Trouble @ Beaverton TC 3/26/8...

[K'Tesh]

On my morning commute I ran into some Assholes driving/riding in a red suv, Oregon License plates YCP 533... :mad:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2334/2365846908_e249ebfa02.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2334/2365846908_e249ebfa02_b.jpg)

Real Smart covering her face... it's an improvement... Now if you only would

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2103/2365013597_24ee848a39.jpg (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2103/2365013597_24ee848a39_b.jpg)

Much Better!

The Situation:

I was riding on the SB on the NB sidewalk on SW Lombard in Beaverton (yes, it's legal). I was approaching the Beaverton Transit Center's Quick Drop location, slowing to navagate around a car that was stopped at the stopsign (and stuck because the gates were down). An EB MAX was going thru the intersection, and a WB MAX was just pulling out, and I'm not about to challenge 110 TONS of moving MAXs.

Just as I cleared the stuck vehicle (at about 3mph) I hear a LOUD horn in my ear, and Red (the asshole in the passenger seat) yelling for me to get out of the F*****G WAY! Now remember, I was on a sidewalk, with painted crosswalk at ped speed, nothing about what I was doing was provocitive.

I had been, up until that moment, minding my own business, now I have these Rednecks in their SUV challenging my right to be going slow on a sidewalk w/a train in front of my nose. Their left turn into the Quick Drop missed me by inches. My fuse was lit.

I pulled around, and blocked their exit (they boarded another male). Red there was hanging out of the SUV, threating to kick my "faggot ass" and yelling about how bikes didnt' deserve special rights. I got the camera out...

They took off, but got stuck at SW Canyon due to a light and a vehicle in front of them. I got my pics, then WE proceeded thru Canyon w/the light... how she could see around Red's hat, I'm fortunate.

I saw his cell phone, and thought that this would be a perfect time to use mine... I called 911.

They proceeded South on Lombard, as did I, much further behind. As I was on the phone with 911, a BPD squad car passed me... I advised the dispatcher that I had been just passed by him and that he was only a few cars behind the SUV. I continued South, despite losing them in the distance. Just past SW 5th, I heard a cop signal me, and pulled over. I thought that they had missed Red and his gal, but this was a 2nd car.

I explained what happened, and they advised me that the other car caught up to the SUV and was talking to them. When I was asked what I'd like to have done, I wanted them ticketed, but the officer informed me that they could have me cited too (blocking traffic... etc)(they declined my request to have Red shot).

That's how my commute today started... pretty F****D Up!

I got to work late.

I've contacted the BTA, and I've requested the plate be traced so I can follow up on this thru the BTA (you learn about this stuff in their free legal clinics). I have yet to have my call returned.

I'd like some help composing a letter to the driver.

Things that I want mentioned:
Harrassment is a crime, Menacing is a crime, Unlawful use of a horn is a crime, Reckless endangerment is a crime, Using a vehicle as a weapon is a crime, and (God Forbid) Assault is a crime. Add the word "Faggot" and you elevate it to a HATE CRIME, and what Measure 11 would mean to them (ie, how many years they could expect to receive striped sunlight). Oh yeah,and the vehicle's blue smoke ( ;) tonyt)

I know my manners weren't exactly Emily Post, but their actions were truly uncalled for.

I know, I shouldn't have put myself in front of them, I was trying to get the shot (with the camera). I put myself at extreme risk should they have escalated the situation...

I would recommend that should you find yourself threatened in a similar fashion, get the camera ready before you do confront them, have a cell on 911 already, and hope for the best...

Some other things that I'm thinking about is a new law, which will appear in another post.

Look out People, Red and his gal are still on the road.
Be Careful Out There!
Signed, the highly aggitated..
K'Tesh

[Simple Nature]

I pretty much hear the same thing from Beaverton police when you want them to do their job... They simply want everyone to keep the peace so they don't have to. They as much as told you that it's okay to be an @ss on Beaverton roads and they'd rather not fuss with it. Pretty much parr for the course with my 20-someodd years in the vicinity.

[PDXGS]

Ktesh,
I'd suggest that you follow up with Bob Drake, the mayor of Beaverburg. There is a link on the city's website to send him messages. It has worked for me in the past and it's an election year. The cops comments about citing you for blocking traffic is interesting....pass that on to Drake as well.
Good luck...If I see the offending red truck I'll make sure they get a free bird in your honor.
Cheers,
Jorge

[wsbob]

I'm not sufficiently familiar with the configuration of the Beav transit center, so I can't quite visualize where you and the driver were in relation to the quick drop and the crossing. I'll try get over there and check it out.

If you definitely crossed in front of the vehicle while the gates were down, there shouldn't be any question that you weren't blocking traffic. The cop shouldn't have said he could cite you for blocking traffic, given that he likely only had the driver and passengers word that you did.

That's what this situation gets down to though. You've got no corroborating witness, so it's just their word, two of them, against you, alone. In that situation, I think the cop's challenge to you is what they sometimes do to divine something approaching the truth when they have no other way of figuring it out.

Your response to the suggestion that you were blocking traffic could allow them to conclude whether you were lying or not, or whether the moron in the red car was. The cops in both locations (with the red car, and with you and your bike) compare the stories, add them up and try to make a fair conclusion.

Hopefully, you still have something to offer that could confirm the truth beyond a doubt, but if you can't, well, those things happen. I'd still file a police report, but other than that, probably write it off.