1 week of biking

I biked to work every day this week but one so far. I have not run any stop signs or stop lights I have a helmet on and plenty of lights on my bike. I love it even if the ride home is a pain. 

So here is my latest Bike Spotting encounter.

I stopped between third and fourth on main at the park. I relaxed there in the shade and I learned a few things about Portland. 

1. Way up in the tree in the middle of down  town Portland is a family of Racoons. I saw them way up there peeking down at me.  No one else was looking so it's my little secret. 

2. Idiots on bikes don't like this entire LANE system. Walking down to the corner of salmon and fourth and looking back up into traffic towards PSU I was able to see just how many bikers were using lanes and how many thought that the white line was a lane unto its own.

   Twice I saw a bus and once a delivery truck hemmed in on both sides by bikers squeezing between moving vehicles. One incident a bike pulled over in front of a bus making it stop had that driver swerved even a fraction the bike on the other side of the bus would have been knocked into the bus stop on the corner.

You have got to love bikers forcing 20 ton vehicles into other bikes. How safe is that.

So a three lane road is really a 7 lane road when you throw in the bikes. Nothing to fear there. No possible problems to the biker.

During this week I have interviewed a few fellow bikers to get their opinions of things. Lets see how they break down.

1. Functional Biker: Small distance commuters, day time. They admit that bikers are a problem but give that issue a pass. They focus on what they do and for the most part they do follow the law.  They are not part of any bike movement, push, gatherings. These are just people riding bikes. They will attend a bike rally or two. They believe that it would be nice to see more bike lanes and bike racks but they are happy as things are. 

2. Bike Enthusiast: This biker is in love with biking. Though not an overt crusader they fully embrace only the good image of bikes. They bike out of preference and constantly spout things about pollution and saving the earth. They acknowledge that bikers break the law but they believe that education and love will change what bikers do. They want more of everything for bikers. Many of these people own cars, maybe even have many cars.

3. Bike Activist: This is a bikenazi JR. Grade. This person feels that biking is their way to save the world. They reverse every point you can make to some other form of transportation. In other words "They break the law so we can break the law" They dismiss any proof that bikers don't comply with the law. They believe that bikers are all on the crusade and if you question this then you are part of the problem. They believe that bikers don't have to change the city has to spend more money on bike roads. They don't just want more like a number 2 they are demanding more. This person will admit they are into the bike culture of Portland. They frequent bike gatherings they read bike post they are a "True Believer" A few of these people have cars but most do not. 

4. Bike Anointed: Watch out cause here is the high priest of biking. They believe that human law can circumvent the laws of physics. They don't turn arguments around they dismiss them out of hand. They do not believe that bikers have any issue, it's all everyone else's fault. They are organizers of bike gatherings, blogs, what have you. They act as if every one else who drives (non-bike) vehicles have their hand around a kids throat and is strangling them and only BIKE'S can stop this.  To them its not about educating bikers its about educating everyone else in the world. They believe in the pure innocents of bikers and the automatic guilt of everyone else, they will not admit this but all their arguments are from this point of view. full on bike Nazi.

I am still talking to bikers to see if there is another classification but so far four seems to cover it. Here is the problem most bikers give a pass to Biker's abusing the rules of the road, either by focusing on their own issues or denial or by being an apologist. That that are active in the Bike Community are more focused on the world changing for them, rather then having bikers follow the law. 

 bike True Believer argument

1. Bikes save the world 

2. We are going to use political activity to attain more for bikes

3. If you oppose us in any way you do not want to save the world

They suppose that anything and everything they want is right and that if you oppose them in any way you are Wrong.

I say lets let Portland and ORegon decide.

Lets put some of this idiotic things up for the voters to have their say on.

Like those silly green boxes. Lets let voters have a say on those. 

Now that would be interesting.

Lets see if Portland and ORegon really loves bikers or are they fed up with them.

Interesting....

Well that's it for today. Have to run.

Great New Idea To End The Bike Issue

Here is the best idea of the week.

 Police should have a monetary incentive to ticket bikers. Some reason for them to give a ticket to every bike they see cutting across the street without a signal, riding without lights, going the wrong way on the street or running a stop sign. 

 

Here is how you do it. 

 

Anyone over 18 on a bike who commits a road violation has to pay double the fine. That extra money goes directly to a 50/50 split. Half to the city and half directly to the police department for increased Police patrols. Now that would be awesome. If the police made more money and could use that money to write more tickets what a great day it would be.

 Lazy ass bikers (AKA MOST OF THEM) would soon be taking Tri-met, Max or walking. 

 I love the idea that everyone attacks my poor command of the English Language but no one challenged me on my number of bikers with lights on going over the bridge? Wow I wonder why people who tell me that bikers breaking the law is a myth don't want to take up that challenge? Do they really think more bikers would have lights? I still say cars will beat them hands down.

 Interesting emails this week. Getting called all sorts of names and one threat. Sorry I had to come to your country and take your jobs. Maybe if you were not showing up late for work because you are on a bike I would not be doing your job.

 The real point is many of these idiotic detractors just what to jibber jabber. None of them have any real points. 

 Two Emails I get the most.

 1. Your kind of talk is not going to open a dialog 

and

2. the Die Bitch Die

 Some times it's in the same email.

 My problem is how can you start a dialog with a side that believe that they alone are going to save the world and you are on the side of killing the world with gas cars. 

 

Where is the middle ground? where could you start there?

 How can you start a dialog with people who excuse every violation by stupid bikers with what amounts to nothing more then an updated version of "he who smelt it, dealt it?"  (Thanks to my wonderful boy friend for that one.

 Just like "he who smelt it dealt it" they are trying to excuse their many transgression by pointing back at those who challenge them and saying "look you did it" or "It's your fault" 

 You cannot have a dialog with that person at all. Cannot be done.

 Some take offense to my use of Bikenazi. I think it's great, I love it. Sure I come from a nation that fought with the Axis so I know a little bit about Nazi's. I also lived in a country where Bikes are every place (Holland) My Dutch friends came to visit last Christmas and we drove around town. They thought Portland bikers were awful based on what they saw. Prompting one of my favorite lines "Don't they know they could die?"  All I could do was shake my head.

 When the Dutch are on your case about your biking you are low on the food chain. 

 While in Holland I can only remember maybe three times in two years having an issue with a bike I thought was risky or dangerous. I get that in a month in Portland.

 It is the arrogance of Portland bikers that makes them believe that Right of Way is more important then surviving.

 It is the apologist for anything Bikers do wrong.

 It is those that believe that biking is a crusade to save the world and that all who oppose them are morally wrong. (Sort of like a religious war lead by ST. Trek)

 It is those that respond to any criticism with a counter attack to justify their breaking the law in great numbers.

 The above people are those that scream for "dialog" and "Compromise" and "Lets talk this out"

 These are just gifted children who need to be spanked and put to bed...(not in a good way)

 They fear any voice that challenges the orthodoxy of their religious belief in bikes as the holy savior of human kind.

 This week I will bike to work and keep track of all the bad biking I see.

 I hope you all survive the next week, If you get hit, oh well you have it coming. Keep an eye out for red bikes.

 hahahahah

 

 

 

Red Bike / Bike Lights

I was just thinking of a good way to show how stupid bikers are.  Every day I pass a white bike where some one was killed and I thought today "That's it" I should make a red bike and when a biker without lights, helmet or who broke some law was killed I will put up a red bike. 

Better yet anyplace bikers do stupid things I will put up a red bike. Where they ride three abreast in a bike lane made for one. Where they run lights and stop signs and where they are biking without lights..... wait that's everyplace!!! 

I would have to put red bikes on every corner. Portland would fill up...hmm what to do.

Hey I could make a red bike stickers. Drivers and walkers would just stick them places bikers are idiots. White bikes could be covered up with red bike stickers. That would be great! Biker comes down the one way street the wrong way then pulls into their favorite brew pub, you could walk over and put a red bike sticker on his seat. 

I like this idea. Red Bikes for Stupid bikers.

The other idea was red bike locks. When A biker does something stupid you follow them and when they park to go shopping on 20th at the new seasons or any place stupid bikers (lets just call them bikers) go you lock up their bike with a bright red lock.

Now that is some ass kicking social action. I like that. 

Can you just hear the crying. They would be so pissed they would smash the window out of any car they could get their hands on. 

Red Stickers and Red Locks 

Man that is funny.

So here is a challenge.

This will determine if you are bikeidiot or not.

What is a bikeidiot? Well a bikeidiot is some one uses the "Were saving the world" angle to justify everything they want as being right and any opposition to their demands as evil. It also means you are an apologist (man I like that word, only in english do you get such a nice word)

for bikes. This person admits to bikers shortcomings but again uses the (You have to see the big picture)

On the opposite side of this argument is the Smart Person. To the smart person you cannot say that bikers are not breaking laws when you can show them they are and doing so far more then say UPS trucks, Gas Delivery Trucks, Motorcycles, Vans or Electric Cars.

So I stand on the bridge say the hawthorn bridge at night and watch the bikes go over along with the cars.

How many Cars will have no light on? how many bikers will have no lights on?

What are the ratio of lighted to unlighted. 

Well I'm going to do this on sunday. When I say I'm going to do this I mean my minion who is a burly guy who won't mind standing out on a bridge alone, at night, with a camera and a clipboard counting.

So my minion will stand out there and count.

What will his outcome be?

If the first thought through your head is "Bikes will blow this one big time" You are a Smart Person. 

If your response is one of the following.

1. It doesn't matter

2. Bikers will fail at this but...

3. This doesn't prove anything.

Or any one of the number of excuses bikers use then you are a Bikeidiot (see special work for Portland Bikers) 

So that's my rant for the week. 

Red Locks, Red bike stickers and    Bikers not following the law.

Remember Bikeidiots: "It ain't going to matter if you are dead who had the right of way, You are still dead"

here is to a bike free future. 

Responding To Feedback

The only thing I will say is I was born in Europe and English is new to me so it is very hard to write in English. 

As far as responding to those who posted to me.

It's strange how no one came up with a response to the fact that the RQTC is one city Block in Portland that should have no bikers. It is safer to have them go around and away from. 

When the green Line goes through you will have 1 square city block with many bus route converging, 3 that's right three major train lines. Blue, Green and Yellow and often heavy foot traffic from the convention center or the Rose Garden.

Clearly if there is any one block in Portland that should be bike free it is here. 

When the green line starts and the bike lane goes in I'm starting a death pool. To see how long we go until a biker is killed. 

The Top Ten Places To See Bikes Doing Idiotic Things

This Week

Rose Quarter Transit Center or RQTC

(Excuse my rambling but I just worked an 11 hours day so my grammar and spelling may suffer.)

You can find signs all over the streets of Portland. Some say no cars, some say no exit, some say no trucks, some say no vehicles over a height to limited to under a weight but the one sign that gets ignored the most … NO BIKES.

The best place you can see this is at the Rose Quarter Transit Center. I spent two hours there watching and counting and well the facts are in. Bikers are either illiterate or just plane stupid.

Every entrance to well used transit center is marked with a sign saying no bikes. Even has a picture with a bike and a circle and a slash through it. Even an idiot bike should be able to grasp this simple graphic.

So sitting there counting. Bikes coming over the bridge and trying to get passed the Rose Quarter Transit Center I saw 25. How many do you think went through the RQTC instead of making that horrible ordeal of the 1 block detour in a nice safe bike lane? Well out of 25 11 made a run through the transit center. That means 44% of them were breaking the law. (I painfully counted the two adults that took their 4 children through the bus mall as only 2. I thought counting the children would not really matter since they are sure to be run over by a bus or truck or cab some time in the future because of such expert parental education)

During this time far more cars went around the RQTC must have numbered in the hundreds and not 1. Not a single one went through the RQTC.

A 44% failure rate goes beyond stupidity. It’s arrogance and that is why I’m against the growing bike menace. These arrogant Bikenazi’s believe the no signs really apply to them.

44% failure rate
Endangering Children around a 20 ton bus or two
Arrogance
Ignorance
Stupidity

Here is the really cool part. You can go down there and see this stupidity your self. It’s not hard to do. Next time I’m taking a video camera with me for a little youtube love.

Bikenazi like to put pressure on political people like Tri-Met. They are trying to get Tri-Met to allow bikers in the RQTC. I asked the ones who’s opinions should be counted the most. No not bikers, they can’t even read a no bike sign 44% of the time, trusting them with making bike lanes would be like trusting meth-heads counting money at the bank. No one people you will not hear from is bus drivers who use the RQTC. You will not hear a poll of their voices. No only here will you hear that.

Asked all the bus drivers through the RQTC and on busses I ride too and from work.

How many of them want bikers in the RQTC? What do you think the responses was? Well I can tell you it was not 44%. No it was 100% no, That 4 drivers a day for two weeks (That’s 5 working days each week, I feel I had to spell that out for bikers who would not get that number right 44% of the time) plus seven at the RQTC. So 27 drivers all said no bikers in the RQTC.

Here is a quote

Driver “This is a tight area for as many busses as have to come through here, you have people all over the place, cars at each end, bikers already sneaking in and a freaking 100 ton train. I don’t think I need more of anything to make this more dangerous”

Another driver said, “Tri-Met is week. They will do it and some poor driver will have to run over a bike or two before they go back to no bikes.”

And yes one more “Three times in the last month I had to turn to avoid a bikers. The Max train cannot turn. When a bike pulls that BS in front of the Max train they will just get cut in half”


Don’t believe me?

Here is what you do.

Go down to the RQTC sit for an hour say on Saturday and see the bikers going through.

You want to see arrogance? Point out to them that it’s posted no bikes and see how they respond to their own law breaking.

Ask the next bus driver you see if bikes should be allowed in the RQTC.


Now when you done finding out how right I am call tri-met.

Call them at 503/ 238-ride call them and tell them you do not want to see bikes inside the RQTC. Speak for the bus drivers who will no be asked or polled or heard in this life saving issue. Tell them your complaint is for General Manager Fred Hansen

Then call the head of transportation for Portland Sam Adams at 503-823-3008 and tell him no bikes in the RQTC.

This is just one little battle in the war with the Bikenazi’s and you know now that I wrote this I feel better. I have kept this inside me too long. It’s time to fight back. I feel good because I know I’m right. Not just 44% right. I know I’m right, 100% right on this.

The War goes on.

Bikesnazi want you to do nothing.

Taking action will save lives and we should all be happy about that even is 44% of bikers wont be.