Where: Northbound Caltrain #233 just north of the California Avenue station in Palo Alto.

When: 9:10 AM this morning.

What: A disturbing metallic *clank* shudders through the train followed immediately by dumping air noises as the train lurches to an immediate stop.

Several sickos in the northernmost car rush to the front windows to see if we killed anybody this morning [I watched a neighbor get hit by a train, so no thank you]. Conductor Randy [the guy who always says “Where Tony left his heart”] talks into his radio. “What happened?”

Response from the engineer: “I don’t know. Train just stopped.”

Conductors Randy and Diane (or is her name Donna? I forget) investigate then announce. “We apologize for the delay. Somebody pulled the emergency stop and dumped all of our air. We’ll be on our way after a brake test.”

Bicycle news today

Boulder Winter Bike To Work Day is Wednesday, January 19.

Commute By Bike: The Kings of Bhutan and Gross National Happiness.

No recession for bicycle makers? Really?

“Do roads pay for themselves?” Gas tax mythbusting.

Susie in Milwaukee: “I biked to the hospital the day my daughter was born.” Right on. Via Gear Inches.

Failed driving tests because students drive too slowly in a school zone? Props, though, for the DQ from failing to check a bike lane before turning.

Arlington, Virginia: Ride your bike in the winter. By Cyclelicious pal and contributor Mark Blacknell.

Proposed Three Foot Law in Washington state. Compromise language singling bicycles out as special cases with Far-to-the-Right and yield-to-pedestrian language makes this bill unacceptable, in my opinion — those are already required for all vehicles, so why the discriminatory bicycle-only additions? These almost inevitable “give some to get some” compromises is why California cyclists have, so far, rejected two previous attempts at similar three foot laws in the Golden State. I might write more on this later. Update: I read the actual language of the bill, and the Seattle Post Intelligencer article is factually wrong on some of the specifics of Pedersen’s proposed bill. Now that I’ve read the actual bill, I like it, assuming it survives various committees without too many compromising amendments. I’ll write more about this tomorrow.

Long Beach cyclists complain about mandatory registration requirements. This became an issue after Long Beach police broke up Critical Mass rides by citing cyclists for failure to display bike registration.

Have a Happy Hump Day!