Wienermobile spotted in Portland! Monday, October 15, 2007

Wienermobile driver Dan Olson talks with a passerby Oct. 15 in downtown Portland.

This afternoon as I was walking home from a quick trip to Lincoln High School, I spotted the Wienermobile parked beside PGE Park. Naturally, I had to investigate.

Today and tomorrow are days off for the Hotdoggers (yes, that's their official job title). They just rolled into town today, and stopped by a Kinko's to fax some reports back to the home office. But a vehicle like that attracts attention, says driver Dan Olson, so anywhere they stop becomes an event.

About half a dozen people stopped by while I was there, including one irritable senior with a walker. He asked if they had any samples on board, which they don't. He wasn't satisfied with a wiener whistle, or even a coupon. He then proceeded to berate Dan for not knowing former Portland radio host Steve "Dream" Weaver who, apparently, regularly had the Wienermobile crew on his show. Eventually he got tired of ranting and left.

Standing just within earshot of the rant was the next visitor, none other than Steve "Dream" Weaver himself. No kidding, it was a true coincidence. Weaver was wandering around downtown Portland with his daughter, Jacqueline, who was in town for a surprise visit with her dad. Like me, they spotted the Wienermobile and had to check it out.

Hotdogger Dan Olson, left, talks to former radio talk show host Steve "Dream" Weaver and his daughter Jacqueline from the cab of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Oct. 15 near PGE Park in downtown Portland.

Olson, who hails from Minneapolis, has been driving the vehicle since June. In the past four months they have driven about 17,000 miles, mostly in the Midwest. Recently they have been in Washington and now the vehicle is making a trip down the west coast. It will be in the Portland area until Thursday.