I usually post several links to interesting bike news stories I come across each morning on my Twitter feed. But, if you don’t follow @BikePortland, here’s a few things you might have missed recently.
“Diez was apparently incensed by Alan Simons carrying his 3-year-old child on a seat mounted on the back of his bike.”
— From a story about shooting incident in the Citizen Times newspaper
The web is buzzing about a firefighter in Asheville, NC who shot his gun at a man who was riding his bike on a busy road. I still can’t fathom the who/why on this one. Reports say that the firefighter, Charles Diez, pulled over to talk to the man because, “he was upset that the victim was bike riding with his child on the heavily traveled Tunnel Road.”
Diez’s shot struck the man’s helmet, and barely missed his head. Diez is charged with attempted first-degree murder. The story has led to the usual editorial in a local paper (followed by scores of comments) about the “uneasy road” shared by “cyclists and motorists.”
Multnomah County Bike Fair.
(Photo © J. Maus)
Moving on to happier topics… Former Portlander, Scott “#1 Badass” Nowicki (he got that nickname for winning the Zoobomb Badass Challenge, an event where riders do a reverse bomb, and climb up to Washington Park from downtown Portland) has been featured in a story in the Las Vegas Sun. Scott, a regular at Portland bike events, commutes 23 miles (one way) from Boulder City to UNLV where he’s studying mapping and transportation systems. Like every good Portlander, he’s spreading the gospel and helping Las Vegas become more bike-friendly. Good luck Scott!
Finally this morning, Alabama has decided to ban a wine label that features an artistic, vintage French bike advertisement. The “Cycles Gladiator” image of a voluptuous naked woman flying behind a bicycle has been licensed by Hahn Family Wines in California to adorn one of their wine labels. The image debuted in 1895, but according to an article on DigitalCity.com, over 100 years later in Alabama it’s simply too racy:
“The cartoon lady could be considered artistically tasteful but the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board doesn’t think so. The board decided to pull the the wine from liquor store shelves statewide, deeming the label as inappropriate. Letters were sent to stores all over the state, announcing the ban on sale of the product.”
I should warn anyone that visits the BikePortland office in Southeast Portland. This image hangs in a frame right above my desk.
OK, that’s all for now. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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It appears the Southeast and the Northwest are at opposite ends of the Country. In mamy ways. This is referring to both stories. Im gonna protect you by either trying to kill you, or limit what you see/think.
Please, Alabama, secede again! This time, we’re going to let you go.
Actually that’s pretty good wine. They can ban it all they want – more for me…..
#2: …and Texas, and Oklahoma, and Georgia, and South Carolina, and the north half of Florida, and Utah. Yeah, there would still be some red areas left, but not enough for a filibuster.
Don’t forget the lynchin’ state, Mississippi.
Perhaps we need an editorial expounding on the “uneasy road” shared by murdering psychopaths and their victims. Seriously, this incident has nothing to do with cycling.
I’m sending the AABCB a few postcards of that label. With greetings, of course.
Maybe Alabama can now set it’s sights on keeping Jesus off of public schools.
We can still buy Cycles Gladiator in Atlanta. (IMO It is decent) And I haven’t been shot yet for riding on the road. (Run over yes, shot no.) However, the rest of the comments about the South are sadly accurate.
I’m waiting for the argument that cyclists should be required to wear bulletproof helmets… 😉
How anyone can ban an image of a naked red-head on a vintage bicycle is beyond me. Clearly a move by the Alabama wine industry to sabotage competition from California Cabs and Oregon Pinots. You should try that new Birmingham Barbera! Look for the label with Lynyrd Skynyrd smoking cigarettes and waving the rebel flag.
One commenter on the editorial piece said:
“It is INSANE to allow bicycles on roads with speed limits above 30 mph that do don’t have bike lanes. They have no more business on a road like that than they would have riding down the interstate.”
Since bikes have an equal right to the road, I’m curious if it’s occurred to him that in effect he is arguing that speed limits on area roads should be reduced to 30 mph.
Those who wish not to share the road typically want to ban bikes, not realizing that the arguments they use can be turned on their head. As we continue down the backside of Peak Oil, we’re likely to see fewer cars and more bikes – eventually, barring a miracle transportation revolution from Detroit, bikes will outnumber cars on the road in cities. (rural areas typically need cars/trucks for hauling stuff, and to make long distance travel in short time)
Unfortunately, it’s also likely that these people aren’t going to take that well.
“Alabama wine industry”
I cringe at the very idea…
FWIW, the comments on the shooting article are much more civil than anything I’ve read on oregonlive lately.
How wonderful OUR world has become, that no one has time for someone else. It dos’nt matter if you are a driver or a rider. Wake up, we are ALL out there….just a little consideration
some of the comments on the Asheville editorial are from the usual haters, but the editorial itself I thought was pretty neutral. talked about cyclists’ right to be on the road, talked a little about the relative merits of the child killer seat versus the trailer, quoted this person and that person, and passed no actual judgment. even an ad in the margin for a bike safety class. fwiw, the photo shows what looks to me like a pretty bikeable road.
Re #10 Matt – Regarding your comment about rural areas. It will just take longer, but for the same reasons bikes will eventually outnumber cars in rural towns and on roads between towns.
Human powered transport will continue to improve to appeal to more and more people who need to travel 20-50 miles on occasion carrying a reasonable load.
I spent some time in Asheville, NC a few years back for work. It’s amazing how non-existent their bike facilities are. Many of the City streets even lack the width for anything but cars. I even rented a bicycle while there and found some beautiful country, but all on very narrow roads. And Asheville is a university town, too!
Alabama has a wine industry?
I saw one commentor on another site noted that the label in question adorns bottles of wine that are sold only in stores that allow adults– so apparently, the adults in Alabama aren’t adult enough to handle 100-year old art on a wine label?
Hahahaha!! 🙂
Seriouser, though: that story about the shooting is one more thing that makes me shake me head in bafflement at humanity. The firefighter thought the cyclist wasn’t being safe riding on that road with this child in an approved child seat, so the firefighter shot at the cyclist’s head??
Is the road not safe because firefighters with short fuses (no pun intended) are packing heat (again, no pun intended)?
Sigh. What a world, what a world.
Wow, just WOW.
Firefighters and nekkid ladies.
WOW!
RE 16: Bikes likely *already* outnumber cars across the country; it’s just that most of the bikes never make it out of the garage.
In 1895 the female figure in a commercial design was simply appreciated as art. In 2009 we are apparently so traumatized by sexploitation advertising that a simple thing like this takes the fall. Too bad.
BTW, the Sun article mentions that Scott is a teacher at UNLV.
Live in Asheville and bike in Asheville. Over the past several years we’ve added bike lanes downtown and there are plans for more. We have an active Pedestrian/Bicycle Task Force and we’re working hard on all areas – we’ve come a long way. Two points to consider in your discussion(s): the history of mass transportation in the South and it’s relationship with race and (2)the relationship of Western North Carolina with the powers that be in Raleigh – the powers that allocate funds through the DMV.
Let me say one word also about the shooting incident – crazy is crazy and it’s a story of crazy and not of bikes v. cars, etc. Could’ve easily been a person walking with a child on the side of the road…
We’ll keep fighting the good fight.
Thank you, Steve H! We are there with you in spirit.
Oregonlive is a sanctuary of bigotry and racism in an otherwise tolerant city/state. Where else are these swine to go to vent their hatred if not Oregonlive?
“… licensed by Hahn Family Wines… The image debuted in 1895.”
Eh, methinks someone got screwed. French copyright law typically only covers the work to 70 years after the authors death. Seems like this work should have fallen into public domain by now. [not a lawyer, etc]
I hope it’s not still copyrighted. A friend has this image inked on her shoulder. It’ll suck if they come to reposes her tattoo 🙂
“Alabama has a wine industry?”
Twas a joke. Call me a snob, but I’m not about to imbibe in any confederate wine tastings any time soon. Did just pick up a nice ’05 Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir, though, that I’m eager to crack open. And not just so I can save the bottle! 😉
“A friend has this image inked on her shoulder.”
Very cool – I want pictures… 🙂
Thanks for the Fire Fighter Shoots Cyclists link. everything that can happen will happen. Amazing
In the Beaverton area I find most drivers to still be polite and civil…but it seems like there’s more hostility (some subtle, some less so) out there than usual, starting around May.
This morning I decided to go without a helmet (something I rarely do) because of the heat.
Some woman, who I didn’t glimpse, but from her voice I somehow got the impression she was relatively young, slowed down to yell something about wearing a helmet. (She gave me ample room when passing.) Her yelling (more like disparaging admonishment) had a “get a haircut!” sort of quality to it (my hair is short).
I guess that’s a lot better than being shot at…
No, no, there’s no wine industry to be pimping for in Alabama–it’s an evil plot by the Kentucky whisky distillers!