February 2015 – John E Sherman’s Blog

We the Tacoma pothole overseers responsibility

In City of Tacoma Washington, we City Citizens have a responsibility to keep-an-eye on our streets because City will not detect and fix street problems for us—we report problem to City first! Quite simple—we see a street problem or pothole it’s up to use to report it; as a result, get it added to the City schedule list of streets that require repair.

The City street repairs process is this:

“[B]ased upon our reporting requirements [to the City] and because we no longer proactively patch potholes, our field crews only patch the potholes found within the block of the original complaint [reported]. . . .” as described within a e-mail from Rae Bailey, PW Division Manager, Street Operations, City of Tacoma, to John E Sherman, Resident City of Tacoma. (Tacoma Citizens Support Center W034945-011515) (February 2, 2015, 2:18 PM PST) (copy on file with John E Sherman).

Therefore, let’s all help the City of Tacoma out with identification and location of all streets and roadways streets that require repairs or fixing.

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Bike riding with urban traffic, know your horn

Two-wheel bike riding with urban streets traffic is a hazard to you and other vehicle drivers driving within your immediate path of travel.

Use your horn. Practice putting your thumb over the horn button on the bike. Simulate pressing the horn button before you need to really press the horn button to alert other driver of you presents. Practice; as a result, no thinking will be required when you have to press the horn button and swerve the bike out of danger zone ahead and not thinking about how to do it during an emergency maneuver.

Driving urban roads with intersection, cross streets, alleys, and people possible present at any time; therefore, know your horn button location and how to use it while controlling other function of riding a bike.

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Let’s not let the two-wheel vehicle rest (fall over)

Just my quick review thoughts: How not to let the two-wheel vehicle fall over while slowly riding.

An important concept to always remember, the front wheel must always be under the upper part of bike to counter the upper part of bike lean; therefore, riding slowly along I must do this to maintain bike balanced upright—for example, the reminder list is this:

Always be in a power band gear that engine can easily accelerate if required.
Slip-the-clutch (motorcycle) and add some rear-brake speed control for slow speed control.
The bike may want to fall over towards the direction the front wheel is point; consequently, add some speed—slight release of rear brake drag or add just a touch of twist-of-the-wrist speed—that will force the rear wheel of bike to drive the front tire forward in the tire pointed direction and back underneath of upper park of bike to stop the bike from falling over that direction.
Limit, or control the speed, because over driving the front tire in its pointed direction; as a result, will cause the upper part of bike to fall over the other direction. Don’t overdo the twist-of-the-wrist or precise control of rear brake application drag when riding slow.

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