I see by pictures on the web here that some of the 2010 Portland Naked Bike Ride occurred in the nighttime. But some of it happened in the day time–in front of thousands of people gathered at Saturday Market, along 33rd Avenue by a busy Grant (High School) Park and undoubtedly many other places according to emailers and callers to the Victoria Taft Show. Here’s an example:
To: Amanda@portlandoregon.gov
Sent: 6/19/2010 5:12:52 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Naked Bike Riding 6/19/2010Dear Ms Fritz,My wife and I were driving through Northwest Portland on Naito Parkway today at 4:15pm and witnessed numerous naked bike riders. The riders were not more than a few feet away from Saturday Market and another event at Water Front Park where many families with children were present.To expose children, my wife, myself and others to this circus is wrong. I assume they had a permit from the city to have this naked bike ride throughout the streets of Portland . Can you explain to me why this was allowed to happen? Are there no more morals? Did you take your children or grandchildren today so they could witness this spectacle? Would it be proper or legal for someone to show up naked in front of your house on public property so they could expose themselves to your family? Don’t we arrest people that expose themselves in public and don’t we hear from the media how awful it is that some people expose themselves to young children? WHY are these people allowed to expose themselves and of what benefit is it to our community? Shock value??? Well…I was shocked.So, Ms. Fritz, what is you opinion to the questions I have raised?Please respond,John
In one case a clothed prepubescent girl was seen riding on the back of a tandem bike commanded by a naked man who’s bare butt was right in her face. Here’s an example:
My friend John S. called me to let me know what time he would be by on Sunday, so when he arrived to go to the gun and knife show at the EXPO center, he told me about all above……and then he shocked the hell out of me with this little “diddy!” He said on the back of a tandem bike was a little girl/with clothes(maybe 7-8), peddling away, in front was a fat,naked man’s butt, right in her face. COPS WERE AROUND, and I guess they wanted to “keep the PEACE. I called Channel 2&8 TV….BOTH SAID IT WAS NO BIG DEAL, in fact channel 8, was very unhappy with me….I GUESS THEY ARE PRO BIKE, and of course it is gay pride week. So, I guess, that is where we are, in Portland, Oregon. I don’t give DAMN if that was her father, or uncle, it was and is not free —free speech.
I’m sick of keeping Portland Weird–a slogan we stole from Austin, Texas. Why don’t we just let Austin keep their weirdness?
Instead Portland “leaders” indulge Portland weirdos for the sake of being inclusive. They pretend this stuff doesn’t hurt anybody. They’re wrong.
The general lawlessness in this city will come back to bite that naked man right on his bare butt–and the rest of us, too. From standing by doing nothing as a legitimate business was bullied out of business by Portland’s Professional Protesters, to the mayor riding with the anarchist bike group critical mass, to the looting of the citizen’s treasury to fund a job center for illegal aliens. We have a predator for a mayor, enablers on council. The list goes on and on. Eventually, people just stop coming to Portland or get weary and consign it to kook category–which is where San Francisco is on a path to right now.
If Portland is to be serious it needs to attend to the needs of all people. It needs to stop stealing money from our already inflated water and sewer bills to build bike paths for an infinitesimal portion of the population while not tending to street repair. It must stop hollowing out the budget by building street cars whose maintenance we cannot afford. The fundamentals are ignored while the Portland Planner Class builds its utopia stealing, through urban renewal, money that should go to police, fire and schools. If the mayor wants to be serious as the ‘education’ mayor–even though schools don’t want a sexual predator in their midst–he needs to stop encouraging behavior that turns off families with kids.
There. I said it.
Here’s more feedback I got during our discussion yesterday about the naked bike riders:
The fact that they had a permit does not make it ok! If I went for a naked bike ride with a couple of friends without a permit we would all be sitting in jail right now.
Was a sad day for liberal portland and a very bad day to be a bike seat!!
Victoria,
I disagree with your thinking about the naked bike riders. I believe they should be sanctioned by the city. However, only after they publicly post their names in the local newspaper and in Pioneer Square.If they are so proud of what they have and feel they must display themselves, they should be proud enough to make their names be known..RickRidgefield,
Victoria. I sincerely hope future naked bike rides are ALL downhill from start to finish. The site of a group of naked people standing to pedal is something I hope to never witness. I suggest from the top of Sylvan hill in the WEST bound lane of hwy 26, through the tunnel and end in the Willamette. Just a thought, Lauren W.
Here’s where you can see the night ride for yourself. Now about the day ride…Here’s my previous post about it.
Tell ’em where you saw it. Http://www.victoriataft.com
