From: Molly
Subject: Civil War in Portlandlooks like bikes vs. cars has turned into an all out civil war in portland.
Is this for real? ‘Cyclist’ on hood of road-rager happens to be caught on camera? F’n weird up that Portland hood. Makes me think that place ain’t all it’s cracked up to be for cyclists.
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18 Responses to “Biker Down”
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John on July 15th, 2008 12:59 am
Portland can barely be considered to bike-tolerant. Bike-friendly isn’t even on the radar yet which is unfortunate, because the number of bike commuters seems to rising right in step with gas prices. Add riders who have yet to hone their traffic chops to a population of surly motorists with a deeply ingrained sense of entitlement and nothing good can come of it.
Gnome on July 15th, 2008 7:19 am
Hmm. I think I’ll just stay here in Phlag and deal with what we got.
-dan on July 15th, 2008 7:22 am
holy shit.
Gnome on July 15th, 2008 7:26 am
It just keeps going….
Tom on July 15th, 2008 8:40 am
I moved from Flag to Portland (returning home) and it ain’t getting any prettier. Starting to feel like the target symbol on my back is getting bigger and bigger these days. Then add inflammatory news coverage to it and things are going to get ugly real fast. The whole privileged attitude that a great deal of cyclists in my fair town have is causing a lot of unnecessary friction - get over it, you ride a bike, big deal - it doesn’t mean you can walk on water!
Tom from Portland
Mikey on July 15th, 2008 8:43 am
Guys-
Portland is one of the best cycling cities in the world. I rode there twice last week, about sixty miles total around town. I had zero “incidents” with cars. By and large, drivers are calm and tolerant.
Every community has its assholes, and Portland is no exception. Keep the rubber side down.
Mikey
sb on July 15th, 2008 11:31 am
I’m a Portland native and commuter to downtown, the main reason things seem to be “out of hand” is the fact there are soooo many more commuters/riders out there the last couple of years as the incidents are few and far between.
Unfortunately our local media is running with it in the wrong direction particularly the local paper the Boregonian who’s circulation is declining as rapidly as the number of riders are rising!
To get a better feel of what’s going on, visit our local blog emeritus over at http://www.bikeportland.org
sommerfliesby on July 15th, 2008 12:23 pm
Come to Chicago! Here’s the new city vehicle stickers: http://www.chicityclerk.com/stickercontest.php
All the cars here are made of soft, fluffy material and hardly ever kill anyone…hardly. Ever.
PistolPete on July 15th, 2008 2:45 pm
I like the part about the other guy throwing his bike at a car…priceless.That would never happen in Arizonia ‘cuz we’re packin’.What?Fuck up my BIKE?When .45 ammo is still a bargain at Wally’s?Sheesh!All that rain,man…
. on July 15th, 2008 4:25 pm
this ones not as bad, but…
z-doh! on July 15th, 2008 6:00 pm
Im just glad I live in Minneapolis, where everyone is “Minnesota Nice”. There are never bike/car incidents and the press never blows stuff out of proportion. Oh, wait…. I’m mistaken, I was thinking of Xanadu. Got to go …. got to ride my bike to liquor store before it closes!
sumadis on July 15th, 2008 6:47 pm
a moratorium please on all of the ‘packin’ heat’ shit (and I direct that right back at myself too). where i commute, folks are very likely to actually have heat, and use it. ain’t funny at all. it might be clever to joke around on the net about cinematic violence as response to someone pissin’ you off, but out in the real world, that shit don’t fly. in fact, partially due to this type of on-line sturm and drang, a potentially effective community meeting about road rage was canceled in these parts (LA) - this following the horrific ‘brentwood/mandeville canyon’ incident - “Over the past few days, officials with homeowner associations and the bicycling clubs that train on the winding, 5-mile stretch of road expressed concern that the tenor of media coverage and of blog posts would make a Monday public meeting counter-productive. Many said they worried the issue had become larger than the specific issues of Mandeville Canyon.” food for thought.
-Al on July 15th, 2008 7:14 pm
sumadis- right on. I moved here to Northern AZ from Philly to get away from that shit a long time ago. Have had a piece pulled on me a couple of times in my life and your right, that shit ain’t funny.
It just keeps escalating.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets shot.
David P. on July 15th, 2008 7:37 pm
They always seem to looking right into your eyes as they bear down you. You’re not imagining it, the engine sounds like its getting louder. That peculiar, sad feeling of “worthless video game fodder” flows warmly and rapidly through your legs and begins to puddle in the toes of your shoes.
Suddenly, with eyes as big as pie plates, they lower the cell phone away from their face and begin to retake control of the large motor car that was headed your way.
Shit, I derserve a very cold beer.
I love cars too but I don’t want to pinstrip any of the local hooptys today. Shit, I need a beer.
Joe on July 15th, 2008 9:04 pm
war is on our streets, i hope one day to take back what was our real
free space. riding open on the roads that are war zones!
scaredfomykids on July 16th, 2008 7:15 am
Here in smallstown PA, I had to give that shit up. Used to ride for pleasure on the hilly sweetness where I live, but several run-ins with teenaged pick-up drivers with confederate flag stickers coming around corners way too fast and out of control and the like got me thinking. Now that I’ve got two cool little baby boys, there’s no fucking way I’m getting out there and becoming angry redneck bait. I can ride the trails, and the rail trail, and scratch that itch, without a direct fucking death attack from some self-entitled asshole in a car or truck. If they’re not drunk, they’re on the phone, eating, or playing with the gps. Fuck ‘em. I hate ‘em I hate ‘em I hate ‘em.
Joe on July 16th, 2008 10:42 am
scaredfomykids on July 16th, 2008 7:15 am
ROCK AND ROLL man!! i hear you 100%
be safe all
sb on July 16th, 2008 10:49 am
Well evidently there is “no war” in Portland according to our main newspaper who’s splattered another front page story for 4th time in 6 days!! http://bikeportland.org/2008/07/16/oregonian-war-what-war/
wtf??!