PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard touched a nerve this week when he suggested a new ordinance designed to block people from reserving spots along the route for the Grand Floral Parade.

It's probably not the tradition or controversy Rose Festival officials had in mind for the 100th anniversary of Portland's biggest celebration.

For years, people have left their marks days before the parade - taping off areas on sidewalks, chaining lawn chairs to parking meters and coming up with other creative ways to save their spot.

Each year, the spots seem to get marked out earlier and earlier.

Now, Leonard wants to ban the practice for next year, an idea that has generated quite a bit of controversy among the public.

When we talked to Judy Reynolds, who saved a spot for her 86-year-old mother, she had some words for Leonard.

"All you're doing is fostering a violent atmosphere," she said. "We don't need that."

Robert Bino, whose girlfriend has breast cancer, said he had a good reason for wanting to get a spot along the parade route.

"This is one of the last things I'm trying to do for her before she goes in for an operation next week," he said.

While Reynolds and Bino defend the spot-saving tradition, there are plenty of people who say it is just not fair.  Just check out a few of the e-mails we received here at KATU News:

"I have always thought this was a lousy tradition. Get up and go to a parade in the morning and take what you can get."

"I'll throw your stuff in the trash and take your spot. First-come, first-served."

"I've stopped coming to Portland parades because I'm so sick and tired of so many selfish 'me first' people."

The issue has become the talk of the town this week and just may come to a head Saturday morning when folks who saved spots and those who have not meet up on the streets.

For those who have saved spots, there is no guarantee the markings will still be there Saturday morning. 

An alternative newspaper, The Portland Mercury, featured a column asking people to pull up the tape and take away the lawn chairs Friday night.

Early Friday morning, two people were spotted pulling up tape on a spot they said was hijacked by someone else after they reserved it a week previous.

On Craigslist, someone even went so far as to post an ad to sell their parade spots.