Fuck.....I live right in that area and would love to join up; alas, I'll be at work.

I saw some douchebags laying down tape on the eastern end of the Burnside Bridge and thought about ripping it up as they put it down -- but there were 6 of them, and only one of me. And a bike lane away from traffic isn't the best spot to get outnumbered in a fight.

I'll be there helping and taking pictures for Metroblogging Portland. This should be interesting.

Seems what we have here is a failure to communicate--greedy and self centered tapers need to show up like everyone else. I will be there ripping up tape with the rest of you.

Yeah, I'll be out of town, sad. But I've been ripping it up all week, so there will be a little less work for all of you!

Excellent. The more the merrier!

And it seems someone—dare it be Clean and Safe?—has been tidying up downtown. There's far less tape on the west side than there is on the east side (unless the suburbanites are simply scared to cross the river into the big bad city).

Please video tape it your good-doings, and post it on the blog.

oh man, it would have been way more inspirational to see the little car washing scene

True, although perhaps less relevant. But it's on Youtube...knock yourself out!

It looks like the Mrec isnt the only one who thinks it's unfair to tape off your own area for the parade. I was on KGW's web site and saw this article.

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_060707_news_rose_festival_tape_flap.252e6be6.html

PS,
I'm not smart enough to hyperlink it so you'll just have to copy and paste like in the old days.

Never mind, it worked. Technology rules!

This is why I love the Mercury bloggers so much: you guys rock. You see something that irks you, you organize to do something about it. My 60-something parents are visiting from Texas and if I can get them out from the breweries we may just be joining you.

"Leonard would say that's why the tape needs to go. He says he's already received hundreds of emails on the topic, more than when he sponsored a resolution on the Iraq War."

God bless America.

Of course he's getting more mail on this—this is something people know he can actually do something about. No resolution from Leonard is going to stop a war, and most Portlanders are smart enough to realize that.

Way to go, my fellow True Portlanders.

When I see some tape on the public concrete ....... SCHWIIIIIIIIIIP!! Up it comes.

Righteously gleeful,

A

Well, Mercurians, I support your efforts to disrupt the greedy rituals of tape-happy suburbanites (especially since they seem bound to lead to all sorts of enjoyable drama that I can enjoy vicariously without having to lift a finger in participation). Then again, I'm not too emotionally invested since the Rose Festival is complete anathema to me and my only instinct is to get the hell out of the way while it's going on. Anyway, I'm going to be much too busy scoring myself a sexy, bi-curious sailor to waste time with silly shit like tape and festivals!

Great idea Merc! I wish I could be there but I have to work. But be safe and good luck!

Damn. This Rose Festival camping-out business is the only reason that I'd consider supporting the sit-lie ordinance.

Can we have sit-lie for just one weekend a year?

There's more to this than just the sheer audacity of the folks who put the tape down. They leave it ALL behind too!

I work in the area, and it variously comes up all summer long. Some is still there from last year. Two years ago, my son & I pulled up all the tape we could from about four blocks, and got 2 balls of DUCT TAPE 6" and 8" in diameter. It's ugly, and it's dangerous. It flaps in the wind, and you can get tangled up in it walking down the sidewalk. The business are such along MLK opposite the Convention Center that no one is responsible for picking it up.

I've taken up some this week because the dweebs put it down over dust and debris, and it doesn't stick! Duh. Too lazy to sweep the area off before they tape it!? Wouldn't they want the area a little clean for the Big Day?? Didn't come prepared.

Two years ago I saw a guy putting tape down so I talked to him. He said that he had been doing it for years to bring his wheel-chair bound mother to the parade, and that /yes/ (before I asked) he always took up his tape afterwards.

The parade would be much more "magical" if everyone would just converge on the area the day of the Parade and find their spot. People might be civil enough to let the old lady see the parade.

People could still legally snap up parking lot spots, and so on.

I have written to the Oregonian (DUCT TAPE on PARADE). The rose festival org didn't acknowledge my kind letter and suggestion.

One idea I had was to mark off only some portion of the gutter/curbs with a 3-digit number, and sell Rose Fest 'permits' or whatever for those prime spots as a fund-raiser..

I'm glad this has come up. Get rid of the tape. If out of town-ers want to see the parade in person, they'll just have to get up earlier. In return, we promise not to go to their town and trash it.

There's more to this than just the sheer audacity of the folks who put the tape down. They leave it ALL behind too!

I work in the area, and it variously comes up all summer long. Some is still there from last year. Two years ago, my son & I pulled up all the tape we could from about four blocks, and got 2 balls of DUCT TAPE 6" and 8" in diameter. It's ugly, and it's dangerous. It flaps in the wind, and you can get tangled up in it walking down the sidewalk. The business are such along MLK opposite the Convention Center that no one is responsible for picking it up.

I've taken up some this week because the dweebs put it down over dust and debris, and it doesn't stick! Duh. Too lazy to sweep the area off before they tape it!? Wouldn't they want the area a little clean for the Big Day?? Didn't come prepared.

Two years ago I saw a guy putting tape down so I talked to him. He said that he had been doing it for years to bring his wheel-chair bound mother to the parade, and that /yes/ (before I asked) he always took up his tape afterwards.

The parade would be much more "magical" if everyone would just converge on the area the day of the Parade and find their spot. People might be civil enough to let the old lady see the parade.

People could still legally snap up parking lot spots, and so on.

I have written to the Oregonian (DUCT TAPE on PARADE). The rose festival org didn't acknowledge my kind letter and suggestion.

One idea I had was to mark off only some portion of the gutter/curbs with a 3-digit number, and sell Rose Fest 'permits' or whatever for those prime spots as a fund-raiser..

I'm glad this has come up. Get rid of the tape. If out of town-ers want to see it, they'll just have to get up a little earlier. In return, we promise not to go to their town and trash it.

KATU was out on MLK and Clackamas this morning filming another segment on your fabulous clean-up crew!!

KUDOS for the Mercury Cleanup Squad! Once again you've stepped up to the plate. This "tradition" of taping has only sprung up in the last 10 years or so. What happened to the sleeping bags...the thermos of hot coffee..an umbrella on rainy mornings? I'm 69 this month and think taping is a basic crock of shit.

I'll be joining you tonight. Thanks for setting an example good citizenship where the rubber hits the road.

Remember the immortal words of that mid-century folk poet, Little Richard. "I'm Gonna Rip It Up!"

David Rolin

It seems like this subject comes up every year. Every year it seems like more and more people say that the taping must go, but it doesn't. I believe that taping your spots is the same as littering. Enough is enough. No more taping. As everyone else has suggested-wake up early or sleep in your spot. No keepsies!!!

Bravo! Clean up this ugly litter, and thwart these jerks who think they can claim public property as their own.

I LOVE THIS. Thank you for organizing it. But be careful out there - we don't want any confrontations.

If you people cared so much about your so called "clean-up" where are your little rallies the other 364 days of the year. This is nothing more than typical portlanders causing problems for other just for the sake of causing conflict, just like any other protest/rally/fill in the blank here, you flock like sheep to whatever anti-establshment crusade you are told to. Did you not get enough attention as children or something, so you have to jump on the "look at me" bandwagon. Just remember tonight when you're pulling up tape, that you are called the mercury clean-up squad. So make sure you clean EVERYTHING up, if you really care SO much. That includes the random urine pools, used condoms, and drug remnants that I have spotted in the beautiful rose city. Oops I forgot, that would be doing something to actually help out in the community you live in and go against the portland "lets irritate others because it makes us feel good" attitude. You know this is true and that not one of you will clean up any real trash this evening, beacause that would just mean putting yourself in the hefty bags.

Richard, "random urine pools, used condoms, and drug remnants"? Laff! You're a riot. Based on that phrase, I honestly have to question if you've actually ever seen Portland more than from the window of a car.

And if you have, why do you hang out in the seedy areas? Are you buying drugs? Looking for a prostitute? Honestly, I spend almost all my time in Portland, and can't remember the last time I saw any of those things.

Well Todd much like a neutered dog you don't get it. In your hurry to resond to my post with unwitty insults you have missed my whole point. no i don't LOOK for those things but making deliveries around portland at night they're kind of hard to miss. Like the bum taking a dump on the sidewalk near the entrance to saturday market. Or the dirty chick and the cab driver in the porta potty together near mlk & columbia blvd. Or the trash swirling around in the breeze near 45 and hawthorne. See you don't care about cleaning up anything or you would have been crowing about clean up everyday, not just as an excuse to pull up tape that YOU don't like. One more thing, how come you don't talk about STEALING the chairs from the many eateries downtown. Those chairs clog the sidewalk year round. Here's a novel thought to ask yourself in your antics tonight. Does this belong to me? NO? then don't mess with it. It belongs to someone and just like I wouldn't want my things stolen i should leave this alone.
Remember, you people preach that the tapers don't own the streets and sidewalks. Well neither do you people.

Troll. You fail.

Kudos to those who are taking out the trash (in more ways than one.)

Obviously Richard's glass is half-empty

Richard is so right. These fuckers have no idea where Columbia Boulevard is. They don’t care about litter. They are a bunch of Fonzie rebels. Being cool is the pinnicale of their existence, I am sure that these people will be the coolest residents of the retirement home in 40 years. Good work, Fonzie.

Picking up prostitutes? Just consult the reputable advertisers of the crappy rag, The Mercury. Not problem. Way to follow a wanker around rebelling against Portland families.

Whatever… Took my kid, had a blast (on private property). I got a kick out of the African American family that had their tape ripped and was unaware of the Clean up Squad. There was about 4 generations sitting in the second row wondering who would do such a thing. The Mercury hates minorities…..the ultimate no-no. Jerk off.

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