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WSB Forum » West Seattle Rants & Raves

1. christabella
   Member Profile

   A HUGE shout out and rave to Rob, Jerry and Jarred and... for your good deed and kindness for picking me up on 1st Ave (hitchhiking I might add) and getting me to WS safely! Being abandoned in downtown by Metro today was not what I expected. If it weren't for you two, or three I'd still probably be walking to West Seattle, frozen and exhausted! My family thanks you too.

   Rant: I am OUTRAGED by the complete and utter failure of Metro to prepare buses to come into and exit West Seattle during a storm (even though we usually get the worst, and sometime the best weather systems!) Many of us "West Seattleites" depend on Metro everyday to transport us into vital jobs to and from downtown, regardless of weather. I can not believe that a Metro bus with chains could not make it down down 1st Ave and over the bridge to WS, when the angel's in the pick-up truck managed just fine to get me to Fauntlaroy and California, w/o chains! The two jack-knifed buses I saw this morning didn't even have chains on! Give me a break!! Ok, that's my rave, and rant! Thanks again guys, you rocked!

   Posted 3 years ago #         

2. MrJT
   Member Profile

   

   Christabella - It was our pleaure to give you a ride today ! We're glad to hear that you made it home safely.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

3. GenHillOne
   Member Profile

   Aw...way to go MrJT!!! very cool.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

4. celeste17
   Member Profile

   

   WSB to the rescue again. Something to be said about us Forum members helping each other out.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

5. christabella
   Member Profile

   Yeah!! I'm so glad you saw this on the WSB! I am so greatful to you! Viva WSB!!!

   Posted 3 years ago #         

6. MrJT
   Member Profile

   

   Do you know if the the other guy made it home safely ?

   Posted 3 years ago #         

7. christabella
   Member Profile

   No, but I saw him heading in the right direction!

   Posted 3 years ago #         

8. CMP
   Member Profile

   That's kind of a lame rant on Metro. I was on the articulated 22 yesterday morning when it got stuck trying to get on the WS bridge at 5:30 am(before conditions got really bad). There were chains on but our driver couldn't get the bus to move. A pickup truck is a little smaller and more manageable than a bus so go easy on Metro. Try driving a huge bus around instead of a smaller vehicle and see how well you do...I bet it's not easy. I say the bus drivers are doing a great job given the road conditions. If you want to rant, complain about the SDOT instead!

   Posted 3 years ago #         

9. JoB
   Member Profile

   a bus has a lot more weight and therefore a lot more traction.

   the idiot who sent an articulated bus out in this weather is the one who guaranteed it would get stuck in spite of chains...

   WHAT WERE THEY THINKING??????

   why are bus drivers not getting the kind of training that would allow them to be outstanding in weather crunches like this?

   why are the roads they use not continually sanded since a functioning bus system almost guarantees fewer cars on the road?

   it would be good if we could learn from this experience...

   in the meantime.. cudos to WSB members.. and many others... who have shown that they appreciate good neighbors enough to be one...

   Tis the season...

   Posted 3 years ago #         

10. TammiWS
    Member Profile

    

    Both of my route 22 drivers - to downtown and home from - did a GREAT job. They took it slow and didnt take any chances.

    I asked my morning driver how do they ever train for this type of weather and he said 'remember how we did it last year'..... Unless we send our drivers to Montana to train how could they know how to navigate this? And in an articulated bus, once the back end starts swaying getting control of it would be pretty difficult I'd imagine?

    Not to mention, there are so many roads to sand in the city - how do you prioritize?

    We as a city just arent prepared in many ways to deal with snow...but, I will say my drivers yesterday were awesome!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

11. Jo
    Member Profile

    JoB - I'm trying not to be too critical of Metro. They were slammed. Since you're new to the area, you probably don't realize that this storm was very, very unusual.
    Bus drivers do get training, but practice makes perfect, and we simply don't get this type of weather often enough for them to practice.
    As I understand it, the most heavily traveled roads were being continuously sanded (freeways), but were immediately freezing over again after being plowed. We don't have enough sanding trucks, because, again, we don't get this type of weather often enough to justify having more. And mostly our sanding-truck fleet is on the mountain passes where they do an excellent job.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

12. Cait
    Member Profile

    

    Ya know for all this cold weather, the WSB is sure creating a lot of warm fuzzies :)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

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