Monday, August 4, 2008

First Red Lock

During my first week of biking I learned a lot. 

1. I still love biking

2. Portland bikers are even worse then I thought.


Nothing makes bikers more mad then physics. If you point out the obvious like cars are easier to see, or bike riders have no protection, they get all uptight.

On sunday I did have to take the 4 bus. The 4 went through my most favorite place the Rose Quarter Transit Center. Once again bikers ignored the "no bike" signs and the driver of the bus had to emergency break so as not to hit a bike in his blind spot. 

At the next light the bus driver open his door and in a nice tone told the two bikers what happened. They playfully said sorry not that "Wow you just saved my life sorry." Not the "Sorry I almost forced you to crush the life out of me by squishing me to pulp with a 20 ton bus." no this was the flippant light hearted "sorry" like you would say "Sorry my frisby went on your lawn" Or  "Sorry I stepped in your way going in the door."

Everyone on the bus laughed when they said "Sorry" 

The driver shut the door and said "Why do I even try, Maybe I should just let them die" I challenged the driver on this because no one should die. He said simply "You don't deal with them like I do" 

So here is a human that is so burned out with bikers that he is honestly starting to not care if they live or die. He was not born this way, he was made this way. How was he made like this? After talking with him and hearing about what he saw every day it was obvious. Bikes made him this way. 

Now every biker will say he is evil, but this is a guy who got out of his seat to help people in wheel chairs, or parents with kids or elderly with shopping. He sang and made all his street announcements so I do not feel he was evil at all.  But when it came to bikes he just didn't care.

Now I know most bikers will blame him but the sad fact the more bikers there are the more people will be just like him. Bikers in Oregon are so bad, Bikers in Portland are so horrible they are making otherwise caring drivers hateful.


Meanwhile on the other end of the four I found something very interesting.

I have a challenge for all you bikenazi's who think all bikers walk on water.  Watch the bike lane on the East side of the bridge. Then go to the West side where they have the new Green bikes lanes. Not watch them or video tape them and tell me.

Do bikers act different in either lane? one is protected one is open and does not share the new green. All bikers treat all bike lanes that cross the road as green lanes.  

So the other question I have is this.

Bikenazis ignore their fellows who don't have lights (Cost lives)
Bikenazis ignore their fellows who don't have helmets (Cost Lives)
Bikenazis ignore their fellows who go places bike should not go (Cost Lives)
Bikenazis ignore their fellows who don't even want helmets to be required (Cost Lives)
Bikenazis ignore their fellows who coast through stop signs and lights (Cost Lives)

But man if you say something like Green boxes are silly because 99% of the time their are no bikes and they hold up traffic. Can't make a right turn over a green box. so you have to sit there holding up cars, burning gas so some bike who could be there, would have the right of way if they were there.

If you say that does not make sense they throw a brain rod and call you names and fall back to the good old. "But were saving the Earth" shit.

So if Bikenazi's can want things that cost bikers lives, why can't anyone else? Why should we let this group of idiots who can't even stop at a stop sign decide what is right and what is wrong?

Go figure.

Oh by the way while on my bike I was almost hit by biker trying to get to PSU he ran a red light. moved from side walk to road to crosswalk what ever way was easier for him. I used my first red lock on his bike. I wonder what he will will think when he comes out and sees his bike locked up with my redlock. I need more of these, this was fun.


31 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cuckoo!

Anonymous said...

You kwazee!

Anonymous said...

While the red lock idea is a funny concept, I am a little concerned about your connecton to reality at this point, Myra. I don't believe you are a police officer, so I don't see where you have the right to essentially impound someone's vehicle based on your interpretation of the law, no matter what you saw the cyclist do.

You rail against "bikenazi's" [sic] and their disregard for the law, but my dear, your brush is far too wide to paint a coherent picture. And this vigilante behavior... how is your disregard for the rule of law different from anybody else's?

You obviously know that most people online see you as a nutcase, so do you think you are changing anybody's opinion? Do you get off on the attention? You seem very lonely, bitter and possibly afraid. The world is changing, and you are of the old guard.

Anonymous said...

Got any real ideas? Every post in this blog sounds the same...bitching about law breaking people on bicycles. We get it! How about less complaining and more solutions? Or at least trying to start a dialog about solutions. With all the complaining I'm assuming you're actually wanting things to change.

And I've had it with all the talk about bicycles running red lights. Yes it happens. Yes I think it's wrong. But you need a reality check....the red light cameras installed at hundreds (possibly thousands) of intersections across this country were not installed because of bicycles running red lights.

Anonymous said...

Good Girl- you continue to make points.
When they call you crazy, wow, what logic. What sheer immenseness of ideas are presented.

I love the moral equvalent arguement. "cars break laws" so what? Killers kill people, so I can? I can tell you who's crazy, and it aint you chick!

Here's a little question for the bikies: If a car runs a red light, or a stop sign is that an intentional breech? Or an accidental lapse. You mention red light cams- are you saying all those ticketed cars did this on purpose? and damn the cash spent for 2 seconds of scofflaw?...

Question 2: are you saying that bikies are JUST LIKE CARS and any running of red lights and stop signs is just an unfortunate inability to perceive a traffic control device?

Answers: a) most cars obey the law or pay the price. Cams and cops ensure a safe driver, at least they try.
b) most bikies simply are LAZY. Why obey traffic signs, no cops are going to bust you? That's right, CAMS and COPS aren't there to control you, just us. And yet you can't see that MORALS are at play here- that's what pisses people off.

As for the red locks- I wouldn't do it. A far better revenge is reading the paper obits. Let them kill themselves. Hopefully they don't hurt any children or kill themselves in front of any kids.

Otherwise- in America you are free to be as stupid and dangerous as you like. That's the beauty of our system. Always has been.

"there's a sucker born every minute"- PT Barnum.

And one more: "The world is changing, and you are of the old guard." God help us all when 1% of the population can force the rest of us into their twisted world view where dead bikies are martyrs and people mis-understand what "do unto others means".

Anonymous said...

So to summarize: You ride a bike and "still love biking" but you are ranting to eliminate biking from the place where you live (name of blog: "Bike Free Portland"). Myra, you are nuts. As elementary-school kids say, "Stop hitting yourself"--at least in public.

Anonymous said...

Myra--

I don't think most bikers "want" things such as their fellow bikers to ride around with no lights at night, or disobey traffic signs, or what have you. The thing a lot of people don't understand is that one biker does not have any control over--or responsibility for--another. We all have to be responsible for ourselves. Here is a copy of a reply I posted over on BikePortland, in case you don't get to read it over there:

I agree there are many reasons one could become annoyed at the behavior of some cyclists, but your apparent level of anger seems way beyond what would be considered reasonable by most people. I get annoyed when I am riding and I see other cyclists cruise through stops or pull other dumb stunts that I'm sure they don't even realize are dumb. I find rolling my eyes and shaking my head and thinking to myself "What a dumb stunt!" helps to dissipate my annoyance. Then I keep riding.

You must realize that the world is stuffed to the gills with stupid and ignorant people, among which you and I are both counted at times. As much as you would like everyone to do things your way (or even the legal way!), the only person you can control (pop-psych clichè alert!!) is you.

If you concentrate on knowing and understanding your own responsibilities and doing everything you can to stay safe and avoid causing problems for others, the world will be safer, and you will be happier! It's almost like having a super-power! Call it hyper-awareness or whatever you want. You can go around and spot the stupid things people do--often even before they do them! Then you can avoid danger and think to yourself, "If that guy only knew how close he came to getting run over! If not for my hyper-awareness super-power, he'd be dead!"

You already seem to have keen powers of observation and counting; it's only a short leap from there to true hyper-awareness. THEN you will be truly powerful. You will be able to mount a one-woman campaign to eradicate danger and "accidents" by spotting them seconds before mere mortals are able and taking appropriate evasive action. Please don't waste your true potential!


Now, some of that post was lighthearted and sort of facetious, but the principle is sound. Ride more, worry less.

Anonymous said...

I think it's time for the ultimate referendum:

Should driving a car be illegal in Portland? There are numerous alternatives and we will all be super healthy with bikes.

Let's ban cars! No more cars= no more stop signs and red lights.

Here are some slogans to get you started: Cars kill. Friends don't let friends drive cars. Bicyclist on board. US out of PDX. Change we can live with. My other bike is a bike. Somewhere in Texas a village is missing it's car driver.

Gather the signatures- I will definitely sign it. Let's put it to a vote and let the people decide instead of the 1%-ers.

Anonymous said...

So to summarize: You ride a bike and "still love biking," but you rant to eliminate biking from your city (blog title: "Bike Free Portland"). You really must have issues. Stop hitting yourself! (at least in public)

Anonymous said...

Myra,
please write more about farts! I really liked your "whoever smelt it dealt it" story about the bikers who needed to die because they messed with the Rose Quarter Transit center or something. That was AWESOME!

Keep ridin' and writin', girl! With any luck, there'll be blood in the streets and you'll be the only dumbass nazi biker left on the road. Yee haw!

Bikefree Cascadia!

tofucactus said...

Hey everyone, I figured it out first! Myra's doing performance art! This is satire! You're the greatest satirist since Donnie Davies!

I almost got suckered in by you calling the folks you disagree with 'Nazis'... but that flag! Ohmigawd! That flag! That's smearing Godwin's Law in our faces, baby!

Denn said...

I noticed that you don't respond to comments.

Listen, How about you put a lock on my bike, make me late for an appointment, and then my lawyer extricates the financial viability of your little campaign here.

Myra, you are an absolute contrary. You claim to ride, yet you'd like bicycles banned from the streets of Portland. Is that just poor understanding of the local language, perhaps a parody of yourself, or, has schizophrenia revealed itself in your life.

So, Myra, please put a lock on my bike, I could use a new set of Mavic's.

Anonymous said...

lock up my bike and you might get hit with the u lock i can take off my bike.

Anonymous said...

Philistine (now there's an online handle I can agree with!), you are a blithering idiot.

Myra is crazy. Plain and simple, batshit crazy. She has several valid points about cyclist behavior that a huge number of cyclists agree with. That part is not so crazy. Some of her little points even make sense. But she's a troll, and trolls are crazy.

If she did her homework, she would find out rather quickly that most people who are serious cyclists, and most of the people who read BikePortland, agree that following the traffic laws, wearing helmets, making eye contact and not pissing off auto drivers and pedestrians are all good ideas.

You had some questions:

"If a car runs a red light, or a stop sign is that an intentional breech? Or an accidental lapse."

Breach. Duh.

"You mention red light cams- are you saying all those ticketed cars did this on purpose? and damn the cash spent for 2 seconds of scofflaw?..."

I don't understand the question, but I would say anyone who runs a red light/stop sign is in the wrong, wouldn't you?

"are you saying that bikies are JUST LIKE CARS and any running of red lights and stop signs is just an unfortunate inability to perceive a traffic control device?"

Again, the actual question is obscured by that trainwreck of a sentence, but again, I would say that anyone who runs a red light/stop sign is in the wrong.

"Why obey traffic signs, no cops are going to bust you? That's right, CAMS and COPS aren't there to control you, just us. And yet you can't see that MORALS are at play here- that's what pisses people off."

This just doesn't make sense. People obey traffic rules because it makes sense. Cops bust people on bikes all the time. No skin off my back. Many times it's deserved. So what?

"And one more: "The world is changing, and you are of the old guard." God help us all when 1% of the population can force the rest of us into their twisted world view where dead bikies are martyrs and people mis-understand what "do unto others means"."

What?

Anonymous said...

Who is the Nazi Ms.?

Fascism (wikipedia definition)is a term used to describe authoritarian nationalist political ideologies or mass movements that are concerned with notions of cultural decline or decadence and seek to achieve a millenarian national rebirth by exalting the nation or race, and promoting cults of unity, strength and purity

Anonymous said...

(503) 988-4888 is the telephone number for the Multnomah County Crisis Line. I hope Myra has someone in her life who cares enough about her to get her some help.

Anonymous said...

Whoever you are, grats and kudos to you. These biketards are eating it up like cake with double frosting. The one dude threatening an e-lawsuit on this post was the best. Keep on keepin' on! :D

Anonymous said...

NO U

Anonymous said...

If all the bikers were riding cars, I think you'd be stuck in traffic for a long period of time. Longer than waiting for the light to turn green to turn right because of the few green boxes located at dangerous intersections...

About the red lock, try doing it to my bike in front of me ...

Anonymous said...

So what have the bikies to offer today:
Grammar lessons.
Quoting from a fucking online dictionary.
Calling you crazy.
And best of all- Threats of violence. Real classy people.

Hey doc- at least you read my stuff. AND RESPOND. hahahahaha. Too bad you never took English because my sentences are perfect. I know you prefer something shorter like a text message so here you go: OMG! U R A Drk! LOL!

Yeah doc- I run red lights in my car because I love tickets and crashing. Just like bikers, I too am too lazy to stop. Wow, that makes so much sense when I type it out loud. Thanks for the heads up there!

At least you admit that bikers are too lazy to stop for signs and lights, just like car drivers.

Anonymous said...

Phyllis, I wouldn't respond to you if you didn't make me laugh!

That bit about how your sentences are perfect was the best. What will you come up with next?

You're cute, but you still don't make sense. Did I accuse you of running red lights?

Anonymous said...

From someone that knows... it's troll-bait, baby!

Anonymous said...

Naw, Phyllis is my poison-pen pal!

Anonymous said...

I stopped reading your post just after reading the third line, "...Portland bikers are even worse then I thought..."

IT'S "THAN" NOT "THEN" - get it right (yes, that's "right", not "write" or "rite") - I hate when people trying to prove a point don't use proper grammar. This blog is now void to me.

Anonymous said...

"Few Jews survived in Holland, but those few were saved as a result of the most strenuous efforts, for Holland was the one territory of the occupied West in which the Jews did not have an even chance to live."

-Raul Hilberg

If anyone is an expert on Nazis, I guess Myra is.

Anonymous said...

Wow! You must be off your meds.

Good luck storming the castle!

Anonymous said...

Doc- In response to my question you replied:

"You had some questions:

"If a car runs a red light, or a stop sign is that an intentional breech? Or an accidental lapse."

Breach. Duh."

Do I need to explain this to the brain? You are saying that cars run red lights on purpose here. But then I didn't need to tell you that- you are an English professor.

And that underlines the brilliance of the bike nazi. See- cars run red lights and stop signs on purpose, therefore it's okay for bikies to do it.

You'd think that if cars run red lights and stop signs on purpose, and you bikies "see this all the time" (as you are all so proud of mentioning any time someone points the finger of scofflaw- accusal at you), you'd think that bikies would be EXTRA cautious, and stop for fear of the next out of control car careening through the intersection.

So which is it? Do cars run stop signs and red lights "just as often" as bikies? And if so, do they do it on purpose, either bikies or cars?

Look- either bikies are blind as bats and can't see stop signs, or they do it on purpose. Which is it?

And I see the grammar lessons continue... ahh grammar the last refuge for a completely hypocritical, self centered, selfish, childish argument. If you can't beat them with logic, bash the spelling! Yeah, nanny nanny boo boo you spell like doo doo! Wow, what brains.

Anonymous said...

Hi PPP,

Yes, I am saying that people run red lights and stop signs on purpose, in cars and on bikes.

This is a breach of the law, whether it's a "lapse" or intentional.

You act like I'm defending cyclists who break the law. Do you think I condone their actions? Please elaborate, and give coherent examples. Whenever you're done with that crack pipe.

Myra's last post was pretty boring, huh? She should just put us on the front page. You're fun.

Anonymous said...

You're right. Those bikers were acting irresponsibly and should follow traffic laws. It is unfortunate that the driver had his day ruined by their carelessness. However, soon the Rose Quarter Transit Center is going to be redeveloped so bicycles can pass through. The bus driver will receive better training and learn how to better share the road with bicycles. If only there was better training for bicyclists so they can better share the road with motorists.

Anonymous said...

locking up bikes that don't belong to you?! YOU are the nazi!

Anonymous said...

See troll,

See troll nom.

Nom, troll, nom.

Don't feed the trolls.