A new group known as the PDX Bike Militia has launched a service that will look to improve safety for bike riders in the city by pairing them up with “bike escorts”.
In a message to the Shift email list announcing the new service, they described several examples of when the service might be used:
– You get out of work late and don’t feel comfortable biking home alone in the night when your powers of light are not bolstered by the beautiful sun.
– You know you will be out on the weekend and would like a friend to see you safely home and while casting protective silvery magicks on the way.
– You happen to bike in places where cars are also present and would like comrades to increase the collective visibility and strength of your convoy in the presence of such potentially malevolent contraptions.
– You like to hang out with people (generally quite silly people) who are actually quite serious in wanting to make our communities safer, friendlier and more (A)utonomous while eating cookies, riding bikes and occasionally painting pictures.
Here’s a flyer announcing the bike escort program (click to enlarge)…
The PDX Bike Militia first started meeting in November of last year and has kept a pretty low profile since then. Here’s how one of their members explained their mission:
“We are an anti-authoritarian community defense group based around colorful, non submissive forms of resistance, joy, and space reclamation while riding bicycles in Portland. Plans are in the works for neighborhood patrols, self defense (as well as street medic) trainings, free concerts and more.”
The group says they welcome comments and feedback from the community. One member wrote on the Shift list, “We are here not just because this is something we want to do but also because hopefully this is something the community wants us to do.”
For more information on the PDX Bike Militia, check out their email list or send a note to pdxbikemilitia(at)riseup(dot)net.