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State removes stencil memorial to cyclist killed in North Portland wreck

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State removes stencil memorial to cyclist killed in North Portland wreck

Old 12-07-07, 09:08 PM
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State removes stencil memorial to cyclist killed in North Portland wreck

https://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingn...t_brett_j.html

State removes stencil memorial to cyclist killed in North Portland wreck
Posted by The Oregonian December 07, 2007 10:58AM
Categories: Breaking News, Portland

After Portland cyclist Brett Jarolimek was struck and killed by a car in October near the intersection of North Interstate and Greeley, someone quickly memorialized the cyclist with a detailed stencil on a nearby bridge underpass.

For about a month, the stencil, which depicts the cyclist on a ride, remained alongside a white ghost bike. (ghost bike: https://ghostbike.org/ )


Jonathan Maus, www.bikeportland.org
Stencil of Brett Jarolimek
But on Wednesday the Oregon Department of Transportation employee assigned to clean up graffiti from ODOT property erased the Jarolimek stencil.

Mike Mason, a spokesman for ODOT, said the decision to remove the stencil was a difficult one. It's considered graffiti even though it served as a memorial. And graffiti tends to attract more graffiti and can distract drivers. He said ODOT maintenance crews decided to leave the stencil for a month before painting it over.

"It's not a black and white issue," he said. "We struggle with issues like this frankly."

Word that the stencil had been removed first broke on bikeportland, Jonathan Maus' popular bike blog, where more than two dozen cyclists have weighed in on the news.

Wrote one: "Up until a few years ago, I would have understood this. But now I see so many crosses on roadsides to remember those who died in car accidents that are left untouched by various transportation departments. It somehow smacks of the view that the life of a dead cyclist was somehow worth less than that of a dead motorist."

Mason said maintenance crews talked about removing it when it first appeared but decided to wait out of respect to the cyclist and his family. The crews, he said, "knew at some point they would have to take it down per our policy. What we thought was a fair balance was to leave it up for about a month but also to leave up the ghost bike."

About nine or 10 ghost bikes dot the city where cyclists have been killed, Maus said. He said typically someone is designated to care for the ghost bike and make sure the flowers are fresh. He said they can stay up months or longer as long as someone keeps an eye on them.

-Noelle Crombie
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Old 12-07-07, 09:28 PM
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Originally Posted by FatA**
https://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingn...t_brett_j.html

State removes stencil memorial to cyclist killed in North Portland wreck
Posted by The Oregonian December 07, 2007 10:58AM
Categories: Breaking News, Portland
I'm still waiting for someone to tell me why it was put there in the first place -- unless scaring people away from cycling is your objective.
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Old 12-07-07, 09:36 PM
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I like the ghost bike idea. I doubt it will scare people away from cycling, some people are just predispositioned to be ninnies and not ride. It's just a good thing nobody has started putting ghost cars and motorcycles on the side of the road where motorists have been killed. The roads would look more like junkyards than they already do with those ugly cars clogging them up.

I don't see their point about removing the stencil, I think the bike would be more distracting and more likely to attract other stuff, like grafitti, than the stencil.
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Old 12-08-07, 01:24 AM
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It wasn't scaring anyone, and people appreciated the memorial. It was done by a local artist who's also a cyclist.
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Old 12-08-07, 01:25 AM
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Originally Posted by donnamb
It wasn't scaring anyone, and people appreciated the memorial. It was done by a local artist who's also a cyclist.
Well, perhaps they didn't complain about it publicly (or perhaps that was why it was removed), but I can't help wondering how many parents saw that memorial (or others like it) and decided not to allow their children to ride to school as a result. Again, I'm not entirely sure why so many cyclists have this fascination with death.

As someone has already pointed out, there are plenty of motorists killed on roads each year, but you don't see car manufacturers running around and making a song and dance about the fact.
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Old 12-08-07, 02:13 AM
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I dunno, when i see a cross by the side of the road, i don;t stop driving because of it either...
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Old 12-08-07, 06:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Chris L
Well, perhaps they didn't complain about it publicly (or perhaps that was why it was removed), but I can't help wondering how many parents saw that memorial (or others like it) and decided not to allow their children to ride to school as a result. Again, I'm not entirely sure why so many cyclists have this fascination with death.

As someone has already pointed out, there are plenty of motorists killed on roads each year, but you don't see car manufacturers running around and making a song and dance about the fact.
1) I typically skip over your obnoxious red text. Not sure why I read it here...

2) Your "point" seems to simply be argumentative. Parents that stopped letting their kids ride because of a mural... yea right. Like we should care about anyone whose convictions blow that easily on the wind.

Then a comparison between your opinion of cyclists and the behavior of car manufacturers? How is that relevant?
I mean, do you always try to make your point by comparing two totally unrelated things?
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Old 12-08-07, 06:59 AM
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I'd have to say that the DOT handled it in a fair and balanced manner. They allowed the stencil to remain for a period of time and then removed it. Like flowers on a grave or a candle in the church.

Were they to have left it, would it not open the door for even more graffiti. What if somebody had eventually vandalized the stenciling? Where would the line be drawn?

We have the typical memorial crosses in the area. They usually disappear when either they show signs of neglect, becoming a nuisance or the weather turns cold and they'd be problematic for the plows.
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Old 12-09-07, 06:17 PM
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Next up commercial ads painted on the side of road? Oh wait they have them all ready.

Much better picture!
Why not get an art permit paint a mural looks like a lot of space!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
https://bikeportland.org/photos/photo...rial-2jpg.html
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Old 12-09-07, 09:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Chris L
Well, perhaps they didn't complain about it publicly (or perhaps that was why it was removed), but I can't help wondering how many parents saw that memorial (or others like it) and decided not to allow their children to ride to school as a result.
Frankly, I think it's actual event that happened, and not a painting of a cyclist that would scare parents. Are regardless of whether or not somebody decided to paint the stencil out of respect for somebody who lost their life - it wouldn't change the reality of the accident.

Again, I'm not entirely sure why so many cyclists have this fascination with death.
Are you sure it's just cyclists? Why are Christians fascinated with heaven? I think you might not be paying much attention to every other grouping of humanity.

As someone has already pointed out, there are plenty of motorists killed on roads each year, but you don't see car manufacturers running around and making a song and dance about the fact.
Because, frankly "Use our product and die" doesn't make a very effective ad campaign, if your goal is to sell people a product that is extremely dangerous.

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Old 12-10-07, 08:46 AM
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I don't have a problem with them removing it. Roadside/highway memorials for car crash fatalities get removed, so do candles and sidewalk memorials of all sorts. Items left at the Vietnam memorial get removed. We should be happy they let ghost bikes sit as long as they do.

It seems to me the DOT did a good job balancing the scales here.

A roadside memorial like a stencil or ghost bike isn't scaring ppl away from cycling anymore than the site of a massively wrecked car on the road discourages ppl from driving. Ppl that want to try riding a bike will. Those that don't may use the possibility of what a memorial depicts as a rationalization for not riding.
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