It cannot be disputed that official city of Charlotte policy is to be Portland South. Our land-use and transportation policy is directly cribbed straight from the Portland model. That is why this story of a gang of cyclists going wild on a Subaru owner is so fascinating. The Oregonian reports:

The cultural clash between Portland bicyclists and motorists took a surreal turn Sunday night when a motorist involved in a confrontation with a cyclist turned out to be a longtime advocate for cycling.

Colin Yates, 47, was driving with his wife and two teenagers in his family’s green Subaru Legacy when he saw a bicyclist pass him on the left and blow through a stoplight on Southeast 20th Avenue at Belmont Street. Yates continued driving north on 20th Avenue, through another intersection, until he caught up with the bicyclist.

Yates honked his horn, leaned out his window, and chided the bicyclist for making other cyclists look bad. Yates, a self-described bike advocate for more than 30 years, told the bicyclist that he was a responsible bike rider who gets upset when he sees fellow riders disobeying traffic signals. …

The bicyclist rode up to the driver’s window. Yates described the man to police as “irritated and aggravated.” The cyclist was cursing at Yates and yelled at him to get out of the car. “Let’s go! You want to go?” the bicyclist shouted, challenging Yates to a fight.

By now, the bicyclist, Steven McAtee, 31, was off his wheels. Yates said McAtee picked up his bike and wielded it like a weapon, smashing it against the Subaru’s hood and windshield.

Yates stepped from his car and told McAtee to back off.

McAtee turned on Yates. He lifted his bike above his shoulders and struck Yates with it, Yates said. Yates tried to use his hands to block the blows and then ducked back into his car and attempted to leave. But McAtee got in front of the Subaru and repeatedly struck the vehicle with his bike, Yates said.

Yates stepped from his car again and was struck five to seven more times with McAtee’s bicycle, police reports say.

Soon enough an entire pod of cyclists had set upon Yates. Police had a hell of a time sorting out what actually happened, with some witnesses too intimidated by the two-wheelers to back up Yates.

It gets better. McAtee works for the city of Portland’s transportation department as a building plan examiner. He was charged with third-degree assault, criminal mischief, driving under the influence of intoxicants, and disorderly conduct.

How the hell hitting someone repeatedly with a bike is third-degree assault escapes me, but that is how they roll in Charlotte’s model city.