We’re Back!


Some of you noticed (and thanks to those of you who wrote) that the site has been down for most of the last 24 hours.

Our web host shut us down yesterday after we spiked their server load – we suspect we were under a comment-spam attack. They’ve turned us back on today.

I’m off to enjoy the weekend, including Sunday Parkways in SE! Back to our regular posting schedule on Monday.


18 responses to “We’re Back!”

  1. Scotty is referring to the announcement that Burgerville will soon be allowing bicyclists to use the drive-up window. (It’s to be re-designated a drive-thru and cycle-thru window.)

    At first I wondered a bit about liability, but then realized that since bikes are legal to operate on the public roadways in mixed traffic, there shouldn’t be much of a liability issue to allow them to operate in mixed traffic on private property.

    In any case, the burning question in my mind is: How many Walla Walla onion rings can fit on the handlebars of a bicycle?

  2. Many (most) fast-food restaurants have policies prohibiting pedestrians (i.e. on foot) from using the drive-through; and there’s certainly a safety issue there as well. And while bicycles are “vehicles”, pedestrians aren’t.

    Of course, pedestrians can always wander inside (other than possibly during late-night hours, when some fast-food joints go to drive-through only), and don’t even need to park to do so.

  3. I dislike drive-throughs, and even when I am driving I much prefer to park, get out, and eat at a table like a civilized person.

    The policy of not allowing walk-up traffic at a drive-through is okay with me up until they close the dining room and leave *only* the drive-through open. As long as the place is open, there ought to always be an option for people on foot.

    I’ve been out at night, not in a state to drive, wanting something to eat, when there weren’t a lot of options. It makes me crazy that the few options available *required* the possession and operation of a motor vehicle so I could pay money to a get a burger. It is dangerous and dumb dumb dumb.

  4. it with you completely, lurker.

    and btw whatever happened to the drive-in model, you know the kind where you get out of your car, walk 4 steps and order at an outdoor walkup window? or is that too much effort for some people in todays world?

    on another note, why are there so few late night(12-4am) quick bite non-bar options in portland? its pretty much voodoo and 12th/hawthorne carts. cant we get an all night diner in downtown portland?

  5. True story: a couple of years ago I rode up to a drive-thru window at Burgerville after the restaurant itself was closed and tried to get a meal. The employee told me he couldn’t serve me. We had a bit of an argument — if I was on a motorcycle, I’d be okay to serve, but apparently my vehicle had the wrong power source. Meanwhile, I noticed there was a sign at the window advising people to think about driving less — yes, the window that I was barred from using for doing just that.

    So I wrote a nasty letter to Burgerville telling them that I liked their business, but I was not going to patronize them ever again: if my money isn’t good at 11:00 at night, it won’t be good for the rest of the day either.

    I got back a very nice, apologetic letter with a $25 gift card, and a promise that they were going to review their policy and look at various options to develop walk-up facilities, keep the dining rooms open later, or other ways to serve non-driving customers late at night.

    I accepted the apology and eventually used the gift card.

    I’m glad to hear that they’ve reconsidered. I have no problem with going up to the counter during the days, but I agree with Lurker B.: if they’ve got a window open late, it should be for ALL of their customers, not just those who show up riding an internal combustion engine.

  6. on another note, why are there so few late night(12-4am) quick bite non-bar options in portland? its pretty much voodoo and 12th/hawthorne carts. cant we get an all night diner in downtown portland?

    There’s also the Roxy on SW Stark, a 24hr diner except it’s closed Mondays. But I miss Quality Pies.

  7. err… that should be “i’m with you completely”… i couldn’t agree more on those 3 points you make, Lurker B

    douglas K, this happened to me also but at a mcdonalds and on foot. i was none too happy either and decided to go out of my way to avoid restaurant locations with drive thrus. in the case of BV, i’ll settle for their semi-urbanized format locations (MLK & Hawthorne). plus i know its a widespread policy in the fast food industry to give priority to the drive thru customers over the walk inside customers… that also doesnt sit right with me.

    i have no problems with fast food. and there is really nothing wrong with it so long as you get exercise to burn it off, which is why the drive thru only and cars only thing is kind of odd. when i was in nyc i would eat this stuff all the time and i lost weight because i was walking so much around the city.

    considering the marketing and effort the industry does to get people eating fast food at all hours it makes no sense to turn away hungry willing customers because of how they traveled to the restaurant.

  8. I’m happy not to be forbidden from visiting this site. And Bob, as a moderator its understandable for you to make a lot of comments.

    Regarding nighttime food, the McDonald’s on West Burnside is open to pedestrians 24 hours, but their overnight walk-up window doesn’t have a menu. Also, I’ve read of people getting taxis just so they can go through a drive-thru.

    Also, it looks like the city has officially agreed to purchase the streetcars for the eastside.

  9. An interesting question–are there any laws concerning pedestrians in drive-thrus? We might be complaining about the wrong party here…

  10. An interesting question–are there any laws concerning pedestrians in drive-thrus? We might be complaining about the wrong party here…

    There was an article on another site I frequent recently about a woman trying to order on a motorized mobility scooter from a fast food place (I think in the midwest), and the response was that their insurance doesn’t allow it. Apparently at that hour the insurance company is worried about them getting hit by another potential customer.

    At the same time, there was a Tim Horton’s near my house growing up that would happily serve me anytime at the drive-thru, and had signs up warning drivers to watch for pedestrians. I’d go through the drive-thru on my bike all the time, just cause there was nowhere convenient to lock it up.

    They also were the first 24 hour drive thru with no inside service overnight in the area, so maybe that influenced their overly bike/pedestrian-friendly policies. I’m also not sure if they kept the policies going after they were acquired by Wendy’s.

  11. Yeah, I thought I did something to get banned as well. Not that I’m trying to! :)

    Speaking of drive-throughs… I’m currently a Wells Fargo Bank customer, who was glad to find out they let anyone walk up to their drive-through ATMs… at some branches, it’s the only ATM not behind locked doors during non-business hours.

    Also… you have to walk-in (no drive-through), but SE Grind (SE 13th Pl. & SE Powell Blvd.) is Open 24 hours; according to their info., their entire menu is available all 24 hours. I haven’t had anything other than coffee from there yet, though.

  12. I use drive though ATMs all the time on my bike, but there there is nobody to yell at me or not service me or whatever, so…

    The real advantage I see to taking a bike through the drive though is that you don’t have to lock up: No taking the headlight off, no taking the computer off, no need to remove the helmet cause you look like a dork wearing it inside, you just pull in and get a milkshake, (which fits in the water bottle holder,) and go.

  13. After I posted last night I got talking to a friend who managed a place with a drive thru for a few years, and asked about bikes in the drive thru lane. According to him the insurance is part of the worry, but another one is that someone standing can much more easily reach in the drive thru window, making it a security issue for staff as well.

    It makes some sense, since if you’re in a car you have a license plate to ID you, even on a motorcycle you do, but you don’t on a bike or walking. It also seems the employee could react to someone getting out of a car by shutting the window, but not as easily to someone who’s already standing there.

  14. Hey, for those all- night- dining types, you are all aware of the hotcake house at milwaukie and powell right? and Montage under the morrison st viaduct?

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