Last month I covered a series of disturbing incidents on the Springwater Corridor and other local carfree paths. Today I’ve heard of two more things you should know about if you use those facilities.
On Monday, a person who posts on TikTok as johnannabanana shared a video describing a scary encounter with a man on a bike. The person says a guy riding a bike followed her while she was running along the Willamette River on the Waterfront Park path near the Hawthorne Bridge. In the video, johnannabanana says the man was clearly watching her run and taking video of her and then verbally assaulted her when she called him out.
Comments from other women on the TikTok post share similar experiences.
And yesterday, the Portland Police Bureau issued a statement saying they are looking for another cyclist who they say exposed himself to a female runner on the Springwater Corridor. It happened around 10:30 am Wednesday (9/4) in the area of SE Johnson Creek Blvd and SE Brookside Dr. Here’s more from the PPB:
The woman told officers she was jogging when a man on a bicycle passed her and jumped into the bushes further up the trail. According to the woman, as she approached the area, the man emerged from the bushes naked and with his hand on his genitals and he tried grabbing her. The woman managed to get away from the man and run for help.
Police say the suspect is described as a white man in his 30s, about 5′ 8″ with a shaved head who was wearing all black clothing. If you have any information about the incident, please contact Acting Detective Consider Vosu at consider.vosu@police.portlandoregon.gov, Officer Benjamin Forsyth at Benjamin.Forsyth@police.portlandoregon.gov or Officer David Kemple at David.Kemple@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 24-225143.
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No one has connected this attempted attack to the two attacks that happened in Eugene last week/month: https://www.klcc.org/crime-law-justice/2024-08-29/police-seek-witnesses-in-recent-rapes-in-west-eugene Both occurred on biking or hiking paths in broad daylight in a similar manner as this creepazoid. Is it the same person or people who are coordinating in some way? Copy cats? Despite the similarity in the attacks, police are not connecting them. I doubt Portland Police are even aware that this happened in Eugene.
All of these attacks reflect the level of violence women are just expected to tolerate. The women in these attacks were probably doing everything “right” – being out in broad daylight on popular trails that are used frequently. It’s unbelievably exhausting to feel the need to say that women deserve to be outside, free of fear and threats of violence, but here we are again. I’ve been reading this exact same story since I was a kid, and nothing seems to change. There is a constant threat that this could happen every time I walk outside alone. I shouldn’t have to be hypervigilant on a run or a bike ride on a familiar path.
These attacks in particular enrage me. I was a long distance runner for a few years and spent many hours running by myself with headphones in on mixed-use paths in Seattle. They often felt safer and more peaceful than the roads and I looked forward to my long runs on them. The paths offered a place where I didn’t have to listen to people in cars catcalling, and there were no creeps on corners asking to pet my dog and chasing me when I said “no.” I feel the same way now when I’m riding my bike on paths vs streets. Just a few weeks ago I wrote on here that having to use the Broadway Bridge in rush hour had radicalized me about access to car-free paths. Also very recently, it occurred to me that I actually feel much more comfortable biking on the Eastbank Esplanade than I think I would running. And that realization was a major downer, as mixed-use paths are places of peace and quiet for me.
I don’t know what the answer is, security-wise. Safety teams a la TriMet? Bike cop patrols? Bystander intervention? Commuter bike buses? All of the above? None of them address the root cause of gender-based violence, but maybe combined they would send a message to would-be perpetrators that their actions will not be tolerated. I will personally be casting a more critical eye on anyone suspicious and I will be diligent in looking out for my fellow path users. See you out there.
I don’t know who’s the subject of the verb “expected” when you referred to “the level of violence women are expected to tolerate”. But I consider any form of harassment intolerable (for what it’s worth).
I wonder if it’s the same creep on a bike who got naked and possibly touched or grabbed a woman on the SpringWater near Johnson Creek Blvd.
Gross. Hope they catch these guys. Will be on the lookout too. If anyone sees them make sure to call 911, do NOT call non-emergency line, they will put you on hold forever and/or not respond.
Sorry to say but 911 would not consider harassment to be an emergency and will send you back to the non emergency line
The incident on the Springwater would be considered assault. And indecent exposure is a crime. The guy on the waterfront was menacing so I wouldn’t hesitate to call 911 in either of these cases.
I never trust anyone wearing a mask in public.
While a mask outdoors is perhaps a red flag, this kind of anti-mask rhetoric seems more targeted at people who are choosing to wear a mask for safety indoors, many of whom either are immunocompromised or live with someone who is, and that is not cool.
I think the difference might me medical masks versus covering your face with whatever. I also get suspicious of cloth covered faces in public, never with N95s.
Some people don’t like elastic straps digging into their ears, and some (like me) don’t want skin cancer on their neck and cloth covers more area.
Its very weird then that the concentration of people who are immunocompromised falls across pretty easy to determine geographic lines. Why would Portland’s prevalence of immunocompromised people be so much higher than many other cities, or even higher than the immediate suburbs?
That’s easy, PS. Some autoimmune diseases, like multiple sclerosis for example, show a well-established north/south gradient of disease rate. And genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have further demonstrated that, of the hundreds of genes which confer a slightly greater risk to having the disease, the gene which confers the greatest risk of all is the major histo-compatibility complex (MHC) allele which most frequently occurs in Europeans. (That and being a woman. By woman, I mean a couple x chromosomes.)
So the greatest risk-factor of having MS is being a woman of European descent, which also associates with wealth, northern latitudes and education. There’s a lot of autoimmunity in Portland.
The most recent treatments over the past 15 years are broadly immunosuppressant. So when I take my shot in a couple of weeks, you can damn well be sure I’ll be wearing a mask in crowds.
Cool Chris. Might want to unpack your ability to differentiate between mask wearing for health and mask wearing whilst harrassing women in public.
I wear a bandana in the summer, a neck gaiter in the winter… my face is pretty much covered every time I ride. Keeps the sun off. I don’t like swallowing bugs. Sometimes riding across the Colombia there’s sand blowing in the wind. Ever had a bat fly into your face? I have. Plenty of reasons to wear a mask while riding that don’t mean you’re a creep.
He only trusts people who wear black and yellow masks, with a victory laurel on it.
Ah, you reckon he’s proud of those boys?
I don’t get the reference.
Terrible. At least regular media is reporting on this as well (see link). Unfortunately this all makes sense. The PPB is understaffed (record low officers/capita), we elected many leaders who have anti-police views, the city and county have allowed/enabled unsanctioned camping and de-emphasized enforcement of laws. Meanwhile local transportation advocates ( The street trust, Oregon walks, Bike Loud, Bike Bus,etc) and yes authors in this blog have been supportive of a “hands off” approach to homelessness and criminal behavior as they have felt it promotes improvements in social and racial justice. This blog continues to support candidates that seem stuck in the policies that have gotten us into this mess. Until we realize that allowing people to give the middle finger to our social contract without consequences this will continue. We need to vote differently and not just for new versions of those who have failed us (Hardesty, Eudaly, Schmidt, Kafoury, Vega-Pedesron, Rubio, etc).
https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2024/09/naked-man-ambushes-jogger-on-portland-bike-trail-police-ask-for-help-finding-him.html
men being creeps pre-dates 2020, hate to inform ya.
TBF many cities have fewer police per capita than Portland and they aren’t complaining about being understaffed. I do think we probably do need some more police, but also leadership needs to be held more accountable – from city council to the PPB. They have purposefully and politically ineffectively policed the city and have not followed federal guidelines nor have they obeyed the rule of law themselves by not enacting the changes that have been mandated by the courts.
I don’t believe it is the policies that have gotten us in trouble, but rather the lack of actually implementing them from leadership in a sensical way because they don’t like them. If they actually spent the money they had and had done it in an effective way, drug de-crim could have actually worked. We know throwing people in jail does not work for homelessness and drug use and that seems like what you are wanting to go back for. It’s prohibitively expensive and creates a negative feedback loop. The lack of vision from leadership and the unwillingness to change of police has been the worst thing that’s happened to Portland in quite a while.
Which ones?
Here’s a possible reference: https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/09/28/portland-ranks-48th-among-50-big-cities-for-cops-per-capita/
Keep googling, there is a lot more data about police per capita than that single article! Boise and San Jose to name two.
And how do you know residents in those cities don’t think their police departments are understaffed?
Angus violence against women has always existed. I find it interesting, yet completely predicable that you felt the need to center yourself in this conversation
“…yet completely predicable that you felt the need to center yourself in this conversation”
Huh? How is wanting actions and policies to make our MUP’s safer for the public doing that?
PPB’s budget has increased 42% since 2016, I don’t think the elected officials are the ones to blame.
Inflation has increased by 33% since 2016.
Our population is greater than what it was in 2016.
The increase makes since.
It’s not about budget….it’s about officers on the street.
How much did your grocery bill cost 5 years ago compared to today?
With just 1.26 officers per every 1,000 residents, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) ranks 48th among the nation’s 50 largest cities for its staffing-to-population ratio.
https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/09/28/portland-ranks-48th-among-50-big-cities-for-cops-per-capita/
I really appreciate all the thoughtful and occasionally sharp-edged responses here to the occasional authoritarian that pops up these days on BP. Most of us, I think, understand that the socio-economic issues we are beset with have very deep roots and are unlikely to be “fixed” by harsh state intervention. Empathy is hard when you’ve been marinating in patriarchy all your life and living under capitalism. Angus, try putting on those intellectual bootstraps and lifting yourself up so that you can take more compassionate and nuanced positions. If you’re in need of some sort of “intellectual welfare” program to give you the boost you need, well, try reading a book like ‘The Chalice And The Blade’ or ‘The Patriarchs’ or ‘Against The Grain’ by Yale professor John C Scott. Then come back and tell us more about “our” social contract. Otherwise, I *promise* that you are in for a lot more disappointment in the coming years as things are almost certain to get more unstable and chaotic (plenty of reasons for mild optimism further down the line, though, eg in 300 years when the coming demographic collapse of our species is in full swing). Also curious what you yourself are doing in the community at the grassroots level to strengthen our web of mutual aid (I worked with homeless kids for 10 years). Anything? Just licking boots from the couch?
So bummed to hear about this. The best deterrent for this behavior is more and more people out biking, running and using the trails. I’ve become very mindful of not riding or running behind women for periods of time that could come across being creepy, and will either speed up or slow down to avoid it. It is important for all of us to do whatever we can to make these public spaces feel safe and welcoming. I am glad that this runner posted the video and BP shared it.
Riding our MUP’s in their current state is a non starter for me (I’ve tried…way too sketchy). Until they get cleaned up, unsanctioned camping is banned/enforced and regular police and or security patrols take place they will not be used by many (including me) in our community. Sorry but just saying “use them more” is not a realistic solution.
I agree. “Use them more” is not the only solution, but it is an important component in addition to some of the things you mention.
I’m with you SD. “Nature abhors a vacuum”, right? In your yard where you don’t have lovely plants planted, weeds will absolutely move in. Few people go downtown? You end up with the Fentagon on 4/5th and Washington. Don’t commute/recreate on the trails? Campsites flourish. Not enough people jogging on the Esplanade? Assholes will feel emboldened to be assholes. Not abandoning spaces and places around town, acting like it’s someone else’s problem, that is not the way. Unfortunately that’s the mindset of many folks!
I think the campsites flourishing on the trails are what drove away the trail users. And I don’t think that more trail users are likely to drive the campsites out in the absence of enforcement.
Yeah, I don’t think just showing up is 100% the answer here. I understand that. But I stand by my opinion that abandoning places is not the way to make them better.
Once the trails feel safe again, users will return.
I will return with the family once we feel safe. I (used to) love this city, but unless it does some work on itself, I’m going to have to let it go. I’ve put out the effort.
Ahh, ok. Wow. A koan? If a trail returns to normalcy, but no one is there to use it, is it actually safe?
If you safe it, they will come.
Definitely, no MUPs in Portland. Not the waterfront, no where. We go out of the county to ride bikes on trails.
it would be helpful if men held other men accountable. if you see some shit going down, absolutely use your privilege to shut down this behavior.
absolutely!
Shut down physical assault? Of course, but that needs to be be true for any and every adult-ish human, not just “other men.” Otherwise, you’re bathing in the same quagmire stipulated by car-only folks when they suggest “you other bike riders” should hold riders accountable for what they do in traffic.
That is, _no one has_ any kind of special obligation to endanger themselves based on similar transportation device, similar chromosome mix, similar ethnicity or other such coincidence. To imply otherwise is bigotry.
Just want to say it’s important for women to let those”other men”know there’s a problem. I have intervened in the past, but am loathe to get involved in a lovers quarrel
Like what happened on Max over in the Hollywood district a few years ago. Someone did the right thing and got killed.
yeah no, as a women, I’m not going to volunteer myself as one of those “more people need to be out” until this the situation gets better.
I agree. People shouldn’t do what makes them feel uncomfortable and you shouldn’t volunteer yourself for something that feels dangerous. My comment wasn’t directed at people who feel vulnerable.
Instead, I was thinking of someone like myself who could run around my neighborhood or could just as easily choose to run or bike on the waterfront or spring water. I enjoy seeing other people out, and I think many of us agree that the more people out using the trails the safer it will feel for everyone.
Nope. This section of Springwater was one of the last I felt relatively safe but now that is gone too. Such a shame but I won’t be a guinea pig.
There are still a bunch of friendly open group runs that you could join and a lot of people out on weekend mornings, if you don’t feel safe running when there are fewer people.
Oh I feel safe running alone plenty of places but sadly no where on the Springwater now. There was a time when I would run it from Sellwood to Gresham and back without a care beyond normal precautions.
The Springwater never enters the conversation on where to take the children to go ride bikes.
I’ve ridden on the spring water with children often over the last two decades and still do. I am not sure what places you are talking about. Aside from the serious concerns raised by the original story that need to be addressed, this conversation seems like it has the potential to diverge into a Portland is dying /burning hyperbole.
SD,
It seems you are dismissing other’s concerns and their valid lived experience. I find this frequently occurs on this blog whenever someone raises valid concerns about safety in Portland. They say it is hyperbole or overly pessimistic and therefore to be discounted. Just because YOU feel safe riding with kids somewhere doesn’t mean others do and doesn’t mean it’s safe (as recent incidents support). If we want to grow our bike share and walk share it is mandatory the majority of the population feel safe on our trails. Dismissal of these concerns will only continue the status quo where many in our community (including me) won’t use our MUP’s any longer.
I understand that saying anything positive about Portland and it’s public spaces can be interpreted as dismissing others negative experiences or concerns. I hope that this discussion and my comments have made it clear that I respect the concerns that people have. However, Matt’s comment to me seems to go far beyond my, and my partners, and my freinds, and everyone else I know’s experience, which is why I said that I am not sure what parts of the MUP he is talking about. “The spring water” includes a lot of miles of MUP.
I hope you also understand that for several years there has been a vocal contingent that takes every opportunity to exaggerate the negative conditions of Portland and other US cities. In fact, the astroturfing campaign in Portland and on Bike Portland has been well documented. All of Matt’s comments take this tone. Recent reporting has shown that people who spend time downtown think it is safer than people who do not. My own experience talking with people echos this. Suburban residents I know have always been scared of downtown or even central neighborhoods.
Unfortunately, the more cynical part is that it is not unusual for anti-Portland posters to co-opt “liberal” or “progressive” concerns about inclusiveness to shut down positive comments. Maybe it is disappointing for you, but if you go to the area where this very disturbing event took place, and the stretch of MUP between OMSI and Oaks Park, you will find a lot of families riding their bikes. You will even find some families that bike commute on this path. The fact that they do this and feel safe and would even dare to admit that they think it is a fun family activity is not in opposition or dismissive of people who perceive this bike ride as dangerous.
I just said something similar on another thread:
https://bikeportland.org/2024/09/06/clean-energy-fund-grants-pump-12-million-into-transportation-projects-389350#comment-7528300
And look upthread to Angus Peters for an illustration of the kind of comment I’m talking about.
These people are expressing a widely held opinion that Portland has deteriorated in personal safety and they believe law enforcement has the tools to correct it.
To you it sounds like they all sound the same–that is likely because a lot of people hold that opinion.
Why is their opinion less valid than yours?
It happens that the politicians you cite are in favor of a certain status-quo or at the very least do not support using law enforcement as the primary tool to reduce public safety concerns regarding drug addicts. Some people want that to change, so they criticize these polticians.
Your doing quite a bit of mental gymnastics to describe what is basically a large cohort of people who disagree with you and post on your blog about it.
It’s not the opinion I trip up on, it’s that it is, stylistically, all coming from the same source. For the record, I also think Portland needs a greater police presence. What I don’t like is political operatives trying to take advantage of the fact that BikePortland has the only comment section that hasn’t become a sewer. We work at that, and I’m not doing it to let campaigns flood the zone with their tropes. BP welcomes all opinions, and I think we do a pretty good job of achieving that. It’s what I’m trying to protect.
It’s a lot of work to pack two boys and four bicycles up and go to a trail system and not sure it’s going to be safe. I imagine it’s fine around OMSI and at the entrance of the Springwater, but I don’t want to even be around a couple tents off the side of the trail. I don’t want my children to see hunched over druggies with straws hanging from their mouth. I don’t want to pull over and fix my child’s helmet and realize I’m standing in what used to be a homeless camp—looking down as I adjust my kid’s strap and see needle caps smashed into the ground. I’ve done all this, my time off with my kids is precious. Today we went to Lake Oswego and rode bikes. No tents, no druggies, nice families, didn’t have to worry about people tweaking on the trail and spinning out.
I’m glad you find the current status quo acceptable, I’m sure if you play the numbers, it’ll probably be someone else’s family attacked, but it won’t be mine…
I get that you only want to ride on a trail with nice families. I guess I don’t understand why you would dump on a trail or part of a trail that you obviously have not ridden on.
I guess you’re not understanding me, the whole point of my post is that parents that want to go out and ride a trail, they want to know that it’s going to be safe. It’s not a maybe, well I hope it’s safe, and we’ll see. No, it’s we want to be safe, and not have to worry as you drive to the trailhead if you’re going to have any unpleasant encounters. I have ridden the entire Springwater trail solo dozens, and dozens of times in the past, I have seen the livability issues come and go, I just would never take my family on it when there is better alternatives in the area.
The unknown and unpredictability is what is ruining these trail systems in Portland.
The people who’ve made it a full time hobby to wail about parts of Portland that they don’t go to are also doing their part to ruin these trails.
But, maybe I was wrong, and it is not such a great idea for people who’d rather be in LO to visit Portland. If there was an issue where someone needed help, they would probably just take a “Portland is burning!” picture to post on social media or hide in the bushes to get a video.
ELI RICHEY????
Perhaps once Portland recognizes there are scientific differences between men and women, more attention can go back into protecting women. Instead we just want to make sure men can play in women’s sports.