the portland tram

Posted: April 27, 2007

typically on friday’s i like to post something a little special. sometimes it is a fat transsexual singing mock lyrics to pokemon – other times it is more down to earth content. today i am putting a focus on the new portland tram.

for those of you that don’t know portland recently acquired a new tram. it was put up by ohsu and it connects the new waterfront ohsu campus to the main hospital at the top of the west hills. it is massive and it cost a ton of dough and the people that live directly below its path consider it a violation of privacy. if you want more specific information and want to see pictures check out: portlandtram.org

this morning i was checking the katu news site and i stumbled upon this gem of a story. like usual i am going to pick out the things i thing are retarded and funny. because i am a retarded funny guy. it comes natural.

first off i want to point out that katu decided to use the word f-bomb which is a hipster way of saying fuck. however, i doubt they were trying to reach out to the hipsters. i am sure they thought it was a much more volatile way of explaining profanity. f-bomb is supposed to be a funny way of saying that it is the a-bomb of curse words. instead i think they are treating it like terrorism.
so the story goes: this dude that lives directly under the tram’s path decided to put a banner on his house that says fuck the tram to express his feelings about the violation of privacy concerning his back yard. extreme but valid.
so some other dude from the city steps in to break the tough news that you cannot have a sign on the roof of your house and that he is going to have to take it down. katu chimes in that means auld may have to move his sign, which he spent more than $200 on. too funny.

ok: now for my opinion – since that is why i have this blog

i live in the neighborhood where the tram hangs the lowest. in fact i am literally 2 blocks from this guy with the sign. i personally don’t mind the tram and think it adds a nice element to the city. i don’t really care that it was like 63 million dollars or whatever it was to build it because our country and state spends stupid money every second. this is not really that abnormal and it will never change. also the tram is dead silent: if you were to stand directly underneath it where it is at it’s lowest and close your eyes at it goes by you cannot hear a thing. almost unreal how quiet it is. i like the character it adds but i for one believe in a free country and i support the guy putting up his sign. yes, if it was me that owned the house i probably wouldn’t mind the tram but there are different things that piss off different people and i respect that. if the dude owns the house and wants to put a sign on his roof that says fuck the tram then i think he should have the freedom to do so.

but he doesn’t have that right. because we live in a country that is far from free. yes we have great opportunity but with an onslaught of rules. if i pay a quarter of a million dollars for a house with a grip of bullshit taxes then you better believe it should be my right to fornicate on my rooftop if i wish to do so. maybe i am promoting anarchy: but i do not think we should be called the land of the free when have things like the patriot act. i guess that is a whole other post. if you have thoughts let me know what you think.

to check out the story for yourself: click here

enjoy the tram and your friday!