So a motorist assaults and injures a pedestrian with his car, and I'm supposed to take the blame for that as a recreational cyclist? Congratulations. You've reached new heights in your campaign to foment hostility toward people on bikes.

Perhaps, Allan L., you might have noticed that the alleged assaulter was reportedly doing a self proclaimed vigilante bit enforcing the rights of cyclists?

While his license was "suspended", is there not a provision where DMV can issue a "hardship license" so the miscreant can drive to work? There certainly is for folks convicted of DUII's, which in that context makes a mockery of a DUII suspension.

And the humorless bike apologists come out of the woodwork in three...two...one...

a self proclaimed vigilante bit

We seem to be in tacit agreement that using a car as a weapon against a person is not a good thing. Let's at least celebrate that.

What I intend to celebrate is my departure from what was once a livable and lovable city while I still have any fond memories left. I cannot bear being forced to take part in and watch its vivisection, dismemberment, and transformation into a place of hateful and narrow-minded agenda-driven control freaks. .

I agree, mr. Grumpy. Portland would be a much better place if motorists engaged in road rage less often.

"Bike nut"? You mean a hostile Portland motorist who used his car to attack the driver of another car?

Sincerely,

Hateful and Narrow-Minded Agenda-Driven Control Freak

I find it interesting that some posters here immediately jump to the conclusion that my comment was specifically directed at cyclists, when in fact it was aimed at a growing angry mentality in general.

30 days in jail, anger-management counseling, an apology letter, $1,977 in restitution, three years of probation and a five-year driver's license suspension.

This seems awfully light for this crime. If a tea party protester had taken out a bat and beaten one of the OWS loons long enough to cause a broken leg he would have gotten either Assault I or II at minimum (both of which are felonies with serious time).

Why did the prosecutor's office sign off on that plea deal? I'm not surprised the Judge accepted it given her recent history as a biker, but shouldn't the DA's Office take a stand on something like this?

Were they trying to preserve something for the victim to sue over in civil court?

Jack, seriously? While normally I greatly appreciate your snarky take on the perceived decline and fall of the Holy PDX Empire, you do yourself and your readers an exceptional disservice with this particular blog posting, which fails to do any justice to the original article; your summary of the article would do Fox News proud.

Yes, I am a car driver, and yes, I even ride a bike now and then. And yes, call me completely humorless at this particular second. I expect much better from someone who has become, like it or not, an influential spokesperson for a particular vision of PDX.

I find it interesting that some posters here immediately jump to the conclusion that my comment was specifically directed at cyclists, when in fact it was aimed at a growing angry mentality in general.

And I find it fascinating that there seems to be no trace of the traits you decry in either of the two comments that separate your first and second ones in this thread. What am I missing, Mr G? Are you taking in supplemental information through your fillings?

Alan L. Wrote:

"We seem to be in tacit agreement that using a car as a weapon against a person is not a good thing. Let's at least celebrate that."

Lets don't.

At least not until you acknowledge that it is, by and large, cyclists who at a far higher percentage of total cyclists on the road in Portland,compared to powered vehicle drivers, and cyclists in far higher absolute numbers as well, who routinely ignore traffic laws and use their cycles as weapons.

That's completely absurd and not remotely factual.

Not like the reporting can be counted on, but...

The "O" said the perp had "Share the Road" bike plates on his weapon of choice.

And supposedly he volunteered at Portland Bicycle Alliance...which puts on a three hour program for 1st time traffic offenders to get PPB moving violations citations dismissed. Don't ask me how I know THAT.

"The "O" said the perp had "Share the Road" bike plates on his weapon of choice."

Check out his profile on iSport. Definitely a hard-core cyclist.

I had another run in with a biketard on Friday night. I was making a legal left turn and the intersection had the no walk on it.

Biketard is using the sidewalk going against the flow of traffic all dressed in dark and no lights. I did not see the jerk until I started the turn and he raced into the intersection. I honked and he flipped me and screamed at me. WTF? Does right of way mean nothing to biketards?