baltimorespokes

By Wynne Parry, LiveScience
Humanity is 17 million tons (15 million metric tons) overweight, according to a study that calculates the adult portion of the human race’s collective weight at 316 million tons (287 million metric tons).
That’s the equivalent of about 170 military aircraft carriers of extra weight. Or in people weight, it’s like having an extra 242 million people of average body mass on the planet.
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The United States ranked at the top of the "Heaviest 10" category
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The argument is simple. More body mass takes more energy to maintain and move; therefore as someone’s weight goes up, so do the calories they need to exist. This means increases in population counts don’t tell the whole story when it comes to demand for resources, according to the authors.
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"Tackling population fatness may be critical to world food security and ecological sustainability."
https://www.livescience.com/21003-human-population-global-obesity-weight.html

[B’ Spokes: More and more things benefit from cycling.]
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By Arthritis Foundation
Introduction
Arthritis affects 50 million adults and is the most common cause of disability in the United States.1, 2 Currently, 22.2 percent of the adult (>18 years old) U.S. population has arthritis. Comprising more than 100 different rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect joints and tissues, arthritis causes many Americans serious pain, aching, stiffness, and swelling. Physical activity is an important but underused intervention for adults with arthritis that decreases pain, delays the onset of disability, improves physical functioning, mood and independence, and enhances quality of life, aerobic capacity, and muscle strength. This document is designed to engage six important sectors as partners with a mutual interest in increasing physical activity among adults with arthritis using environmental and policy strategies.
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“Transportation systems, development patterns, and community design and planning decisions all can have profound effects on physical activity. People can lead healthier, more active lives if our communities are built to facilitate safe walking and biking and the use of public transportation, all considered forms of active transportation.”
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• Urge state and local governments to examine planning and zoning efforts, such as complete streets policies, to ensure that adults with arthritis can walk safely to their schools, workplaces, shopping areas, and other community venues (e.g., pedestrian crossing signals that allow adequate time for adults with arthritis and other mobility limitations to cross the road safely).
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• Encourage park, recreation, fitness, and sport facility authorities to offer more low-impact and low-intensity exercise equipment for individuals with disabilities and older adults (e.g., bicycles, elliptical, swimming pools, exercise bands).
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https://www.arthritis.org/files//documents/OA_Physical_Activity_Rpt_508_v1_TAG508.pdf

[B’ Spokes: It seems a recurring problem for cyclists “an officer is unfamiliar with the law [for cyclists]” and that same officer will be called in for “expert” testimony on what the law is for cyclists. :/ We need to make an effort to correct this issue!]

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By Bob Mionske, Bicycling

So you just got a ticket while riding your bike. Now what do you do? Should you fight the ticket? Or should you just pay it and move on?

The answer to that depends on a number of factors. Were you caught breaking a traffic law? Did you break the law, but feel that there are extenuating circumstances that would help a judge understand what happened? Did the officer make a mistake? Were you involved in a collision with another vehicle?

Also consider the effect a ticket can have on your life. A ticket does not mean that you are guilty. It is just a summons to appear in court and answer the charge against you. But if you are found guilty, you will likely be required to pay a fine that can range from a minimal fee to several hundred dollars or more. Additionally, a conviction on your driving record is virtually guaranteed to raise your insurance rates. And if you get ticketed too often, you can even lose your driver’s license. There’s more. Some employers ask to see the driving records of job applicants. And if you receive a ticket as a result of a traffic collision, you will be seen as the at-fault party by the other driver’s insurance company, regardless of who is actually at fault.

All of these issues are factors you should weigh in deciding what to do once you’ve been ticketed. Let’s take a closer look at a few common scenarios—and what the best course of action might be.

Scenario 1: You broke the law and got caught
Let’s say you saw the stop sign but didn’t see the police officer. Ignoring the sign, you rolled through, got pulled over, and were ticketed.

If you pay the ticket, it’s equivalent to a guilty plea and conviction. But if you decide to fight the ticket, you will be required to enter a not guilty plea and appear in court on your trial date. And here’s the problem—when you appear in court, the officer will be there as well, prepared to testify against you. If all you have to say in your defense is “I did not do what the officer says I did,” guess who the court will believe? Not you.

Should You Fight? Maybe. If you were caught red-handed and you have no defense, and if your time is more valuable than the fine, then paying the ticket might make sense to you. You might also consider saving yourself the embarrassment of having the officer’s video recording of your obvious violation of the law played back in court after you just denied breaking the law.

But if you want to keep the traffic ticket off your record, then you will either need to fight the ticket or go to traffic school for cyclists (if one is available in your town). If the violation is a misdemeanor, you are facing criminal charges and should give very serious consideration to hiring a lawyer. And if the violation is a felony, it is absolutely vital for you to hire a lawyer to defend against the charge.

Scenario 2: You broke the law, but there’s an explanation
Now let’s say that you rolled through that stop sign, but you didn’t see the sign. Was it because you weren’t paying attention? If so, that won’t get you off. But what if it was because the sign was hidden behind something that blocked your view—a large truck for example, or foliage on a tree? Now you have a defense you can use at trial.

Should You Fight? Yes.

Scenario 3: You weren’t breaking the law, but got ticketed anyway
I have seen this happen many times. Sometimes it happens because an officer is unfamiliar with the law. It also happens when officers are ordered to “crack down” on cyclists. And perhaps worst of all, it can happen when a cyclist is involved in a traffic collision and there is confusion about who did what.

For example, one cyclist whose injury case I handled was ticketed when an eyewitness said that the cyclist “came out of nowhere, so he must have been going the wrong way.” Maybe the eyewitness just didn’t see the cyclist until the moment of impact, as is often the case in collisions. But when the cyclist, who was suffering from a concussion, was unable to tell his side of what had happened, he was the one ticketed, even though the driver was also suffering a medical emergency—the real cause of the collision—and could not explain what had happened either.

These tickets can be easy to beat. If you can demonstrate to the court that the officer is wrong on the law, or even on the facts of the case, you will likely win. But what if you were ticketed as a result of a traffic collision? If you don’t beat the ticket, you probably won’t be compensated for your injuries. The driver’s insurance company will stonewall you until the deadline for resolving the case has passed. So if you want to be compensated for your injuries (and legal expenses), fighting one of these unjust tickets is a must.

Should You Fight? Yes.

Although I do not handle traffic tickets as a part of my bicycle law practice, in Part 3 of this article, I will explain how you can get the best outcome for your case, regardless of whether you actually broke the law, or it just looked that way when the officer got out his ticket book.

Research and assistance by Rick Bernardi, J.D.

Continue reading “Ticket Talk, Part 2”

Via https://www.engadget.com/2013/03/06/volvo-cyclsist-detection-automatic-breaking-system/

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[B’ Spokes: Wouldn’t it be cool if this was on all cars? Instead what we get is a self centered approach to safety, something like this, if you do something dumb in your car you are protected and those outside your car… who cares anyway?]

By Bob Mionske, Bicycle Law

A reader recently asked an interesting question. If a car causes a cyclist to crash, but doesn’t actually collide with the rider, is the driver still at fault?

In a recent incident, a husband-and-wife tandem team ran into an abutment after a driver violated their right-of-way. Police officers told them, incorrectly, that it was “not legally an accident because there was no collision between bike and car.” The officers refused to take contact information from a witness even though the driver admitted fault at the scene. They also informed the couple that it was their responsibility to control the bike. In another incident, a driver failed to yield before ­making a right turn and nearly struck a­ cyclist. The rider crashed, and wonders if his insurance company will pay.

Although neither vehicle touched the cyclists, the drivers operated in a way that caused a crash. In fact, the only ­reason there was no contact was because the ­cyclists took evasive ­action. Here’s how to avoid this kind of situation, and how to handle it if you do hit the pavement.

Ride Defensively
Be extra vigilant near intersections and driveways, where drivers are more likely to violate your right-of-way.

Play Detective
While you may be able to file a successful­ claim after a no-contact crash, you will find it harder if you don’t have evidence of the driver’s negligence. Witnesses can provide valuable proof, so make every effort to get contact information from any bystanders who saw what happened.

Record Your Ride
You may have seen the YouTube clip of the Colorado driver who harassed two cyclists by following them and honking. He was eventually ticketed, thanks in part to that video.

Research and assistance by Rick Bernardi, J.D.

 

https://www.bicyclelaw.com/road-rights/a.cfm/road-rights-the-no-contact-crash

I ran across this:
* Specific tips for reducing pedestrian fatalities include:
* Always use the crosswalk
* Stop before turning right on red
* Look before crossing
* Yield to pedestrians
* Pay attention to the road, every time, every trip
https://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/
While in Maryland we have this:
Maryland road safety head, Post’s Halsey blame pedestrians [listening to music] and even Michelle Obama for fatalities
https://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8906/maryland-road-safety-head-posts-halsey-blame-pedestrians-and-even-michelle-obama-for-fatalities/
Traffic safety ALWAYS involves two sides and NEVER should be one sided. And it should address common KNOWN errors, not wild speculation.

By Mr Money Mustache
Hey there.. welcome to the first edition of the new “Get Rich With…” series. In these articles, we’ll analyze a bunch of ideas, both new and old, to see what kind of impact they can have on your life. (Hint: the impact will probably be a huge positive one, since these are all of my favorite moneymaking ideas). And this edition is about the good ol’ fashioned Bicycle.
The bike will probably turn out to be the best thing ever invented for humankind. It is taking us a while to realize this, but I think more people are coming around with each generation. You see, bikes were invented before they were truly needed, when the world was sparsely populated. When cars came along, they seemed like an improvement on bikes, bringing us great speed without any effort at all! Unfortunately, as a side effect they destroyed the whole fuckin’ world.. and made most of us dangerously obese too. With a new understanding of these side effects, the bike seems like an increasingly appealing alternative.
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But another side effect is that bikes are good for your wealth. Let’s start with the bare minimum: any mileage you put on your bike instead of your car saves you about 50 cents per mile in gas, depreciation, and wear and maintenance. From this savings alone, doing a couple of bike errands per day (4 miles) in place of car errands will add up to $10,752 over ten years.
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I’ve been a bike evangelist since childhood, but only recently did I discover the way to make your bike even MORE POWERFUL – with a BIKE TRAILER! In 2007 when my son was old enough to start riding around with me, I bought a trailer like this one* from the online bike store called Nashbar. This revolutionized my biking life, because suddenly my wife and I could get the little lad to most of the close parts of town with no car! When you leave the kid behind, these trailers can also carry a massive $150 load of groceries, or even a bunch of stuff from Home Depot like a few cans of paint and some light fixtures. I’ve put over 1000 miles on this trailer since I bought it, meaning it has saved over $500 in car costs alone.
The final issue to address is the “But I can’t ride a bike in my city/climate/physical condition/age” excuse that 99% of people over 12 in this country seem to cough up.
The answer is, in 99% of these cases: WRONG! Amsterdam is chilly and rainy, and this is how the bike scene looks there. In Hamilton, Canada, I rode year-round to get to McMaster University, through a dense downtown area in snow up to a foot deep. It was awesome. In Asia, the streets are packed with 90-year-old-ladies zooming along on cruisers with panniers full of chickens and such. If you are too heavy to look good on a bike right now, start biking and you soon will not be. JUST GET THE BIKE and you will see.
So, if you grow a big Money Mustache today and go out and get yourself a good city commuting bike – try one of these – then here’s what you will have in ten years:
– reduced mileage: $10,752
– less expensive cars: $30,000
– cheaper leisure: $7680
– increased income: $37,500
– reduced medical: $7500
Total: $93,432
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https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/04/18/get-rich-with-bikes/