gschreckchat@comcast.net
Because the "heads of state" of these little towns take insult at people ignoring the traffic laws as they pass through their town. There is a speed trap in Yamhill that stops cars as they enter the zone from 50 mph to 30 mph. It probably is a good revenue raiser as well. What rationale would you propose to them to give up that revenue given the fact that they probably do not have many other sources of revenue, and better yet, this one is from non-residents. That and the fact that they do not like you to be so dismissive of their town that you think you can race through it with impunity. All they are doing is extending their hospitality to bicycle riders.
--
George Schreck
gschreckchat@comcast.net
(503) 502-0425
-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Long, Steve"
> Is there some reason that some of the people that have gotten these
> tickets aren't talking to the heads of state in North Plains about this?
> This does seem ridiculous beyond reason and that seems like it would be
> a much better course of action than this forum other than letting the
> rest of us know to be careful in that area.
>
> Just a thought. I'm totally not meaning to offend anyone.
>
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
> Behalf Of cowperth@hotmail.com
> Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 10:51 PM
> To: Tim Schauer; obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Hefty fines levied against
> cyclistsinWashingtonCounty
>
> Tim - I had a similar experience with the same intersection not so long
> ago.
>
> Personally - if I thought they'd ever devoted an iota of effort to
> enforcing safe passing of cyclists etc. by drivers in their jurisdiction
> I wouldn't have minded so much. But the overall impression one is left
> with is that these guys haven't got a clue about the realities of
> cycling in Washington County and what we deal with on a regular basis.
> They need to get out of the patrol cars and on a bike some day for a
> ride around our beautiful county. Hopefully they'd gain a bit of
> perspective on what the real hazards are for cyclists.
>
> Dave Cowperthwaite
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tim Schauer"
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 9:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Hefty fines levied against cyclists
> inWashingtonCounty
>
> > Wow!!
> >
> > Today.....I was part of a three man group who also got $335 tickets
> > apiece for "in the officer's opinion" ignoring the 5-way stop. I
> > disagree. We did not ignore it. Early this morning in route to the
> > coast by bike, we were heading west and rolled up the intersection and
>
> > slowed to less than a walking pace, looking both ways. No cars, no
> > bikes, no peds in sight. I did not track stand. I did not put my foot
> > down. He has a point that we may not have performed a perfect stop.
> > But this version of a stop was not unlike what I do in my car every
> > day. I feel that had I been in my car it would have seemed reasonable
> > to debate it a little more at the time. My point is not to argue the
> > technicality of my "stop" or lack there of. But the reasonableness of
> > the fine and strange view that this will help contribute to reducing
> > the bicycle/car fatalities in Washington County given that our
> > experience with the officer in North Plains was similar to the one
> > described. We were told during our sto p before getting tickets, that
> > there had been a lot of bicycle/vehicle fatalities out in this area
> > and a lot of bicyclist activists groups and bicyclists have been
> > complaining that cars need to share the road. And that these activists
>
> > want bicyclists to be treated as equals with equal right to the road.
> > And, that if we want to be equal we are going to have to find a better
>
> > way. Independently, these statements have validity. But how are they
> > appropriate to our infraction? It was like this was a plain and simple
>
> > message. Equal meant a new heightened attention to bicyclist traffic
> infractions and much steeper fines.
> >
> > At first, we were all feeling embarrassed about being pulled over and
> > stopped. Feeling guilty for bringing shame to our culture and all.
> > What we were shocked at was the lecture about bicyclist activist
> > politics and the amount of the fine. $335??? My impression was that we
>
> > were being informed that this an attempt to solve some of these
> bicycle/vehicle fatalities.
> > What??? I felt as if we were being told that cyclists need to change
> > to prevent these fatalities. Huh???? What??? Were these recent
> > fatalities the bicyclists fault? I guess in some way it might reduce
> > the conflicts of bicyclists and cars in North Plains, in that maybe
> > fewer bicyclists ride through their town. I will certainly consider an
>
> > alternate route next time.
> >
> > During the rest of our ride to the coast we discussed amongst
> > ourselves the $1005 in fines we were levied with compared to the $1100
>
> > in fines levied against the driver who hit and killed the cyclist
> > recently. Do those two incidents seem remotely comparable? It truly is
>
> > a strange world sometimes....It turns out to have been an expensive
> > lesson in traffic regulations, politics, and that the divide between
> > many drivers and cyclists looks to be a tough bridge for either side
> > to make anytime soon....
> >
> > -Tim Schauer
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org on behalf of Greg Crane
> > Sent: Thu 7/5/2007 8:50 PM
> > To: obra@list.obra.org
> > Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Hefty fines levied against cyclists in
> > WashingtonCounty
> >
> >
> >
> > Boy do I feel safer now that the cops are cracking down on cyclist. I
>
> > was almost killed just the other day in my Xtera by a cyclist not
> > following the rules of the road.
> >
> > Lucky for me I was doing 15 over the speed limit and was able to get
> > out of the very dangerous situation I was placed in by a thoughtless
> > person on a bicycle.
> >
> > Greg
> > --- Mike Manning wrote:
> >
> >> Just thought I should forward this message on to the rest of you.
> >> Mike Manning
> >>
> >> Fellow Cyclists- FYI, on a note I received from a Tri-athlete who
> >> rolls in our neighborhood!
> >>
> >> Part of a group I was riding with yesterday was ticketed $335 apiece
> >> for rolling though the stop signs at the intersection of North Plains
>
> >> Rd and Glencoe. The officer indicated that the north plains PD has
> >> stepped up ticketing cyclists in the area since the rider was killed
> >> a few weeks ago. Beware.
> >>
> >> Lindsay Kandra
> >> Portland TriClub
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> OBRA mailing list
> >> obra@list.obra.org
> >> http://list.obra.org/mailman/listinfo/obra
> >> Unsubscribe: obra-unsubscribe@list.obra.org
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________________
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