When I was a kid, I once asked my dad if anyone he served with was killed in the war.
He just turned away without a word, his eyes glistening.
I never asked again.
Whatever you do today, wherever you are, take a moment to remember those who never came home.
We’ll be back tomorrow, as usual.
Photo by luxstorm from Pixabay.
Eid Mubarak to all those celebrating today!
My father fought in World War II, in both Europe and the Pacific.
In fact, he was training for the invasion of Japan when the war ended; his unit had been told to expect a 100% casualty rate. If Japan hadn’t surrendered when it did, I probably wouldn’t be here today.
Or be, period.
My grandfather was a doughboy in World War I; exposure to poison gasses probably contributed to the emphysema that eventually took his life, along with a lifetime of smoking.
My brother served in Vietnam, thankfully without serious incident.
They all made it back home. A lot of the men and women they served with didn’t. Along with countless others who fought in earlier and later wars.
Several of the kids just few years ahead of me in school went to Vietnam and never came back, while a Marine friend of mine — the husband of a co-worker — was one of the few Americans to die in the first Gulf War.
And we’ve lost too damn many good men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.
So please, take just a moment amid the bike rides and barbeques and sales going on today to remember what Memorial Day is really all about. And say a prayer for all those who have given their lives for their country, if you’re so inclined.
And if you’re looking for somewhere to ride today, allow me to make a suggestion.
………
You can find this week’s upcoming events on the updated Calendar page.
………
Cycling scion Davis Phinney takes his second US national time trial title in Chattanooga; Allison Powers wins the women’s championship. Next up for both is Monday’s road race.
Meanwhile, Velo News proclaims 23-year old rider Fabio Aru, winner of Sunday’s stage of the Giro d’Italia, is Italy’s next big thing.
………
LocalRichard Risemberg goes multi-modal meandering.
Downtown Garden Grove will go car-free on October 12th for the city’s first open streets event.
Cycling in the South Bay asks if Stava is killing bike racing. If you ask me, it ain’t helping.
State
San Clemente’s bike plan wins an American Planning award.
San Diego gets its first road diets.
San Jose’s Mr. Roadshow tells drivers how to avoid right-hooking cyclists. And offers the heartbreaking tale of a priest who comforted a teenage cyclist as she lay dying following a traffic collision, only to lose his own life in a cycling collision years later.
Palo Alto residents agree changes to a contentious roadway should include measures to alter human behavior.
National
Tucson’s new street car tracks have caused over 80 bicycling collisions.
Cyclists take over Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive for a few short hours.
Writing for the New York Times, Eben Weis — aka Bike Snob NYC — argues that if Citibank got a bailout, Citi Bike should, too.
International
After a Toronto cyclist is screwed over by the insurance company of the driver who hit him, the local paper rides to his rescue.
A new French 360-degree helmet cam can take immersive video of your ride. Or capture dangerous drivers on video no matter what direction they come from.
You know you want to. Three inexpensive ways to tour Italy by bike.
Aussie roundabouts are responsible for one in every ten bicycling collisions in the state of Victoria.
Finally…
Several cyclists riding with the bicycling Australian prime minister are taken out by an oil slick. Somehow, I can’t imagine any American president riding in a peloton.
And the LA Weekly says never pick a fight with a cyclist because you’ll lose, and they — we — get mad; looks like they’re finally learning. Thanks to Serge Issakov for the heads-up.
New 2xU store at 15th and Montana in Santa Monica
Just a few quick notes before I head out for my first, and last, spandex-clad non-transportational ride of the week.
I was hoping for a lengthier update this morning, but after three days in Damien Newton’s shoes as guest editor of LA Streetsblog, combined with an LACBC panel discussion on the Rules of the Road and a grand opening party for the new 2xu store in Santa Monica — the first US retail outlet for the Aussie performance wear brand — I found sleep far more appealing than writing last night.
I’m just glad I didn’t break Damien’s website. And I learned just how hard a job he has — and was reminded what an amazing job he does with it.
As far as riding goes, it looks like about as perfect a day as you can experience here in SoCal. Which means about as perfect a day as you’ll experience anywhere.
Just remember, it’s also the day before a three-day weekend.
Which means that traffic will be exceptionally heavy this afternoon and evening, as L.A. drivers rush to get home and/or out of town. They will be frustrated by the heavy traffic, possibly angry and looking for any advantage they can get on the roads.
And they won’t be looking for you.
Which means it’s up to you to ride carefully and defensively.
It shouldn’t be that way; everyone on the road should be expected to be aware of their surroundings and others on the roads at all times, and drive accordingly. But that doesn’t happen on the best day, and it certainly won’t happen today. So it’s up to you, even more than usual, to ensure that you get home in one piece.
One other holiday note. If you ride on the beach bike path anytime after noon today, you can expect the pathway to be overrun with bike riders, skaters, pedestrians and tourists, many of whom will be drunk, clueless or both, to the point that it will be virtually impassible at times.
Just deal with it, and get on with your life.
Either find another place to ride, or accept that you will have to ride slowly — very slowly — and watch out for others who aren’t likely to be watching out for themselves. Let alone you.
In many places, non-bike riders have as much right to be on the bike path as you do, since any off-road path without an alternative pedestrian walkway nearby is legally considered a multi-use path.
And even where it’s clearly marked bikes only, it’s a lost cause to think that anyone will even attempt to enforce it.
But don’t worry, the situation will improve.
The day after Labor Day.
……..
It’s a quiet news day on the bike front, which is almost always a good thing.
If you don’t count the latest doping bust. Even Lance thinks he’s an idiot.
@lancearmstrong Knowing I have 0 cred on the doping issue – I still can’t help but think, “really Di Luca? Are you that fucking stupid??”
Good news from the Eastside, as police make a pair of arrests in the recent assault on a bike rider on the L.A. River bike path.
And sad news as the famed bike-sexual Scotsman caught attempting intercourse with his bicycle passed away over the last weekend.
I’ll try to catch up as time allows over the weekend, and will keep up you with any breaking news. So check back when you get the chance.
And try to remember that Monday’s holiday is about more than sales and barbecues.
Let’s stay safe out there.
When I was a boy, I used to love watching war movies with my Dad.
I hadn’t yet developed any sense of the terrible toll that war inflicts; of the lives taken and torn, both on the battlefield and at home. I was far too young for that. All I knew was that he had fought in the second world war, both in Europe and the Pacific, and to me, he was a much of a hero as any of the brave men who battled across our TV screen.
Why he enjoyed those movies, I don’t really know. But I think he took pride in having been part of a struggle that, quite literally, saved the world — and that his sacrifice, and the greater sacrifice of those who didn’t come home, was worth the cost.
Yet it was also clear that, as much as he tried, he could never forget the things that he’d seen, and done. Or the fellow soldiers who didn’t come back home with him.
One moment in particular stands out in my mind.
We were watching a scene in which an American soldier was being tortured by the enemy. In my naïveté, I turned and asked if the Americans ever tortured anyone.
“No,” he said. “We wouldn’t do that. We were the good guys.”
Maybe that’s why I get so upset when I hear Dick Cheney defend the torture of terror suspects. It feels like a betrayal of everything this country has stood for, and everything my father and hundreds of thousands of his fellow men and women fought for.
This weekend, we celebrate Memorial Day.
Most Americans will spend it at the beach or outdoor barbeques; at the mall or any of the countless sales that encourage us to mark the occasion by going further into debt. Meanwhile, those of us in the two-wheeled set are likely to take advantage of the three-day weekend and mark the unofficial start of summer with the year’s first big ride.
All I ask is that you take just a moment this weekend to remember those who gave their lives for this country, as well as those who, like my father, surrendered too much their lives to battles they could never forget.
And don’t forget those who are serving their country as we speak — and the sacrifices their loved ones make worrying about, and living without, them.
We’ll have plenty of time to talk about biking next week.
Gary provides an insightful analysis of the failure of Class III bike routes. Seriously, read it. In the comments, Scott directs readers to this criticism of the LAB’s Bike Friendly Cities program. Streetsblog provides insight into the Hummer incident by interviewing the victim, Andres Tena. The new Secretary of Transportation notes that biking is healthy when you do it safely, while OHS reminds drivers that we share the road, too. The Tucson Bike Lawyer asks why the Pima County sheriff is entrapping cyclists, and the Safe Passing Bill moves forward in Texas. San Francisco moves forward with a plan to phase out cars and phase in bikes on Market Street, while a Toronto writer notes that bikes are good for business. And finally, the Brooklyn Eagle notes that sharing the road has never come easy.
Cheating alleged in Lyft’s Metro Bike bid, questioning rescue of Georgia bikepacker, and PCH study comments extended
Day 143 of LA’s Vision Zero failure to end traffic deaths by 2025.
………
My apologies to everyone who found an unfinished — or unstarted, for that matter — draft of today’s post in your inbox.
And yes, spellcheck, unstarted is a real word.
But’s that’s what happens when have too many windows open on your screen, and inadvertently hit the “publish” button when you try to click on one.
Not for the first time, I might add.
………
Now that we have that out of the way —
Today is the unofficial start of the three-day holiday weekend. Which means lots of people leaving work early, and not paying attention to anything but where they wish they already were right now.
Like bikes, for instance.
And long weekends mean parties and barbecues — and a lot of drinking and other forms of imbibing.
So ride defensively all weekend, and assume every driver you see is under the influence of something. Because more than a few probably will be.
I just want to see you back here safe and sound on Tuesday.
And try to take a few moments to remember what this holiday is all about, anyway.
………
Raise your hand if you’d be shocked to learn there may have been cheating in awarding the new Metro Bike contract.
Hello? Anyone?
Is this thing on?
Streetsblog reports Metro directors delayed what was expected to be a pro forma vote to award Lyft the contract to operate the city’s docked bikeshare program yesterday — despite a unanimous vote by the Metro Operations Committee to advance the contract.
And after two previous botched attempts at awarding the contract.
But according to LA Public Press, the vote was pulled after allegations were raised that Lyft had inside information giving them an unfair advantage, in violation of Los Angeles ethics rules.
And yes, we have ethics rules, as hard as it is to believe at times.
LA Public Press also reports that Metro was on the cusp of making the change despite limited cost savings that amount to a rounding error in the massive Metro budget.
It’s possible — likely, in fact — that the allegations are an effort by current program operator BTS and unionized Metro Bike mechanics to derail the shift in management.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
And even if it’s not, is it worth risking the bikeshare program as the city prepares to host the World Cup and ’28 Olympics by shifting to a company which has had a spotty record in other cities?
……….
It’s been a little more than a week since the “miraculous” rescue of Georgia bikepacker Tiffany Slaton after she got lost in the mountains above Fresno, surviving three weeks on wild leeks and melted snow.
But apparently, not everyone believe her story.
According to the Los Angeles Times,
On the other hand, a Redditor had this to say.
Even the experts had questions. Experienced Sierra mountain guide Howie Schwartz didn’t doubt Slaton was lost.
But,
Never mind the Redditors who said she was probably crazy, embellished her story, or looking for a book deal or crowdfunding cash.
Which probably explains why her parents shut their crowdfunding page down. But not until it had raised over $23,000.
Then again, those same doubts also popped up in my own Twitter/X feed.
So what’s the answer? Don’t ask me.
Her story does seem kind of incredible. But the best stories usually are.
………
Caltrans uses a lot more words than necessary to say they’re giving you more time to comment on the PCH Master Plan Feasibility Study.
Maybe they had to use them all before the weekend.
………
Streets For All shares video of their virtual happy hour with LA City Attorney candidate Marissa Roy.
I never know how much to tip my virtual bartender. Or a Waymo driver, for that matter.
………
Streets Are For Everyone, aka SAFE, posts video of the recent die-in on the steps of City Hall.
………
Active SGV hosts free two-hour ebike rentals this weekend.
https://twitter.com/ActiveSGV/status/1925644608425410632
Here’s the link if Elon is still screwing up proper embedding of Twitter/X posts.
………
Of course a bicyclist who used to be a driver would have no idea what a traffic light is. Especially when it comes to right turns.
Or left.
………
The war on cars may be a myth, but the war on bikes just keeps on going.
Tres shock! New York’s police commissioner says her cops are only targeting reckless ebike riders for six offenses along 14 key corridors; Streetsblog says it ain’t necessarily so.
………
Local
Streetsblog’s Sahra Sulaiman reports on the celebratory grand opening of the “transformative” Rail-to-Rail bike/walk path in South LA.
Long Beach is launching a 12-month pilot program allowing both private and shared e-scooters along the shoreline bike and pedestrian path.
State
Palm Springs bike riders demanded action on safety improvements while honoring fallen bicyclists at Wednesday’s Ride of Silence.
The Santa Barbara Independent says the city’s bicycling rates are inching up while bicycling injuries climb, making both bike and Vision Zero goals “distant.”
National
A magazine for lawyers examines the legal challenges facing bike riders injured by distracted and/or reckless drivers. Best advice, document everything and find a good lawyer to walk through your options. Like one of those guys over there on the right.
The Independent lists eight American cities that are surprising great for bicycling. Seven of which actually are. And yes, I’m looking at you, Houston.
The Today Show highlights a dad going viral for his daily bike rides with his seven-year old daughter.
Nice. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed the nation’s first law permitting shared streets, with a 10 mph speed limit and strict rules requiring people on bicycles to yield to pedestrians, and drivers to yield to bike riders. Which is how it should be, anyway.
Salt Lake City is pulling the plug on its ebike incentive program after funding nearly 300 vouchers last year, citing a flat budget for the coming year. But wouldn’t a flat budget mean they could fund everything they did the previous year?
An Idaho dancer says ballet is just like riding a bike. And he should know, since he rides a bike to stay in shape for ballet, mentally and physically.
Damn. A Texas jury gave the parents of an eight-year old bike-riding boy killed by a young man driving a family business truck just at tad more than the $1.1 million they were asking for, awarding them a whopping $80 million. Let’s hope that’s a very valuable family business they’ve got there.
Your next bike parts could come from a Topeka vending machine. Which wouldn’t be the first thing I’ve bought from a vending machine in Topeka.
International
Seriously? London emergency rooms are supposedly buckling because of a surge in demand due to “Lime bike leg,” caused by people trapped by the weight of collapsing ebikes that are “around four times heavier than regular cycles,” while a surgeon warns of “life-threatening injuries.” Call it the modern equivalent of bicycle face.
We know a guy on a bike can beat a someone in a car, but can a London bike rider beat another guy riding the Tube across one of the world’s busiest cities? Would I be writing this if he couldn’t?
A 2,000-mile circular relay ride will connect all 42 Anglican cathedrals in the UK. Or as they call them over there, cathedrals.
A British bike club is proving that age is no barrier to learning how to ride a bike.
Competitive Cycling
Your new US national time trial champs are Emily Ehrlich and Artem Schmidt.
Mexico’s Isaac del Torro continues to lead the Giro, as Olav Kooij of the Netherlands won a mass sprint Thursday with a leadout from Wout van Aert. Meanwhile, a reader named Steven points out that del Torro’s name translates to “laughter of the bull,” which seems oddly appropriate.
A Utah newspaper profiles 23-year old Utah native Natalie Quinn as she fights to rise in women’s cycling — without getting paid, after joining American team Cynisca Cycling midseason when the British team she was on folded. Which pretty much sums up the problems with the current state of women’s cycling.
Kenyan cycling coach Evan Wangai discusses his journey from boda boda driver to pro cyclist.
Finally…
Why line the bike lane with ugly yellow posts when you can have recycled red plastic tulips? Always use a bicycle as a getaway vehicle for your baby gator heists.
And who needs lube when you’ve got…sand.
………
Be safe, and stay healthy. And get vaccinated, already.
Oh, and fuck Putin.
Share this:
Like this: