Member Memories -Portland Bicycling Club

Member Memories

Ride of Silence

Kathleen Hellem and I, along with my 12-year-old granddaughter Annika, participated in Vancouver, Washington’s Ride of Silence on Wednesday evening, May 15. The event is international and held on the second Wednesday of May each year.

The Ride of Silence commemorates cyclists who have been killed in a motor vehicle collision.

Since Kathleen and I both belong to Vancouver Bicycle Club (and Portland Bicycling Club), we were notified of their ride in conjunction with Bike Clark County. About 40 riders participated which was probably at least 10 more riders than last year. We first rode through part of downtown Vancouver and along the new waterfront area. Most of us wore black or red arm bands and stickers on our jackets announcing our cause. One rider pulled a bike trailer with a white “ghost bike” on it. There was also at least one police officer with us.

After riding a bit through town, we headed to our first stop – the location of Benjamin Fulwiler’s death. Ben was 12 (in 2012) when he was hit by a city bus. His parents were there at his “ghost bike,” and his mother, crying, expressed appreciation to us. It was a very emotional but powerful few minutes. Her sentiments really brought home the pain and suffering that follows these tragedies.

We then rode northeast to the top of what I call the St. Johns hill. There, in 2009, Hudson’s Bay High School teacher Gordon Patterson was hit by a car driven by a former student. That young man was what we call a distracted driver. He was texting. We were told he spent five years in prison for vehicular homicide and felony hit and run. Gordon Patterson was 50 when he was killed. Many of us are well past that age, and one can’t help but think how much we would have missed had our lives been cut short at such a young age.

I see the Ride of Silence as just one tool to try to demonstrate how very important it is for us to ride our bikes safely, and for motorists to drive undistracted and cautiously. It’s also important for us to remember those individuals who have lost their lives as cyclists, and to use our skills and abilities to make our communities a safer place to ride.

The route was only eight miles but took almost two hours due to our slow but deliberate pace and the stops to pay tribute to these two local cyclists.

Let’s keep these two and others in mind as we promote bicycle safety through our bike club.

Ann Morrow, Club Member