by with a bus. Woman Fatally Struck By MTA Bus Driver In Midtown This Morning The picture is of a different wreck than reported in the article. It’s a stock picture for this outlet.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: The Mobility Plan bikelash has begun, and I go off on an unintended rant

A NE cyclist is killed at an intersection. Lincoln man dies in bike-van crash No word on how many “witnesses” who saw the cyclist running the red light were not driving the van that killed the cyclist.

More on the MI cyclist killed while on a charity ride. Memorial ride planned while investigation into Muskegon-area death of Lake Orion cyclist continues Still no word on a suspect, nothing on a weapon vehicle being processed.

A NM cyclist survives impact with a motor vehicle. Roswell boy riding bike injured in collision with car Hit from behind, cyclist blamed for not having “enough” lights or reflectors. “Police said the bike did not have adequate reflectors and lighting.” So in other words the cyclist is blamed for the driver not looking for bicycles.

A ME cyclist is left-crossed and then blamed for the wreck. Woman injured in bicycle-car accident in Belfast Note the narrative, the cyclist “ran into” the car, not the car cut off the cyclist.

Two years after a cyclist is killed by bad infrastructure in SC there are still no plans in place to fix the infrastructure. Mother pleas for changes to Carolina Forest Blvd. after cyclist is hit “The plans to add those bike lanes and walking paths and make Carolina Forest Boulevard a four lane road still have to be approved and added to a referendum that voters will see next year.”

Important infrastructure news from Portland OR. Portland Police now making Vision Zero part of standard procedure

First of two cyclists killed in OH. 14-year-old struck and killed while riding bike It appears to have been a hit-from-behind wreck, possibly a SWSS.

Second death wasn’t a crash. Teen Riding His Bike Shot and Killed in Linden Neighborhood Nothing you can do about getting shot riding in your own ‘hood.

The absolute worse thing that can happen short of death or dismemberment. Help injured North Providence cyclist who lost his bike to thieves Vultures, that’s the most complementary thing I can say about the thieves. There is a special sub-circle of Hell for bike thieves, where they are always late for getting out of Hell because someone stole their bike…

Why are they giving this scum any air time? Gainesville cast member Brian Bunting recently jailed, has multiple arrest history “In late March of 2011, Bunting was involved in an accident that took the life of an Arizona cyclist participating in a Bike Florida event.” He “dropped” his cell hone and drove his F250 into a crowd of cyclists. “(A)nd in February of 2012 was fined $1,000.” And this is why FL kills more cyclists and pedestrians per capita than every state almost every year.

Part of the reason why bicycle commuting is getting bigger in the Crescent City. New Orleans’ transit system still hasn’t recovered, 10 years after Katrina

Good infrastructure from the Great White North. Spotted: A utility vehicle blocking the bike lanes created a temporary bike lane

Also from the Great White North. Quebec City officer charged with dangerous driving causing death of cyclist Hey, it’s not like anyone actually told him that doing the PIT manuever on a cyclist could result in running over the cyclist, and you were supposed to actually catch the cyclist with your hands instead of chasing him down alone in a car.

More crap infrastructure in the UK is blamed for a cyclist’s death by semi. Tollbar Island inquest: Family of dead cyclist do not blame lorry driver Good thing about the infrastructure being blamed is you are allowed to sue the responsible government body for damages in the UK.

Now he’s sorry, at the scene he was blaming the cyclists for getting in the way and being slow, in the bike lane. Sydney driver Thomas Kerr apologises in court to seven injured cyclists I’m sorry, but when you hit 7 cyclists riding single file in the bike lane you are not allowed to say “Oops, I’m sorry!” and get away with it.

Last link is from Enn Zed. Tech savvy triathlete plotting safe cycle routes My fear is knowledge of these routes is going to be used against an injured cyclist in court.

And that’s all. I’m tired, my everything hurts, and I think I just cussed out my wife by accident. The semi-lethal cursing, the one that causes smoking hair and burning synthetic clothes. Remember, stop, drop, and roll. Then call for help because a woman in her 60s isn’t supposed to be dropping or rolling.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet