2008 Archives

Police Officer shares candid perspective on Taser incident

Robert Pickett
(Photo © J. Maus)

The article below was written by Portland Police Officer Robert Pickett. Pickett — who regular readers know by his user name “PoPo” (he’s a regular commenter and member of the Portland Bike Forums) — is a former member of the SE Precinct Bicycle Patrol Unit and now works in the Bureau’s Neighborhood Response Team division. Pickett is also a former BTA Alice Awards nominee for his dedication to community policing.

Pickett was recently selected by Police Chief Sizer to be an official communications liaison to the community on bicycle issues. On BikePortland.org he previously shared his thoughts on humility and wrote about why cops ride on sidewalks.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

“In my view, the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) debate is less about building a bridge and more about debating a right-sized project that is multi-modal, that won’t bankrupt our transportation funds, and won’t promote sprawl by increasing auto use. In addition, for cyclists, it’s about creating a world-class bicycle and pedestrian facility.”

That’s the opening paragraph of a blog post just published by Bicycle Transportation Alliance executive director Scott Bricker.

A scene from last year’s parade.
More photos here
(Photos © J. Maus)

Tonight is the annual Pedalpalooza Kickoff Parade.

If you want to bear witness to the wonderment (is that a word?) that is the Portland Bike Scene and/or take part in a rolling celebration of all that is beautiful about human-powered transportation, you should not miss this event!

The parade will have a full police escort and will meet at Jamison Square (NW 10th and Johnson) at 6:15, but you’ll want to arrive early to soak up the sights and decorate your bike.

The blue Hummer that led to the suspect.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The two parties involved with a road-rage incident in Northwest Portland back in January now want to put the whole thing behind them.

On the afternoon of January 21, Collin Whitehead was riding his bike when claimed he was “assaulted, threatened with a softball bat and punched in the face” by a man who had been driving a Hummer H2. The incident occurred in broad daylight and the man in the Hummer took off before police arrived.

Whitehead claimed the attack was provoked because he spit from his bike and the alleged assailant thought the spit was intended for his brand new Hummer H2.

Cover of the Portland
Mercury’s Bike Issue.
(Art by Justin “Scrappers” Morrison)

This year, the Portland Mercury stepped up to partner with Shift’s Pedalpalooza event (the 2+ week, 200+ event biking extravaganza that starts today!).

The Mercury is helping Shift with their big Dance Party on Saturday night and they’re distributing the official Pedalpalooza Calendar in their “Bike Issue” that just hit the streets this morning.

If you haven’t checked out the Mercury this week, do it now! Here’s a rundown of the bikey features:

PEDALPALOOZA DANCE PARTY — and Naked Ride!

Track 7, NW 30th Ave and Industrial St

9:00pm – 5:00am

Dance Party for the Naked Ride. Body paint and secure storage area will be provided, though we aren’t making any guarantees about how secure the storage really is. To be admitted to the party you must be 18 or older. Please bring your ID if you want to get into the party. The party’s theme is “Masquerade”.

Cirque du Cycling!

Come one, come all!

The circus is coming to Mississippi Avenue.

Cirque du Cycling, presented by Laughing Planet Café, is part circus, part bike street race and a benefit for Self Enhancement, Inc.

The whole event kicks off at 4:00 with a free three mile family ride to Peninsula Park. There is also a bike parade (advance registration required) featuring all sorts of wild sculptural bikes: tall bikes, choppers, swing bikes and more.

There’s live music all afternoon, plenty of entertainment to watch and an evening criterium street race with a two-way racing right down the middle of Mississippi Avenue.

Come relax in the beer garden, bring your bike, settle into your lawn chair, peruse the shops of Mississippi Avenue and numerous exhibitors and be prepared to be awed by spectacular bicycle tricks and riding feats.

Pedalpalooza Kickoff Parade

Shift’s Pedalpalooza Kickoff Parade

Jamison Square, NW 10th and Johnson Take Trimet
6:15pm, Arrive early to decorate your bike

Kick it off! Bring out the bike love on a costumed, decorated, escorted Bike Parade.

Man on a bike is tackled, then tasered by Portland Police

Photo from the scene at SE 7th and Alder
last night.
(Photo: Ian Stude)

A Portland man says he was tackled, pushed off his bike, and then tasered repeatedly by a Portland Police officer in Southeast Portland last night.

The Portland Police Bureau, in a written statement about the incident, say that Phil Sano (a.k.a. “Rev Phil”) did not have a front light on his bicycle and that he refused to stop when officers requested.

The incident occurred around 9:30pm on SE 7th Street, just north of SE Morrison Ave. Phil Sano says he was riding along and felt cold, so he went to zip up his jacket. Then, in an email he sent me just hours after the incident, he wrote,

Bamboo Trailer Builder Elden Clarke-1-3.jpg

A bamboo trailer built in North Portland by
Elden Clark (notice the bottle-capped screw heads).
(Photos © J. Maus unless otherwise noted)

North Portland resident Elden Clark hopes to turn his love for building bamboo bicycle trailers into a business.

I first spotted Clark’s work on a flyer he’d posted outside of a bike shop. Then yesterday, as I rode home through the Boise-Eliot neighborhood, I saw a bamboo trailer and stopped to check it out. No one was around, so I rang my bike bell and sure enough, out walked the man from the flyer.

This morning I stopped by TriMet’s test of new bike access options through the Rose Quarter Transit Center this morning.

When I rolled up I was greeted by City of Portland bike coordinator Roger Geller and TriMet’s manager of capital projects Young Park. They offered a more detailed explanation of their concepts for safely and efficiently moving bikes through the Transit Center (bikes are currently prohibited from the area).

“We will urge City Council not to write a blank check for a project that doesn’t meet the criteria we believe any new bridge should meet.”
–Planning Commission member Catherine Ciarlo

The nine-member Portland Planning Commission met last night to draw up their recommendations to Portland City Council on the $4.2 billion Columbia River Crossing project. City Council — one of eight agencies with veto power over the project — is set to vote on the project July 9th.

In a letter drafted by the Commission that is being sent to Mayor Potter and the Council, the Planning Commission says that while they believe a replacement bridge is necessary for safety, seismic, congestion mitigation and freight movement, they also have “serious concerns about the bridge design we have seen to date, and how it would impact the Portland metro area.”

Police Officer shares candid perspective on Taser incident

BTA chief clarifies CRC advocacy strategy

Tonight: Kickoff Parade will begin Pedalpalooza madness

Both parties admit overreacting in Hummer road rage case

Check out the Mercury’s Bike Issue

Pedalpalooza Dance Party

Cirque du Cycling!

Pedalpalooza Kickoff Parade

Man on a bike is tackled, then tasered by Portland Police

Want sustainable transportation? How about a bamboo bike trailer?

A closer look at TriMet’s Rose Quarter bike access test

Planning Commission to City Council: “We have serious concerns” about CRC project

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