Darth Vader cuff links, 3D printed in canary yellow (awyeah)

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I don't blog much lately. Life's busy with a challenging job at a fast growing company and two little kids. Which brings me to a point; I have two little kids and I don't want to die unnecessarily soon, leaving them fatherless. 

Eight years ago when I moved to the US I made a firm decision to try to avoid car commuting. Cars are deeply embedded in the American psyche but modern cities must have this aspect change. So I commuted by walking or biking for most of eight years living in San Francisco. Now I commute via bus and a final leg via bike since I recently moved to the East Bay. 

Tonight I was approached at a stop light to within six inches of my wheel, by a very large black SUV, a professional driver with TCP numbers on the bumpers. Well guess what? California recently enacted the "Three Feet for Safety Act" which provides paltry penalties but important law about this very incident. The following interaction with an SF MTA officer at the intersection ensued (my complaint on SF MTA's website in full): 

SF MTA Complaint

"Location: Intersection of Folsom St and Fremont St, San Francisco. 6:00pm October 16th 2014.

Two SFMTA Parking Enforcement officers were stationed here at this date and this time; one white male and one black male. Both were wearing yellow SF MTA safety vests. At least one Interceptor was parked on the north-west side of the intersection. This complaint is about the black male officer.

I was waiting in the bike lane on the south-west side of the intersection, in order to go straight ahead on Folsom St (towards Transbay Terminal) at a red light. A large black SUV (Cadillac or some such vehicle) with TCP markings on the front right bumper came down the next inside (straight ahead) lane and stopped 6 inches from my back wheel and perhaps 15 inches from my left leg. He waved at me, perhaps to apologize. I flashed him three fingers and said "three feet man!" fairly loudly.

As we waited I became annoyed at the idea that a professional driver of a 4,000 lb vehicle would pay so little attention to a cyclist so as to threaten to crush him under his wheels - I am also driver who has left his car at home and gotten on my bike instead.

I shouted over to the two SF MTA officers on the north-west side of the intersection "three feet!". After pretending not to hear me twice, a short exchange, then the black male officer engaged me and shouted "what?" back. I shouted "three feet, guys!" at them both again. The black male officer then loudly and clearly responded with "it's OK, you didn't get hurt, just move on <something unintelligble>". You didn't get hurt? Really? Did he just say that?

WHAT? I flipped my nuggets a bit at this point as you may understand. I have removed my vehicle from San Francisco streets by choosing to commute via bus and bike, and am putting my life in clear harms way (every day) by doing so. There are LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA to help me survive this commute. The "Three Feet for Safety Act" which went into effect in September of 2014 is one such law. The penalty for violating this law is a paltry $35 for a no injury incident, but (I believe) the intent of the law is to simply make drivers more aware. Who enforces that awareness? I believe you are charged with this duty*. Your officer's obvious lack of training in those laws that he is to enforce and uphold, his flippant and ridiculous attitude towards my potentially being crushed to death by an inattentive professional driver (perhaps he was accepting his next Uber fare?) or in fact ANY driver at all, is utterly unacceptable.

I am not seeking individual retribution (although your office displayed extreme unprofessional behavior and vexed me beyond words other than sputtering protestation). I would like to see your department take the issue of bicycle safety seriously for a refreshing change, and I would like to see your officers uphold the law, that is to say, perform their duties to the requirements of their job.

*If there is an off chance that your officers are enabled to direct traffic at peak hour intersections like Folsom/Fremont, but otherwise not uphold the laws of California Highway Code, then please get them OFF these intersections and give this job back to the SFPD along with instructions to uphold the law as is their sworn duty.

Thank you for your attention to this matter."

SF MTA feedback Tracking Number 4116848. 

My wife wants me to stop riding in San Francisco altogether. It's definitely become infested with more aggressive and more inattentive driving in the last 18 months. I've had a number of close calls. Maybe she's right. 

I don't expect everyone to be perfect. The driver may have made a mistake. I make them all the time. But the flippant and ridiculous attitude of that SFMTA officer seems indicative of a general acceptance that it's OK and the law doesn't matter. Bullshit. 

Every bicyclist is a car removed from out of your way, driver. Your mistake against a bike is easily and often fatal, or utterly life-changing. Treat them – us, even you in many cases – as you would a friend, or a family member, and give them the proper safe distance. 

Wanna bet?

A mighty fine and heady ale, and I recommend it greatly.

Lovely 1996 sq ft three bedroom, two bathroom home with great living space and OK house-flipper updates. http://www.redfin.com/CA/Oakland/3874-Greenwood-Ave-94602/home/1957126

Good things: 

Great views from the second floor bedrooms across the valley and Crocker Highlands, nice neighbors, family neighborhood. Good light. Elevated aspect. Still in Glenview and within walking distance of the village shops and restaurants. Flippers installed a new water closet / half bathroom downstairs making entertaining much easier. They also replaced the falling-down car space retaining walls at the property frontage.

Things to know:

The sellers are house flippers (from Arizona this time), and they have allowed multiple tax and mechanics liens to build on the property. The foundation needs to be replaced, and quotes are both $54,000. The floor mounted gravity heaters are overdue for replacement as is the water heater. The tar/gravel roof needs to be replaced and is a no quote (guessing $15,000 to $20,000). There is no garage, but there is storage space in the basement equivalent to 1-car garage. Glenview School is to be rebuilt in a couple of years, so children will be either located in a temporary school or dispersed to nearby Crocker and Cleveland. Sale will likely take months as no releases on any of the liens have been delivered by the sellers. There are multiple investors in the house flipping group.

Asking: $779,000 

Additional: Foundation $54,000, roof $20,000, liens $20,000+, appliances needed include refrigerator, washer, dryer ($2,000?).

Total: $875,000+  for 1996 sq. ft. house flip that may take months. 

Answer: No.

Today we saw the first rain in San Francisco that I can remember in a long time. After five minutes there were actual suds on the road. I'm not entirely sure what causes this after a long dry spell but I'd assume a combination of all the micro emissions each passing car makes (oil, and incompletely burnt gasoline), diesel dust from the nearby pollution factory (CalTrain), water, and the agitating action of passing car tire treads.

Just for fun, 5 minutes playing with the crescent moon and shutter speed vs. film speed (ISO) settings. All at f/1.4

1/40 ISO 3200

1/30 ISO 3200

1/50 ISO 3200

1/50 ISO 1600

1/50 ISO 1000

1/50 ISO 800

1/40 ISO 500
 

The best steak frites this side of Paris. Half pound grass-fed filet mignon done sous vide for three hours and seared with truffle salt, served with a fresh hot vinaigrette; fries; green salad; Silenus 2009 Reserve Cab Sav

Dad. A man. A stoic man who taught me so many things at the core of my moral centre. A good man, whom I feel fortunate to have known and loved, and to have had him love me. A useful man who taught me all of my handyman skills, and good hard work ethics, and putting-away-your-tools practicalities. A wise man who taught me how to bowl, how to swing a club and play golf, and plenty of jokes, none of which I could ever remember. A sporting man who endlessly and passionately cheered my near-wins in cycling races he always took me to, even as I was an ungrateful teenager. A real man who taught me how to tie a double Windsor knot, wear a suit, and shave like a man. A generous man who gave me my spirit of adventure in all things, a desire to travel, and a never ending desire to push buttons and turn knobs in life (just like my own son). A grateful man who took pride in the few important possessions he had, making them when he couldn't afford to buy them, and proud most of all of his family.  A man who's life and soul informed and directed mine implicitly and so thoroughly. All given willingly, just as he was, never begrudgingly. A man who worked 11-day fortnights until the illness that eventually claimed him, first tingled his body with unexpected disability, eventually wracking his entire being with pain (you can support the MSA medical research cause here). 

May you finally rest in peace, Dad. I love you.