Is Portland, OR Safe?

[20th Century Rider]

I love the PDX station but surrounding area is not the best. Lots of apparent unrest there right now and I probably wouldn't want to walk around the inner city.

 

[me_little_me]

The FAA just declared Portland a no fly zone till 8/16 according to a NOTAM issued today. I believe the airport remains unaffected by it though. The reason given was "National Security"

So it just means Amtrak trains run even slower? Then again, nobody would call Amtrak LD trains "Flyers"! Pokes, maybe, but not Flyers.

 

[Dakota 400]

I agree that it's a poor slogan. When I first heard it, I thought, "Oh, great. Now I'm going to have to spend money and time buying a gun and learning how to use it since there won't be any police around. Oh yay."

There are some slogans being tossed around today that have not been well thought through by whomever devised them. They almost seem to have been created "on the spur of the moment".

Compare that with Martin Luther King's "I have a dream...". I'd bet that Dr. King did not create those historic words just as he stood at the podium that day.

 

[trainman74]

The FAA just declared Portland a no fly zone till 8/16 according to a NOTAM issued today. I believe the airport remains unaffected by it though. The reason given was "National Security"

To be a bit more accurate, the airspace over a small portion of the city of Portland was declared a no-fly zone up to 1,000 feet above ground level. The attempt is presumably to keep news helicopters and photography drones away from the area. You can draw your own conclusions about why the Federal government might want to keep news helicopters and photography drones away from one specific area.

 

[caravanman]

Something about response to Portland protests reminds me of the Neil Young song, "Four dead in Ohio"...

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

To be a bit more accurate, the airspace over a small portion of the city of Portland was declared a no-fly zone up to 1,000 feet above ground level. The attempt is presumably to keep news helicopters and photography drones away from the area. You can draw your own conclusions about why the Federal government might want to keep news helicopters and photography drones away from one specific area.

Transparency is key in events like this. Too bad we’re not Adult enough for this.

 

[tricia]

There are some slogans being tossed around today that have not been well thought through by whomever devised them. They almost seem to have been created "on the spur of the moment".

Compare that with Martin Luther King's "I have a dream...". I'd bet that Dr. King did not create those historic words just as he stood at the podium that day.

Interesting history around that.... "I have a dream" wasn't in the written notes of the speech King brought with him that day, although he'd used that phrase and variations on the story told with it in other speeches before that. The singer Mahalia Jackson, sitting near King on the stage at the Lincoln Memorial, repeatedly urged him during the speech to "tell them about the dream, Martin." And he did.

 

[NapTown Jim]

Portland’s union station will be a 5 star hotel compared to Indianapolis!

I've seen videos of it. It is marvelous. Our Union Station in Indianapolis is magnificent, but Amtrak doesn't use the nice part.

 

[DennisInGeorgia]

With the madness going on out west we're seriously concerned about our September Amtrak trip to Portland. Does anyone know if Amtrak passengers are being harassed in and around the PDX station?

On other times we took a MAX line to Voodoo Doughnuts and would like to go again (who wouldn’t) in 2021. What is the best MAX stop for this, how long a walk is it, and is it a safe-enough walk there and back to MAX?

 

[pennyk]

On other times we took a MAX line to Voodoo Doughnuts and would like to go again (who wouldn’t) in 2021. What is the best MAX stop for this, how long a walk is it, and is it a safe-enough walk there and back to MAX?

I have stayed at Embassy Suites a couple of times, which is very close to Voodoo doughnuts. I routinely walked from Union Station (by myself and with luggage) to the Embassy Suites. I thought it was safe enough, even though walking by the bus station with a lot of homeless may concern some. I do not think I would make the walk at night by myself. (I am a fairly small woman in my mid to late 60s who walks daily).

 

[the_traveler]

From Union Station, take the Green or Yellow Line AT THE BACK OF THE BUS TERMINAL 2 stops to 3rd and Oak. It is about 2 blocks away.

And as Penny said, it can be walked easily.

 

[Skyline]

Because that is the denotation of the words, taken at face value. If the intended connotation is different, then it's a poorly chosen slogan.

Agree. A slogan not as inflammatory might not be as misunsderstood. It also would not be given as much prominence in the media.

Something like "Rethinking Policing," or "Refunding Police?" Doesn't grab your attention, does it? But if "Defunding" is to be used, those using it could do better at explaining their expectations, and the media should follow.

 

[Skyline]

The FAA just declared Portland a no fly zone till 8/16 according to a NOTAM issued today. I believe the airport remains unaffected by it though. The reason given was "National Security"

Ah, the old Nixonian "national security" excuse again? This is a blatant political move not based on anything approaching a real threat in the air or at an airport. It is payback for local officials who have publicly said they don't want unidentified (presumably federal) goons with heavy artillery violating the rights of peaceful citizens.

 

[Maglev]

I just spoke with my sister in Beaverton just outside Portland, and she said that she is going downtown tonight to protest since the buses are running. She will not sit by and watch as our rights are taken away.

 

[Dakota 400]

I just spoke with my sister in Beaverton just outside Portland, and she said that she is going downtown tonight to protest since the buses are running. She will not sit by and watch as our rights are taken away.

May she stay safe from the violence as well as from Covid-19!

 

[JoeBas]

I just spoke with my sister in Beaverton just outside Portland, and she said that she is going downtown tonight to protest since the buses are running. She will not sit by and watch as our rights are taken away.

Looks like many of us will have our chances soon enough, and the OP shouldn't worry about going to PDX, as the traveling show will soon be coming to a city near him/you...

 

[Rasputin]

Police should be concentrating on real felonies and the more serious misdemeanors. Police involvement in routine traffic stops for minor infractions, many domestic disputes, small-dollar shoplifting, non-violent political civil disobedience and the like detract from the functions police are best trained to handle.

Just curious, but I am wondering what "minor infractions" you would like to see ignored? And I guess if they should be ignored, they should be repealed as well. Same with small-dollar shoplifting. Anything goes.

 

[SANSR]

WeII stated.

 

[JRR]

I am wondering if all would agree that “ small dollar shoplifting” should be ignored if it were taking place in their house?

I myself, agree with the “broken windows” theory of law enforcement but also agree that if a law isn’t to be enforced, it should be removed from the books.

 

[Skyline]

Just curious, but I am wondering what "minor infractions" you would like to see ignored? And I guess if they should be ignored, they should be repealed as well. Same with small-dollar shoplifting. Anything goes.

Where did I state they should be ignored? Minor crimes, traffic infractions, etc. can be handled more efficiently by professionals who are more focused on, and trained to, de-escalation of situations rather than kicking ***. If the well-armed police are needed, they can always be called in.

The anonymous federal goons we keep seeing in Portland -- even worse than the minority of local police who violate citizens -- should not exist in a democracy.

 

[tricia]

The anonymous federal goons we keep seeing in Portland -- even worse than the minority of local police who violate citizens -- should not exist in a democracy.

This! Thanks for saying it. We need lots of voices calling this out right now. "If you don't say it's wrong, that says it's right."

We need to re-think policing, particularly local policing throughout this country. To do that well requires wide-ranging public discussion, some of which will be messy. Federal officers violently and unconstituionally barging into local police work distracts from that national conversation. I do agree that laws that aren't and can't be consistently enforced shouldn't be on the books. How and by whom the laws that should be kept should be enforced is a separate question.

Coming back to OP's original question.... In my experience, as one who's visted Portland half a dozen times: Sometimes walking around downtown it'll look dodgy but isn't actually dangerous, at least during the day.

 

[Exvalley]

Lots of crazy things are going on right now. The best insight into what is happening can be heard in episode #207 of the Making Sense podcast by Sam Harris. It came out on June 12th, and the protests have died down since then, but it is still extremely relevant.

Take the time to listen to the podcast. It can be found here:
https://samharris.org/podcasts/207-can-pull-back-brink/
The one thing I can guarantee is that both the left and the right will not agree with many things that Sam says. But that is what makes the podcast so compelling. He will make you think. He will explain things in ways that you had not thought of. It's an incredible deep dive into the things that are dividing our country.

I never recommend podcasts - but this is an exception. It is that good.

 

[Rasputin]

Where did I state they should be ignored? Minor crimes, traffic infractions, etc. can be handled more efficiently by professionals who are more focused on, and trained to, de-escalation of situations rather than kicking ***. If the well-armed police are needed, they can always be called in.

The anonymous federal goons we keep seeing in Portland -- even worse than the minority of local police who violate citizens -- should not exist in a democracy.

I agree. At the present time, Federal law enforcement should not be enforcing traffic infractions or minor crimes except on federal property.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Coming back to OP's original question.... In my experience, as one who's visted Portland half a dozen times: Sometimes walking around downtown it'll look dodgy but isn't actually dangerous, at least during the day.

This sums it up well. Portland takes pride in “being weird” - it’s one of the more friendly cities because of that. But it seems to make some people uncomfortable.

 

[Rasputin]

This sums it up well. Portland takes pride in “being weird” - it’s one of the more friendly cities because of that. But it seems to make some people uncomfortable.

I have only walked around Portland once, probably about 5 years ago. I arrived on 27 and was leaving on southbound Starlight and wanted to check out Powell's Books. A security officer at the Station told me to walk down a certain street to get there and by doing so I should be able to avoid "aggressive" panhandlers. I took his advice and did not encounter any panhandlers, aggressive or meek, and had a nice time between trains.

Of course the lounge in Portland is very nice, good coffee and comfortable furniture and a nice view of the tracks. Very pleasant. I think I could spend 3 or 4 days there, drinking coffee and reading, no problem.