More about Erik, and a PSA

Short news article on Erik's accident, from back when it happened three weeks ago. A couple of days ago, he had just transferred to a rehab clinic, when he was felled by a pulmonary embolism. Just one of those things.

My friends: drive defensively. When bicycling in traffic, drive very defensively. Please.

---

You know what, even if you're just walking around where cars are, please keep up that peripheral vision. My brother Ricky got smacked by a bus a few days ago (also driven by an older person), if you can believe that. Fortunately all he suffered was a broken arm. He was just walking around by the Sea Dog in Bangor when he saw something big, and next thing he knew he was in a hospital bed. Geez.

Zodiac

jwz writes a list of advice to the novice city-cyclist (optimized for SF but applicable in any urban setting, I think). Of particular note:

Safety: I follow the Zodiac approach: always assume the cars can see you perfectly, and are trying to kill you. If an intersection seems iffy, use the sidewalk and crosswalks. If big streets like Market and Van Ness freak you out, there are always less traficky ways to go, or just stay on the sidewalks.