trispoke@aol.com

Joe,
Having lived some of the same places, I'm frankly quite amazed. My
list includes:
KS
Memphis
W Massachusetts
DC
Boston
S NJ coast
SF
Monterey
San Jose

I have the EXACT opposite experience. Nowhere else have I found the
average level of respect and deference from drivers to be even close.
It's rare to have a ride where someone screams obscenities, honks
repeatedly, throws something at me or actively tries to intimidate me
with their car. All of those other places I felt much more at risk on
my bike.

I have to wonder if we've been living on the same planet.

Cheers,
Ian Penner

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 19, 2010, at 8:29 AM, "Joe Cipale" wrote:

> 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
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 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
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>> OBRA mailing list
>>
>>
>> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
>>
>> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --=20
>> Eric Aldinger
>> =20=09=09=20=09=20=20=20=09=09=20=20
>> _________________________________________________________________
>> Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free.
>> http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/196390709/direct/01/=
>
> _______________________________________________
> OBRA mailing list
> obra@list.obra.org
> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org