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1. beachdrivegirl
   Member Profile

   

   Sorry to vent but I am sick and tired of the cars that speed down Admiral and then try to swerve into the stopped traffic waiting to get onto the bridge! You dont have the right away and we dont have to let you in. And it is even more annoying when you speed past all of us waiting our turn, take the Avalon exit, and then expect to cut into the bridge on rap underneath. It is rude! If you need to be in that big of a rush leave five minutes earlier!!!

   Posted 3 years ago #         

2. Irukandji
   Member Profile

   

   Admiral Way traffic - too fast, too slow and drivers who feel entitled to the road as they see fit. So glad I'm not a commuter, just someone who gets to join you in your comments about safety, laws and sanity.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

3. pam
   Member Profile

   ....ahhhh....remember the good old days when there were no condos and no traffic..... and it would take mere minutes to get from West Seattle to lower Queen Anne..... and no suv's... only one light on Admiral... ahhhh....

   Posted 3 years ago #         

4. WSratsinacage
   Member Profile

   Amen DBG! :) This annoys me all over Seattle and WS. Cutting to the front may not be illegal but it is dangerous and does incite people which leads to road rage which is a big problem these days. It also creates a domino effect that increases the commute time for most. I know it's not quite the same thing but I feel like asking these cutters if they cut in line at the grocery store too? Sheesh. It is now illegal to cut in the ferry line so that is quite similar to waiting on an on ramp or off ramp. I wait in line and I feel like if every one waited their turn and we all picked a lane and stayed in it, we would all get where we are going faster and safer. For some reson there are a lot of fidgety people out there who have to lane jump and cut. Then people wonder why there is road rage.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

5. WSratsinacage
   Member Profile

   Yes Pam I remember.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

6. Zenguy
   Member Profile

   

   Actually they do have the right of way...I got a ticket for not letting someone in. The officer said it may not seem fair but it is the law.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

7. WSratsinacage
   Member Profile

   I'm surprised because I have heard Trooper Monica Hunter on KIRO say that the person in the lane owns it and does not necessarily have to let the merger in.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

8. JimmyG
   Member Profile

   

   Zenguy got written a ticket by a cop that doesn't know the RCW's.

   Hope you fought the ticket Z-guy.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

9. GenHillOne
   Member Profile

   Zenguy, was there a merge sign around? Otherwise, I didn't think it was the law either. Sad if it is. I still won't let them in though when it's so obviously a "cut" and others have been waiting. It's my one b***chy driver stance and I'll take it to make the point. I wish everyone would do it and leave them sitting there longer than it would have taken them in line.

   Posted 3 years ago #         

10. JimmyG
    Member Profile

    

    I'm interested what the infraction had listed as the RCW you had supposedly violated?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

11. WSratsinacage
    Member Profile

    GHO, I totally agree .. make them wait like they would get forced to wait for the next boat if they cut in the ferry line. :)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

12. Zenguy
    Member Profile

    

    It was the mid eighties, possibly things have changed. I even remember what the officer said "turn up your radio, put your head back and relax". lol

    Posted 3 years ago #         

13. Franci
    Member Profile

    WSratsinacage, I heard the same thing..

    For me its SB 99 where the exit lane for the WS Bridge is. I see folks flying by and multiple cars cutting over at the last minute. One time when I was watching for this I counted about 10 cars almost simultaneously moving into the right lane. They weren't all in the same spot of course, but they were all within 100 yards of the exit. When you have that many cars merging at the same time, traffic behind is forced to come to a screeching halt.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

14. RonM
    Member Profile

    I too have noted those going down Admiral in the morning and if the left lane is backed up, many try to bypass on the right, continue down to Harbor Avenue and try to barge into the cars backed up there for the turn. I’ve been dropping my wife off for the 55 bus on California and to warm up the car a little I’ve driven down Admiral to get onto Harbor Avenue and continue around Alki. I’ve had cars in line making a right onto Spokane, blow their horns at me not realizing that I don’t intend to barge in to make that turn and go straight through. I’ve also observed cars coming the other direction trying to make left turns in front of me as though they had the right-of-way. I try to accommodate them all.

    I recall a neighbor woman over 50 years ago, who was nearly killed at 5 corners, putting herself and daughter in the hospital for many weeks. She’d tell people, “I knew he was going to hit me, but I had the right-of-way!” She would have killed herself and daughter just to enforce her right-of-way.

    There’s definitely more commuter traffic on Spokane St. these days. Still better than years ago when we all had to wait for boat traffic, often at the most inconvenient time. It would be nice if folks would relax and just be nice to each other, but I guess that was another time...

    Posted 3 years ago #         

15. beachdrivegirl
    Member Profile

    

    Zenguy-

    times have changed b/c my husband to be has been pulled over (even when the lane was ending) for cutting in like that within the past two years. The person who is merging has to yield until there is an opening with a SAFE distance.

    And GHO, I am with you, I will make sure there is no room for them to cut in and if they attempt to i continue to merge forward figuring that at that slow of speeds if they hit me than they can pay for my car to be fixed...

    Posted 3 years ago #         

16. cruiser
    Member Profile

    

    Interesting topic.Public transport anyone?

    Posted 3 years ago #         

17. JW
    Member Profile

    Regarding this: "I still won't let them in though when it's so obviously a "cut" and others have been waiting."

    A few thoughts:

    1. Speaking from experience, you are doing yourself no good, healthwise, by trying to enforce rules on people who couldn't care less. And you'd let your car get hit to make your point? If you are that stressed by other drivers, you should consider the bus...

    2. The people you are trying to teach a lesson to really don't care... if they are brazen enough to do it to you, you can probably bet they do it every morning, so why bother? They're probably on their cell phones anyway, and barely notice what is going on.

    3. So YOU must be the person who wouldn't let my visiting father in, as he tried to get to the airport after one visit. As he later pointed out, the sign for the West Seattle Bridge wasn't even visible from where the line started.

    Can we try to quell this silly vigilantism a little?

    The real problem on Admiral in the mornings is the area around the California Ave. intersection. After Labor Day, I think I saw an accident there every day for a week. Guess everyone is racing down Admiral to cut off all those patient folks waiting in line for the Bridge...

    Posted 3 years ago #         

18. Anonymous
    Member Profile

    Although I don't drive on Admiral in the mornings, I wanted to share a thought.

    As being someone who recently had to get into a line of cars at the last minute (this was purely by chance, it was downtown and there was a very large truck involved) and having other cars trying to "enforce" the rules, it was extremely frustrating.

    I generally let the a**holes be a**holes, let them in and not give it a second thought. Why let an a**hole ruin any part of my day (whether it be 5 minutes of it, or if I were to stew all the rest of my drive)?

    My guy and I usually just laugh and wave to them.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

19. GenHillOne
    Member Profile

    JW -
    1. doesn't stress me out in the slightest
    2. it's the point of the matter and it's only fair to me and those behind me
    3. I'm sorry that happened to your father (in law?); there have been occasions where a driver has looked over, asked (mouthed, whatever) nicely, or looked a little lost and I have let them in...I would not if they were on their cell phone, yelling, and/or flipping me off

    I'd love to see the crossing guards back on Admiral (both at Calif. and 59th) for the school hours...budget cuts, argh.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

20. JW
    Member Profile

    GenHillOne,

    You seem a reasonable type, and so I hope that if I run into you (so to speak!) in an area of town I don’t know well, and I need to merge into an existing line of cars, you will notice my fearful look, my timid smile, my nice little blinker… but for every one of you (let’s call you a “reasonable vigilante”) there are hundreds of others who enforce “the rules” in a not-so-forgiving manner.

    I witnessed many of these “unreasonable vigilantes” last year when my infant son was hospitalized in Redmond and later required frequent trips to specialists in Bellevue— both areas unfamiliar to me and my husband. Besides the high level of personal stress, we had the added pleasure of being flipped off, honked at, glared at (etc.) by drivers who couldn’t understand why we didn’t know The Line for exit #X started 3 miles back. Maybe the “reasonable vigilantes” weren’t the ones flipping us off, but they were probably glaring at us… so NOT necessary, at that time or any time, really.

    I don’t think I should have to communicate submissive apologies to any driver, in order to legally merge… just because people are trying to Make A Point. I am NOT one of those people who “cut” on Admiral in the morning… but I am one of those people who let those cars in, regardless of my assessment of their character or motivation. Sure I get a little miffed about it, but then again, they could be from out of town, dying of cancer, losing their job, visiting a sick child… whatever. It doesn’t really matter— driving isn’t the time to Make A Point. The only point of driving should be to safely navigate your automobile.

    beachdrivegirl,

    The funny thing is, I seem to recall a few months back you admitted (proudly?) that you regularly let your dog off-leash. I thought it was brave of you and I commented as such. But, as the author of this particular rant, how do you reconcile the apparent hypocrisy? Disobeying “silly” (but ACTUAL) laws is OK (because you and your dog are so reasonable about it, I’m sure!) but you can enforce your personal rules of courtesy on anyone? To the point of letting them hit your car?

    You said in that dogs off-leash post, in defense of your actions: “Feel free to call 911 for me … because you are so "its the law" happy...”

    Hmmm. My head is spinning.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

21. Zenguy
    Member Profile

    

    That's why I like riding the bus, zoom to the front in our own lane, flick on the blinker and voila!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

22. barb
    Member Profile

    There is a difference between someone that isn't aware of the area and needs to merge in at last minute, then there are the people who obviously know the area and speed past all the other cars and fly into the spot in the front of the line, they are also usually the people without the blinkers that just swerve into traffic thinking that they are above waiting in a line of traffic and deserve the front of the line. My biggest beef is the the west bound area from marginal to spokane in the afternoon. the two lanes are clearly marked yet people don't want to wait in the longer line going to spokane so they wait in the other line going to I-5 and delridge and then swerve in front of everyone else.

    Just this afternoon I actually saw a guy who was so tired of waiting that he went around a couple cars through a red light.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

23. Irukandji
    Member Profile

    

    I like to think of the Type A Me First types as not only being ahead of me in line for heart attacks and other stress-related problems, but also as potential organ donors for some unfortunate youth born with a congenital defect in need of a transplant. Kid needs a donor!

    Posted 3 years ago #         

24. angelescrest
    Member Profile

    

    Oooh! I had to commute via Admiral this week, as I didn't need to drop a child at school at the Junction due to sickness. What a pain! Getting on the bridge from the Junction is like driving the Autobahn in comparison. (No, not a fan of speedsters, but it does flow!) Admiral is hairy even from Alki, where someone ran a stop sign on 61st this morning--hello, wake up!--and where the traffic begins to back up at the Alki Dispatch. No wonder they're dodging about, looking for something quicker before the fun on the bridge begins...public transportation has to be the answer.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

25. JanS
    Member Profile

    

    I'm lucky in that I don't have to commute out of West Seattle daily, but when I have to (Thursday morning), if I encounter something like that, what's so bad about letting one car in. Yes, maybe they cheated, but I just figure I don't have to be the assh*** that they are, and I will let ONE car in. Two? probably not...someone behind me can do that. I figure it won't slow me down much, and we'll all get there. Does it make me cranky? As they say in other parts of the city "You betcha!" The ones that really piss me off are the ones who want to cut in and don't even use a signal. Guess they haven't been in West Seattle long enough to know that Friday is the only "signals optional" day here - ;-)(yes, it's a joke)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

26. datamuse
    Member Profile

    

    The issue I have is that when I do leave space for people to merge in (which I do), they sit there for half a year deciding whether I reallyreally mean it while all the traffic backed up behind me boils over.

    Maybe it's because I grew up driving on the east coast, where everyone is Type A with rabies on the road, but I just can't wrap my mind around this. If there's a gap, take it. If people honk, so what? I decided years ago that everyone in New York has three hands: one for the steering wheel, one for the cell phone, and one for the horn.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

27. JanS
    Member Profile

    

    lol..datamuse...yes...even when you sit there and wave them in , they hesitate...geez, 30 more seconds and you're out of luck. I say. Yeah, it's different on the east coast...lots more people, lots more cars...and then there's the Connecticut drivers - lol...(sister lived in southwest MA, so I heard about the CT drivers a lot - lol)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

28. beachdrivegirl
    Member Profile

    

    JW you are right I do let me dog off leash. Still do. I started an entire thread about it b/c i dont plan on changing. I am being a little sarcastic when I say that i would let them hit my car...

    Posted 3 years ago #         

29. datamuse
    Member Profile

    

    JanS: of course, on the downside, my driving used to scare my husband...we went to D.C. (my hometown) for the holidays a few years ago and after 5 minutes on the Capital Beltway he said, "Now I understand why you drive like that." Lol...I've moderated my driving style for the PNW, though.

    Beachdrivegirl: considering that after an incident with an aggressive off-leash dog earlier this week (the third such since July) I've stopped going to Westcrest Park entirely, I'm afraid I still disagree with you on that one.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

30. beachdrivegirl
    Member Profile

    

    Datamuse i am very cautious with my dog when he is off leash. i go to fully fenced areas and if i see someone or another animal enter the area i quickly leash my dog up.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

31. RonM
    Member Profile

    Was it a coincidence this morning (at about 7:30) that the Seattle Police had someone pulled off at the foot of Admiral, or do they read WSB too? Maybe if they camp out there for a few mornings it’ll improve (wishful thinking).

    Posted 3 years ago #         

32. beachdrivegirl
    Member Profile

    

    that is too funny! Hopefully they do camp out there a few more mornings.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

33. angelescrest
    Member Profile

    

    Did you notice how much smoother it was today? (@9:00 a.m.)

    Posted 3 years ago #         

34. CMP
    Member Profile

    Am I the only person that will continue on if I miss my exit or turn? I know there are people out there that are unfamiliar with a queue of cars for a particular exit, but would it kill you to keep going for the sake of not holding up everyone behind you so you can sneak in? There's this weird thing called backtracking that Seattlites should try. I do it all the time if I get lost or miss an exit, no big deal.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

35. datamuse
    Member Profile

    

    No, CMP, you're not.

    I find it preferable to behavior I often observed when I was growing up on the east coast: people would miss an exit, STOP, BACK UP, and take the offramp.

    On the Capital Beltway.

    Where the speed limit is 55-60 and everyone goes 80. *boggle*

    Posted 3 years ago #         

36. JanS
    Member Profile

    

    datamuse...my first driving experienes in the late 60's were in D.C. I lived in Alexandria, worked at Nat.'l. Airport...and traffic was scary THEN...I can't imagine what it's like today...wow. Things like Dupont Circle, crazy drivers. If I was going out, I'd just bus it to 15th and Penn., and then take a cab to Georgetown or whatever. Cabs were cheap back in the day - lol..

    Posted 3 years ago #         

37. miws
    Member Profile

    

    datamuse,

    Isn't there a fourth hand, with the middle finger permanantly in the upright position? ;)

    Mike

    Posted 3 years ago #         

38. Gina
    Member Profile

    

    I am surprised every morning on 45th, just off of Admiral, seeing Madison parents and staff continuing at Admiral speeds down 45th. And how many don't realize that 45th does not have the right-of-way at Lander, Stevens and all the rest. Nothing new about the speeding, has always been that way.

    A neighbor scolded me for waiting to cross 45th (on foot) for the cars to speed by. "You have the right of way! They have to stop."

    As has been said before, better to give up your right of way. I have been in a hospital before, and am not anxious to return, no matter how right I would be.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

39. WSratsinacage
    Member Profile

    Amen CMP!!! I've been doing this for years.

    Posted 3 years ago #         

40. miws
    Member Profile

    

    Gina,

    On a similar note, I've noticed drivers approaching California Av from the side streets that go past Gatewood Elem, many of whom I assume are parents that just dropped their kid(s) off at the school, do what is probably my biggest pet peeve against drivers, and blow past the stop sign into the crossing area between the two corners.

    Aren't they even aware, after dropping a kid or more off at the school, that there are other kids walking to school, that may be alone, or running ahead of their parent, or other adult companion, and maybe aren't fully aware of the dangers of crossing a street?

    Mike

    Posted 3 years ago #         

41. datamuse
    Member Profile

    

    miws, I do believe you are correct. :)

    JanS: oh, Dupont Circle! One of my friends was back east a few weeks ago and mentioned it specifically as an example of how his east-coast driving skills have atrophied (he's from Annapolis). Dupont Circle is party central now, like Georgetown used to be, so it's even crazier.

    I never did drive in D.C. if I could help it. Metro, cab, or walking all the way; it's a great city for walking as long as you treat every street crossing with extreme caution...

    Posted 3 years ago #         

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