File Under: Asinine

Hand to God, I am not making this up.

In  many communities in the U.S. you are NOT ALLOWED to hang laundry outside to dry. You can have all the goddamned guns you want, but god forbid someone see your BVDs flapping in the breeze.

U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry

Although there are no formal laws in this southeast Pennsylvania town against drying laundry outside, a town official called Froehlich to ask her to stop drying clothes in the sun. And she received two anonymous notes from neighbors saying they did not want to see her underwear flapping about.

“They said it made the place look like trailer trash,” she said, in her yard across the street from a row of neat, suburban houses. “They said they didn’t want to look at my ‘unmentionables.’”

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m old enough to remember my mother hanging wash out on a clothesline, and I’d bet most of the people protesting this woman’s use of a clothesline are as well. And even if they’re not, exactly how do they think people dried their laundry before electric and gas clothes dryers were invented?

The biggest challenge comes from condominiums and communities regulated by homeowner’s associations.

His principal opponents are the housing associations such as condominiums and townhouse communities that are home to an estimated 60 million Americans, or about 20 percent of the population. About half of those organizations have ‘no hanging’ rules, Lee said, and enforce them with fines.

I just know people in other parts of the world are going to be laughing their patooties off at this. They already know we’re a bunch of knotheads over here, and we just keep handing them more evidence. :::sigh:::

Killing Streets

Passing this along from Transportation for America

Poorly designed roads like the one below are at the heart of pedestrian deaths. Ask the Obama administration to get behind Complete Streets! More than 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing or walking along a street in their community in the last 15 years. Today, our new report shows many of these “accidents” have one thing in common: They happened on roadways that were “Dangerous by Design” – engineered for speeding traffic and little or no provision made for people on foot, in wheelchairs, or on a bicycle. The good news is that we can fight the problem at the root with strong leadership and more resources from the White House for “Complete Streets” – streets designed with all road users in mind. Ask U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to make safer streets a priority! One-third of Americans either can’t drive or choose not to. Yet, most communities around the country are laced with roads that are inhospitable, at best, to people traveling by foot. Children, older Americans, and minorities are especially at risk. In the 52 largest metro areas annual spending of federal funds on bicycle and pedestrian projects averaged just $1.39 per person! Nationwide, less than 1.5 percent of funds authorized under the current federal transportation law have been spent on projects to improve the safety of walking and bicycling. It’s a ridiculously low figure when you consider that pedestrians comprise 11.8 percent of all traffic deaths and trips made on foot account for almost 9 percent of total trips. We need a new approach to safety – one that makes sure that all transportation projects take into account the needs of everyone traveling on the roads, not just motorists. In Congress, the Complete Streets Act of 2009 would do just that, and similar policies are being adopted in states and cities across the country. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has already proven his strong interest in safety with a distracted driving initiative and his creation of a new Safety Council. Because the Department of Transportation holds the purse strings, if Secretary LaHood adds Complete Streets to his list of safety priorities, we can ensure that every road project takes into account the need for safe travel by everyone – including vulnerable pedestrians. Ask the Obama Administration to take up the call for safer streets! Changing the status quo is never easy, but with your help we can make our streets safe and accessible for everyone. Thank you for your continued support!   Sincerely, Ilana Preuss National Outreach Director Transportation for America

THE VERDICT IS IN: DR. JEKYLL IS GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY!

 

Please see BikinginLA for more info:

No details yet, but just got a text from DJwheels in the courthouse. Dr. Christopher Thompson has been found guilty on all seven counts.  More details as they come in.

One of the commenters said he’s facing 10 years in the state pen, sentencing is December 3 at 8:30. I think it’s likely his lawyer will appeal the verdict.

Dr. (Christopher Thompson) Jekyll’s trial underway

Both VeloNews and BikingInLA have excellent coverage of the trial, which began Monday, October 19.

From BikingInLA:

Based on his cross examination, Peter Swarth, attorney for Dr. Christopher Thompson, intends to paint a picture of a canyon plagued by angry, out of control cyclists. And portray the Good Doctor as their unfortunate, and innocent, victim — three times, no less.

October 13 Update on Dr. Jekyll (Christopher Thompson)

10/16/09 UPDATE: Biking in LA has more details.

Just found this at LA.Streetsblog.org, posted October 13:

Dr. Christopher T. Thompson is charged with 2 counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon (245a) 2 counts of Battery with Serious Bodily Injury (243d) reckless driving (23103a) and reckless driving causing specified injury (23105a) and Mayhem (203) all stemming from the Mandeville Canyon Road Rage incident that left two cyclists broken, bleeding and lying on the road. Thompson’s case is slowly working itself through the system at the LAX Courthouse. Today, they will pick a judge to replace Judge Cynthia Reyvis and will then hear pre-trial motions. Tomorow, they start jury selection.

Read the rest of the article at the link above.

Oregon Manifest

A strangely revolutionary name for a month-long, October 2 – November 8, celebration of bikes and cycling culture. Now in it’s second year, The Oregon Manifest’s home page explains it thusly:

Oregon Manifest celebrates the art, craft and community of bicycling. Our mission is to engage a wide audience with cycling lifestyle through innovative, influential events around the bicycle.

Sponsored by Chris King Precision Components, this event (or more accurately series of events) pulls together bike designers, a traveling exhibit of Danish cycling culture, Dreams on Wheels, and even a fashion show by Momentum Magazine for those of us who concern ourselves with cycling fashion.  

The full schedule of events is here.

There’s also a nice write-up at Oregonlive.com on the festivities. Lots of bikey goodness for all.

Quick-Thinking Bank Teller

See kids, this is your brain on meth. Not quite eligible for a Darwin Award nomination, but close:

The Associated Press

HILLSBORO, Ore. —Police say a bank robbery attempt in Hillsboro failed after a teller told the woman who handed her a threatening note that she couldn’t read the handwriting.

According to police, a 30-year-old woman walked into a Wells Fargo bank branch Wednesday and handed a teller a note that said, “Need $300 or I’ll kill you. I’m serious.”

The teller told the woman she couldn’t read the writing. While the woman stepped away to rewrite her note on a bank slip, the teller hit a silent alarm and the bank manager intervened, asking the woman how he could help her.

Police and FBI agents soon arrived and arrested the woman; police say she was under the influence of drugs.

Quelle surprise. Who robs a bank for $300?

What a place this is. I’d love to know if the teller truly couldn’t read this Bank Robber Academy drop-out’s handwriting, or if it was an inspired bit of stalling?

Memorial tonight for Gordon Patterson

Another memorial is going to be held tonight in the Hudsons Bay High School gymnasium. It is open to the public. Sorry for the late notice, I just found out.

The driver who hit Gordon Patterson is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 30.

Memorial Service for Gordon Patterson

Google Doodle Mystery Solved

 

Everytime I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.

– H.G. Wells

Yes, it was all a lead up to commemorating the birth of Herbert George Wells.  And shame on you if you have to ask “Who is H.G. Wells?”:

Who is H.G. Wells? That’s what many Googlers are asking after an elaborate three weeks of mysterious logos on the Google homepage. But the company lifted the veil early this morning, explaining the series of UFO-inspired doodles.

I thought the quote was a nice tie-in with the usual cycling theme of this blog.

Happy 143rd Birthday, H.G.!

Thursday Night Vigil for Gordon Patterson

From Oregonlive.com:

A candlelight vigil for Patterson will be held at 8 p.m. Thursday outside the high school at the courtyard. Participants are asked to wear white, echoing the white lab coats that Patterson often wore in his class as well as the high school’s hallways, greeting students he knew and those he didn’t.

Interestingly, I am wearing a white shirt and sweater today, although I don’t think I can make it to the vigil.

On the driver of the car who hit him:

Cellestine has a lengthy criminal record. He either pleaded guilty or was found guilty of a series of charges ranging from assault and marijuana possession to theft and possessing stolen property going back to 2006, (Deputy Prosecutor James) David said.

There is also some indication that he (Cellestine) had once taken a class from Patterson, but the school is unable to confirm that due to privacy laws.