Considering Mr. Timmon has strong enough concerns to leave a voicemail to you, his message is remarkably polite, which is nice.

I would like to note however that it's not really "tradition." I have also lived here for 28 of my 32 years of life and TRADITION was to load up in the car with grandma and grandpa at 4AM and drive downtown with donuts and coffee and stake out a spot with all the other people who were heading down there for the same purpose. Hanging out downtown as the sun was coming up was AWESOME as a kid. Sure, there was taping, but NOTHING like the stuff you see today.

What I find appalling is this sense of entitlement that people think they have over public spaces.

True! Me too. [Also, Carey sounded like a lady.]

Mr. Timmons,

This is your asshole. Just want to remind you that if you don't wipe me soon, I'm going to make things awfully itchy for you.

Sincerely,

Your Asshole

p.s. You are not the boss of me.

least compelling part of any debate is the "If You Don't Like It, Live Somewhere Else" argument.

i hate it.

carey, the merc is trying to stir up some fun and make a point about what has clearly been shown in the past few days to be a widespread annoyance to many people, if you don't like it, live somewhere else.

Not forgetting the point about the sidewalks being for everyone, the rich, the poor, the black, the white, and the HOMELESS. Nobody has a right to say the sidewalks are "my property" or to kick people off "their spot."

i have lived here 35 of my 36 years on this earth - timeout in peace corp - and i do not

DO NOT

ever remember the tradition of taping. when we came, we got up early.

get a clue carey

In fact, tradition has been that it's a first come, first served. It's only been in the last 10-12 years that the greed mentality has grown into the mess we see today.

The law is clear: Taping is littering. Those who pull it up are simply removing litter. Don't believe me? Check you facts!

I just spent my morning pulling up about 50 pounds of tape. That's over 6 blocks worth! Ain't that a piss-off? *smile*

Has anyone seen the ad on Craigslist selling flagged off areas?

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/tix/347902345.html

I think next week I'll be selling 4 hours worth of prime seating space on a bench overlooking the Rose Gardens at Washington Park if anyone's interested. $90 CHEEP!!

I can't wait until next year when we can start calling the Civic Clean Up Squad "a tradition." Then NO ONE will be able to challenge our legitimacy. We'll be like the one more time around marching band.

Ok, I have a solution! Want to hear it, no? Too bad.
Next year start a nonprofit organization that sells specially marked duct tape to parade watchers. $5 a foot, you can buy as much as you want to mark your spot. Proceeds go to the homeless.

Then, you got your fucking spot and you've helped the homeless. If anyone rips up your tape, they are heartless bastards. Not using the specially marked tape means YOU'RE the heartless bastard.

Am I on to something here?

Wait a second, there is a heading above this post with the quoted phrase "Get Out of my city", yet I don't see that phrase anywhere in the transcription. Am I missing something?

My family always had a secret trick. We'd stake out the entrance to the parking garage to the California Bank Tower downtown, whose entrance faces Broadway. That part of the sidewalk would always be kept open, because cars would be coming through. Then, an hour before the parade, they'd close the street to motor traffic, and we'd rush in to claim the prime real estate in front of the garage. It worked every time.

You're right Kyle. I totally misquoted this lady. What she actually said was "get out of my city," except in a lot more words. God, next thing you'll be telling me "nobody takes the Mercury's journalism seriously." And that would really, really hurt.

Hey Mr. Timmon,

I will be pulling graveyard duty--all night long--pulling tape up. I have been here for 50 years and never remember such a bs tradition you speak. Whatever you think it is IT ENDS TONIGHT!!!

To be clear, if taping is a tradition, then I think it need not be prolonged one year more. Also, I wholly disagree with the tact this woman took on your voicemail. However, quotes are quotes, not summations of tone and intent. Leave off the quote marks if you want a sensational headline.

Anyway, keep up the good fight.

Okay, I'm a Third Generation Oregonian and I don't remember any tape saving growing up. I do remember you could possibly bust out your sleeping bag, get a little dirty and get to know your fellow Oregonian neighbor by camping out. Maybe this taping crap has become a more recent event? My goodness we've got hotels cashing in on it! Hey camping out was a tradition like camping out for concert tickets! What happened did people get lazy?

Carey:
You are full of crap.

I am fifty three years old and have been here all my life.

Putting down tape is not a "tradition".

Putting down tape is a violation of tradition.

Here's the tradition:

You want a good spot to see the parade? Then do what my parents did when I was a child. Get your butt out of bed early and take your wife and kids downtown. You will get there at about six AM. Your kids will be restless and bored. You will entertain them with card games, board games, hot chocolate and graham crackers. Four or five hours later the parade will come by.

You are a testimony to our self-indulgent, quick gratification culture.

Hungry? Drive through McDonalds.

Thirsty? Get a Big Gulp.

Want a good spot for the parade?

Go down a week ahead of time and put down duct tape and mark it with your name.

Baloney.

How dare you have the arrogance to say that public space, because you had the time and opportunity to leave your yuppie, white collar job for forty five minutes to run downtown and stake out your spot, belongs to you and not some family who is willing to make the sacrifice to get down early and keep their kids in tow for three hours?

You're the one who should leave.

Man the comment of, hey if you don't like it move somewhere else thing got to me! Like I said Third Generation! Wait till the 4th has a voice! You don't see me telling people to move away. All of my family has made great history in developing this place and I am doing the same so please don't try to say your right of claim is any better than anyone else. Hey, we are all outdoors man-woman, a little redneck with a little hippie, a tad historian, with a love for great music, strong supporters of our farmers and are all VERY environmentally conscious people thats what makes all of us Oregonians. Love your Neighbor! Hey everyone enjoy the parade and make your own family history!

I've lived in Portland almost the "major" of my life, too, and as far as I'm concerned, I like Matt, he has a point, and he can stay.

I can't play the "native Portlander" card, but I can play the "native Oregonian" card, so there (I have lived in the Portland media market all my life, however).

Moreover, I pay property taxes in the city of Portland, which, as everyone knows, in Oregon, makes you God, and if you call that first, then you shut down *any* debate in your favor.

I like Matt. He stays.

Matt,

At best you are acting like a hall monitor gone mad.

At worst you are acting like youth in San Francisco that thinks it is their obligation to terrorize homeless folks.

There is a not-so-subtle difference between trying to shame someone through reasoning -- and you do have a paper to do so -- and proclaiming yourself sheriff.

We have been through this before with Curtis Sliwa.

Tape causes less harm than viewing it as if it were a fighting word. I am not yet prepared to view tape as if it were gang graffiti to mark territory as one's own.

Some folks are content to carry a bucket of paint and uneventfully cover graffiti. While others would replace the graffiti with their own.

Your fifteen minutes of fame on this one will be self-enforcing. You have unmistakably left your mark. Curtis was good at capturing media attention too, which seemed to be the primary goal from the start.

The saddest part is that the local news is treating the tape tripe as a bigger issue than highlighting the army of quiet folks preparing the floats. Times have changed.

The floats are fucking stupid. I just want to walk down the street without having to dodge chairs, tents, and crap on my sidewalks.

It seems like Matt, Scott and Amy have everyone talking, everyone's got an opinion on their style of reporting.

The Merc reports the news, they also incorporate some great first person narrative which is something that's sorely missing in print journalism. It's not a bad thing to have people advocating, stirring the pot and reporting great news all at the same time.

It's a gonzo/muckracking mix and Portland's better off for it.

Thanks, Israel. I love myself. And Amy and Scott, Too. We're fucking awesome. And the whole paper. We fucking rock. What more can I say?!

Ah, drunkenly declaring love for oneself and one's co-workers on the blog. Happy days.

Thanks for my morning chuckle, Matt.

BTW, in my "talk" with the Mayor he informed me that I could not play with the Mercury kids anymore.

The Mayor seems to think I get into trouble whenever I hang out with you guys.

Ha ha! Just as long as he'll let you out to play again when it snows...

Incidentally Randy, I found another great British speech for me to recite before our snowball fight. I thought the Henry V one could sound a bit pompous, so I'm going with good old Winston Churchill. "We shall fight them on the beaches..."

http://www.putlearningfirst.com/language/20rhet/chill.html

Now there was a man who was stubborn. Such a marvelous quality!

Churchill is my favorite historical hero...and has been since my college days.

He truly reflects the best of both the British and American spirit (As I pointed out in my last comment on Churchill, we can both lay claim to him....his Mother was American and his Father English).

After the Germans engaged in the Blitzkrieg that rained bombs on London, Churchill truly embodied the spirit to fight back...and not just for Great Britain, but for all of the European resistance in addition to the US.

If you are invoking the great Sir Winston Churchill, I may be forced to pray for peace.

Perhaps we should just build a snowman and sit him on a downtown sidewalk.

Great idea.

Truth to be told, the ravages of age vs the enthusiasm of youth had me worried...although I fell compelled to point out that Churchill was in his mid 60's when he gave his "we will fight them on the beaches" speech.

make that "...feel compelled...".

Indy, you sound like a future Janet Gasser. Long live Mrs. Gasser, my new hero!

I have to say that this whole taping your spot thing is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Tradition my ass. I call it lazy and pathetic.
Tradition for parades in any city in america is to get your ass down there early enough with the family to get a good spot. You snooze, you lose and don't get a good one.
I was so excited to hear about the cleanup. I would have gone to help but had to work. Good for you for taking back our sidewalks from the lazy, sad souls that have lost sight of what a parade is all about!

Tradition? Maybe this is all taking Measure 37 to its hyper-extreme: now the notion of "private property rights" apparently extends to the doctrine that private parties can grab possession of public land without compensation. Is that a "takings" or a "taping"?

It's a tapetaking.

Or maybe a tapingtaking. That scans handsomely.

Thanks, Israel. I love myself. And Amy and Scott, Too. We're fucking awesome. And the whole paper. We fucking rock. What more can I say?!

Wow, Matt. I'd like to return the compliment, but since I'm not currently intoxicated, I can only say that I greatly admire your adequacy. And you are extremely competent.

Smooch!

Part of the fun of the Rose Festival Parade was getting a group together and going downtown in the wee hours of the morning and taking turns saving our place. It was very special to see the streets taken over with kids drawing hop scotch games, getting to know your neighbors and hoping that the rain won't start until after the parade ends. This is the Portland tradition. I think it's absurd to think that taping is a tradition...taping destroys the tradition. Yea to those who removed the tape and restored tradition to the Rose Festival Parade!

MSN I NIIPET
MSN

MSN I NIIPET
MSN

MSN I NIIPET
MSN