Was bound to happen?

[The fingers]

http://www.kcra.com/article/cyclist-badly-injured-after-rock-attack-along-american-river/10038636 :x
Cyclist badly injured after rock attack along American River
Kevin Meagher was hit near Del Paso Boulevard Wednesday
KCRA |
Updated: 10:10 AM PDT Jun 18, 2017
Natalie Brunell  
Reporter
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —
Kevin Meagher said he was cycling home from work along the American River Parkway bike trail Wednesday when he was attacked by another man on a bike.
"The guy was riding the opposite direction and when he was about five feet away from me I saw he was holding something and then he threw a rock side-arm at me,” Meagher said, just days after being released from the hospital.
Despite the painful blow to his side, Meagher said he kept riding as long as he could, worried he was being chased.
"I started having breathing problems so I had to stop on the side of the road and some people stopped to help me and stayed with me,” Meagher said.

He didn't recognize the man, but believes he was homeless. The unprovoked attack left him in the hospital for two days, unable to go back to work.
"I had a collapsed lung so I had to have a tube put into my chest for a couple of days,” Meagher said.
The incident happened near Del Paso Boulevard, not far from Interstate 80. Meagher said the rock he was hit with was as large as the man's hand.
"I couldn't see his fingers underneath the rock,” Meagher said. "It's shocking. I don’t know why anyone would ever do that.”

Other cyclists along the bike trail expressed concern, especially because park rangers said Meagher isn't the only person to have rocks thrown at him while biking here.
"I think that's really bad. I think that's awfully bad,” said David Jones, who bikes the trail about two to three times a week. “They should have bike patrols a little more often riding along here.”

While Meagher continues to recover, he wants to get the word out so no one else gets hurt.
"It'll always be in my head when I go through that area. I just want everyone to be safe, whether you're homeless or not,” Meagher said.
No suspect is in custody and park rangers are asking anyone with information to come forward.

 

[The fingers]

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-40351409
Chinese bike share firm goes bust after losing 90% of bikes
The bike-sharing phenomenon allows users to leave their bikes anywhere.

A Chinese bike-sharing company has gone out of business after 90% of its bikes went missing in the first five months.
Chongqing-based Wukong Bikes said the bulk of its 1,200 two-wheelers were lost or stolen.
Unlike rivals, the firm did not put GPS systems on its bikes and by the time it realised the technology was necessary, money had run out.
It is believed to be the first bankruptcy of China's booming bike-sharing industry.

A free ride

Billed as "Uber for bikes", China's tech giants have been funding sophisticated bike hire businesses as a potential solution to congested roads.
Tencent-backed Mobike and Ofo, supported by Alibaba and Xiaomi, are dominating the market.
But Wukong was a much smaller player, aimed mainly at students in the city.
Founder Lei Houyi told local media that as well as the lack of GPS, his firm had struggled because its bikes were of inferior quality to those used by its larger competitors and were damaged too easily.
He added that while users were initially charged, Wukong resorted to giving away bicycles rides for free to try and compete with other players.

China bike-sharing: How it works

The concept is similar to bike-sharing schemes that were popularised in cities including London and Paris.
But in China, rather than having fixed docking stations, all the firms are app based.
In most cases, bikes are fitted with a GPS chip, allowing users to locate a bike. They pay for the hire with their smartphones and then unlock it - sometimes using a QR code.
After they have finished the journey, customers can leave the bike anywhere.

That has proved problematic at times, with bikes abandoned in remote locations where another rider is unlikely to find it or want it.
Mobike has tried to get around this problem by providing cash or credit rewards for users who hire these bikes, in the hope they will end up somewhere more accessible.
And the huge uptake of the scheme has caused conflicts on both roads and pavements as cyclists vie for space to move around, especially in Shanghai and Beijing.
Similar schemes have opened up in Hong Kong and Singapore with Ofo planning to launch in Cambridge in the UK.

 

[The fingers]

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ge...undabout-safety-at-center-of-cyclists-lawsuit :x "Shut the barn door, the horses have gone."
Santa Cruz roundabout safety at center of cyclist’s lawsuit
By Calvin Men, Santa Cruz Sentinel
Posted: 06/21/17, 4:51 PM PDT | Updated: 9 hrs ago
SANTA CRUZ >> An Aptos woman is filing suit against multiple agencies throughout the county, alleging each had a hand in creating the roundabout that led to her breaking her hip.
Brenda Sherriffs fell off her bike onto her hip while riding through the traffic circle at Beach Street and Pacific Avenue near the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, resulting in multiple fractures.

The suit, filed in February 2016, alleges that multiple entities contributed to the conditions that led her fall. Named in the suit is the county and city of Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission, Graniterock and Kimley-Horn and Associates, a North Carolina-firm that designed the roundabout.
Casey Kaufman, a San Francisco attorney representing Sherriffs in the suit, said the intersection lacked proper signage to warn her of the railroad tracks.
“We believe that Ms. Sherriffs’ incident would have been prevented if warnings were present alerting her to the existence of the tracks, and are confident a jury will weigh the evidence presented by all sides and come to a just determination as to fault,” he said.
Near the intersection now, a large yellow caution sign shows a would-be cyclist launching into the air after hitting the railroad tracks. But the suit alleges the warning or any other sign was not there when Sherriffs fell.

On an afternoon in April 2015, Sherriffs was on her road bike riding through the roundabout at Beach Street and Pacific Avenue. With a cycling group, she and others followed the flow of the traffic circle. She moved to turn right onto Pacific Avenue before cars and the construction forced her to steer her bike into the train track divots that run through part of the intersection.
County spokesperson Jason Hopping maintains the county, which does not own the railroad tracks, was improperly named in the suit and will ask the court to be removed as a defendant.

When asked to respond about the lawsuit, Graniterock Project Manager Ambryn McBride instead spoke about the company’s Santa Cruz history.
“We’ve been paving the streets of Santa Cruz since the early 1900s. We’re proud of our hard-working crews who’ve helped build this city, and our efforts on the roundabout project are no exception,” McBride said.
A spokesperson with the RTC declined to comment and representatives from Kimley-Horn and the city couldn’t be reached.
Santa Cruz City Attorney, Tony Condotti, said, “The City of Santa Cruz disputes liability for Ms. Sherriffs’ injuries, and we are working to bring this matter to a positive conclusion for the City and its residents.”
Finished in 2015, city officials conceived the $2 million roundabout project to relieve the beach traffic congestion at the intersection. It’s the second roundabout in the area and followed the 2011 completion of the $1 million roundabout near Depot Park.

City officials and others moved to convert the intersection — originally a four-way stop — into a roundabout to ease beach traffic congestion.
It wasn’t unusual to see cars backed up along Pacific Avenue and Beach Street during the peak summer months. While traffic congestion is still an issue in the area, city officials said the wharf traffic circle reduced traffic problems. The project even earned an award from the League of California Cities for Outstanding Local Streets and Road Project.
The suit was filed in February 2016 and Kaufman said a jury date is set for Sept. 11 this year.
Despite the accolades, Brian Peoples maintains the intersection is a hazard to bicyclists. Peoples has staunchly opposed the Beach Street roundabout since it was conceived since it was so close to the railroad tracks.

At face value, Sherriffs’ fall could be chalked up to Sherriffs’ lack of awareness as a cyclist.
But Peoples said he knows Sherriffs and her riding experience, citing numerous long-distance cycling events that are under her belt.
“I think it’s the most dangerous roundabout in America for bicyclists,” he said. “The reason is because the train tracks run parallel to the bicycle path. It’s impossible to make it safe.”
A jury trial is set for Sept. 11.

 

[The fingers]

https://www.facebook.com/BikingForBaseball/
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/loca...-ending-journey-across-america-429307453.html :x
'Biking for Baseball' Rider Hit by Car, Ending Journey Across America
By Chris Hush
A Chicagoland native was biking across the country to help put kids through college, but his ride was cut short when he was hit by a vehicle in Alabama. NBC 5’s Chris Hush has his heartbreaking story.
(Published Sunday, June 18, 2017)
An Illinois native was biking across the country to help put kids through college, but his ride was cut short when he was hit by a vehicle in Alabama.
“The road was bad, and there were no shoulders,” rider Tim Lalla from Orland Park told NBC 5. “A man in a Ford F-150 crested a hill and hit me going pretty good.”
Lalla was riding his bike in Alabama as he traversed the country going to all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums. He kept fans apprised of his adventures on the Biking for Baseball website and Facebook page, the same page where he informed fans of his journey's "devastating" end.
Lalla suffered serious injuries in the accident, including minor fractures in his spine, a broken neck, and facial fractures. He also lost several teeth in the accident, he said.
“The first thing I remember is waking up on the side of the road,” he said. “It’s tough waking up knowing that the dream of a lifetime is over.”
The journey was supposed to end at Chicago’s Wrigley Field later this summer.

“This trip has been absolutely incredible. I can’t say how devastated I am that this is how it ends,” Lalla wrote on Facebook. "The places, stories, but especially the wonderful people I’ve met across the country have made this adventure amazing.”
Lalla also encouraged people to donate money to the cause, which helps to fund scholarships and mentoring programs for kids interested in attending college. The $160,000 goal that the organization set was to send two more kids to college, and they had raised over $12,000 at the time of Lalla’s accident.
“Even though this trip has ended on a sour note, it would really give this journey a sense of fulfillment in my eyes to reach the goal and give this journey the ending it deserves,” he said.

Published at 10:14 PM CDT on Jun 18, 2017 | Updated at 12:41 PM CDT on Jun 19, 2017
Source: 'Biking for Baseball' Rider Hit by Car, Ending Journey Across America | NBC Chicago http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/biking-for-baseball-rider-hit-by-car-ending-journey-across-america-429307453.html#ixzz4kjw62HTP
Follow us: @nbcchicago on Twitter | nbcchicago on Facebook

 

[Chalo]

I wish they'd stop using the word "accident" for criminal negligence and/or vehicular assault.

 

[shineon102]

Wish in one hand...... :lol:

 

[Chalo]

For once, the right outcome in car vs bike relations.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-road-rage-motorcycle-crash-20170622-story.html

[youtube]y4UWxWUmSN0[/youtube]

The reporting says the motorcyclist "started the chain reaction", but it looks to me like the driver ineptly using his car as a weapon to attack the motorcyclist was what caused the crash.

 

[The fingers]

For once, the right outcome in car vs bike relations.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-road-rage-motorcycle-crash-20170622-story.html

[youtube]y4UWxWUmSN0[/youtube]

The reporting says the motorcyclist "started the chain reaction", but it looks to me like the driver ineptly using his car as a weapon to attack the motorcyclist was what caused the crash.

It's regrettable that the good 'ol pick-up truck driver was collateral damage.
Was a fine piece of maneuvering by the biker that he wasn't seriously injured or killed.

 

[billvon]

The reporting says the motorcyclist "started the chain reaction", but it looks to me like the driver ineptly using his car as a weapon to attack the motorcyclist was what caused the crash.

Hmm. Looks to me like the motorcyclist kicked the car, and the driver was startled and swerved into the retaining wall.

That motorcyclist may end up spending a long time in jail as a result of that kick.

 

[The fingers]

I tend to think that the car driver deliberately tried to knock the biker off for kicking his vehicle. The biker will probably surface as it happened in broad daylight with lots of witnesses. Looks like they were southbound 14 approaching the 5 (the area bridge where a motorcycle cop flew off and got killed dropping 75 feet right after the Northridge earthquake).
Might have even been another cop on his way to work, riding on his privately owned vehicle. :?

Oh well, I'm retiring; don't need to solve any more hit and runs. :wink:

 

[markz]

That is attempted murder by the car driver. Looks to me like the driver did it on purpose. Could be argued either way. Here is my arguement - The motorcyclist was trying to warn the car driver that he/she was getting to close, no doubt thats what it looked like to me. The car driver didnt hear the horn of the motorcyclist, so a knock on the body panel may work.

 

[Dauntless]

This is California, where the scooter made first contact and is therefore responsible for the whole accident. No No sign of anything other than the driver panicking when he doesn't know what that sound was. But will they charge the rider with a felony? Doubt he'd get away with just a suspended license. He kicked the car deliberately. Sure hope the driver of that truck wasn't hurt.

We sure do have a lot of nuts on two wheels here in California.

 

[The fingers]

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/lo...cle_a4141632-4326-5e67-a984-159f898a34d1.html :x
2 teens arrested after bicyclist struck in face on bike path, Madison police say
LOGAN WROGE lwroge@madison.com
17 hrs ago
Two teens were arrested after a bicyclist was struck in the face early Saturday morning on the Southwest Commuter Path, the Madison Police Department said.
Around 1:15 a.m., a 46-year-old man was biking by a group of five to six teenagers near the intersection of North Orchard Street and Spring Street, police spokesman Joel DeSpain said. As he passed, one of the teenagers struck the man in the face, DeSpain said.
The group of teens split up as officers arrived in the area, but the "primary suspect" and another teenager were apprehended, DeSpain said.
A 15-year-old boy was taken to the Juvenile Reception Center on tentative charges of battery and disorderly conduct, along with a curfew violation citation, DeSpain said.
A 16-year-old boy was also taken to the reception center on tentative charges of party to a crime of battery, party to a crime of disorderly conduct and obstructing, he said.
Officers recovered a fake gun from the incident and believe the group may have been involved in the nearby robbery of a man that happened just before the assault, DeSpain said.

 

[The fingers]

http://siouxcityjournal.com/lifesty...cle_60b7f885-0921-5f00-ac9c-1091e8bc6370.html
:x Paranoia strikes rural road users in the heartland.

 

[billvon]

That is attempted murder by the car driver. Looks to me like the driver did it on purpose. Could be argued either way. Here is my arguement - The motorcyclist was trying to warn the car driver that he/she was getting to close, no doubt thats what it looked like to me. The car driver didnt hear the horn of the motorcyclist, so a knock on the body panel may work.

That's a stretch.

Once you start an altercation you are primarily responsible for its outcome. The motorcyclist started this by kicking the side of the car; he bears responsibility for the result of his actions. Had the motorist started this by ramming the motorcycle, it would be the motorist's fault.

 

[The fingers]

That is attempted murder by the car driver. Looks to me like the driver did it on purpose. Could be argued either way. Here is my arguement - The motorcyclist was trying to warn the car driver that he/she was getting to close, no doubt thats what it looked like to me. The car driver didnt hear the horn of the motorcyclist, so a knock on the body panel may work.

That's a stretch.

Once you start an altercation you are primarily responsible for its outcome. The motorcyclist started this by kicking the side of the car; he bears responsibility for the result of his actions. Had the motorist started this by ramming the motorcycle, it would be the motorist's fault.

There was some interaction between the parties before the start of the footage. Without witness statements of what occurred, we can't assume how it started.

 

[Chalo]

The motorcyclist could not reasonably expect to hurt or kill the driver by kicking his car. But the driver could reasonably expect to hurt or kill the motorcyclist by smashing his car into him. That's the difference. I'm guessing the car driver earned a kick to his car by doing something a lot more dangerous beforehand, too.

If a guy flicks a cigarette at another guy, and he replies by slashing at the cigarette flicker with a knife, but falls down and cuts himself, who's at fault?

We cut way more slack for negligence and aggression committed with cars than with any other thing. And that's wrong.

 

[Dauntless]

Ah, but just because someone wants to CALL something reasonable doesn't make it reasonable. One could reasonably expect to fall flat on one's face.

According to the newsradio story on Sunday the scooterist could reasonably expect to be charged if he was identified. He can reasonably expect them to be looking for him. One could reasonably expect he won't be out riding his scooter for awhile. Not without GOOD reason, which he didn't need when he kicked the car.

 

[The fingers]

http://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2017/06/26/bike-rider-hit-by-car-in-hillcrest-seriously-injured/ :x
Bike Rider Hit by Car in Hillcrest, Seriously Injured
Posted by Toni McAllister on June 26, 2017 in Crime | 115 Views
The driver of a motorized bicycle was struck by a car Monday in Hillcrest and suffered major head injuries, according to officials at the scene.
The crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Centre Street and University Avenue.
The bike driver was riding with a male passenger who jumped off when he realized they were about to crash, according to San Diego police.
The bike driver was then struck at the intersection by a white Prius and transported to Mercy Hospital with serious injuries.
The rider who jumped off was uninjured.
University Avenue was shut down between Herbert Street and Park Boulevard while police investigated.

 

[billvon]

But the driver could reasonably expect to hurt or kill the motorcyclist by smashing his car into him. That's the difference.

That's if it was intentional, rather than a flinch reaction to a sudden noise of a collision.

If a guy flicks a cigarette at another guy, and he replies by slashing at the cigarette flicker with a knife, but falls down and cuts himself, who's at fault?

If a guy flicks a cigarette at another guy, and it lands in the guy's eye, and he screams, convulses and falls down a stairway, who is at fault?

 

[Chalo]

But the driver could reasonably expect to hurt or kill the motorcyclist by smashing his car into him. That's the difference.

That's if it was intentional, rather than a flinch reaction to a sudden noise of a collision.

I'd be a lot more willing to buy that explanation if the driver steered suddenly away from the motorcyclist, rather than towards him. Would you lunge towards the side of an unexpected impact that surprised you?

 

[The fingers]

But the driver could reasonably expect to hurt or kill the motorcyclist by smashing his car into him. That's the difference.

That's if it was intentional, rather than a flinch reaction to a sudden noise of a collision.

I'd be a lot more willing to buy that explanation if the driver steered suddenly away from the motorcyclist, rather than towards him. Would you lunge towards the side of an unexpected impact that surprised you?

Kicking a car: Malicious mischief. :x
Trying to run a motorcyclist off the road: Assault with a deadly weapon.

 

[billvon]

I'd be a lot more willing to buy that explanation if the driver steered suddenly away from the motorcyclist, rather than towards him. Would you lunge towards the side of an unexpected impact that surprised you?

Nope. But that's because I have instincts on what to do when I am walking that come from several million years of evolution. People have not evolved those instincts for driving cars.

Ever heard of the people who try to stop and stomp on the gas instead? That doesn't make much sense. The people who spill something and then swerve into oncoming traffic? Doesn't make much sense either. Why don't they swerve to the right instead of the left? Because while people can learn to drive, they do not come equipped with driving instincts - and an instinctive flinch reflex in your arm that makes perfect sense when you are walking through a field no longer makes sense when you are hanging onto a steering wheel.

 

[markz]

Gotta prove who was driving the motorcycle when the incident happend to charge anyone.

 

[The fingers]

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/new-...-electric-assist-recumbent-trike#.WVT_rzYUkdU 8)

TerraTrike offers electric-assist recumbent trike
Published June 28, 2017
by BRAIN Staff
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (BRAIN) — TerraTrike's new Rambler E.V.O., is an electric-assist recumbent trike based off the company's popular Rambler mode. The E.V.O. (short for Electric Vehicle Option) uses a 750-watt, 5-phase motor made by Falco eMotors. Integrated into the rear wheel hub, the motor provides a boost to pedaling through an embedded torque sensor. The company said the Falco design "is lightweight, whisper quiet, and gives extended range, high power, efficiency and torque."

"The beauty of this trike is that you simply turn it on and ride," said Jeff Yonker, marketing director at TerraTrike. "We've figured out the ideal torque setting and assist level so that it's very predictable and optimized for assistance and range – up to 60 miles on a charge. However, if you want to tweak the setup, the additional accessories will let you unlock even more capabilities."

Additional accessories – the console, throttle, and plus-minus switch – allow the rider to adjust assistance levels, put the motor into a regenerative mode to charge the battery during long descents, or activate the "crawl" function, which is intended to get the trike rolling from a stop and engage a reverse gear for backing up. An Android-compatible app is currently available to customize the motor setup from your smartphone. The iOS app will be released soon.

"We've been working on this for over two years with the Falco team and we couldn't be happier with the result. The E.V.O. represents the next step for recumbents – getting our customers out for longer rides, taking the overall triking experience to a new level," Yonker said.
The E.V.O.'s MSRP is $2,999. It will be available through all authorized TerraTrike dealers in late July. More information at TerraTrike.com.