By “my spot”, Richard Parker refers, of course, to his spot outside the Get Out Of Oregon Office (GOOO). Because of the incomprehensibly awful conditions in the state, Oregon is fanatical about retention, so you are only issued an exit visa through the GOOO. This works on a lottery system, but the catch is that one must be present to win. The resulting desperate, dehumanized ‘campers’ that squat outside the GOOO office jealously guard their individual patches of foul pavement, often not leaving them for months at a time. Given the low price that Richard Parker is asking for his spot, it is likely a very poor one - probably in Tualatin or Oregon City. The spots that are within actual earshot of the GOOO normally go for tens of thousands of dollars. And that’s for the rare ones that are not passed on to the family members of the lucky winners (exit visas are only good for one person, so spouses, children, etc. must be left behind).
My wife and son and I were able to escape several years ago. Our current home is in a non-extradition-to-Oregon state. I would dearly love to offer my advice to others who hope to leave the state, but I do not wish to compromise the safety of the brave men and women of the underground railroad who helped us at great risk to themselves. Also, I’m not proud of some of the things we had to do in order to arrange our escape. Suffice it to say that for every person that wishes to leave the state, a body must be found in order to satisfy the authorities.
It’s is what I love about the Dope: I thought it was going to be just a thread full of bland advice about where to live and work, and what restaurants to try, and it turns out to be one of the funniest threads I’ve read in months. Thanks to all you cynical Portlanders.
I can’t contribute anything here. My experience is limited to 10 minutes in the train station, where I was passing through and briefly stepped off to buy film.
IANAP(ortlander), just always been attracted to the place. In fact I just lost 2 18-year-old cousins to it.
Attention citizens of Portland. If you see 2 curly-headed brown-eyed guys named Nick and Elias wearing cutoffs and driving a brown Ford F250 with a camper cap, offer them all possible assistance, but do not, REPEAT DO NOT, lend them any money. You’ll never see it again.
I’ll take that as a promise, since Og knows kisses are impossible to find in Portland! Grumpy, unloving, mean, no-sex-having Portlanders, damn us all indeed!
So I didn’t tell you this in the OP, but I actually have sort of a masochistic streak, and the place you are describing…sounds sorta like paradise. Plus I have always wanted to live under an oppressive totalitarian regime, but never wanted to have to travel outside of the US to do it, now I can!
So thanks for making up my mind for me, I am moving to Portland, and I think I will bring some friends with me. Actually my whole social circle might want to move up there with me. I am sure I could muster up about 100 people on my own to make the move, and if they could all find 2 other people to go with them…of course we all would have our own cars…some of us have two (I do live in LA after all.)
Well, that’s settled then, I am coming up over Labor Day to check it out and see if it really is as awesome as you all make it sound. I would love the chance to meet some of you while I am up there.
Did anybody mention our obsessive, unhealthy interest in firearms? Or the roadside blinds where we hide to take random potshots at anything that catches our attention? Y’know, like out of state license plates and such…
Of course, due to the food prohibition thing we’ve had to make do a bit–the long pig jerky season looks like it’s going to be good this year, guys! So, gun totin’, pot shottin’, barbecue Portland Dopefest right around Labor Day? Whaddaya say?
DUDE (and that is a word you should get used to hearing, what with me bringing all of Southern California with me) I LOVE me some long pig! Nothing like an evening of Canabal BBQ to really make me feel like I am home. I know a really fat guy I can bring to the party.
