Florida –
Killing cats = $249,000 bail and not to mention the accused having to wear a bulletproof vest when going to the hearing.
Killing a cyclist = $100,000 bail and not to mention the accused being DUI at the time, being a hit-and-run, trying to evade police and the cyclist was riding in the bike lane.
Have we become so callused that human beings are simply roadkill and is just an "accident"? Don’t get me wrong I am horrified by both crimes but the needless loss of a human life being less then half of that of cats is also horrifying.
Continue reading “Killing cats vs killing a cyclist”
THE HIDDEN BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
-> According to a Jan. 5th Wall Street Journal article, "Physical activity has long been known to bestow such benefits as helping to maintain a healthy weight and reduce stress, not to mention tightening those abs. Now, a growing body of research is showing that regular exercise-as simple as a brisk 30- to 45-minute walk five times a week-can boost the body’s immune system, increasing the circulation of natural killer cells that fight off viruses and bacteria. And exercise has been shown to improve the body’s response to the influenza vaccine, making it more effective at keeping the virus at bay."
"’No pill or nutritional supplement has the power of near-daily moderate activity in lowering the number of sick days people take,’ says David Nieman, director of Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab in Kannapolis, N.C. Dr. Nieman has conducted several randomized controlled studies showing that people who walked briskly for 45 minutes, five days a week over 12 to 15 weeks had fewer and less severe upper respiratory tract infections, such as colds and flu. These subjects reduced their number of sick days 25% to 50% compared with sedentary control subjects, he says…"
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Imagine pedaling into the sunset, riding these cool machines
A large assortment of interesting or cool bikes pics.
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When life imitates art
Obama Quietly Gets Federal Agencies Involved in Transport Planning
by
When President Obama signed an executive order in October requiring federal agencies to craft strategies for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, he described the mandate as Washington “lead[ing] by example” on the pollution-reduction front.
(Photo: AP)And that’s true — but the order also includes language telling federal agencies to get involved in integrating local transportation planning, with a particular focus on selecting sites for government facilities
…
that are pedestrian-friendly, near existing employment centers, and
accessible to public transit, and emphasize existing central cities
and, in rural communities, existing or planned town centers;
The overall goal for government agencies, as Obama’s order put it, should be to “strengthen the vitality and livability of the communities in which federal facilities are located.” Given that more than 2,200 communities host federally owned or leased property, that edict could unleash a lot of local energy for transit and pedestrian improvements.
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Oprah’s distracted driving show, online pledge provide huge public service
by
It is fitting that The Oprah Winfrey Show chose the Martin Luther King Day of Service to air its program on distracted driving. Spreading awareness about this deadly epidemic is a huge contribution to the safety of millions of Americans.
For that public service, I enthusiastically thank Oprah.
And I encourage everyone who didn’t see the show to visit Oprah’s website where you can watch segments of the show, read the transcript, and SIGN THE PLEDGE!
Oprah’s online pledge draws a line in the sand that says, “NO! We will not do this anymore.”
I signed it. So have tens of thousands of others. Now we need you to sign it. And then we need you to get your friends and your family members to sign it. And then
we need them to get their friends and family members to sign it. That’s
how it works, folks, moving out one expanding circle at a time.
From Oprah’s website. In the top half of the image above we see all of the information necessary to navigate the intersection safely. In the bottom half we see what the distracted driver sees. Notice this driver’s attention blindness literally blocks out the pedestrians, the stop sign, the bicyclist, and the crossing guard.
One of the most compelling of those is an extended video, “After the Show,” of survivors telling their painful stories of loss due to distracted driving.
Now, over and over during the show, the word “preventable” comes up. Every single one of these tragic losses was preventable. Preventable just by people keeping their hands on the wheel and their minds on the road.
So, please, while we’re all thinking about service, let’s do what we can to end this epidemic. Visit www.distraction.gov to learn more about what we’re doing and what you can do.
Then one day we will look back and say, “Yes. We kicked that deadly habit.” And when that day comes, we will have all sorts of heroes to thank. Among others, we’ll thank Jennifer Smith. We’ll thank Shelley Forney. We’ll thank Reggie Shaw.
And we’ll thank Oprah Winfrey.
Continue reading “Oprah’s distracted driving show, online pledge provide huge public service”
Oprah Show targets distracted driving on Monday
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I cannot thank Oprah enough for using the popularity of her television show to call attention to this grave problem. And I urge everyone to watch the show Monday and find out why I’m on such a rampage about it.
Look, it’s awful–truly, truly awful–that we have to devote our resources to this ridiculous and deadly behavior. But, since we must, I think it’s great that we have strong partners like Oprah in our fight to keep our roads safe.
…
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Forget Gum. Walking and Using Phone Is Risky.
Oh great, we have to worry about distracted drivers and distracted pedestrians. (Link to New York Times article)
Continue reading “Forget Gum. Walking and Using Phone Is Risky.”
Battery of cyclist treated as Hit and Run
By WashCycle
From a reader who was hit and nearly run over on December 28th while cycling to work.
The details are as follows: On Monday, Dec 28, I was southbound on 4th Ave NE and I stopped for the red light at the intersection with Rhode Island Ave. I was in a marked bike lane. To my right was a right-turn lane; to my left, the lane for through traffic and left turns.
The light turned green and the driver of an SUV in the right-turn lane started blowing her horn and merging into MY lane because she wanted to go _through_ the intersection. I pulled forward, staying in my lane, and when she continued to use her horn I stopped to ask what it was that she was trying to alert me about. She continued to use the horn, then looked at me as she pulled forward into me, catching my rear wheel beneath her front left fender. This forced me and the bike down onto the pavement. I rolled away as she continued to drive across my bike, narrowly missing my lower legs, and totally ruining my bicycle. She immediately sped away south on 4th Avenue.
I called 911 for police and ambulance, as I was unsure as to the extent of my injuries. The officers and emergency personnel who responded were all courteous, professional and efficient.For the driver to look right at me when stopped, then drive into me and risk deadly harm needs to be treated as nothing less than an assault.
At this point the incident is being treated as a hit-and-run, but given
the intent of the driver to harm my person and property, I insist that
this be classified as an assault and the perpetrator pursued
accordingly.
I actually think it’s at least battery or possibly attempted murder (if that’s a crime in DC).
The cyclist had the license plate number, a description of the car and a description of the driver – all of which he gave to the police. The hit and run investigator has tried to contact the driver, but hasn’t succeeded yet. Obviously, the cyclist would like to see this crime treated a more seriously than it has been. A few phone calls seems inadequate. And since he’s out a bicycle, he’s eager to get insurance information.
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Hit & Run Driver Injures Cyclist, Turns Self In, Gets a Misdemeanor
Bicycle activist and blogger Stephen Box yesterday recounted a hit and run that last week left a cyclist in the hospital. Here’s what happened:
Last week, Ed Magos got up early, just as he does every weekday morning, had breakfast with his wife and children and then hopped on his bike to ride to City Hall where he works for the ITA Department. He didn’t make it. As he rode down 2nd street, he was hit from behind by a motorist who didn’t honk or hit the brakes. She simply drove her Porche Cayenne sports car into the back of Magos, propelling him and his bike through the air. He landed on the ground and lay still, conscious that any movement might cause further injury.From the corner of his eye, he saw the woman walk toward him. He yelled “I can’t move! Call 911!”
He remained motionless and continued to call for help, then heard the sound of car door closing, then the sound of an engine starting. He craned his head and caught the license plate number of the woman’s car as she made a u-turn and drove off in the opposite direction. He immediately began repeating the license information out loud until a woman approached and assured him that she had written it down and that she had called 911
.
In an e-mail blast, the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition briefly cites the same: “Witnesses and Ed both state that the driver of the vehicle got out of her car, saw Ed and proceeded to get back in her car and leave the scene.”
So what happened to that driver? She later turned herself into a local police station, saying “I think I hit something. I’m not sure what,” according to Box via Magos. Later police told Box the incident was an accident.
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