Joe Cipale

Sorry folks,

Everytime I hear that PDX is the 'friendliset bike city in America', I simply have to laugh. I have ridden in MANY cities that treay cyclists 10 TIMES better than Portland does:
SF
LA,
Seattle,
Phoenix,
San Diego,
Miami,
...

Tell me when to stop.

Joe

Pink Panther wrote:

>
> Not all but most. I had a Beaverton Motorcycle Officer threaten to taze me =
> while still on my bike. He came up from behind with his siren on. I was sho=
> cked to see him behind me, and managed to let my thought slip to verbalizat=
> ion "You have got to be kiddin me?" His response was, "Im not. Pull over or=
> ill taze you." Did i mention this was out on Bald Peak on some back countr=
> y road, where there was no traffic or anything. It was for not putting my f=
> oot down at a stop sign when i came to a halt(track stand) at an intersecti=
> on; an intersection you can see a mile in each direction with little to no =
> traffic. He was quite angry and was in my face yelling, close enough he was=
> spitting on me, the entire time. I was polite at first, but he just kept y=
> elling, so i quite talking and stood there silently, which seemed to make h=
> im more and more angry. Unfortunately i got a 300 dollar ticket because he =
> "had to teach me and us other dumb cyclist a lesson." Too bad i was too she=
> lled from 4 hrs of a horrific interval and wet ride to think straight enoug=
> h to get his badge number. Although the judge gave me much of the same "thi=
> s will teach you a lesson" treatment as well. Got to love our justice syste=
> m.
>
> From: barretfishner@hotmail.com
> To: rabbitxcr@hotmail.com
> Subject: FW: [OBRA Chat] I almost got arrested today while on a bike ride!
> Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:41:33 -0800
>
>
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>
>
>
>
>
>
> Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:21:27 -0800
> From: ewascent@gmail.com
> To: rondot@spiritone.com
> CC: obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] I almost got arrested today while on a bike ride!
>
>
> "Remember it was just that=20
> one guy. Not all the officers."
>
> Since I race against at least one Portland PD racer I know for a fact that =
> not all cops are biased against cyclists or citizens minding their own busi=
> ness. I have been generally impressed with the demeanor of the cops that ha=
> ve pulled me over for general vehicular chicanery.=20
>
>
> On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 4:06 PM, Ron and Dorothy Strasser .com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Scott,
> The interaction is finished at this point, but=20
> my understanding with regard to Portland Police, is they are supposed=20
> to give you their name or business card or some such ID requirement now.=20=
> =20
> Maybe it has not started yet. I am pretty sure I would not be trying to=20
> take a photo of an officer while he/she is in control of the situation... w=
> hich=20
> even when this type of escalation takes place... the officer is the boss.=
> =20=20
> If what you describe about your interaction with this person is accurate, h=
> e was=20
> a bit off the charts in my opinion. Anybody stopping along that bluff=20
> creates a potential hazard. Especially a motor vehicle. And you=20
> would think a police officer would recognize this more than a Joe or Jane=
> =20
> Citizen. This officer knew that anyone coming along would need to go=20
> around you guys (and thus into traffic).... probably causing much more dang=
> er=20
> than what he said you caused. I think this guys was on edge. Many=20
> people ride this area and do what you describe.
> I pass riders along that section of Willamette=20
> Blvd. all the time in the same manner. This has never happened to=20
> me. I have been passed there as well, but am less apt to pay much=20
> attention to when the next motor vehicle also comes by from behind. I am=
> =20
> always on my guard in that area along the bluff because there is real dange=
> r=20
> there around the potential crashes from motor vehicles turning left and the=
> ones=20
> behind them either rear-ending them or skidding into bike lane / riders.=20=
> =20
> Keep your eyes on the skid marks on that section of roadway and you will se=
> e=20
> what I mean. A few years ago I stopped while riding that section (put my=
> =20
> bike over on a grass section) and cut blackberries back that were hanging i=
> n the=20
> bike lane. A patrol car went by while I was doing this (driver slowed and=
> =20
> looked at what I was doing) but did not stop. The next day a city crew was=
> =20
> out mowing and weed-eating. I do not know if my work had anything to=20
> do with that, but I did it because I see a large number of riders along tha=
> t=20
> lane who are pretty intimidated by the fast moving traffic. They do=20
> not need additional obstacles. Traffic safety in that bike=20
> lane (in-bound toward the city center) is very much impacted by anything (p=
> eople=20
> on blades / skateboards, joggers, busses stopped at pick up areas, cars dri=
> ving=20
> or stopped in it, especially any of the above going the wrong=20
> direction. To be honest, my most dangerous situations have been when=20
> coming upon the UP cross country team out running / training. I even=20
> talked to their coach about how dangerous it was to have 6-12 riders runnin=
> g in=20
> that lane. I told him I was not as concerned about riders that=20
> were very competent on their bikes, but riders not as experienced and the f=
> act=20
> that one is never sure what auto drivers will do when those situations=20
> arise. The posted speed there is 35, but I know for a fact that=20
> 40-45+ is the norm especially for commuters in the morning and afternoon.=
> =20=20
> His response did not satisfy me (but I have to admit I have not seen groups=
> (as=20
> large) of his team running since) in that his solution was to have his runn=
> ers=20
> move into the lane of traffic to let riders go by. This can really confuse=
> =20
> "everybody". I say a heads up in that area almost all the=20
> time.
> Hope your blood pressure is good and the rest of=20
> your day is much better. Since police officers are "people" as well, I=20
> hope his BP is lower and he is having a better time about now. Maybe even=
> =20
> coming to grips with the fact he overreacted. Remember it was just that=20
> one guy. Not all the officers. No I am not at all employed by the=20
> police dept and do not have any family employed by them or other department=
> s=20
> (although my mom told my I had an uncle who was a Texas border patrol=20
> officer).
> take care out there.
> ron
> ps.......You probably handled it much better than I=20
> would have. I might be sitting in a cell right now.=20=20=20=20
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----=20
> =20=20
> From:=20
> Scott=20
> Fitzwater=20
> To: obra@list.obra.org=20
>
> Sent: Monday, January 18, 2010 1:22=20
> PM
> Subject: [OBRA Chat] I almost got=20
> arrested today while on a bike ride!
> =20=20
> This is simply unbelievable. I was on a 2 hr bike ride on an=20
> unexpectedly pleasant day of sunshine. Riding on N Willamette Blvd just p=
> ast U=20
> of P on the bike path toward downtown. I was riding about 22 mph and=20
> approached another bike rider in the bike lane who was riding significant=
> ly=20
> slower. I looked over my left shoulder, saw that I has safe distance from=
> the=20
> auto traffic behind me, signaled with my left hand/arm that I was coming =
> out,=20
> went around the other bike rider, merged back into the bike lane and cont=
> inued=20
> on at my 22 mph pace.=20
>
> Next thing I know, there is a vehicle behind me=20
> siren blipping and lights flashing. Huh, is this guy pulling me over? I g=
> uess=20
> he is. I stop, the SUV size vehicle pulls over and the cop jumps out sayi=
> ng I=20
> failed to yield when I left the bike lane, entered his lane and passed th=
> e=20
> bike rider. His voice was raised and he's acting angry. I kid you not!! I=
> =20
> asked him to calm down and he gets madder. I told him that I felt I safel=
> y=20
> executed the pass by looking behind, saw the safe distance and signaled. =
> He=20
> disagreed again and threatened to ticket me. He asked for my ID. Luckily,=
> I'd=20
> forgotten to bring any and he yelled "god damnit" when I told him. The=20
> "discussion" was devolving into "yes you did, no I didn't" and he was=20
> obviously in control (at one point he said "you're not free to go") so I=
> =20
> finally said ok, you're right and just stared at him. He then called on h=
> is=20
> radio and asked if a car was nearby (presumably to arrest me??). I guess =
> none=20
> were since one didn't show up.
>
> The dude (who is a Sargent, by the way)=20
> then takes down my name, address, phone number and goes back into his veh=
> icle.=20
> This whole time we're pulled over on the right, the cop vehicle is blocki=
> ng=20
> the bike lane and all bike riders are having to leave the bike lane, ente=
> r the=20
> traffic lane and ride around us. Finally, he returns and has written me a=
> =20
> warning. I ask what it meant and he said "nothing". I said I was sorry fo=
> r the=20
> hassle, he said nothing so I rode off. Weird experience.
>
> Portland's=20
> finest? Oink oink.
>
> Scott
>
> =20=20
> =20=20
>
>
> =20=20
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing=20
> list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe:=20
> obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
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>
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>
> --=20
> Eric Aldinger
> =20=09=09=20=09=20=20=20=09=09=20=20
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