We were trespassing, but still...

[plantluvver]

This is more of a bike/property trespass issue.

Last week I was out with a (male) freind biking along a road with no shoulder, and very congested traffic We turned down what appeared to be an off ramp, and followed it. After about 1/4 mile, It abruptly dead-ended in a parkng lot. A house with a front lawn was next door. It was quite obvious that someone was at home because a lawnmower was outside, and the garage door was open. My freind was out of my veiw for about a minute, so I don't know how things started, but when I saw him, there were three guys, who seemed somewhat "thuggy". About the best way to describe them would be "Brooklyn-ish." (This is in Portland, OR.) I don't know anything about Brooklyn, except that on TV they always portray a knid of in your face, tough guy, working class sort of guy.

The leader was demanding we leave his property, and the quickest, shortest way to the main road was across his yard and a corner of the neighbors yard. My freind wanted to stand his ground, and have me find my cell phone, and call the cops. The resident refused to help with any directions, to get us to our distination, and was angered that we were were leaving his property in the most direct manner, by violating his neighbor's property.

These people had garages, and driveways, but it was not obvious how they connected to the road, and my attention was focused on these three guys.

I personnally feel that since these guys live next to a golf course, they might just be tired of lost souls traipsing across their property. But if so, it would be wise to just put up a few poles with a chain across.
My freind says they were just looking for a fight, and we had a duty to file a report, so they don't do this to other cyclists. I think that my freind is just being "male" and all this is just a territorial display by both parties.

I am angry because these guys did not quit their stuff in the presence of a woman. And so, I was being indirectly threatened too .

If I had been alone, I don't know if their behavior would have been any different, and I would have looked around for the owner, because we were genuinely lost, due to a road closure in the area, we could not follow the standard route, and the automobile detour may have taken us far out of our way.

I don't know what to think. These guys have a right to be insulting, bike hating thugs on their own property, whatever their reason. I just think my freind gave them an excuse to abuse the next cyclist that comes by. But front yards are a kind of public space. The mailman does come to your door, as well as the Avon Lady, and other solicitors, so it can't be illegal to cross a person's front yard. Obviously, we weren't lurking around, expecting to steal something with the obvious signs of activity around the place.

Luckily, nothing came of it. Maybe these guys were just posturing . Anyway, I'll never go THAT way again.

Mary

[Susan Otcenas]

Hi Plantluvver,

You got my curiosity up... Can you give me some idea where you were?

Susan

[margo49]

I remember people in Oregon being *real funny* about that trespassing thing.
We rode through there in 1980. I thought at the time it was anthropological - with us being in a foreign culture and all.
Up till then trespasses was only in the Lord's Prayer or trespassers will...in AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh .

[plantluvver]

It was in Northeast Portland.I was travelling along Columbia Boulevard, Westbound approaching 33rd. our destination was the Oregon Food Bank on 33rd North of Columbia. I am not sure how far East we were from 33rd. We had recently passed a golf course. It was a strange little area, two or three houses, Columbia Avenue was a little uphill from us, so I am not sure the houses can be seen from Columbia Boulevard. It is possible they are affilliated with the golf course, maybe a groundskeeper's house. The grass looked so perfect, it was hard to beleive.

It IS possible my freind tried going through the backyard, or something. It isn't something that would make sense to me, because I doubt any road would be back there. Once I saw that the pavement ended, I would have gone back to Columbia Blvd. except he had gone on ahead of me.

Since the 33rd Street overpass is gone we should have planned our route better, and learned the detour. I had assumed my freind had done this, since it was his interveiw we were attending. The staff at Oregon Food Bank told us the route they use. Why he didn't get this information ahead of time, I don't know.Guess it's cause guys don't have the genes to ask for directons.

At one point a pedestrian stopped me, and told me he was a cyclist, and wouldn't be cycling the particular route we were on, but he didn't know how to get to our destination. Didn't matter, cuz I was playing catchup by then.

What bothered me most is being implicated in this alpha male sort of display thing. In other species, isn't it supposed to ATTRACT females ?

Mary