5 Trial Lawyer • Fall 2022 over the past 25 years have been numerous. I offer these observations and thoughts about my experiences. Wind up, wind down I can tell you there is nothing better for preparing for an intense workday than the joy and free feeling of riding a bike. And there is nothing better to help process and unwind after a stressful workday than a gentle pedal home in the evening. Of course, bike commuting comes with risks. When you ride, you are not surrounded by tons of steel and I can attest that asphalt is hard when you fall off a bike. I have had a few falls and near misses over the years. I know some very conscientious and careful colleagues who have been seriously injured in accidents while commuting by bike. But on balance, the benefits of bike commuting substantially outweigh the risks. In fact, studies show bicycle commuting is great for mental and physical health and will add years to your life expectancy. Improved infrastructure When I started commuting by bike in 1994, I set up a portable closet in the basement of the office building between the dusty boxes of old files. Over time, many of my colleagues began commuting by bike and my law firm installed great bike parking in the basement along with a nice area to store and change clothes. And now I use the excellent bicycle parking area in the Multnomah County Courthouse, complete with showers and changing rooms. Portland has always been ahead of the curve in making roads better and safer for bicycle commuting, and my regular commute has always been through the low traffic bicycling streets in Portland neighborhoods. But the recent addition of the parking protected bike lanes and green bike boxes has added safety and serenity to my regular commute. Great community I was a regular bicycle commuter for several years when my friends Mark Ginsberg and Ray Thomas separately invited me to participate in some regular lunch time rides affectionately known as the “Lawyers Ride.” There are two separate regular bike rides during the lunch hour onMondays andThursdays leaving from Pioneer Courthouse Square, and believe it or not, those rides have been going for 30 years. Ray Thomas and Jim Coon organized the Lawyers Ride and you can expect to see them out there almost every Monday and Thursday. When I first joined the Lawyers Ride, my bicycling skills were limited. But I already had my bike downtown and it seemed like an efficient way to get some lunchtime exercise. Fortunately, the riders on the Lawyers Ride are welcoming and patient. I have learned a lot on these lunchtime rides and made some great friends. I have increased my knowledge about bike handling, bike maintenance, heart rate monitors and, yes, even some law on the Lawyers Ride. On a warm, sunny day, you can join 50 or 60 other riders, most of them attorneys, on the Lawyers Ride. And on some cold wet days, you can have an intimate ride of four or five riders. Beyond the Lawyers Ride, you will find colleagues that ride with cycling clubs, enjoy cyclocross racing or regularly ride Cycle Oregon. I discovered that bicycling is a great way to connect with other lawyers as well as a great way to get to work. More empathy When we are commuting, we can all fall into a mindset that everyone else is an idiot or working hard to slow us down. I admit I catch myself at my worst and most self-centered when I am trying to get somewhere in a hurry. But being a bicycle commuter, as well as a driver and a pedestrian, has given me multiple perspectives on using our transportation system and helped me to develop more empathy for others using the road. And I think we can all agree that the world can use a little more empathy. No matter what mode of transportation you use, take some deep breaths and be intentional about seeing things from the perspective of others. Remember that the driver looking for a parking space, or the pedestrian crossing the street or the cyclist riding along is not intentionally trying to slow you down. Just like you, they are trying to get to their destination safely. As a bonus, taking some deep breaths and opening your mind to other perspectives on the road is going to help get you to your destination more safely and put you in a much better mood. Judge David Rees serves at Multnomah County Circuit Court, 1200 SW 1st Ave. Portland, OR 97204. He can be reached at david.f.rees@ojd.state.or.us or 971-2740636. Judge Rees began bicycle commuting to avoid downtown parking and slow bus rides.
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