Dear lady who honked and then yelled at me as you peeled past me while I was biking with my two small children on a quiet residential street:
Where were you going that could be so important that it’s worth pulling a dangerous, not to mention stressful and obnoxious, move like that? When you pulled over, and I stopped to talk to you, you asked why I would endanger my children’s lives to prove a point. Is it really proving a point to get from my house to a nearby business via a quiet neighborhood street on a bicycle carrying two small children in the warm spring sunshine?
To adhere to the laws of the road and take a full lane of said quiet neighborhood street since there wasn’t room for me to safely let you pass without fully pulling over, which I’m in no way required to do? And let’s think about who is actually endangering my children: me who is teaching them that getting around our neighborhood is a fun, active thing to do outside and doesn’t require fossil fuels, or you in your car who is so offended at being kept at 14 mph for two whole blocks that you had to pull past us sketchily while honking? Seems to me like you were presented with an opportunity to slow down, which is always a gift. If you’re not happy slowing down in your car, perhaps you should find a form of transportation that brings you more joy.
Rachel Elise Hawks
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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