BikeSwell - the Bikumentary - now out on Youtube

Ray LaHood Speaking at GMU Arlington Oct. 16

Ray LaHood will be speaking Oct. 16 at GMU Arlington Campus.  LaHood was the former head of the Department of Transportation under the Obama Administration and was responsible for advancing smart transportation and livable communities ideas, including supporting bike transportation.

Register now!

W&OD Alert :: Bluemont Park :: XC Championships Later this Afternoon

@WashLeeXC tweets

Arl. XC championships at Bluemont 5-6:30 tonight. Police directing traffic on W&OD but pls be alert.

Please be alert and courteous 

What are you afraid of?

In 2011, in the United States

• There was 32,367 traffic fatalities;
• There were 677 cyclist fatalities as a result of traffic incidents;
• The leading causes of death among adults age 45 to 64 was
• Cancer 32%
• Heart Disease 21%
• Accidents 7%
• Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases 4%
• Liver Disease 4%
• All other causes 32%
• There were 6 terrorist fatalities.

There is a lot of bad shit going down.  And the bad shit gets on the headlines of mass media, who replay the video over and over and over until the images are burned deep into our psyche.  It breeds fear and it breeds hysteria.

And it breeds an environment where in the face of bad shit being replayed by mass media, something must be done. And frequently while something must be done, it isnt the right thing, and it doesnt make things better.

But here is what didnt make it to the 3 minute sound bite at the top of the hour: Cyclist Struck on Route 50; Van Strikes Boy on Bicycle in Pottstown; Driver Cited After Hitting Man on Bicycle. 

If we must do something, let's do something about the greater risk. First, let's be damn sure that do-something-security-theater doesnt make us less safe (placing obstructions in traffic in the name of fighting terrorism that do little to help but do lots to make the road less safe). Second, let's worry about what should be worried about.  You are 5333 times more likely (did I do the math right?) to die in a traffic accident than to die as a result of terrorism.

Sez to me, if we must do something, then we must focus on making traffic safer.

Sources: 2011 Motor Vehicle Accidents, Overview, DOT; Terrorist Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of US Citizens, State Dept. 2011; Integrated United States Security Database (IUSSD): Data on the Terrorist Attacks in the United States Homeland, 1970 to 2011; National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence, Based at the University of Maryland; Deaths in the United States 2011, NCHS Data Brief; Death rates from terrorism, United States and Israel, 1985-2013

"The Internet is not Facebook." One more time, with feeling, "The Internet is not Facebook." #bikedc

There are several hundred thousand federal employees in the Washington, D.C. area.  There are lots more state and local government employees.  There are school employees.  There are employees at large firms and corporations.  There are employees at universities.

And you know what these employees have in common?

They are behind firewalls and screening technology.  And for lots and lots and lots of them, it blocks their access to social media.  This means a huge, I mean HUGE portion of the audience of bicycle organizations (bike shops, bike advocacy groups, bike social groups, people who organize bike rides) cannot see posts you place only on facebook.  If the place you upload information about your bike group is Facebook - you are missing your audience.

Do yourself a favor.  No, do me a favor.  And do Betty a favor.  And Jorge.  And Sam.  We want to see the latest exciting information about your group.  But if you upload it only to Facebook, we cant.

The Internet is not Facebook.  If you would like people to see your post, put it on your website or blog.

Tornado Warning. Flash Flood Warning. #Coffeeneuring Warning. Puppy Warning.

The Non Essential Coffee Club met at Java Shack in Arlington (which has an interesting history) this morning, attempting to woefully pretend that we had somewhere to go and something to do.  After a long and detailed deliberation, it was concluded that it was best just to go home and take a nap.

Strategizing to have non-essential coffee clubs until the end of the #GOPShutdown, I was informed that only two non-essential coffee's per week count.  Damn You Keeper of the Coffeeneuring Rules! ;-)

On the way home got some additional supplies for our new chicken coop.  Arlington has long debated the propriety of residents having chicken coops in their back yards.  Our chicken coop has very peculiar chickens in it.

Foster Puppies through Lost Dog Rescue

The Few. The Proud. The Non Essential

Probably about a ~4 mile round trip ride.

In Which We Go #Coffeeneuring

Ever since Jon Boehner declared that my riding a bike to work is non-essential, I havent actually ridden (didnt want to violate any federal laws).  But late Friday night Rep. Eugene Meyer from Dayton, Ohio introduced legislation allowing all non-essential federal employees to ride their bicycles again.

Ready to start Coffeeneuring!  Hitched a ride down to the Hybla Valley Petsmart Lost Dog Rescue event while shuttling a foster dog (who got adopted today, YAY!). Got kicked out of the car and told to ride home.

This destined me to Del Ray and St. Elmo's Coffee where, in compliance with the rules, I had a very nice cup of hot coffee, even though it was 85 degrees and humid.  Now a smart person would observe that Dairy Godmothers was right next door and Dairy Godmothers serves excellent milk shakes - a preferred drink when it is 85 degrees out.  But no, what you see in the picture is definitely a cup of hot joe - and not possibly a cold milk shake.  

The nice thing about being in Del Ray is you can head north along Mount Vernon Ave to 4MR, avoiding the MVT which as we all know is closed.  Worked my way to may favorite spot along the 4MR, the Shirlington Dog Park, where puppies were frolicking.

22 mile ride. Tomorrow, Monday Non-Essential Coffee Club at Java Shack.