We Don't Serve Your Kind Here

I'm only a few weeks away from my impending Portland trip. My itinerary is in order and Burgerville, the seasonal/locavore fast food chain that was simply a burger joint back in my day, was on the list.

Thank god I'll have a rental car because apparently they are bikeists. You know that when a  mommy blogger shows up in the drive thru on her bike with a "One Less Minivan" sticker and is refused service, someone's going to hear about it! Tweet tweet!

And don't think that just because Portland is all white that no one suffers discrimination. According to OregonLive.com, victim, Sarah Gilbert (not to be confused with the actress who played Darlene on Roseanne):

"...said the woman who denied her service seemed 'pretty ticked' and obviously looked down on her just because she was on a bike. 'She didn't say anything like, 'I hate bikes,' Gilbert said. 'But it was obvious that she was very put off by me being on a bike.'"

And it's even more sad when you realize how much Burgerville meant to her:

"I appreciate its use of local, seasonal ingredients, its composting, the commitment to wind power, and its fryer oil recycling program. It's the only fast food restaurant where I, a bit of a nut when it comes to sustainable food, will eat. I'm not the only one; I regularly find the bike rack at Burgerville full and run into other hippie, foodie families in the dining area."

I don't know if I want to live in a world where Portland can no longer be a safe haven for hippie, foodie families.

Meanwhile, I plan on using my legs and walking into the restaurant (in a nice gas-guzzling suburban location) for my pepper bacon cheeseburger.

Comments

[dave]

Here's a link with a video of the story

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_081309_burgerville_bike_drive_through.dd2566ac.html

she looks like one of the Manson Girls.

[Krista]

dave: Theoretically, I'm not opposed to pedestrians or bikes in the drive thru, but it's just so Portland to turn it into a political issue. It's just fast food!

And yes, I do see a little Manson in there.

[portlandgrrl]

Time for Portlanders to admit once again that they have "...a tremendous amount of free time, and absolutely no dignity." http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2009/08/bsnyc-friday-fun-quiz.html

[Krista]

portlandgrrl: That quote really does sum it up, and not just in relation to bikers.