Brookings

Brookings is a 30 MPH town. They mean it. Between Brookings and Harbor, separated by a bridge south of town, there are speed limit changes to watch for. Also south of Harbor in what seems could be a 55 MPH zone is a strictly enforced 45 MPH limit.

Coos Bay

Coos Bay is a 30 MPH town. Unlike Brookings, the traffic lights are set for 30 MPH so when you hit one of them green, you can sail through town without having to stop unless you want to. Driving at 60 MPH will also get you through town without having to stop at the traffic lights but the chances of getting through Coos Bay at 60 MPH is likely to be noticed by one of the law enforcement agencies' patrols. South of town, there are some tricky speed limit variations. The 101 stretch between Coos Bay and the cut-off to Coquille is considered a "safety corridor". The speed limit is 50 mph. There is a "headlights on" posting; i.e., you are not required to drive it with your headlights on day or night, but these areas are statistically dangerous as is reflected by the speed limit, and a little extra caution is recommended.

Dundee - The Wine Country

The town of Dundee on 99W southwest of Portland has a population of just under 3000 but employes six full time police officers for traffic control. They specialize in preying on visitors to the wineries located on the hillside on the Northern edge of town. All of the classic speed trap ingredients are present; an unrealistically low 25 MPH limit on a steep down-hill grade with a number of hedges and walls for the police cars to hide behide, stops being made and tickets being written for tiny excursions over the limit, with special attention paid to out-of-staters who they know won't come back to fight in court, and excessively high fines for minor infractions. In addition, because they know that the motorists have been visiting and tasting at the wineries they are quick to give breathalyzer tests to those that they stop as well. This operation is a nothing but an extortion racket, using the police power to extract money from the unwary. -- Thanks to Donald D. Ecker, Monticello, GA

FLORENCE - BEFORE

29JUN2002 Update - 55 mph to 40 mph moved up half mile sooner than last summer at the north end of town. The "north end of town" is now considered about one half mile north of Freddy's. Although the BEFORE photo (above) doesn't reflect the latest update on signs that NOW well mark the new speed limit, 40 is 40 in Florence; be warned.

When ODOT learned that according to their own policy, the "new" speed limits were not properly posted, and in a timely manner, the ODOT engineering people ordered the sign maintenance people to upgrade this location as per their policy for the use of Sign Flag Boards (Yellow or Orange Diamonds ).

ODOTs policy is to "provide guidance for the use of Sign Flag Boards in order to preserve and provide consistent and meaningful warning to motorists..."

Their criteria for the application and use of fluorescent yellow wide-angle prismatic flag boards is as follows:

For changes in regulatory conditions. The examples they give include "Intersection control, lane use, and speed zone changes. Sign flag boards may be used either in conjunction with Oregon sign CW20- 10 ("TRAFFIC CONTROL CHANGE AHEAD") or to draw attention to permanent warning signs or regulatory signs. Sign flag boards (as well as Sign CW20-l0) generally should be in place approximately one month. They should not be left in place an excessive amount of time so that their effectiveness at other deserving locations is not diminished."

For changes in speed reduction zones: It does apply to our north Florence situation, where the change is "10 mph or greater".

The following was sent from ODOT engineering to their sign maintenance people:

Please add fluorescent yellow wide-angle prismatic sign flag boards on the existing 40 ZONE AHEAD sign and the first SPEED 40 sign on the Oregon Coast Highway (US101) at the north end of Florence. Also, please place an additional SPEED 40 sign in the southbound direction. Please place this additional sign approximately midway between the first two SPEED 40 signs. Adding these signs will better inform southbound motorists of the extended 40 MPH zone.

I would like to have this work done as soon as possible. If you are able to add the signs in the next three weeks, we will have them in place for the summer visitors.

FLORENCE - AFTER

The "40 ZONE AHEAD" and the beginning of the 40mph speed limit are within
view of each other.  The 40mph signs are now placed about one quarter-mile apart.

Entering Florence southbound, as stated, drops from 55 to 40 and then to 30, and each of these speed zones is strictly enforced. Both the Oregon State Police (OSP) and Lane County Sheriff's offices are located north of town (just south of Freddy's), so coming and going there is more law enforcement per square inch than nearly anywhere else in the Florence area.

Back to "speed limits are strictly enforced": It was bad before but after a child on a bicycle was killed in a crosswalk by a speeding motorist, well you can figure out the now draconian whys and wherefores from there...

Entering Florence northbound goes from 55 south of Cleawox to 45 through Cleawox (also strictly enforced) to 40 across the Florence Bridge and then to 30 in town.

Highway 26 (from the Oregon Coast to Eugene and I-5), is a 55er and is also well patrolled and strictly enforced from about Mile post 10, all the way into town. From Milepost 1 the speed limit drops to 45 and then to 30.

Southbound out of Florence and south of Cleawox, at about Milepost 196, the OSP sits to catch speeders coming down the hill where one tends to pick up some speed anyhow, but the speed limit drops from 55 to 45 again. It is a troublesome area because of the congestion caused by tourist traffic in and out of the Dune Scooter parks on this stretch of 101. Be careful.

One more for the Florence Police Department. These guys have been known to sit and wait for speeders right at where the speed limit drops from 40 to 30. Also, mostly late at night, they check drivers leaving even the nicer 101 restaurants that serve alcohol.

Florence Police Department Discussion Board

Ed. note: Due to a small conspiracy on the part of pro-police, anti-citizen goof balls, we also refer you to Law West of the Pecos and/or our all new and improved web page devoted to the chickenshit activities or those who should but don't know what's what.

Langlois

Langlois is a 40 mph zone from beginning to end, except in the School Zone where the speed limit is 20 mph during school hours. It should be noted that at the beginning and the end of the school day, Port Orford's "resident" Curry County Sheriff deputy parks back in the bushes and within a line of sight view of the school crosswalk that is clearly identified with a flashing yellow light.

Newport

Highway 101 through Newport is always a pain, while at the same time knowing the back roads and where the traffic lights are (for getting across 101) makes Newport a real easy town to get around in. When driving south, make a right on about 12th or 15th Streets, and work your way west and south till you get to Coast Street. Follow it south through Nye Beach till it ends; turn left and then make a quick right that takes you to 101 again. Just before the Bridge, there is an easy way to the Bay Front. Getting to uptown Newport (via Hurbert Street) is sometimes easier from the Bayfront than from 101. When driving north, use the Bayfront route to (left on) Hurbert and turn right on 9th Street OR turn right within three or four blocks after crossing Bridge; take 9th Street to Olive (Highway 20), turn right to the first block, then turn left and then left again for one block and right again; follow SE 2nd to the end, and then turn left and you'll be back at 101 again at about 12th or 15th Street.

Port Orford

Entering southbound into Port Orford, the speed limit drops from 55 to 45 to 30. There is only one city cop but his mission in life is to catch speeders. He cites at 32mph. There is also a "resident" Curry County Sheriff deputy who spends a lot of his time on Highway 101 and within the Port Orford city limits.

Leaving Port Orford, where the speed limit is still 30, is a favorite "speed trap" and a place from where is generated a lot of revenues for the city.

Entering northbound into Port Orford is also a speed limit zones patchwork affair that suddenly drops to 30. Watch for it.

Drinkin' and drivin' in Oregon

OR

What is an ??

Return to Top of Page...

THE BEER NAZIS
You know, Iıve lived in Southern Oregon now for about 13 years, and other than the fact that I know local individuals who clearly do not fit this description, I have to say that the general population in Southern Oregon are some of the most ignorant, uneducated, inexperienced and stupid people ever concentrated in one spot on the earth.

Iım sorry if I have hurt anyoneıs feelings by writing that, but that is my assessment of this local population, including their political leadership and their law enforcement personnel.

To illustrate exactly how bad the situation here in Southern Oregon is, I have to tell you what I witnessed this very day.

Shady Cove, Oregon, is a tiny little village on the upper Rogue River, about 25 miles north of Medford, Oregon, as you drive toward Crater Lake National Park on Highway 62.

Shady Coveıs entire economic existence depends on the tourist trade in the late spring, summer and early fall. Winter in Shady Cove can only be described as deeply cold, wet and suicidally depressing. The major draw for people from all over the world is the fantastic salmon and steelhead runs, and the promise of a lazy, warm summer day, floating the ten miles of relatively mild white water on the Rogue River from the dam and fish hatchery at Lost Creek, back down to Shady Cove.

Most of the tourists donıt come with their own rafts and kayaks to float the Rogue, so they rent them from the many vendors available. The vendors load up the rafts and kayaks on flat-bed trailers behind high-capacity vans, then transport the excited tourists up to Lost Creek Dam, where they launch their crafts with varying degrees of skill and try to stay alive and afloat until they make it back safely to Shady Cove.

There are some very tricky spots on that river, and the agreement you sign with the rental vendor says youıre basically expendable and wonıt be missed, but they will still want their raft or tahiti back after your body is recovered.

The ride is a kick in the pants, Iım telling you! What else can you do on a 100 degree day in Southern Oregon? Go to the Mall? Go see a movie? Hide in the air-conditioned comfort of your home? Go to work?? Hell, no!

Naw, you need to put your life on the line and go for it! The Rogue River is better than any roller-coaster ride ever created, because you really do have a chance of something going very wrong, and when you do emerge relatively unscathed at the ramp back in Shady Cove, you are ready to party and celebrate life for life itself. Nothing could be better!

Okay, so Lizzie and I have floated the Rogue three of the past four days, and Iım having the time of my life. We bought our own high-performance Sevylor River X inflatable kayaks, (now made in China, of course) which are simply too awesome to bore you with here, but if youıre headed for white water anywhere, I highly recommend them.

We had a fantastic day dodging death and dismemberment, interspersed with incredibly peaceful moments in calm waters when we hooked up in the warm sun and reminded ourselves why we married each other in the first place: Sheıs perfect, and because of that, so am I.

So we finally made it back down to Shady Cove, at a ramp where all the rental vendors drive up with their vans and trailers to pick up the survivors and their equipment. Thatıs when the Beer Nazis showed up.

Now, todayıs Beer Nazis were not Shady Cove police officers. Today, they were Jackson County Sheriffıs Deputies, but they all operate the same way. They have secret little places along the river where they spy on unsuspecting tourists who might (horror of horrors!) take a sip of beer while having an oar in their hand. The Beer Nazis photograph them and cite them when they arrive at the ramp in Shady Cove.

I had heard that the local cops were pulling this lunacy, but I didnıt really appreciate the impact of this unbelievably stupid policy until I witnessed it in person. The cops showed up like sharks in the water right after Lizzie and I came ashore, and there was an unmistakable chill in the air affecting all of the people witnessing the event.

The Sheriff's deputies knew exactly who they were going to hassle, and they went right for the "suspect" raft. They even wore brown shirts, and I swear I thought I was seeing a scene right out of Nazi Germany.

They culled the "suspects" out of the herd, asking them to step aside and perform field sobriety tests, tests the idiots didn't know they had every right to refuse. As Lizzie and I left the scene, it looked like they had cited at least one floater and drinker, and another for both floating and drinking, and FUI - Floating Under the Influence. It was another good day for the cops.

Can you possibly imagine anyone pulling a more stupid stunt than that at a tourist trap? The local cops make no effort to let the tourists know that they cannot drink even a sip of alcoholic beverage if they have any control of their watercraft in Oregon - and that includes just an oar. The rental vendors should make their customers aware of the local laws, but they don't unless you make it a point to ask them. I can't imagine why they don't, but if I were a Shady Cove raft rental vendor, every one of my customers would know the Beer Nazis were lurking in the bushes along the river.

So what happens as a consequence of this stupidity? The tourist has the time of his and her life, floating the awesome Rogue River in the incredible, rugged beauty of Southern Oregon on a warm, sunny day, then has his whole vacation ruined by some Beer Nazi who slaps him with a citation that carries a stiff fine for violating a law the tourist had no warning of! The tourist goes back to wherever he or she came from, and warns everyone who will hear that they will never again return to Shady Cove, Oregon, and no one else should ever consider a vacation there either.

But you should have seen the chill those raiding cops put on the whole atmosphere of people witnessing their actions today at the boat ramp. The public relations damage was palpable! I'm telling you, there is no place on this earth where more official stupidity exists in such concentration as Southern Oregon. Nowhere!

Carl F. Worden