There’s an elephant sitting on my foot, and the Feed

This has been a very bad week for my nerve pain on my injured leg. Pain has been mostly pressure/crushing in nature with varying degrees of intensity ranging from “shoe too tight” while barefoot to “elephant swing dancing on my arch”. What makes this harder to deal with is most days I either don’t have or barely notice nerve pain, and the fact that there is currently no medication that will deal with the nerve pain without knocking me out as well. In fact I think the “side effect” is the only effect, it doesn’t so much treat the pain as render me unconscious so I don’t experience pain. The only time I take that particular medication is when my quality of life has gotten so bad that unconscious becomes preferable to otherwise and I’m not in the mood for suicide. At this point I’m not suicidal over the pain, I can “put up” with a lot. And when I can’t “put up” with it I have the knockout pills to use until whatever it is that’s causing the pain changes so I can “put up” with the pain.

Speaking of long-term effects from getting hit by a motor vehicle, we have an update on a wreck a few hours ride east of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Injured cyclist released from rehab facility Wishing this fellow cyclist a speedy and relatively pain-free recovery, and hoping for no long-term problems down the road.

Further update on a CO right hook. Boulder agrees to pay injured cyclist $30,000 I think they just got off super cheap if this was for actual damages.

Citizens in WY are upset about the lack of media coverage of serious and deadly bicycle wrecks compared to a cop shooting a dog. McCurdy: Cyclist deaths getting swept under the rug

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Sign up online for BAC agendas and minutes, and LAPD cracks down on USC cyclists

Infrastructure! news from Jolly Olde. Cyclists blame lack of cycle route into central London on Kensington and Chelsea Council

And instead of actual, usable infrastructure they get this… A Proposed Floating Cycleway on the Thames Is Hilarious—and Insulting Not even a bridge but a floating “road” that would be nearly impossible to ride on and you have to pay a toll for the privilege? I want the drugs they’re getting…

A bit of Lifestyle from CA. San Jose Police Bike Patrol take the lane Not just take the lane, but have a blocking vehicle behind and corkers at intersections (look to the right of the column of cyclists near the top of the first picture).

And those were all the links that were pertinent to the blog today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

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Changes made to Francis/es, and the Feed

Well I swapped out the seat that came on Francis/es for something that fits my butt a little better. The Planet Bike seat that came with Francis/es was not a bad seat, it was just the wrong seat for my butt. This is no more a criticism of the bike than saying the shoes they gave you with a uniform were the wrong size is a criticism of the shoes. The seat did not fit my butt, YMMV as your butt is not the same size/shape as my butt. Now the problem is my knees hit the handlebars and I have them as high up as they can go and the seat as far back as it can go, so now I have to build that extended stem so I can sit up straight and not hit my knees on the handlebars. 😛

Murder by motor vehicle in Houston. DEADLY HIT-AND-RUN: PICKUP DRIVER SOUGHT AFTER CYCLIST KILLED IN NORTH HOUSTON Hit-and-run is a felony in TX, any death that happens during the course of a felony is murder in TX, therefore hit-and-run that kills a cyclist is murder by motor vehicle. QED. No mode given in the article or in the video, and I couldn’t see enough of the wrecked bike to even take a wild guess at the mode.

A semi kills a cyclist in NM. Cyclist killed by semi-trailer near Tularosa and Semi hits, kills bicyclist in Otero County The narrative on this one makes zero sense, they are claiming it was a sideswipe but also that the cyclist was hit by the front tire of the semi. The two statements are geometrically impossible. By the time the front bumper of a semi is even with the handlebars of a cyclist in drop bars the front of the tire is roughly even with his hip. There is not enough space for a cyclist to get hit by the tire if the trigger event is the bumper hitting the handlebars causing the cyclist to fall in front of the tire. I suspect distracted driving or deliberate assault. The cyclist was riding on the shoulder of a lightly-travelled US highway. Even the most paranoid of cyclists would slack off a bit riding there. Hot-from-behind protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

And the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike claims another one. Hit and Run: Bicyclist found dead in Lakeland ditch Assumed hit-from-behind it’s the most common way to commit hit-and-run. Protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent. And crush any vehicle used to commit hit-and-run, with the driver inside if the victim dies. Yes, I’m a little “testy” after filtering the Feed today. I think the most disturbing thing in the link was the notice that killing a cyclist is a $164 ticket as long as you’re sober and remain at the scene, license not required.

And from one FL death we segue to the aftermath of another death. Friends, John Carroll classmates mourn Vero teen at Fort Pierce prayer service They’re killing them so fast they don’t even have time to bury the last one before the next one gets killed. The cyclist was hit from behind while riding in the bike lane and forced over the guard rail into the water below where he drowned. I place this one in the classification of “murder” because the driver had to leave the road to even get to the cyclist, and because of that guard rail that the cyclist was knocked over this becomes a wreck that was “unavoidable by human cyclists”. If they find the murdererdriver they need to throw him over the side of a tall bridge into deep water.

An injury wreck in L.A. CA. 2 bicyclists injured in Los Angeles collision The cyclist were hit by a vehicle that ran the red light, making the number of people on the one bike immaterial compared to the running the red light and nearly destroying two human beings. Not something that can be avoided by human cyclists and as the existing infrastructure was ignored by the driver of the weapon vehicle changing the physical infrastructure won’t help either unless the changes made hitting the cyclists physically impossible at any time. I’m thinking bollards that rise up out of the road in all directions completely blocking the intersection during a separate “scramble” phase for cyclists so that red light runners only destroy their own vehicles, not fragile human bodies.

Still in CA LEO publically identified the cyclist killed in a hit-and-run. POLICE IDENTIFY DRIVER, CYCLIST IN FATAL OCEANSIDE HIT-AND-RUN Now if they would just arrest that driver, or “discreetly” release name and address and normal time of driving to work…

Still rocking it in CA with “What good is a law with a mandatory penalty that isn’t enforced?” At least one Bay Area cyclist has died since the three-feet law went into effect Not only died, but died in exactly the kind of wreck the passing law was supposed to prevent, or punish if not prevented.

Yeah, all those scary “speeding cyclists” in Central Park would not even qualify for a ticket. Many Racing Cyclists Are Still Under Central Park’s Speed Limit Even the ones exceeding the limit are only going about 5 over and tickets don’t start until more than 10 over…

Still in NYC. Lower East Side Grease Spill Causes Trouble For Cyclists Nasty smelly mess that was bringing down cyclists by the bus loads until someone did something about it. As for what you can do in the same situation, you will fall down so try to stay tucked up so you don’t break an arm or hand.

Lots of links to this improbable report from MA. Cyclist killed after crashing into truck in Wrentham and Cyclist Struck And Killed By Dump Truck In Wrentham also Cyclist Dies After Getting Hit By Truck In Wrentham I’m going to classify this as a SWCC because the cyclist did not live through the impact, much less long enough to let anyone know his side of the story. The driver could have drifted into the cyclist’s lane and hit him before swerving off the road and into that tree or pole or whatever. Looking at the scene in Google Street View I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it is quite likely that the truck driver swerved when he hit the cyclist in his own lane because that utility pole is right at the corner meaning the truck would have had to start swerving well before getting to the intersection to wipe the pole and a tree. Even the excuse about “The cyclist may have been blinded by the sun” doesn’t seem to fit unless that was the world’s quietest dump truck. The geometry just doesn’t fit the narrative.

Drivers want to hit cyclists in the UK so bad they drive off the road to hit Ghost Bikes. Memorial to cyclist killed at Mancunian Way junction destroyed after car smashes into it Seriously, this is the third time in 13 months that something bad has happened at this intersection, first the cyclist was hit using the crosswalk, then someone coming to tidy the memorial was brushed back in the crosswalk, and now the memorial itself was smashed. Cars are driving too fast for this intersection and someone has already been killed, how big a body count do they need?

And even the best riders in the world are no match for an idiot with a motor vehicle. St Helens cycle-crash victim named as former international cyclist David Hitchin

Not much on this one from Oz. Cyclist left with serious injuries after crash south of Sydney

Another wreck in Oz. Tributes flow for stalwart killed in cycling crash The slight bit of information on the actual wreck sounds like a buzz job. Hit from behind protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Left hook in Enn Zed. Christchurch cyclist dies under a truck Even the cop that showed up incidentally knows this was just the driver driving into a space he couldn’t see was safe to drive into. I suppose if the cyclist was really good on the bike and had extraordinary levels of SA intersection protocols might have resulted in a survivable wreck. Dutch levels of infrastructure would have resulted in a semi truck never getting anywhere near a cyclist.

Our Daily Ted is not good news today. Morning Links: Victim and suspect identified in Oceanside hit-and-run, charges filed in PV road rampage It may be a few days until we get another Daily Ted.

Speaking of that infrastructure. Deaths Expose Chaos of Central Park’s Loop

A little bit of lifestyle from MA. Falmouth bike ride is a new mission for an injured vet

And I have managed to run out of links before I ran out of sanity, hurray!

Billed@€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

It’s finally HERE!! and the Feed

Yeah, I am a little excited now, if I was physically capable I would be doing the Snoopy dance now. I’m in the process of uploading the pictures from my phone to my computer and thence to the media center for this blog as I’m composing this part of the post. Fortunately I’m near the end of my phone month so I won’t wipe out my data limit for too long. Not that I do anything with the data part of my plan except send pictures to myself to post on the blog anyway, but there are a lot of pictures this time. The main thing this does for me is I now have the ability to create an accurate 3D model of the body for the cosmetic portion of the sim file, and for the CAD program to use for planning the frame.

It’s here!!

All the best presents come strapped to a pallet.

In the driveway.

Fra-geel-eh, must be from Italy

First peek.

Freed from the box.

In the house

Everyone needs a car body in their living room.

What was in the other box, or the rest of my B-day present to myself.

How it fits. Mrs. the Poet is not the world’s best photographer.

The body was delivered covered in sanding dust and dried mold release, which I wiped off with a damp rag before sitting in it, after using the vacuum cleaner to suck up the piles of it in the various crevices of the body.

Up first is an update on a wreck a half-day’s ride east of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Exclusive: Cyclist hit by SUV speaks out The article pretty much speaks for itself.

Hit-from-behind in AZ. Tucson hit-and-run kills cyclist; woman arrested Cyclist was hit from behind in a bike lane and then left for dead, charge that driver with murder. Obviously this is a serious infrastructure problem, because bicycle infrastructure done to the Dutch model keeps bikes away from motor vehicles as much as possible.

Wreck in CO is blamed on the victim. Denver Police: 10-year-old girl riding bike hit by car in Stapleton That’s interesting, the first version of the report blamed the cyclist for “swerving”, but the updated version doesn’t blame anybody and leaves the mode of the wreck out of the report.

A WY wreck has some interesting geometry. Man injured in car-bicycle crash early today in Riverton on Webbwood Road The narrative and the damages to the weapon vehicle suggest a hit-from-behind wreck, but the damages to the bike show more sideways damage than hit-from-behind damage, as do the resting points for the bike and the victim. They suggest the weapon vehicle was moving at an angle to the cyclist as if the driver swerved suddenly as he passed the cyclist. Notice the damage to the front wheel only with the rest of the bike looking pretty good, but the driver is claiming the sun was in his eyes so it will probably be an “accident”

Kill a cyclist, get a ticket? in OR. Pickup driver in Tillamook County crash that killed cyclist won’t face criminal charges So, only careless operation of a weapon of mass destruction?

Another hit-from-behind wreck in the Great White North. 62-year-old cyclist killed near Alexandria identified The shoulder of a road is not bicycle infrastructure. Protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Still in the GWN a wreck with no mode listed. Friends, neighbours mourn 62-year-old cyclist killed in South Glengarry Well, it has been established the cyclist knew what he was doing there, but the same can’t be said about the driver of the weapon vehicle.

Lots from the Great White North today as a cyclist left-crosses herself. Guelph cyclist injured and facing charges following a collision north of downtown Intersection protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and getting that infrastructure “up to Dutch” would prevent cyclists from sharing a traffic light phase with motor vehicles.

Our Daily Ted. Don’t miss this weekend’s most exciting bike event — the Huntington Park Gran Prix This looks like pure D fun.

Opening the Infrastructure! news with this tidbit from WA. Rules of the road: reducing stress for cyclists and drivers I like the bit about drivers needing to chill about things that are not only legal but required for cyclist safety.

And speaking about chilling out… Diane Savino: “Hey, Find a F—ing Bike Lane and Get in It” If I had Danny MacAskills’ skills I could ride in an NYC bike lane. Assuming I could tell it was there under all the parked cars…

Back to the left coast with this bit of infrastructure. Motorists ticketed if driving within 3 feet of cyclists

Infrastructure from the UK. Cycling deaths and serious injuries down in 2013, says DfT They’re running out of cyclists… 😛

Different part of the UK. Series of cyclist deaths spurs on road campaigners

And those are all the applicable links and pictures for today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass 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 birthday present to me is coming, and the Feed

I went ahead and bought the body for the Sprint T (or the simulator for same) and the e-mail came in the order was shipped this morning and should be on my driveway by this evening. Yay! I will take many pictures of the box and contents when they arrive. And if it gets delivered before I finish the post they will be at the bottom of this post. I’m so excited I’m practically “squeeing” and jumping up and down, which is kind of silly for a person of my advanced years. Yes, I’m admitting I’m getting too old to act like a kid getting a new toy, but I’m still acting like a kid with a new toy anyway. So there! 😉

Up first is a report from Oz of a cyclist going off the road and into a tree, because there were so many links to the story. Well known doctor critically injured in cycling accident also Alstonville cyclist critical after crashing into tree and GP fighting for his life after bicycle crash at Alstonville Right now the cause of the wreck is practically a state secret, but such wrecks are very seldom this serious without a motor vehicle in the works somewhere. It looks like a “punishment pass” or maybe a “buzz job” that caused the cyclist to leave the road (not much difference between the two in practice, it’s just a different intent prior to the wreck) and they cyclist found a tree in his escape route while employing hit-from-behind protocols. Unfortunately life is not like Hollywood, where the stunts are planned in advance to the nth degree. Real Life™ is a constant series of “winging it” and hoping for the best, and sometimes that means you run into trees trying to get away from hoons in cars. Get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Next is from someplace I haven’t lived for at least 53 years… Bicycle rider killed in hit and run in Clarksville and Police find vehicle in Clarksville cyclist fatality Again LEO are not releasing the mode of the wreck, but the location suggests a hit-from-behind wreck, so protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Update on the bike-on-ped wreck from last week from the paper of record. Woman Hit by a Bicyclist in Central Park Dies OK now seriously, I would dearly love to see this much attention paid to any of the other pedestrians killed that week, but they were killed with motor vehicles.

A PA wreck from the police blotter. Sentinel police log for Sept. 23 You have to look for the report, but being a blotter report there isn’t much on the mode or anything else. The driver appeared to be sober at least.

A rash of wrecks in Chucktown SC. Pedestrian and bicyclist injured in downtown hit-and-runs The cyclist was hit by a right hook, so intersection protocols to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

A CO wreck approaches closure. Driver who injured ex-pro cyclist pleads guilty Now a suitable sentence… like crushing his car and pulling his license for life.

A wreck in AK. Cyclist injured in Fairbanks bike-truck collision This report is so biased I don’t know what happened except the cyclist was hit riding on the road, “outside the area designated for bicyclists“, whatever that is supposed to mean.

Serious wreck in Canuckistan. Cyclist injured in crash on Sargent Avenue in Winnipeg It looks like the cyclist ran the stop sign, or stopped and went without seeing the car that hit her. That would indicate intersection protocols to avoid in particular the part about stopping at stop signs, and getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent. The geometry and physics of this wreck are interesting. Notice the front wheel was separated from the bike in the wreck but there was little to no damage to that wheel, the lack of damage to the front of the weapon vehicle, the proximity of the weapon vehicle to the intersection where the cyclist was riding, and the cyclist’s shoe sitting in the street. Some of those point to a high speed at impact (front wheel separation, cyclist’s shoe) and others strongly indicate a low speed for the weapon vehicle. And all those cans with no damage are also an indication that the weapon vehicle was not going very fast at impact. I counted 11 of 12 cans with no damage in the picture. Very strange…

There is some question of was the rider even where he was supposed to be in this wreck in the Great White North. Five injured when Gatineau bus collides with cyclist I think the wreck was hit-from-behind, but no confirmation on that. I strongly feel that this wreck showed how badly this city needs infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent wrecks.

LEO on bike wreck in the GWN. SIU called in after Brampton cyclist seriously injured Because of LEO involvement the only thing we know is it was at an intersection so assume something in the intersection protocols will help avoiding or reducing damages, and getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” will prevent a similar wreck.

This little gadget could make a difference in the aftermath of a wreck. Polaroid’s Teensy, Cheap, and Durable “Cube” Camera Is Good News for NYC Bikers

Closing with this link. What to do if you’re hit by a car while riding your bike

And as of right now my order from Speedway hasn’t showed up yet.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

What a party! and the Feed

OK so it wasn’t all that wild. We had cherry pie instead of cake to go with the chocolate ice cream. So we did violate custom a little bit. But other than pie and ice cream it was pretty much a normal Monday evening for us. I got some interesting gifts. I got a seat-belt style belt from Hot Topic in green, I got a DVD of three episodes of Van-Pires story of undead cars that suck the gas of the living (no I’m not kidding), and Floyd Landis’ book. The cat deigned to sit in my lap for a few minutes that evening, but I forgot to take a picture of that momentous occasion…

Up first I was sent links to this story from 9 different sources including FB, the Feed and directly to my e-mail addy. Luckiest cyclist in Russia and quite possibly the world and the link from the Feed Cyclist cheats death three times in dramatic car crash Notice the cyclist’s behavior as he entered the intersection, he’s looking in every direction, at least twice at the near lane and then locks on the truck that’s not slowing down for the yield sign so he slows way down to not be in the lane when the truck comes through. Had the red car not been there this would have been a non-event, the cyclist’s situational awareness would have prevented him from getting too close to the truck running the yield and the driver could continue to be oblivious to traffic controls. The cyclist’s SA did save him in this wreck, but dumb luck played as great a part as his SA.

More on the pedestrian death in NYC last week. Cyclist Who Killed Woman In Central Park Calls It An “Unavoidable Accident” I find it ironic that a cyclist killing a pedestrian may be what forces NY State to change their vehicular homicide laws that have allowed drivers who were sober and remained at the scene to avoid even tickets when killing pedestrians in crosswalks, or walking on the sidewalks, or eating at the window seats in restaurants. Basically the way the law and supporting case-law are now in NYS if you’re sober and have a valid license, remain at the scene and did not post a rambling screed about some other class of transportation users needing to die horribly at your hands you skate for killing with your vehicle, and even those caveats are not set in stone as hit-and-run killers are frequently not prosecuted because of mens rea (“I didn’t know”).

Another link to that DC hit-and-run Cyclist Killed in Shaw Hit and Run This Weekend The narrative and the description of the scene suggest the weapon vehicle ran a 4-way stop at speed. This would mean the cyclist was probably well into the intersection prior to the wreck and had zero chance of avoiding this wreck without Kreskin levels of SA. For those of you too young to remember the Amazing Kreskin, substitute Jedi for Kreskin in that statement.

Another “cyclist didn’t stop” wreck, this time in SC. Troopers: Cyclist dies after hit by car in Spartanburg Co. Intersection protocols to avoid, especially the one about stopping at stop signs, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Driver is sentenced for killing a cyclist in NC. Driver who killed cyclist gets prison time, hug from victim’s mom Hit cyclist, kill cyclist, leave body laying beside road, get 13 months in jail… Seems like a fair sentence to me for killing another human being and improperly disposing of the body, NOT!

More on that tourist hit in OR. San Diego cyclist struck on Friday near Netarts dies from his injuries Notice how this is worded to try to make it look like the cyclist should not have been there? Anyway, hit-from-behind protocols to avoid if possible, and please, please get that infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent. This is an area that gets lots of bicycle tourism and desperately needs such infrastructure.

A CA intersection wreck where the bike damage doesn’t match with the narrative. Bicyclist suffers life-threatening injuries after colliding with car at the intersection of Spruce and Eunice and Cyclist dies after North Berkeley crash with car The bike looks like it was hit from the side on the front end at speed not running into a car that had just pulled away from a stop sign.

Our Daily Ted from yesterday. Morning Links: Protected bike lanes are now legal; WeHo considers removing crosswalks to improve ped safety

And today’s Daily Ted. Morning Links: More media frenzy over fatal NY bike/ped collision; fallen SD cyclist was keeping blog of his trip

Infrastructure!-ish. A cyclist’s plea to motorists

And more infrastructure that the person who sent me the link found offensive (?). Roadshow: Bicyclists must pull over if 5 or more vehicles are behind them As long as they include “when safe to do so” and not just demand cyclists get off the road whenever cars get backed up…

And those were all the links that gave me fits or giggles today, a little short on the giggles but there were some.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Working late on my birthday, and the Feed

I normally work late on Monday to catch up from the weekend of not posting links, but I will be working even later today because I was “doing stuff” this afternoon. I did a wire transfer from my bank to Wells Fargo in San Francisco so that I would have a paper trail in case they tried to claim we “stopped paying” on our paid-off mortgage and foreclose on us like they did to several people in FL who paid off their mortgages early. I also went to my local Whataburger to have a “Green Chile Double”, one of Whataburger’s seasonal specials. That’s half a pound of ground beef, two slices of cheese, and a thick coating of diced green chili peppers over the top. I’m indeed fortunate that my cholesterol is naturally low so that I can eat meals like this safely. I then picked up the makings for a double batch of “Bacon Jalapeño Poppers” and walked home from the grocery store. For the curious the makings for a double batch of “Bacon Jalapeño Poppers” consists of a dozen large jalapeño peppers, 2 6oz. packages of cream cheese, and a pound of bacon. Soften the cheese, halve and seed the peppers, fill the half peppers with the cheese, wrap a slice of bacon around each half pepper, and either broil or grill until the bacon is crispy.

BTW It’s my birthday and You say it’s your birthday? and with moar creepy babies and dancing kittens

Up first is another fatal bike-ped wreck, that wreck in Central Park last week just turned fatal for the pedestrian. Pedestrian Dies Days After Collision With Central Park Cyclist I hate this, because I have done the work and the cyclist had very little chance of avoiding this wreck after avoiding the pedestrians in the bike lane. Sure, if he trained at making the second move for a few weeks and then practiced at it once a week or so he might have been able to make that second move, but then again maybe not. I keep looking at this wreck and I keep coming up with the same answer, that mixing pedestrians and cyclists in the only area to train as a cyclist for more than 8 million people without providing segregated infrastructure and this will happen again and again. The Dutch solution is to make everyday bicycle infrastructure that is “training worthy”, where cyclists can maintain >20 MPH for miles without having to worry about hitting any pedestrians. Build bicycle infrastructure with sight lines and curves that will support riding at race speed, and cyclists will train away from pedestrians and cars. More Bicycle rider not charged in Central Park collision that put pedestrian on ventilator

Moving to just south of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Female cyclist seriously injured in Friday collision AFAIK it’s another hit-from-behind wreck but this time near an intersection. It was also very near a bike trail which the cyclist may have either been coming from or going to.

A wreck in LA that I don’t have the slightest clue how to avoid. Crash leaves cyclist dead, offier injured I mean there was a cop there and presumably a cop car with the lights going, the cop was pushing a car that was hit as well as the cop and the cyclist. The driver was suspected of being “chemically impaired” by synthetic marijuana.

A CA wreck in Ted Rogers’ ballpark. Update: Cyclist found dead following apparent hit-and-run in Oceanside and Dead bicyclist found in Oceanside Cyclist was hit riding in a cul-de-sac meaning the driver had to really work at it to get up to lethal speed in the limited amount of space. ordinarily I would say hit-from-behind protocols but I’m thinking this is way too much like my wreck for a human cyclist to get away from it. Segregated infrastructure would prevent it, but I’m thinking that this would be shared space in the Dutch model.

Moving north to OR we get another hit-from-behind wreck. Serious injury bicycle-involved crash on Highway 131 between Netarts and Tillamook Protocols to avoid or reduce injury, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

A DC wreck that I’m not sure of the mode of the wreck. D.C. police seek driver who killed bicyclist in hit-and-run The damage description suggests hit-from-behind, but the location suggests straightforward intersection protocols. The actions of the driver suggest a lynch mob…

Back in NYC a cyclist runs a red light on video and gets hit by a bus. NYPD: NICE bus that crashed into Queens pizza store swerved to avoid cyclist Intersection protocols to avoid, especially the part about not running the red light if there’s traffic, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Up in the Great White North a cyclist is hit in an intersection. Cyclist struck, seriously injured in west end See how the bike shows the directionality of the impact from the right? That’s how I know it was an intersection wreck before I even read the article. The video stated the cyclist’s head went through the rear window of the weapon vehicle. Nothing on which one had the right of way. Intersection protocols maybe would be of use in avoiding or reducing damages in this wreck. Getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” would most likely prevent a repeat of this wreck.

I want to make copies of this wreck report and shove them in the faces of all those people who keep telling me that I should get off my bike and walk it through intersections. Man wheeling bike killed after collision with car and van at Tapleys Hill Rd, Seaton and a different URL Man wheeling bike killed after collision with car and van at Tapleys Hill Rd, Seaton This wreck was in Oz, BTW.

LifeStyle in NH. Bicyclists remember women killed in crash and Cyclists Killed in Crash Remembered

From the City of Broad Shoulders. North Shore Century Ride for a Great Cause

Another Wounded Warrior ride. Wounded Warrior riders bike 164 miles to Fort Campbell

I has a birthday Google Doodle.

And those were all the links that gave me fits or giggles.

Opus the unkillable badass Poet

This post will definitely go up late, and the Feed

Howdy folks! As we approach the Autumnal Equinox things get a little busy around Casa de El Poeta aka WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. For one thing there are all the rituals celebrating the holiday that I have to attend because I have friends and circle-mates who follow different traditions and all want me to be a part of their celebrations. For another thing there is the minor fact that I was born on this particular Pagan holiday. That means More Parties to attend. Add the third thing that I have become involved with electoral politics (without the swords and machine guns in this reality) and things are ramping up now, and well I’m just pulled in so many directions I almost look like a cartoon character. And I forgot I will be going to Dallas Pride Day to sign people up to support marriage equality this Sunday morning, well forgot until just now.

Speaking of birthdays, I have been asked to post what I want for mine. Simple enough, I need a steering wheel controller for my PS2 that will work with GT4, meaning (probably) something from Logitech. I can use Amazon gift certificates to buy one or someone could just send one to the church and I will take it home from there. Address it to Opus the Poet c/o Sacred Journey Fellowship UU, 1215 Main St. Garland TX 75040 and I will get it. Seems kind of silly that I get video game stuff for my 56th Birthday, but that’s what I need to make the Sprint T simulator.

And another birthday gift that won’t cost anything is signing this petition to make an Interstate Highway system for bicycles and pedestrians.

Up first is this ID hit-from-behind wreck. Female cyclist hit by car, seriously injured and Local athlete critically injured while biking The crime scene looks to be one of those that sure you can get away from the weapon vehicle but you’re likely to suffer serious injury when you do, but still less than getting hit with a car. Infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

A cyclist hits one of a group of jay-walkers in Central Park in NYC. Pedestrian Critically Injured In Accident With Cyclist In Central Park and Bicycle rider not charged in Central Park collision that put pedestrian on ventilator also Woman In Critical Condition After Getting Run Over By Cyclist In Central Park The Post (holding nose) Woman brain-dead after getting hit by cyclist in Central Park Not done yet After Woman Is Struck, Debate on Cycling in City Is Revived The crazies are calling for this guy to get the death penalty for something that only merits a $122 ticket if it happens with a car instead of a bicycle. Granted it should be a lot more strict than a $122 ticket in a car, but why all the venom for cyclists? BTW Don’t Hit The Pedestrians!

This is the second cyclist hit from behind in the bike lane since the 3-feet-to-pass law went into effect in CA. Freeport Boulevard closed after fatal bike crash The law requires a $220 ticket that with fees and costs comes to $980 for hitting a cyclist from behind, something I have yet to see with either of the wrecks since the law went into effect.

Still in CA a driver is sentenced in a wreck with a cyclist. Point Reyes Station man sentenced in DUI hit-and-run that injured cyclists I seriously doubt he would have gotten much of anything in the way of jail had he not taken down the telephone pole. Still 9 months is way more than he would have gotten had this wreck been in NY state.

A drunk driver kills a cyclist and gets 45 weekends in jail in the Great White North. Truck driver going to jail for killing elderly cyclist

A cyclist in Enn Zed is seriously injured in a single bike wreck? Cyclist seriously injured in Wellington OK there has to be some information missing from hit report, New Zeeland is a mandatory helmet country and head injury is pretty much the only way the wreck as described in the narrative could seriously injure a person.

Lifestyle for the DE cyclist hit head on by a suspected drunk driver on the wrong side of the road. Bicyclists ride to Phillip Bishop’s viewing The ride was treated much like a funeral procession except they went to the deceased instead of going with the deceased to his final rest.

Not sure how to classify this, closest thing I could think of is sorta kinda LifeStyle. Boston Scientific Helps Turn Wounded Warrior Into Competetive Cyclist The guy has a stim unit that changes neuropathy pain into a mild tingle? I could use one of those.

More on the CA passing law that recently went into effect. Hey, I’m Bikin’ Here! A Buffer Zone Is Now Law for California Cyclists Yes this is still Infrastructure! news.

Gothamist links a video showing how NOT to ride a bicycle in NYC. Video: Area Dude Demonstrates The Wrong Way To Bike In NYC

Presented without classification after 3 people sent links in my e-mail this morning. Death on a Bike

Ad for the people who built Francis/es. E is for Electric C is for Canopy Sometimes it’s nice to get a little help when riding, especially when you have nearly 100 pounds of empty bike to push along.

Our Daily Ted. Weekend Links: Free ice cream when you Bike to the Bowl; KY cyclist arrested, and Jens shatters the hour

Last link is the largest Human Powered Vehicle race in the world. Murray Bridge alive with pedal prix power this weekend Mixed and segregated 8-person teams of kids and adults trying to just keep the vehicle going all night and day.

I think I’m done now, because I’m damned near finished.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Back to the old composing page, and the Feed

As much as I like the streamlined look of the new composing page there is just too much missing from it for me to continue to use it. Automatic if you guys are paying attention we need to make getting to the classic composing page as easy as getting to the stripped-down new page. I don’t mind the missing tools as much as I mind that the new page strips out components of the site when I use it, or at least strips out components of the site when I access the site since I don’t know what other people’s experience is like. When I use the classic compose I get access to the share button so that I can send this to all the FB pages I have admin status for (not something I do every day, but something I do sometimes to specific pages that the post would be welcome at), but when I use the new page the share button is gone. This is not acceptable.

Also I spent an exciting hour watching Jens Voigt ride a bicycle in circles. #Shutuplegs indeed.

Up first, while I love being able to look at a crime scene picture and establish a narrative of the events leading up to that crime scene picture, I hate being right in this case. Cops: Audi on wrong side as bicycle hit The fact that the cyclist was hit on the passenger side of a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road (and sources I can’t link to tell me he was riding in the right hand side of the lane) point to the fact that the cyclist literally had no place to go to avoid the wreck.

I REALLY want to see how CA LEO go about not giving any kind of ticket or anything to the driver in this report. Bicyclist dies after being struck on Freeport Boulevard Two cyclists, one killed in the bike lane, and less than 24 hours after a new law making hitting a cyclist from behind a mandatory fine of nearly $1K went into effect with great hoopla. I mean c’mon, he was hit in the bike lane, if that is not “unsafe pass” personified I don’t know what would be. Hit-from behind protocols to avoid, and enforce the legal infrastructure to prevent. Or install physical infrastructure that’s “up to Dutch”.

A wreck in NV. Cyclist killed in North Las Vegas crash identified and NLV Cyclist killed in intersection was at fault The thing that always bothers me about these wrecks is was the cyclist caught by a stale green? Or in other words did the cyclist enter an intersection with the green light and just not have enough time to clear it before cross traffic started moving, but with the pictures of the weapon vehicle and the bike I think that’s not the case with this wreck. The bike is so badly mangled that determining of the bike had working brakes at the time of the wreck is pretty much impossible unless the brake cables have heavy corrosion indicating they had been disconnected for some time. So I’m going to have to go with NLV LEO on this wreck because there is no doubt the cyclist ran the red into traffic. Why he ran the red is another question entirely, not in my pay grade.

More on the “great guy” that was drinking and stoned when he killed a cyclist in NM. Suspect in cyclist’s death appears in court Interesting that the driver has two previous assault charges in the past 3 years. Also interesting is the second charge has not been adjudicated yet when he was arraigned for this charge.

The most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike tries to take out another cyclist. Cyclist critically injured in crash with Jeep in DeLand Another SWSS wreck with LEO accepting every word from the driver as absolute gospel. Protocols and Dutch quality infrastructure, and less gullible LEO, to prevent.

A PA cyclist collides with a stationary construction vehicle. Cyclist injured after crashing into truck in Murrysville No I can’t figure it out either. I have no pictures of the bike, and the picture I had yesterday of the truck is 404 now. I can tell you it was a Really Big Truck, about as large a vehicle as can be driven on the roads without permits and pilot vehicles, so I have no idea why the cyclist could not avoid it. Just pure speculation is that he might have been run off the road and into the truck but without some kind of witness to say one way or another I can’t say. I wish the cyclist a speedy recovery.

A deadly wreck in MA. Authorities Investigating Fatal Bike Accident in Malden, Massachusetts The cyclist was apparently having a medical emergency when he fell off the sidewalk under the garbage truck. This is a wreck that could be prevented with infrastructure, but in reality without universal medical care this would just result in the man dying someplace else from whatever medical emergency he was having when the truck ran him over. More Man struck, killed in Malden garbage truck accident

A spectacular wreck in the Great White North results in no injury for the cyclist. Cyclist not injured in supper-hour crash Intersection wreck that apparently the cyclist used the intersection protocols in to completely escape harm while scaring the driver half to death. Get that infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent. Note to the cyclist, if you’re a reader could you post a comment and tell us how you managed to avoid getting hurt.

Apparently the right hook is not illegal in Canada, just be aware of that. No charges laid in collision that killed cyclist in Dartmouth

From the UK a taxi hit a cyclist and a pedestrian and I feel bad for the taxi driver, and if that doesn’t get you to click the link I don’t know what will. Taxi driver critically ill in hospital after crashing into cyclist and pedestrian outside Old Bailey

A cyclist in Oz wins a minor “door prize” Trigger Warning! Bike rider says she could’ve been killed when doored on Brisbane road

Interesting Infrastructure! news from CA. Dick Spotswood: Bike path accident leads to calls for bikes to slow down I keep asking if the MUP speed limit is faster or slower than the CA school zone speed limit but I never get an answer.

More infrastructure news from CA. Olympic cyclist sues over the death of his wife, Debra Deem This is about the free right turn lane that allows drivers to make right turns without slowing down.

More on the CA enacting of the 3-feet-to-pass law. Three-foot buffer law for cyclists now in effect

Until we can get every state and city to adopt the CROW manual (still only €90!) We will need lots of these guys. Bike Scholarship Winner Saw Cyclist Fatally Injured Not that every bike lawyer needs to watch someone die, just that we need lawyers who have skin in the game to stand up for us.

Infrastructure news from the Great White North. Sister of woman killed in bike accident wants more protection for cyclists Hey I didn’t say it was good news, just news. This is a response to that other article about the woman right hooked in Dartmouth.

I don’t find these “jokes” funny, do you? Why do we still hear people joke about hitting cyclists?

Lifestyle in NC. Des Ark’s Aimée Argote plans memorial bike ride Friday night Seeing someone killed riding a bike changes you. Especially if that someone is you, but don’t tell anyone I said that. And Cyclists ask motorists to share the roadways

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: The impact of CA’s new three-foot passing law; bike-friendly Brentwood poet passes away

And those were all the links I could find yesterday (this has been a Very Long Day).

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Overloaded with links and covered up in other obligations, and the Feed

Things have been a bit busy this week, and this is only Monday. Among things I can talk about I have a consultation with a surgeon this Thursday for removing the thing on the back of my neck that is making drinking soda from the can a painful and difficult proposition lately, and I had a discussion of volunteering for the Wendy Davis campaign this afternoon as well as a trip to the bank to pay for the new hat I’m giving myself for my birthday. The new hat is being custom-made by an Etsy vendor called “Steezy Workz” and hopefully will be ready by year’s end. And my spell checker thought “Steezy” was spelled right but not the “Workz” part of the name? WTF?!? Anywho, I’m having to order the hat over the Internet because there are no local vendors still making the hat I want. Also I am up to my eyeballs in the NDA project that is burning up tons of time as well. For a guy who doesn’t have a steady job I sure seem to have a lot to do…

Up first, despite all the predictions of mass carnage when bike share went into effect just about everywhere in North America it has been tried, those predictions have all come up negative. Why? Ideas why 0 bikers have been killed on bike-sharing bikes The hypothesis have been as many and as varied as the color schemes of the shared bikes, more so even. But as it stands now it’s all guesswork.

A NM cyclist is killed making a left turn. Cyclist killed in hit-and-run near NM 528 and Coors Bypass Apparent drunk driver runs over a cyclist moving to the turn lane as required by NM law to make that left turn, then left for dead. Modify the hit-from-behind protocols to take moving to the left into account to avoid or reduce damages, and get the infrastructure “up to Dutch” to prevent.

Two links to a DE hit-and-run. Police ID bicyclist killed in Hockessin hit-and-run and Bicyclist killed less than mile from home Cyclist was hit head-on apparently riding on his side of the road, and from user descriptions of the road may have had less than a second to react to the oncoming vehicle. There are no protocols that will help you avoid a wreck like this and getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” would only have helped if the cyclist was struck away from a residential area so that he would not be sharing the roads with a suspected DUI.

Wasting the court’s time in ID. Trial set for man accused of killing cyclist Changing your plea at the sentencing hearing is a serious “no class” move.

A drunk cyclist in PA. Sentinel police log for Sept. 12 Not a good idea but still better than driving while falling-down drunk.

Aftermath of a drunk driver hitting 4 cyclists head on driving on their side of the road. Cyclists stress awareness to stay safe I’m still at a loss how watching what’s going on where there is no escape route and a drunk driver is driving on your side of the road is going to do anything but leave you all tensed up when you get killed, like for those guys who died.

A hit-and-run in the Great White North leaves an injured cyclist in its wake. Police seeking driver after Dartmouth hit-and-run The driver just drove right through the cyclist leaving the stop sign. That’s not a wreck a human cyclist can avoid, and as the location appears to be the boundary between shared space and where cyclists would head to segregated infrastructure, so getting the infrastructure “up to Dutch” is kind of a tossup depending on where the segregated infrastructure began.

Infrastructure! news from CA. Give cyclists 3 feet: It’s the law now The comments section is a war zone.

Infrastructure worries after a wreck on a group ride in the Great White North. Laurie Strano’s death sparks caution at Gatineau cycling event

Infrastructure worries in the UK. Shocking road stats warn of dangers for cyclists in Sevenoaks I think people are starting to get the message that recent reductions in overall KSI are the result of changes to cars and advancements in medical care and drivers are still as bad as they ever were.

Infrastructure news from Oz, as a driver comes to the shocking revelation that they are guiding tons of killing machine around fragile human beings. Peace offer in cycle war

Infrastructure news from Enn Zed. Cyclists, drivers urged to share the road and Cyclists get the helmet message The “message” received is that unless you exceed all legal requirements to make yourself visible and protected, even if those requirements don’t actually provide any protection aside from the placebo effect (for drivers). So every square inch covered in HiViz and a silly styrofoam hat, and maybe you won’t get blamed for the drunk driver that slams into you and crushes your fragile internal organs with 2-3 tons of speeding projectile.

Lifestyle news from the RGV of TX. Son of cyclist will ride in his honor

Lifestyle from GA. Atlanta police officers join charity night bike ride

Last link, the bike to have in the garage when the zombie apocalypse hits. Bug Out Bike – Apocalypse Bicycle Maybe painting the chain isn’t such a bright idea… but having a MTB with reliable components and lots of cargo capacity with medical supplies, food, and water pre-loaded along with shelter is a good idea for anything short of a kaiju invasion, and if you’re lucky enough to know which way the kaiju is headed then even for that. Good XC tires with airless tubes gives you the lowest possible rolling resistance with no flats. I need to get Francis/es sorted out (we are down to getting the fit right now) and then all I would need would be having all those things in one area with tiedowns to secure the load ready to go.

And those were all the links I got before 1800, those I’m saving for tomorrow.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet