Another day, another Aggressive Drivers Response Team report on SPD Blotter. This one was an “early morning” patrol (borne out by a tweet we received very early this morning). Beyond what our headline mentions – read the details here.
Thanks again, SPD! Glad to hear we are continuing to fill the coffers on the backs of the irresponsible and reckless.
I’ve always been a libertarian kind of guy. But after three years of living (and driving) in Seattle, I say bring on the police state! I have never lived somewhere with as many aggressive drivers as here, and I used to be a cab driver in a city larger than Seattle!
Doing the speed limit (or five over) here will get you the one-finger salute. Being cut-off or tailgated by someone ticked off because you’re not tailgating the vehicle in front is a daily occurrence. Solid-lines and gore points are merely suggestions. And, in the early afternoons, I think that the HOV lanes on I-90 are used more frequently by passengerless drivers who use it as a passing lane to get around slowpokes doing 65-70.
I think I saw one of those ticketed on eastbound Admiral this morning. He was in the right lane, zipping by those of us in the left lane (doing about 35mph in a 30mph zone) to access the W. Seattle Bridge. Right after that lane becomes a right-turn only, dufus made his move into the left lane, crossing the solid white line, and oblivious to the dark-colored non-descript Dodge Magnum on Manning St. The Dodge flipped on its lights and hauled off after him. Driving by, I wished my car had a loudspeaker mounted on it to do a Nelson “HA HA!” at him.
I think there needs to be far more traffic enforcement in Seattle.
Most people who own cars should not be driving. Whose fault is that?
Another SPD press release gets transmitted. I’m almost wistful for the endless photos of prowled cars you used to post.
@JB, the truth is, there is no “fill[ing] the coffers” when Seattle Police ticket this way. Sure, if you don’t think about it too much, you probably assume that when the SPD write tickets, a money train would start chugging right into some “coffers.” But don’t forget that those police are paid salaries and benefits. Considering just that alone, what at first would seem like coffer-filling is just a wash. Just from police salaries and benefits, the money in versus the money out is drastically less — barely a break-even prposition. But there’s a lot more. For example, tickets get appealed, judges dismiss tickets, judges reduce fines, people don’t pay, police reduce tickets, and so forth. So, even though you can add up total fines and think there is going to be a huge net gain for the city, really, that money is illusory. And there’s yet more costs to reduce this seeming goldmine: eve minor costs like insurance, gas, etc. eat into those “coffers.” So, gotta say, JB, I’m with you in wishing speeders led to a net increase in revenue, your metaphoric wordplay — attractive as it is — just isn’t as accurate as we all wish it would be.
At the end of the day, all we’re doing with these various patrols is to hire glorified, overtrained adn overqualified babysitters to put petulant sociopaths into an expensive ‘timeout’ where their insurance rates rise and they have to pay a little fine. I take issue with your metaphor, JB, because I bet a lot of us overlook the reality and think that the police solve the problem of danger on our neighborhood streets. But it doesn’t.
Even with beefed-up SPD road patrols, WSB’s pages let us read week after week of more and more speeding. Even with the patrols, the speeding just doesn’t stop. It never stops. People still speed. And when the police are away, the speeding returns with vigor. So what to do?
There is only one solution: end two lane traffic each way wherever it exists. End it on Admiral. End it on Roxbury. End it on I-35. It now works on Fauntleroy, where we wisely eliminated four lanes to two — and doing this elsewhere can and will work, no matter what the traffic engineer geniuses all want us to believe. The fact is, there is a natural tendency for drivers in cars to overtake and pass the cars next to them when there’s two lanes. And the more they drive, the more they see pedestrians as mere obstacles, bicyclists ascrazies to pass quickly, and other cars as know-nothings.
Sure, some pass on 35th and Admiral at only 5 mph over the limit faster than the car next to them. Some, 10mph over the limit. And I’ll bet many think that’sjust not a big deal. Well, that’s the problem. That kid — someone’s grandson — who was just killed on his motorcycle on 35th was sandwiched between drivers who weren’t going 60, or not even 50. No, probably, the acident happened with drivers who were only probably ‘mildly’ speeding at only a few miles over the limit at the time of impact. Now, you can argue that just a few miles over the limit is no big deal — but you’re wrong. It kills. Did before. Will again. Until we get rid of a slow lane and a fast lane — or, as some see them, as drag strips where both lanes’ cars can freely race as fast as they can go… After all, no judge in their right mind will send them to jail. And though sooner or later, they get caught, the fact is, most of the time, they don’t.
It is time to leave multi-lane travel to those places where there are stoplights on every block (downtown) and on bona fide interstate highways. But multi-lane roads simply have no place in residential places like West Seattle. They have no place on Admiral, 35th, or Roxbuty, just as they had no place on Fauntleroy. And until that changes, deaths will result. And we all will be responsible for doing nothing.
If someone was walking across Admiral, let’s say around Belveidere, do you think the driver going 60 could have stopped? Would he have crossed the road or plowed into people waiting for the bus? What if someone was backing out of their driveway? He should lose his driving license.
@ Neighbor: good luck with that. I completely share your observation, but to take someone’s license away for going 60mph on Admiral would require a change in the law. And that’s not gonna happen. On the other hand, dead pedestrians, yes — that’ll definitely keep happening until Admiral, 35th and Roxbury are just one lane each way.
The 60 in *that* 30 should have been considered for a reckless driving.
I drive down Admiral everyday, early morning and afternoon. In the early morning when I get onto Admiral there may not be anyone on the road, but sure enough as soon as I get half way down the hill, mind you I am probably going about 35, someone has come out of nowhere and is right on my ass, all the way up the ramp to the Bridge, and then usually until I get to my exit. Despite the fact that the entire time I am going about 5 over the speed limit.
In the afternoon I am usually getting tailgated going up the hill, and passed by someone who is quite evidently going well over 30mph (I get that from the flashing speed sign as they pass it), but that same person will usually take the bend and then slow down to about 25 the rest of the way, so now at 30mph I am tailgating them. Mind you, this is the exact same person who flew up the hill at 40.
I think the cops should vary their times that they do these stings, do it early in the morning when it’s dark and people can’t slow down when they see the cop car. I also think the buses should get ticketed, or something, because I have seen a bus go through a red light just about once a day. Just this afternoon I saw one go through the red light by the starbucks, after it was red, not when it was yellow.
I don’t think the idea of changing every road in WS to 1 lane is going to work, because some people will still tailgate, others will still go 10 miles below the speed limit, and then you will have others that just don’t know what the hell they are doing, but at least with 2 lanes you can sometimes get around the other person, or let someone get around you.
I hardly ever get passed on Admiral anytime, even at 30mph. But I look like a cop car.
15/20 years ago I noticed the lack of traffic cops…called SPD and asked where they were (?)because people were out of control and causing dangerous situations…I was told the traffic cops had been moved to domestic duties. This mess is the results of years of SPD looking the other way (NEGLECT) You get what you sow. Lane diets do not work…people need to be POLICED to obey. I am glad to see the policing going on.
YES!!! so glad these speedy centipedes are getting caught in the web!! They make me nervous.
Why does everyone pick on Admiral? What about Beach Drive? 35th (which was the focus of some activity with the recent accident, but that appears to be over)? Fauntleroy down by Lincoln Park? C’mon, it’s not the ONLY street that’s a problem!
And har de har har. Nail the wanton speeders. Big Time. Yipee!!!
is there a place on the web that has pictures of all these speeders and what cars they drive? Kinda like the sex offender ones
Keep it up, SPD! What we really need though are photo radar cameras, so speeders will know it’s not a question of ‘if’ there’s a police officer there to see them speed, but ‘when’, because the cameras will be there 24/7, don’t take breaks, and can’t be called away to other duties. There are gamblers everywhere, but even the fool who did 72mph on the bridge would probably think twice if (s)he knew that there were radar cameras ready to tag any and all speeders.
B, I totally know what you are talking about! I get the same thing but on 35th. Where the heck do they come from to be going so fast and ya’ don’t see them until they are on your@$$!?
bebecat, that is literally the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen written here. did you really say “…people need to be POLICED to obey.” I hope that’s not your message to yours or anyone else’s children. We don’t need to live in a police state to follow some basic rules. We need smarter government making smarter choices about what to do with all the money we give them and actually working for us to keep us safe. Road diets stink for everyone that it forces to slow down, but the fact is they do work for that particular area, because there is nowhere else to go. Those same speeders however will find other routes, which is great with me and anyone who lives in any of these West Seattle areas.Thanks for the help SPD, but really why don’t you get the thugs and dealers off our streets instead and let us (the people) take care of our streets.
I really don’t mind the people who drive 40 in a 35, or 50 on the bridge, but I am glad to see all these people going nearly twice the limit get pulled over. . .
hopefully some of them learn their lessons.
The speed limit on Admiral should be 90, that way you could catch air if you make the green light at California.
Amen, Charlotte; I’ve never been a fan of speed traps at all, but I’m glad the most egregious offenders are being caught. 30 is way too low for Admiral, but 60 is just ridiculous. I hope that guy his due.
Well, my worst fear has come true on Admiral. My partner just got rear-ended on Admiral tonight. She’s OK but I don’t know about MY car (she’s covered). I’m in Tokyo, helplessly watching. I’m just glad she’s OK but I am also P*ssed. What is with you entitled people that the law or reasonable behaviour does not apply to? Forget, speeding, reckless driving… How about reckless endangerment? Photo speed traps with pictures up on the bulletin board at Metro Market would be fine with me!
Sorry to hear it, 22. So she was just driving along and somebody going too fast crashed into her? Not a hit-run, I hope?
It’s speed enforcement, not speed trap. Speed limit signs are posted on the bridge and Admiral Way. Where’s the trap? All arterial streets in the city are 30 mph unless otherwise posted.
The car in front slowed at the bottom of Admiral, she slowed and watched the car behind her in the mirror not even slow down before impact & their airbag deployment. They hit hard enough the car in front thought he got hit from the sound of it (he didn’t but was kind enough to stick around for the police). The speeder had the gall to get out & get in my partner’s face.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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