(Photo © J. Maus)
Last week we shared how the world’s most bike-friendly city, Copenhagen, warns riders about potential right-hooks.
On my way home a few days ago, I noticed a different attempt at a warning sign and it struck me as being distinctly Portland. This one was an unofficial stencil that read “DOOR ZONE” and was placed to the far right of the bike lane. Ironically, when we rode by, there was a car door cracked open just a bit just after the stencil (see photo).
Dooring is a serious issue, even when it doesn’t happen. As we’ve noted recently in the Ainsworth incident, riding far enough away from the door zone puts you directly in the middle of some narrow streets. That can be uncomfortable, it can enrage people in cars who think you shouldn’t be there, and it can lead to car trying to squeeze dangerously by.
And obviously, when dooring does happen, the results can be very serious. Ask Portland Mercury reporter Sarah Mirk. She was doored recently and shared her “awkward” experience on their blog.
Speaking of Portland-style stencils and transportation-themed graffiti, check out this story in the Oregonian. At a bus stop downtown, someone stenciled “Thank you for not driving”. From the Oregonian:
Stacks of black smoke billow for the letters of “driving” — emphasizing the vandal’s point. That’s soooo Portland, right?