Death at Los Angeles Critical Mass, Rest in Peace Jerico Culata

If reports are true, Jerico Culata died last night for a number of reasons. The most important one was that we was not wearing a helmet. The second reason was he was riding a bicycle with no brakes. The third reason was he was riding beyond his skill level. It is extremely sad but comes as no surprise that someone has died at Los Angeles Critical Mass.

When I was told of his death, my mind instantly played out following scenario: A young inexperienced cyclist was riding a fixie with no helmet and lost control on a downhill descent. It turns out my guess was not far off...

Jerico Culata of Los Angeles was participating in the Critical Mass ride with up to 700 other riders when he lost control of his bike and slammed into a masonry wall, Clark said. He wasn't wearing a helmet, said LAPD Officer Sara Faden. Faden couldn't confirm reports about whether the bike Culata was riding had brakes. She did say, though that there is a trend of riders are using bikes that have no brakes. Culata went wide on a downhill curve, his friend told a photographer outside the hospital.

After a near death experience thanks to a hit and run driver, I no longer ride critical mass. Sometimes I miss the experience of riding with thousands of others, but it also comes at great risk. Young children with no helmets and no brakes abound at the rides. It's been a ticking time bomb for quite some time. I recall seeing a young rider lose control on a descent in West Hollywood several years ago, run right thru a red light on Santa Monica Blvd and slam right into an Audi. The impact was so severe, the Audi's radiator was crushed and instantly spilled coolant on the street. The cyclist got up, brushed himself off and rode away. It was humorous but also foreshadowed the events of last night.

My heart goes out to Jerico's family and friends. I hope the cycling community will learn from this tragedy.

Please. Wear a helmet, and put a brake on your bike.

Like This Guy!

Or These Guys!

Keep your eyes open at all times!

Know the limits of your skills.

Always look out for your friends.

Checkpoint

 

 3 weeks ago, I was nearly killed by a hit and run driver while riding my bike in Echo Park. As an avid bicyclist, I've wondered what could be done to make the streets safer for cycling in Los Angeles. This morning, I found the answer.

 

As I was driving to work, I saw an angry man holding a nearly illegible sign waving furiously at the cars passing by. Up on the next block, I saw what he was angry about: a police checkpoint. It turns out, he was warning unlicensed drivers that the police were checking every driver to make sure they had a drivers license. 

I was shocked how many people he had to warn. In just 4 hours, the Culver City Police had taken 100 unlicensed drivers off the road. Their cars were impounded and they were free to walk away.

Here was one such driver. Was he unlicensed or was his license suspended for a DUI? Either way, it was illegal for him to be driving.

Driving is a privilege. More importantly, it's a potentially deadly activity requiring skill and training. If you cannot prove you are trained to operate deadly machinery, you have no business putting people in danger. If you have been suspended from driving and continue to drive, you're a menace to public safety and deserve to be stopped.

An estimated 2 million California drivers are unlicensed. Either they never got a drivers license or their license has been suspended. More than half of all people driving with a suspended license were convicted of a DUI.

Half of all hit-and-run collisions involve unlicensed drivers. Unlicensed drivers are four times more likely than licensed drivers to be involved in a fatal accident.

If you support safe streets and would like to end the menace of hit and runs that kill cyclists and pedestrians, take a moment to thank the Culver City Police Department for catching 100+ unlicensed drivers this morning. Call CCPD Traffic Division at 310-253-6251 and let Lt. Ron Iizuka know how much you support checkpoints to catch unlicensed drivers. Better yet, ask the police in your neighborhood to implement similar checkpoints. I have yet to see a more effective way to reduce the danger posed by hit and run drivers.

STOLEN BIKE in Hollywood #APB

This is a Stolen Bike

When: This morning 10/22/11


Where: Near Sunset and Fairfax


What: Motobecane 10 speed. “Super Mirage” on center frame tube. Grey with Black tape on handle bars, 2 speed levers on handle bars. Toe grabbers on pedals. It is short, about 30” high.


Who: Suspect is a white male, 6’ with ski cap and possibly wearing a black or gray hoodie.


It belongs to my neighbor Bruce. If you see it anywhere call Bruce.


213-Three Hundred-2504


or me 


818-Six Two Zero-7865

Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden Dedication

I woke up this morning and decided to go on a bike ride to check out the dedication of the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden.







A group of volunteers got together to create this tribute to everyone who died on 9/11. From their website:

The Beverly Hills Memorial Garden will display the steel artifact from the World Trade Center Site secured from a pedestal.  It is 196”L x 66”W x 51”H and weighs approximately 1,800 pounds.  Adjacent to the monument, a flagpole will fly our Nation’s Colors and a walking path will traverse the memorial site.  Twin Tower replicas, the Pentagon and the field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania will all be represented to honor those who perished.  Benches will be aesthetically placed, allowing visitors to view the memorial while contemplating the meaning and magnitude symbolized throughout The Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden.

Police and the Mentally Ill

The Fullerton Police Department is charged with the enforcement of local, state, and federal laws, and with providing around-the-clock protection of the lives and property of the public. The Police Department functions both as an instrument of public service and as a tool for the distribution of information, guidance and direction.

It is the mission of the Police Department to facilitate and administer the laws of governing bodies, the orders of the courts, and to direct all energies and resources toward maintaining the health, welfare and safety of citizens.

For good reason, police officers operate in a heightened state of awareness in order to protect themselves and be ready to respond to a dangerous situation. Most of my interactions with police give me the impression that they are courteous and polite, quite happy to engage in conversation, while "keeping their guard up."

However, at least 10% of my interactions reveal aggressive, angry and unstable people who lack the ability to "read" people. These individuals weild deadly force and have the authority to use it. You can only imagine how quickly a situation can get out of control when this kind of officer interacts with a mentally ill individual who is not going to respond quickly to commands, behave erratically, resist and attempt to flee.

Unfortunately, the recent reports of Fullerton police beating to death a mentally ill man is an all too common example of this interaction.

My heart aches when I heard the victim was crying out for his father over and over as he was being beaten to death by 5 police officers.

What will be the response by Fullerton city officials or police chief Michael Sellers?

"I have always told my Officers that we have three jobs. Our first step is to save lives. When lives are not at stake, our next job is to protect life. When that's not an issue, our job is to help improve the quality of life for our citizens, and that is done through community-oriented policing." - Fullerton Police Chief Michael Sellers

DOs & DONTs Workshop tomorrow B4 Los Angeles Critical Mass

If you're riding Los Angeles Critical Mass tomorrow, please come at 6:30pm for a special workshop on the DOs and DONTs of riding Critical Mass. Here's the deal in case you're interested:

DO

• talk to stranger, bystanders, bus riders, motorists – welcome people to join us next time

• help cars stuck in mass to exit to the right

• stop regularly if you’re in front (no matter how slowly you think you’re going, gaps are opening up behind you)

• stop at red lights when in front to allow the rest of the ride to “mass up” behind.

• keep going in dense packs through red lights to stick together and keep it safe for everyone.

• fill gaps; Critical Mass depends on bicycle density to displace cars.

• remember that pleasure and friendliness are more subversive than anger and blaming.

DON’T

• race ahead to block cross traffic before the Mass has arrived

• ride into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road

• pick fights with motorists, even (especially) if they’re itching for one

• fail to turn and twist through the city to make the ride more interesting

• forget to smile and wave and talk to strangers!

• imagine that you are morally superior just cuz you’re on a bicycle (you’ll be in a car again soon enough)

• hesitate to tell other Massers what you think of their behavior, whether good or bad. Talk to each other!

• forget – we are all responsible to make Critical Mass what we want it to be.

Liam says "Drink your milk and follow the DOs and DONTs!"

I've borrowed this list from San Francisco Critical Mass and I think it's going to improve our ride exponentially! But words without action are meaningless, so for the health of the ride, we need as many people as possible to spread the word and help police ourselves from within, because the other option is not so desirable! As during the past 3 rides, LAPD will be riding with us, but there's a chance they will be enforcing certain sections of the California Vehicle Code to ensure the safety of the mass, other cyclists, motorists, pedestrians, stray cats and the community as a whole, which I support wholeheartedly. Thank you Chief Beck for your support!




RSVP on facebook here!

Los Angeles Critical Mass meets the last Friday of every month at the Purple Line Station, Western and Wilshire. 6:30 pm. Ride at 7:30pm.


View Larger Map

Phishing on Craigslist

Just got this real looking email that almost fooled me:

I almost fell for it. Phew! Craigslist phishing and spoof emails are very popular since Craigslist is popular! Be careful out there.

What did you do last night? Crank Mob

Last night, I joined a couple other cyclists on an amazing group ride through Los Angeles. Crank Mob organizes frequent themed rides that attract a large following in L.A. This was their last ride for a while, with only annual rides planned from now on. The video above was my attempt to survey just how many riders there were. Highlights include a couple dressed up on a tandem, 2 tall bikes and a guy on a franken child bike dressed as a dark overlord? I was getting my ass kicked by a guy towing a griddle, pretty embaressing...

Along with many mechanical malfunctions, a few riders managed to get detained and cited for their "interpretations" of traffic signals. I wonder if it's routine procedure for police to handcuff and search every vehicle operator they stop for a traffic violation....

The first stop was in Chinatown for some music, dancing and antics in a parking lot. Our presence didn't go un-noticed by the ghettobird overhead. Over his loudspeaker could be heard something to the effect of "We don't have the resources to monitor you guys."


These rides go kinda late and I wanted to be asleep by 2am, so I skipped out on the 2 warehouse parties that were next on the route and instead headed to Union Station to catch the last Red Line back to Hollywood. I've done many Critical Mass rides which are always entertaining, but the energy and excitement brought this ride to a whole other level. A true party on wheels.

C.R.A.N.K.MAS II - The Last C.R.A.N.K. MOB 9/19/09

Bikex Database

A new website allows bicyclists to report incidents with cars, provided you record the license plate of the offending vehicle. From Bikex:

The Bikex Database is an online resource to identify, document, and prosecute drivers who harass, abuse, or endanger bicycle riders. Currently the database is for the Los Angeles area. New locations and features are coming soon.Your personal information will not be released without your permission or sold under any circumstances. For more information as to how this program works please visit the FAQ page. Submissions from skateboarders, pedestrians, and sympathetic drivers are welcome.

WAMU customers get ready. Chase is now protecting your assets.

From Consumerist comes this tale of Chase and their outsourced security department. As a WAMU customer, I am frightened at the prospect that my financial security is in the outsrouced hands of Chase's security department.

A former Chase call center rep tells the story about this one thief who was able to rip off one customer for over $40,000, thanks to his constant outwitting out the internationally out-sourced security department. It wasn't that hard. Over and over again, he was able to commit credit card fraud just knowing the guy's name, social, and mother's maiden name.

The Americans would beg and plead with the Filipinos to not unblock the account, and over and over again they would. Says our insider, "if US security had been able to intervene from the get-go, he would never have been able to do so much financial damage. For the rest of his life, the true owner of that account will be dealing with the effects of this crime."

http://consumerist.com/5069018/how-outsourced-call-centers-are-costing-millions-in-identity-theft

Try My Proven Technique For Voting on Propositions!

How to vote for propositions by seeing who opposes them

Except for those mysterious "Undecided Voters", we all pretty much know who we'll be supporting in the presidential election. So instead on spreading the gospel according to Barak, I wanted to give you all a quick tour of California 's many confusing but important propositions on the November 4th ballot. I'm going to show you how easy it is to vote based on who opposes a proposition, because I believe that says more than anything about what the proposition really means. So often wording is meant to confuse voters. Opponents cannot be mistaken, you either like their positions or want to vomit all over their positions. So here we go!


Proposition 1A VOTE YES!
Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act.

Who's Against it? HON. TOM McCLINTOCK, State Senator (YUCK!), Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (VOTE OPPOSITE THIS GROUP EVERY TIME!)
Analysis: Spend lots of money on much needed public transportation infrastructure that's not automobile based! Can we afford not to do it? VOTE YES!!!!

Proposition 2 VOTE YES!
Standards for Confining Farm Animals. Initiative Statute.

Who's Against it? DR. CRAIG REED, DVM, Former Deputy Administrator Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Analysis: USDA sucks. Slaughterhouses suck. Read Animal Vegetable Miracle. Do you like to lie down? Then VOTE YES. Otherwise, live in a cage for a year, and let me eat your soft flesh.


Proposition 3 VOTE YES!
Children's Hospital Bond Act. Grant Program. Initiative Statute.

Who's Against it? LEWIS K. UHLER, President National Tax Limitation Committee
Analysis: How low can you go to oppose children's hospitals? Parents support it. Kids are cool. Let's hospitalize all of them. VOTE YES!


Proposition 4 VOTE NO!
Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Who's Against it? Nurses, Doctors and School Counselors. Nuff Said.
Analysis: VOTE AGAINST ANY CHANGES TO OUR CONSTITUTION. VOTE NO!


Proposition 5 VOTE YES!
Nonviolent Drug Offenses. Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. Initiative Statute.

Who's Against it? California Narcotics Officers Association. CHOKE! Of course you vote opposite a bunch of narcs!
Analysis: The California Prison Industry is an entrenched political machine in California politics. Here's a reasonable and fair alternative for non-violent drug offenders to get the rehab that they need. I see no public benefit for putting them in jail. VOTE YES!


Proposition 6 VOTE NO!
Police and Law Enforcement Funding. Criminal Penalties and Laws. Initiative Statute.

Who's Against it? DANIEL MACALLAIR, Executive Director Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice
Analysis: Whenever you hear people talk about safety, Vote opposite, they are using fear to persuade you. It's basically guaranteeing money in pockets of those supporting it. Just another misguided spending mandate, VOTE NO!


Proposition 7 VOTE YES!
Renewable Energy Generation. Initiative Statute.

Who's Against it? Puppet Environmentalists who have links to the for profit utility companies, PG&E, Sempra, you know who they are, you pay them every month!
Analysis: There's lots of money being spent on this one! The stakes are high! VOTE YES!


Proposition 8 VOTE NO!
Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Who's Against it? Doctors, Nurses, People you rely on every day to keep the world functioning.
Analysis: CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMENT, AUTOMATIC NO! A vote of No means you like gay marriage, FYI!


Proposition 9 VOTE NO!
Criminal Justice System. Victims' Rights. Parole. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.

Who's Against it? SHEILA A. BEDI, Executive Director Justice Policy Institute
Analysis: Not Necesary. Fear Based Advocacy always means VOTE NO!


Proposition 10 VOTE NO!
Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy. Bonds. Initiative Statute.

Who's Against it? Yawn...It's really late and I'm sleepy. Must...Finish....Voter..Guide......
Analysis: It might be a gift to T Boone Pickens, I'm actually getting tired now, going to sleep, VOTE NO!


Proposition 11 VOTE YES! YES! YES!
Redistricting. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.

Who's Against it? MARTY HITTLEMAN, President California Federation of Teachers (Hmm. An entrenched powerful interest group opposes this, me thinks VOTE YES!!!)
Analysis: Just woke up! VOTE YES. Something has to change in Sac Town!


Proposition 12 VOTE YES!
Veterans' Bond Act of 2008

Who's Against it? Who is "GARY WESLEY?"
Analysis: Seiously, Who is "GARY WESLEY?" Since only one person opposes it, VOTE YES just to be safe.

Check out:

http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm#2008General

And to All a Good Night!

Lose 41 pounds! Of Junk Mail That Is!

Here's a great idea. If you get tons of junk mail, you can pay a small fee to have your name taken off dozens of direct mailer's lists. This website, www.41pounds.org makes it easy to remove 85-90% of all junk mail. Plus, they donate 1/3 of the fee to an environmental group of your choice. Not bad...

Also, you should consider opting out of pre-approved credit card offers. This free service is run by the big 3 credit reporting agencies. Not only will you stop receiving junk mail from these jokers, you also reduce the risk of identity fraud.

Any even stronger protection against identity theft is a credit freeze. Brrrr!!

First Post: Password Security

What a boring topic, but oh so important. Now more than ever, hackers are getting into everything. Bank accounts, ebay accounts, myspace accounts. This article from the University of Wyoming makes the case that we are to blame. The article advocates the use of "strong passwords" that contain uppercase letters, numbers and are at least 8 characters in length.

Click here to read the article