Still basking in the post-party afterglow, and the Feed

Yep, things have been very rosy around Casa de El Poeta so far, very rosy indeed. I’m still eating the leftovers from the party, and enjoying my presents. And now I have to ruin it by reading about bike wrecks and crappy infrastructure. 😛 I guess there is only so long you can keep a great feeling going.

Up first I’m going to try to keep the good times feeling going with birthday boy Ted Rogers and our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Anti-bike lane madness grips Coronado, and OC police stop a one man bike-born crime wave

Staying in CA for a while. KTVU Stays Classy With Fearmongering Segment on “Bike Yield Law” Yep, thousands of pedestrians could be killed by stop sign running cyclists, except no they won’t. Two pedestrians have been killed by cyclists in S.F. since the turn of the century. That’s about S.F.’s normal pedestrian tally from motor vehicles in a week.

Still in CA, and another link to the driver who managed to kill a bicyclist and a motorcyclist on opposite sides of the road. Two killed in crash involving car, bike and motorcycle Not saying these guys are slow, but that wreck was 2 weeks ago. Still amazes me how someone could manage to kill 2 people on opposite sides of the road in the same wreck and not be actually trying to hit anyone. Just saying… :whistling:

Moving north and east of that wreck. Child severely injured in bicycle, minivan crash in Boise As the article is posted now they have no idea how the van ran over the kid, just that he was dragged about 40 feet after the initial impact and he was wearing a helmet (which does a bloody hell of a nothing against getting dragged by a motor vehicle).

South of the ID wreck we get a cyclist hit in my old college town. UPDATE: Bicyclist seriously injured in car crash “Vision problems”? As in “blind as a bat”. Yeah, if you “can’t see” a cyclist then you need to not drive. Seriously, of this guy wasn’t trying to hit the cyclist he needs to be taken off the roads permanently for incompetence, otherwise he needs jail and then permanent license revocation.

And moving north and east from the UT wreck we get a MT wreck. Cyclist Injured in Early Morning Crash They don’t even know which end of the bike got hit, but the cyclist only had a minor head injury? Possible buzz job with no bike damage, or possible salmon cyclist bailed in front of the weapon vehicle and not hit but the bike was mangled? Those are the only two scenarios that I can envision where the investigators can’t tell which way the bike was going from the damage it sustained. I’m betting on “buzz job” if only because the likelihood of jumping off the bike without getting hit is extremely low.

OK now we move to KS for another hit-and-run. Police find driver suspected of hitting cyclist, leaving scene and the reaction to the wreck Cyclists seek safer roads after hit-and-run wreck The debris looked like a hit-from-behind wreck.

Someone in NYC has a pair. Bronx DA Johnson Files Manslaughter Charge for Cyclist’s Hit-and-Run Death This was the cyclist killed riding the City Island Bridge earlier this month. That was a fast move by the DA, another thing not known to happen often in NYC when cyclists are killed or injured.

A cyclist is injured in GA. Macon cyclist critical after being struck by vehicle in Bibb County The cyclist was in a group of 3 and was the only one hit. This tells me the driver was not paying full attention to the road. And should probably be shot at dawn, smoking a low-tar cigarette.

Another one hit in IN ( I love that pun ). Bicyclist killed in accident on 500N Ugh! How can the make the claim that speed was not a factor when the driver was driving too fast to see what was in the road in front of him until he hit it?

They still kill cyclists in FL and every so often you have to take a break and remember the ones who died. Benefit ride for cyclist Chris Liddy Except this one didn’t die, was not riding his bike when he got hurt, and by all accounts seems to be a genuinely great guy. WoaB gives moral support (the only kind of support we can afford) to this ride.

And back in TX before rocketing across the globe, Houston wants better bike share. Houston Poised for Massive Bike-Share Expansion As at the moment we only have 1½ bike lanes in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell we are not yet ready for bike share.

Cyclist down in the Great White North. Cyclist injured in collision with van Nothing explicit on the mode, but implicit was the cyclist was directly in front of the weapon vehicle when he was hit from the right side. We may be dealing with a stale green wreck on this one.

And still more bad news for the drunk that killed 2 cyclists and his passenger in far West Canuckistan. Whistler cyclist’s wife sues car’s driver, owner, after husband killed in crash Yep, the guy driving was not the owner…

More good news from Jolly Olde. Serious injuries among Britain’s cyclists rising three times faster than distance ridden Given how hard it is to measure miles and minor injuries things may be even worse than they appear.

Last link, what if US law was like UK laws that allow people injured by bad infrastructure (both design and maintenance) to sue the responsible party? What If Traffic Engineers Were Held to Safety Standards Like Carmakers?

And I’m all done for the day.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

PS. Yanno, if everybody who subscribed to this blog would send the equivalent of €0.02 for every post I would be able to buy groceries every week and not worry about always getting the store brands. Or I would have money to spend on building bikes from raw stock instead of using donor bikes for things like forks and rear dropouts.

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Whee! full moon service tonight, and the Feed

The local Sumerians are hosting the full moon service at SJF tonight. This is a mutually beneficial relationship, as they have a requirement that to graduate from one level to another the applicant must perform X number of public rituals and our ritualists had become completely burned out between two services a week and 8 solar celebrations and then 13 lunar services a year, plus most of us having full-time jobs on top of that (that comes to 125 services of one type or another per year, or about twice to 2½ times as many as your average Christian church pastor. Plus there’s the fact that Sumerian services are really fun and engaging. It’s a win-win for everybody, especially the people that come to services.

Up first tonight an iconic bridge converted to a bike/ped river crossing may stop a toll road that nobody knows how to pay for and has no real need to be constructed in the big city next to the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. An effort to make Continental Ave. Bridge a Dallas landmark — and kill the Trinity toll road? I’m including this because this is the only bike-ped crossing for miles, and because if the toll road gets built it has the probability to suck the air out of bike projects that have been in the planning stages since before I got to Texas 26 years ago. I mean one mile of this boondoggle would pay for that bike project, and this is a 10+ mile highway from nowhere to nowhere. Unlike the similar Hunt bridge recently completed, it won’t even make for backdrops to pretty pictures.

Is that a big rig or a ticking time bomb next lane over? Yes! Big Rigs Often Go Faster Than Tires Can Handle That big rig could have just spent several hours at or above the safe speed for its tires and they could be ready to explode at any second. I admit it is unlikely here in urban areas of TX because the speed limits are lower, but one that just pulled off of one of the 85 MPH speed limit highways to the south and west of the Metromess could be ready to blow.

Police are still not sure if this cyclist was shot on purpose or hit by a stray bullet. Police identify Albany teen shot and killed on bicycle Don’t know why he was out riding at 0200, but the reasons are moot, he had a right to be riding just like he would have had a right to be out in a car.

Again, not something one can really plan for. Lawnmower rider injured in accident on bike trail, winds up in water Good thing that cyclists have much better visibility to the sides than people in cars, right? Because that is what eventually saved the maintenance worker, being seen.

The good news for this blog is that no cyclists died in the month of February in NYC. NYPD: Drivers Injured 816 Pedestrians and Cyclists in February, and Killed 11 That is of small comfort to the 11 pedestrians that died and the 816 cyclists and pedestrians injured that month. One thing I find interesting was there were only 137 wrecks where either the driver or the victim was drunk, but 2604 where the driver was not watching where the vehicle was going, and that does not include the 646 drivers going backwards illegally.

Infrastructure news from the coffee-drinking capital of America. Will an Overturned Fish Truck Hurt Seattle’s New Transportation Tax? If one wreck can shut down your transportation system for 4½ hours, you have the wrong transportation system and need to make changes ASAP. Like maybe putting in some bike paths so people don’t have to drive everywhere?

Speaking of infrastructure, what drugs were these guys taking when they designed this fustercluck? Cyclists say city has much work to do to improve safety I see the problem as they don’t run the proposals past real cyclists until the projects are near completion, when they expect the cyclists to “Oooh and aww” over the shiny new project while they brag about how much money has been spent for you ungrateful cyclists. And either the shiny new project won’t get used because it is inconvenient and visibly a death trap, or it gets used because it can’t be bypassed and cyclists get maimed or killed. Both things seem to be happening to these projects.

That door prize in Oz has consequences, good ones finally. Sydney Rd bike safety works fast-tracked The single most important thing they are doing in this project is removing on-street parking. There just is not enough room for parked cars, moving cars, a tram system, and bikes all in that one street. The least useful thing has to give, and that was storage for private motor vehicles not being used at the time.

The young man involved in this case was a kid when this wreck happened, and kinda needs this money yesterday (many years ago). Court Orders New Trial or Reduced Verdict for Injured Cyclist I would love to see a new trial and the damages increased by 50% or so instead of the 70% reduction ordered by this court. He just needs care for the rest of his life and is in constant pain… and this case pre-dates my starting this blog on the original site by more than 2 years.

The legal case over a cyclist killed about the time I started doing this blog here on WP is finally settled. Racecourse legal wrangle over cyclist’s death finally ends

Ghost bikes. I will keep building ghost bikes as long as cyclists’ lives are taken Little point of information, Ghost Bikes were first made in St. Louis MO.

Could your doctor help pay for your next bike? A Polaris® eBike May Qualify as a Medical Therapy Device in Medical Deductions for 2014 Federal Income Tax Check with your tax professional to be sure.

And I’m all out of links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

OK the ice and snow is gone, and the Feed

By this evening the last of the ice and snow that has been dominating the weather in these parts finally went away. Good riddance! Finally we have temperatures our heating system was designed to cope with and Mrs. the Poet has divested herself of her coat and 2 of the 4 shirts she was wearing. Yep, she’s down to 2 shirts and 2 pairs of underwear and heavy wool socks, instead of the “everything in the drawers and closet” costume she was wearing yesterday and Saturday. I still keep getting awakened at night with her trying to keep getting closer even after she gets into full body contact under the covers. I mean at this point the only way she could get any closer would be to skin me and wear me as a coat, which is kinda hard to do in your sleep and messy besides. Outside of the house the roads are no longer coated in ice, just slightly damp, and the number of injury wrecks has declined to only slightly above “normal” for a weekday. Have I mentioned that TX drivers lose their minds when the roads are anything less than perfectly dry and smooth? You would think that given how low the state’s road maintenance budget is compared to how many miles of road we have people would be used to crappy roads by now.

Up first is the massive amount of links to various aspects of an Italian cyclist “winning” the “door prize” in Australia. Brunswick cyclist death: ‘Car-dooring’ fatality prompts calls for motorists to pay more attention and Chilling footage of cyclist’s road death sparks passionate debate I wonder if anyone was paying attention to the bike lane symbol peeking out from under the weapon vehicle at the bottom of the image? Alleged dooring death: cyclist launch Sydney Road parking ban petition and another one Sydney Road bicycle death: Labor minister Jane Garrett sets emergency meeting as Greens MP Greg Barber renews call for TAC-style dooring campaign not done yet Italian cyclist Alberto Paulon killed on Sydney Road, Brunswick, remembered by work colleagues and memorial ride still MORE! Brunswick cyclist’s car-dooring death a ‘wicked waste’ and easily avoidable, safety campaigner says are we done yet? Tougher dooring penalties call rejected after death of Italian cyclist Alberto Paulon As I interjected between links I noticed what appeared to be a buffered bike lane underneath the line of parked cars the cyclist was next to when he was doored and thrown into the path of the truck that killed him. What is going on that there was nothing mentioned about this in any of the hundreds of comments I read about this wreck?

Also generating a ton of links is ongoing reporting on the lawsuit filed against the driver of a car that was used to kill a cyclist and the owner of that car. Suit filed in death of cyclist hit by alleged drunk driver also Suit filed in death of cyclist hit by alleged drunk driver and Cyclist’s Family Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Alleged Driver As I have written earlier, they should also file suit against whoever is in charge of this piece of infrastructure for the third identical death in 5 years in nearly the same location, a drunk driver drifting into the bike lane and hitting two cyclists from behind at high speed. One such death is a tragic accident, two is a coincidence, three is a design defect. We are now in design defect territory.

I find this conviction unusual especially given the state it was obtained in. Judge to sentence man for death of Casper cyclist Seriously 16 years in prison for killing a cyclist in Wyoming? The state that recently decided they didn’t need to know how and how many cyclists were getting killed and injured on their streets and highways?

Another one of those links about a dead cyclist that I don’t have a good label for. BICYCLIST STRUCK, KILLED BY CAR IN FRESNO COUNTY LAID TO REST

And while we are talking about CA here’s Our Daily Ted. A giant falls — Alex Baum, the father of modern LA bicycling, dies at age 92 WoaB sends its condolences to the LA bicycle community.

And some people in CA are just bastards. Robin MIller: Grow up and put your helmet on Seriously, I wear a helmet every time I ride my bike (and the recent medical problem I have been having that has been keeping me from wearing my helmet is also keeping me off the bike), but I know my helmet is mostly to protect my heirs in the lawsuit they will file against the driver that kills me to show I did everything in my power to not get killed.

And in NYC a killer driver refuses to admit fault or even that he committed hit-and-run when he killed a cyclist. No Apology From Trucker 3 Years After Killing Williamsburg Cyclist The sad thing is even if they pull his license and he kills someone else, unless he is drunk or leaves the scene again the most he will get is a ticket for driving while revoked.

OK this is mostly a bike story because they stabbed this guy so they could steal his bike. Islington stabbing: Alan Cartwright, 15, killed while riding bike with friends and Islington cyclist stab murder inquiry begins

A little UK “infrastructure”. I use quotes because there is little to none for bicycles in this article. Cycling campaigner brands Westminster Council’s attitude to road safety as ‘neanderthal’

News of a driver actually facing charges for killing a cyclist in Enn Zed. Driver charged over fatal cyclist crash Another turning truck running a cyclist over from behind…

Seriously, what is wrong with some people? Cycle-route booby traps: a growing danger for Spain’s mountain bikers Barbed wire and heavy fishing like at face or neck height? Rocks big enough to require 3 people to cooperate in carrying and placing them? This is acts of terrorism, pure and simple. And that steel plate with spikes welded into it? Someone was trying to kill somebody.

And here is some real “Lifestyle” of the cycling kind. 2015 Twelve Hours of Santos: Riding to Help an Injured Racer

And thank [$DEITY] I have finally reached the end of today’s links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Ever try to get enthusiastic about a dry hole, and the Feed

OK I opened the Feed folder and there was maybe 2 usable links in there, and I opened one and it had nothing to do with bicycles at all (only a little about motorcycles) and the other one was so ludicrous it just inspired hair pulling rather than anything useful. Even my other sources were not useful today because that one link kept coming up over and over. I think you’ll figure out which one that is.

Up first from OR a right hook wreck slowly winds its way to a final conclusion in the “justice” system. Jury decision expected today in Kathryn Rickson wrongful death lawsuit I read so many of these I forget which one this is, so I don’t remember if this was the right hook by a truck that passed well to the left and cut back suddenly, the right hook where the truck slowed down and moved to the left but didn’t start signalling the turn until the cyclist was already past the back of the trailer, the right hook where the truck stopped and signaled but couldn’t see out the right side because the cab was slightly turned to the right pointing the mirrors at the side of the trailer, or the right hook where the truck was already turning and the cyclist passed on the right because they couldn’t see the turn signals for all the dirt on them. More Trucking co. settles in cyclist wrongful death lawsuit

First link from BikingInLA today is mostly politics. Your morning links: Neighborhood Council elections, and somewhat questionable bike editorials And also stuff about the local LA media being unable to see things from outside a car or other motor vehicle.

Good advice for finding a lawyer, after a motor vehicle finds you… The Bike Accident Lawyer You Choose Can Make Or Break Your Case

And I think I saw this wreck earlier or a very similar one. LA rider killed in solo fall earlier this month; 5th cycling fatality in Los Angeles already this year I may be paranoid but I always say unless someone sees the cyclist wreck without assistance assume a motor vehicle was involved. By far the most dangerous thing on the roads is the motor vehicle.

One of the few actual wrecks in today’s links is this one from Sweden. Cops finger wild boar in cyclist’s mystery death And actually the blame should be on the man’s dog that dragged him down a mountainside when the dog detected a boar nearby and took off in pursuit while tied to the bicycle’s handlebars.

A folding e-scooter based on bike parts that might be a future part of transportation. URB-E: The world’s most compact e-vehicle. I don’t see it as a short-term possibility, but with a little changing of local regulations in certain areas(>cough<NYC>cough<) I think it might be a long-term solution to bad land use planning and poor mass transit.

Is the future of bicycle infrastructure literally over our heads? Are elevated bicycle highways the future of transportation?

Planning agencies are starting to learn that using peak growth figures from more than 20 years ago to plan for future growth is kinda stupid. As Driving Continues to Stagnate, Some States Finally Start to Adjust Now if we could get NCTCOG on the same page instead of lost in the ’70s…

Some places (not in the US) are planning for cargo bikes much like US cities planned for SUVs. Cargo Bike Parking Design – The Copenhagenize Bar by Cyclehoop

Last link is from PA and is about teaching women the basics of bike maintenance and repair so they don’t get stuck someplace bad. Pink Mechanic

And those were all the links that gave me fits and had some relation to bicycles, no matter how loosely.

Billed @€0.02, Opus