Thursday, January 31, 2008

January riding

Did you ride your bike much in January? Did you ride much in lieu of car? Did you take your bike on the bus any? I didn't this month, so maybe somebody repped it. Jim and I together rode about 800 miles this month. Much of it was cold by Alabamian standards. I rode to a Huntsville Chamber Music Guild concert and someone in the parking lot commented that there must be a warmer method of transportation. But 5 minutes into the ride I wasn't cold at all. It takes that long for a car to warm. And I didn't have a cold catalytic converter producing extra pollution during that time. There will never be a more efficient method of transportation on land. Or at least not in my lifetime.

Transportation Ethics (9:10)


Who knew that Randy Cohen, a guy who spends most of his day analyzing right and wrong as the New York Times Magazine’s acclaimed “Ethicist,” turns out to be one of New York City’s most captivating and articulate voices for Livable Streets.

The Open Planning Project’s Executive Director Mark Gorton recently interviewed Mr. Cohen on the ethics of urban automobility. The result has been condensed here into a 9 minute talk that touches on a multitude of topics ranging from Congestion Pricing to Parking Policy.

StreetFilms hopes this inspires even more debate as we approach these issues from the angle of personal responsibility. We think you’ll enjoy this.

ripped from street films

Be A Clown

Presidential Views (or not) on Public Transportation


As the primary season continues, MTR decided to ask the question: To what extent does transportation factor into the political discourse of the U.S. presidential candidates? Though it’s unlikely that transportation and land use issues will end up determining the election, nearly all of the candidates list climate change or energy independence as key planks in their platforms (the main exception being Ron Paul, who told City Hall News that he had never used the NYC or Washington, D.C. subways because subsidized transit violated his libertarian principles; does he drive on [subsidized] highways?)


To date, only the three main Democratic candidates (Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama) address the link between mass transit and smart growth on one hand and reduced automobile use and oil dependence on the other.


Hillary Clinton wants to increase federal funding for public transit by $1.5 billion per year. She mentions principles inherent in a smart growth approach to land use as she vows to encourage a shift away from commercial developments towards urban centers that balance residential, commercial, and transportation needs. She correctly points out that this will help discourage sprawl and fight congestion while also increasing mobility options for the elderly. She wants to invest an additional $1 billion in intercity passenger rail systems as this mode is a “critical component of the nation’s transportation system.”


John Edwards’ few sentences on transportation give a mere glimpse into his transportation priorities but he does reference smart growth and transit-oriented development and wants to create incentives to reduce vehicle-miles traveled in the US. He will “support more resources” to encourage greater mass transit use amongst workers and will encourage more affordable and environmentally sound transportation alternatives.


Barack Obama is the only candidate to connect transportation and economic access. He identifies lack of adequate public transportation as a barrier to low-income people seeking work and highlights the disproportionate share of income they spend on transportation. Like Clinton and Edwards, he wants to see increased transportation funding but he goes further by seeking to incentivize bike and pedestrian measures. He also wants to reform the tax code to equalize the commuter pre-tax benefits for parking and transit riding (currently, employees can use up to $220/month in pre-tax income for parking, but only $115/month for transit).


(Bill Richardson, who dropped out of the race last week, had called for increased transit funding, highlighted sprawl as a key cause of energy use, and said he would encourage local governments to build bike infrastructure using tax incentives.)


The rest of the candidates have little to say about transit or land use issues. Rudy Giuliani’s “plan to move toward energy independence” says nothing about getting people out of their cars onto mass transit nor mentions anything about investment in public transportation - a disappointing plan from the former mayor of the most transit-dependent city in the US.


Mike Gravel would be better off calling for something more realistic than an extensive national network of magnetically levitating trains, but at least he is thinking of public transportation.


Dennis Kucinich has called for increased funding for mass transit, but his environmental platform largely focuses on other issues. Mike Huckabee’s “comprehensive energy independence plan” has no details, though he plans to achieve this independence by the end of his second term in office. Mitt Romney is also mum on transportation issues, but believes we can reduce our energy dependence by opening up the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration and increasing off-shore drilling. Unlike the other Republicans, John McCain identifies climate change as a key issue, but says nothing about transportation. Fred Thompson, on the other hand, is still not convinced by global warming, saying “While we don’t know for certain how or why climate change is occurring, it makes sense to take reasonable steps to reduce CO2 emissions without harming our economy.” (Those steps say nothing about investing in public transportation.)



As measured by the presidential campaigns, transportation policy on the national level is still dominated by debates over CAFE standards and investing in alternative fuels. But as more Americans move to cities and traffic congestion continues to worsen, national politicians must recognize that auto-dependent development is as big an issue - if not bigger - than old automobile technology. Notably, Democratic frontrunners Sens. Clinton (D-NY) and Obama (D-IL), who have comparatively extensive transportation plans, represent states with major urban centers and transportation infrastructure. New York City and Chicago have the largest and second-largest transit systems of all U.S. cities, and both metropolitan areas have significant commuter rail and bus networks. (Both city transit systems are also facing major funding crises.)


Locally, representatives from the Clinton, Giuliani, and Obama campaigns have confirmed their attendance at an “Presidential Candidates’ Forum on Infrastructure and Transportation” hosted by the NYU Rudin Center on Jan. 31.

No Clear Transpo Agenda From GOP Presidential Candidates


This is part one of a two-part series on where candidates for president stand on transportation issues, authored by Streetsblog Los Angeles correspondent Damien Newton. Damien currently runs the blog Street Heat, which is soon to become Streetsblog L.A., our first foray into foreign territory. Damien was New Jersey coordinator for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign before relocating to California last year. Here, he examines the platforms and records of the Republican presidential candidates.


For Republicans vying for the White House, transportation reform isn’t couched in terms of fixing the environment or cutting carbon emissions, but in reducing dependency on foreign oil. Promoting alternatives to car culture is not something any of these candidates want to take up.

The closest thing to an exception is John McCain. The senator is the only Republican candidate who recognizes climate change as an issue worthy of space on his web site. Recently, McCain resisted the knee-jerk reaction of promising to subsidize or prop up the auto industry, and he has been an advocate for higher fuel economy standards for automobiles -- two positions that may have cost him the Michigan primary. However, McCain’s recognition of the environmental and economic effects of auto dependency has not translated into a platform of transportation reform. Senator McCain made a name for himself as an outspoken critic of Amtrak. While the agency could doubtless be more efficient, McCain’s fear of government waste led to setbacks of high speed rail expansion and his supporting of the Bush Administration’s plan to segment Amtrak into several local rail agencies. The senator did stop short of calling for the agency to be shut-down completely.



from street blogs Read the rest of this entry »


Alabama rates 48th in 'green' survey

Alabama is one of the three most polluting, least energy-efficient states in the nation, according to a survey conducted and published by Forbes magazine.
The survey compared air quality, environmental policies, energy efficiency, regulations governing hazardous waste disposal and other factors.

Alabama ranked as the 48th least "green" state in the nation, beating only Indiana and West Virginia, both of them homes to numerous Superfund sites and heavy industrial operations, such as coal mines or steel mills.


Mississippi and Louisiana ranked 46th and 47th, respectively. According to the Forbes article, the five states at the bottom of the list "all suffer from a mix of

toxic waste, lots of pollution and consumption and no clear plans to do anything about it. Expect them to remain that way."

"There are obviously multiple leadership opportunities in the state of Alabama to help make us greener and healthier," said Dr. Bert Eichold, Mobile County health officer.

Famously "green" states Vermont, Oregon and Washington topped the list but were followed closely by states not normally associated with being environmentally progressive.

For instance, New Jersey ranked seventh, and New York came in ninth.

In part, the rankings for those states -- each of them including sprawling urban areas and numerous chemical factories -- reflect changes made in state and federal laws to counter significant pollution problems in the 1970s and 80s, Forbes said.

Though not mentioned specifically by the article, air quality issues in the Northeast, such as the "acid rain" problems tied to coal-fired power plants, spurred greater environmental awareness in the heavily populated region.


from al.com more here

Naples community policing officers get grant for bicycle education

Naples community policing officers received a $1,500 "Share the Road" mini-grant this week from the Florida Bicycle Association to help address the education of motorists and bicyclists on how to properly and legally share the road.

The mini-grant will be used by Naples police to purchase bicycle light sets for an upcoming "Lights on Bikes" campaign, according to a press release from the Naples Police and Emergency Services Department.

During "Lights on Bikes" campaigns, light sets and blinkers are installed on the bicycles of needy restaurant workers throughout the city who ride their bikes to and from work at night, and can’t afford to equip their bikes with the proper lighting.

Officers received the grant on Sunday during the Naples Pathways Coalition’s second annual Pedaling for Pathways Bicycle Brunch at Lowdermilk Park. During the event about 520 registered riders rode in either 10-mile, 20-mile, 62-mile or 100-mile tours.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Sorry I have left out Gods Party


But what about our candidates, the men running to be the nominee for God's Own Party? I'm not sure what songs they're using, or if they're using any at all, but I do have a few suggestions.

Rudy Giuliani - They're Coming to Take Me Away by Napoleon XIV. Why? Well, because, as he announced during a speech to the Coral Gables Rotary Club, he actually is Napoleon XIV.

Mike Huckabee - Every Sperm is Sacred by Monty Python. We'd have no problem passing Huckabee's personhood amendment to the Constitution if every American heard this song.

Mitt Romney - The Girl from Ipanema by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Because when he passes, each one he passes goes "ahhhh." There's nothin' wrong with having a president who has a purty mouth.

Ron Paul - The Horst Wessel Song. Isn't it time to get the government off the back of your local jackboot cobbler?

John McCain - Bomb Iran - because he sings it from the heart.



Remember " Only you can stop terrorism"

Bush: $20 For Poor Kids, $287k For Millionaires!

From Greg Palast's One Bush Left Behind:

Here’s your question, class:

In his State of the Union, the President asked Congress for $300 million for poor kids in the inner city. As there are, officially, 15 million children in America living in poverty, how much is that per child? Correct! $20.

Here’s your second question. The President also demanded that Congress extend his tax cuts. The cost: $4.3 trillion over ten years. The big recipients are millionaires. And the number of millionaires happens, not coincidentally, to equal the number of poor kids, roughly 15 million of them. OK class: what is the cost of the tax cut per millionaire? That’s right, Richie, $287,000 apiece.

Read more.

ripped from the headlines at state of the day

Monday, January 28, 2008

My Veterans Day and Tonite

Trust me it will make sense if you read it.... I hope

Veterans Day - 6:30 pm coming back from star market on foot walking down wellman and listening to ornette colemans "Peace". I take a left and one of the alleys are paved nice I say (since there are no sidewalks left) and decide to walk through it. It is on the way and a nice new addition to my route. so I am carrying my star market bags with my groceries and I think to myself " it would suck if a big german shepard jumped out and bit my ass.... then I look down and there is a shit zu on leash coming at me. another one attached to it's owner is yapping at me. I look up and laugh at them and this guy in his 30's kahki pant a very white shirt, starched pressed he looked like a sausage. Cue Tip haircut. So he says hey and I take my ear buds out and he says" let me ask you a question: where do you live?" I am so shocked by the question that I answer randolph ave......he says ok what address? I said why? he replies there have been a lot of break ins here and..... I said dude do I look like someone who would break in to your house? This fecker freaks out and his eyes roll back in his head and he starts to come at me like the crazed drill sergeant in full metal jacket. he goes"Dude" what do you mean do I thinkyou look like someone who would break in my house! let me tell you something Dude you are not allowed to walk down this alley ever.....then I hear his wife screaming Mike Mike leave him alone..... I am thinking this guy is barking fucking mad..... I just keep walking and going yea yea right and told him he might consider getting a bigger dog that I don't find shit zu's very manly.... he barks out his address and says any time dude anytime"...... So I go back the next day and his pick up truck (go figure) with his yellow ribbon and His Veteran of Desert Shield License plate is there and I coast my bike quickly thorough the alley.... So this is who I must blindly support so I can not walk two blocks from my house by being accosted by this wacko? I would just like to ask is that the freedom he thinks he is fighting for? Also why are people here so afraid of each other? Is this the community and southern hostility you would want to live in?


January 28 th 5:45 pm

Coming down wellman on my bike with the groceries about 3 blocks from my house and a mini van approaches the stop sign not fast and just kind of cruises through and towards me .... I scream hey and he is so close I reach and slap "pow" his back window....he just keeps going and I proceed to follow him we take a left and I see he pulls in and guess what he is commando mike the fascist (from the story above) neighbor on the corner. he is getting out of his van and I pull up and say excuse me did you see me back there? he said no why? I said you almost hit me? he said well I did not see you dont you have a light? I turned my bag and there is my blinking red light? he says well you need a bigger light I said you need to pay attention and maybe get your eyes checked....


So how long will I survive here? what is up with your peops here? Or is it me?

more motorist trash

Black Chrysler Crossfire; had a temporary tag or something similar looking tonight. It was pulling out of a neighborhood west off Old Monrovia near University. The driver intentionally pulled out partially into my lane and stayed there until he got passed me, trying to get close to me but not hit me. Please be looking for this. I am busy tomorrow, but I may go there Thursday and spend some time to see if this person lives there or frequents the neighborhood.

I am too tolerant of bullshit. I should have at least hit the windshield and yelled. Or not slowed and scraped the car. I guess that's a good thing about having bullhorns with no bar ends, but I was riding the Trek today. My u lock is not easily accessible from panniers, but if shit like this becomes more common, I'll be keeping it around my neck when riding the Trek. $1 says he doesn't turn around when I bust out a window.

Bike The Vote

LA cyclists are joining LA City Council President Eric Garcetti on a bike ride in support of Obama.

Cyclists will gather at the Eco-Village on February 2 at 11:00 am for a leisurely ride through Silver Lake and ending in Elysian Valley with snacks and the opportunity to help with some campaign phone banking.

Cyclists in search of Leadership have to search hard to find Presidential hopefuls who support cycling and walking as transportation solutions and who have gone on record in support of funding that supports the full spectrum of alternative transportation.

Of the Democratic hopefuls, Obama is credited with the following platform position:

“As president, Barack Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account. Obama will build upon his efforts in the Senate to ensure that more Metropolitan Planning Organizations create policies to incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of roads and sidewalks, and he will also re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country. Building more livable and sustainable communities will not only reduce the amount of time individuals spent commuting, but will also have significant benefits to air quality, public health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

As for the Republican hopefuls, Mike Huckabee gets credit for being the candidate who still rides to the grocery store (no word on how many Secret Service cyclists ride sag support) but it remains to be seen if his cycling activities will translate into a “routine accommodations” stance on funding for alternative modes of transportation.

Regardless of where you fall on the issues and on the candidates, please keep in mind that the most significant action we can take is to get on a bike and ride to the polls!

See you on the Streets!

Saturday, January 26, 2008

US Presidential Candidate Obama Favours Bicycle

from bike europe

PORTLAND, US – Bicycle advocacies from city of Portland have unearthed a quote from US presidential candidate Barack Obama regarding his support for cycling.

He even seems to be the only one of the Democratic presidential candidates who explicitly encourages bicycle transportation in his energy plans. On the Republican side, the only mention of bicycles comes from Mike Huckabee.

A part of the quote of Obama’s energy platform:

“As president, Barack Obama will build upon his efforts in the Senate to ensure that more Metropolitan Planning Organizations create policies to incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of roads and sidewalks. He will also re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country.”

Friday, January 25, 2008

Critical Mass Tonight

6:30 PM SE Corner of Courthouse

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Bogata Columbia

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

request

If anyone has a spare extra long (up to 1m) 25.4 seat post, I'd like to borrow it for the Critical Mass. Thanks.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

To Obey, Or Not to Obey

This one is for Clint, as always there are two sides to every argument.
from streetblogs

Not getting flattened by a 50,000 pound "big rig" is a good reason to stop at a red light if you're on a bicycle. But how about less skin-saving reasons? Are there in fact, good reasons to ignore traffic regulations when you can, because after all, they are really meant just for cars?

It's a question that comes readily to mind at times, particularly say when pedaling up a steep hill or going down one, and having to stop at a red light in the middle. Many of us often just cruise through with a careful glance in each direction, but we feel guilty about it. Should we?

Maybe not. If you look historically, you'll find that there were practically no traffic regulations as we know them before cars. No stop signs. No traffic lights. No left turn lanes. In the 19th century, the streets of New York were a seething mass of horse drawn wagons, walking adults, playing children and yes, in the late 19th century, bicyclists.

Cars changed this. In the 1930s, traffic congestion became a serious and unanticipated problem. How to handle it? Enter the new "science" of traffic engineering. With the addition of stop signs, street lights and all the other accoutrements that are common today, traffic congestion would soon be a thing of the past, the new professionals assured the public.

Of course, this wasn't true at all. What it did do was make that street much less convenient for someone on a bicycle or using any other form of non-motorized travel.

So here's my point. Given that most traffic controls were put into place solely for the benefit of drivers, why should the rest of us have to obey them? They're not helping us. In fact, they're impeding us.

What we may need to move toward is some sort of system where cyclists, non-motorized scooter riders, skaters or users of any other kind of self-propelled vehicle are exempted or partially exempted from traffic controls. It could be understood that a red light is there to control the car or truck, not everyone else.

There are a number of options. What Montreal does on some streets is to let cyclists proceed six seconds before the cars do at some red lights. This frees cyclists from being lost in a swirl of drivers going around them. In many Dutch cities, drivers are bound by one way streets, but not cyclists. Imagine such a thing here.

Most effectively, the state could rule, as most Scandinavians have, that in any collision between a pedestrian, a cyclists or a driver, the largest, heaviest vehicle is at fault. This means that pedestrians take precedence over cyclists, and cyclists take precedence over drivers. This would be a de-facto way of exempting cyclists and pedestrians from most automobile-oriented traffic regulation.

One particular regulatory device we could consider having cyclists relate differently to is one way thoroughfares, which are so ubiquitous in New York City.

One way streets are a fairly recent "innovation," many being put into place in the 1950s and 1960s, and again solely for the supposed benefit of drivers. There were many ill effects, and not just for cyclists. Jane Jacobs commented in her classic 1961 "Death and Life of Great American Cities" that every time New York City converted an avenue to being one way, bus traffic would take a significant drop, because people now often had to walk an avenue over to catch a bus traveling in the right direction.

I may be digressing here, but people give those poor delivery guys hunched over their bicycles so much grief for going the wrong way down one-way streets. But rather than penalize their employers, something currently proposed by the New York City Council, how about getting rid of a lot of the one way streets? Or even exempting cyclists from having to obey one way regulations?

This may sound insane, but the fact is it's often irresistible to a biker to go the wrong way down a one way street. If I'm at 15th and Eighth Avenue in Manhattan, for example, to get to 14th and Eighth Avenue would require a very long journey if done legally. I would have to cycle down 15th to Ninth Avenue, and then up 14th Street back to Eighth Avenue. That's almost a half mile, given how long Manhattan blocks are. Or, I could travel illegally a 100 feet or so down Eighth Avenue. You can understand why to a delivery person, or I, for example, would be so tempted.

There's a school of cycling called "vehicular" or "integrated" cycling that advocates that cyclists in essence act like motorists. That is, they should take up a whole lane of traffic, and obey all traffic regulations. While this may make sense tactically at times, for example to avoid getting squeezed out by city bus, it's a stupid philosophy. A bicycle is not a car, much less a truck. It's a very different device, and it needs a different set of regulations, one that can be looser and more permissive, given its less substantive nature.

Photo: hen power/Flickr



Contested Streets

This was sent in from Tyler please check it out.
http://www.contestedstreets.com/ContestedStreets.mov

Saturday, January 19, 2008

ride

There haven't been any rides recently that I've read about on here or heard about. There was an alley cat posted a little while back, but no one knew anything about it, and I think it didn't happen. Is anyone playing bike polo? Are we wussing out because of the cold weather? I'm still riding. Let's hear it if you have any group rides.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Obama Gets A Boost From the Crucial Bicycle Swing Vote


from treehugger.com

Yes, we all know that politicians pander to special interest groups in the hopes of picking up key votes. Unfortunately, bicyclists aren't usually one of the interest groups targeted by politicians (although there have been some funny photo-ops of, for instance, John Edwards riding his bike with Lance Armstrong). This bit of news isn't going to change how politicians view cyclists, but it may change how cyclists view a certain politician. According to C.I.C.L.E. (it stands for Cyclists Inciting Change Thru Live Exchange), the Portland bicycle community has unearthed a quote from Barack Obama's energy platform in which he expresses his support for cycling and mass transit. And It turns out that Obama is "the only one of the Democratic presidential candidates who explicitly encourages bicycle transportation in his platform." On the Republican side, the only mention of bicycles comes from Mike Huckabee who, apparently, "rides his bike to the grocery store." (Huckabee is a big proponent of health and wellness, having himself lost over 100 pounds). Read the quote from Obama's platform after the fold:



As president, Barack Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account. Obama will build upon his efforts in the Senate to ensure that more Metropolitan Planning Organizations create policies to incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of roads and sidewalks, and he will also re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country. Building more livable and sustainable communities will not only reduce the amount of time individuals spent commuting, but will also have significant benefits to air quality, public health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions."


So, does this make you more inclined to vote Obama?



Via: ::C.I.C.L.E.


BIY, Bike-It-Yourself: Living Carfree, It Isn't As Crazy As It Sounds


I owned a car from the time I was 15, in 1985, until December 2, 2006. On that day an SUV driver over-estimated the abilities of his vehicle on a downhill slope during the first snowfall of the year. He ran a stop sign and was headed right for me. I swerved to avoid being t-boned and possibly killed, and ran into a tree instead. The car was totaled. Had I not been on the way to an important doctor’s appointment, I would not have even been on the road. I’m glad to be alive and without serious injury. But so it came to be that I have been “car-free” for just about one year now.

To be fair, I’m really “car-lite” rather than “car-free.” I still rent or borrow cars for long distances or heavy loads, and I’m a member of Community Car. But for trips of less than 5 miles that do not involve moving a drum kit, I typically bike, walk, or take the bus now. more here

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Portland, Ore., Acts to Protect Cyclists


“Ghost bikes,” riderless and painted white, were placed at two busy intersections in Portland, Ore., last October, makeshift memorials to two bicyclists killed when they were hit by trucks in accidents that month. more here from the ny times

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

RNC, in Minneapolis...history repeats itself...again.

from our friends at bike blog

New Yorkers know there is no better way to ruin your critical mass ride than a Republican National Convention coming to town. We're still feeling the effects of a once largely attended worldwide event, reduced to 50 or so people brave enough to ride bikes in a group and challenge a childish police grudge from 4 years ago. An RNC is a golden opportunity for law enforcement to break out their shiny new 'non-lethal' weaponry they got for Christmas and put your hard earned tax dollars to work. Not to mention treat everyone like terrorists and turn up the Orange levels to maximum.

Since we've ignored the urgent calls for campaign reform, yet again...we've front loaded the primaries and have created such a rush in candidate selection that now only those with top dollars can stay afloat through super Tuesday in the first week of February.

The police activity is also front loaded and the cops in Minneapolis have wasted no time in preparing for the next Republican Convention in September of 2008.

The pattern repeats itself.

Back in August of 2007, Minneapolis' peaceful critical mass ride was...you guessed it...taken over by ANARCHISTS...or so the story goes by the police.

Minneapolis is hosting this years RNC, September 1-4th 2008, and people are already front loading the organizing to give these wealthy, war mongering, corporate welfare receiving, public service destroying delegates a proper HELLO (NOT WELCOME)

Not that any Republican has a chance this time around, but that won't stop Homeland Security form cracking down on our rights of free speech, free assembly and freedom to ride bikes.

Here's a little recap of what went on by Huffington Post writer Peter Smith.

Here's a little video:



Things seemed to have calmed down...since the ANARCHISTS left. Damn those ANARCHISTS, they hate our freedom. There like TERRORISTS only without a "T."

so in September the critical mass seemed to be more peaceful.

Here is a great video from the the uptake.



Check out the Uptake, a group of citizen journalists who happened to have a live stream from the primary in New Hampshire.

I'm sure they will be following the activities leading up to the RNC.


Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Stearns Thursday

This is copied from Nolen. It should be a cool movie. This guy's handlebars are more aero than my bullhorns.

Stearn's Coffee has graciously agreed to show The Flying Scotsman (DVD) Thursday night, at 6:30ish pm. Stearn's Coffee is off Longwood & Whitesburg (southeast corner), more or less behind Steak Out & next door to Magnolia chocolate shop.


* FREE. (But please buy something so we can do this again. I love their Dirty Chai!)
* Seating is limited. If you let me know you & yours are definitely coming, then I can cue them in, in advance, on seating & we'll do the best we can (even if we have to tell you to bring your own chair or pillow...).
* Movie in the back room.

Here is the official link & a trailer:
http://www.mgm.com/sites/theflyingscotsman/

Monday, January 7, 2008

New Tool: State by State Bicycle laws

Check out our new tool! A web application that will give you the laws that are applicable to bicycles for your state. You can find our new tool on top of our sidebar or on our Commuter Tools Page.

An important note to our readers: while we at Bikecommuters.com have made every effort to ensure the completeness and applicability of the bicycle-related laws for individual states, the information provided in this
‘State By State Bicycle Laws’ area may not reflect current legal developments or statutory changes in the various jurisdictions and therefore should not be relied upon or interpreted as legal advice. The
information provided on this public web site is provided solely for the general reference of the visitors to this web site. We suggest that you seek proper legal counsel if you have additional questions about the material presented here.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

harassment

47G648A
red/maroon 90s Ford Explorer
trailer hitch/ball/whatever

If you see this vehicle with that tag number of a similar one, please take note. I was harassed by 2 female occupants today, and I would like to file a police report, especially if they bother someone else. Or just go ahead and kill them if you want.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Bicycle Bandit arrested by Roswell police

by Jason Wright

January 03, 2008
It appears last year's rash of bicycle bank robberies may have drawn to a close.

Roswell police announced Jan. 3 they had Carlos H. Arango-Mejia, 47, in custody at the Roswell Detention Center. He is being held without bond.

Arango-Mejia currently stands accused of two counts of bank robbery, both at the Bank of America on Alpharetta Highway in Roswell March 8 and July 25.

More charges are likely against the suspect accused of using costumes and bicycles to rob various banks from March until Dec. 26.

The FBI and various police agencies in Georgia and South Carolina believe Arango-Mejia is responsible for at least nine other robberies throughout North Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett and Forsyth counties and Greer, S.C. more here

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Bicycle carnage!!!

Police: Boy jumped off bike before it was struck by SUV

By David Lazenby
The Cullman Times
State Troopers say injuries sustained by a 6-year-old Cullman County boy were caused when he lost control of his bike during an attempt to avoid the vehicle that struck it.

Bicyclist Isaac Ludwig turned onto County Road 496 from County Road 498 when the accident occurred. He was transported to an area hospital Monday at the insistence of Cullman Police Capt. Hughel Sanford, the driver of the Chevrolet Blazer that ran over Isaac’s bike.

The extent of Isaac’s injuries were not known at press time. read more here