This is mostly a message to the IDIOT who NEARLY KILLED US TODAY — but it’s a good reminder for all of us who drive: A FOUR-WAY STOP IS A FOUR-WAY STOP. NOT A FOUR-WAY “PRETEND YOU ARE STOPPING BUT THEN POWER THROUGH.” COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, LOOK IN ALL DIRECTIONS, THEN, ONLY WHEN YOU ARE SURE NOBODY ELSE IS CURRENTLY DRIVING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, PROCEED. THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN (AND OURS). Thank you. Grrrr.
I’m so sorry to hear about your “near miss” (like there is any such thing). I also get very angry at the people at a 4 way stop who don’t wait their turn…or don’t know that it’s the person on the right who has the right of way…..
Stop signs in general seem to be thought of as optional by people in West Seattle. I drive down Cali Ave during rush hour and on average at least 3 or 4 people barely stop at the signs causing me to break sometimes. Just slow down, what is the big hurry anyway?
my favorite W Seattle intersections are the ones WITHOUT stop signs! i just know that one of these days, someone is going to come barreling through and i’ll be toast….
2 other grrrs….
1. Look for people in crosswalks and actally STOP for them.
2. Learn how to use the roundabouts.
On the bright side – least is was a sunny walk today!
I almost got hit by Menashe and Sons crossing the new elevated crosswalk by a speeding motorist two weeks ago who didn’t even stop. I had the right of way because I was already approaching the other side. I stopped breathing in reaction watching this guy coming straight for me. Its a weird feeling when your life’s in danger. Those elevated crosswlaks are worth chit. They should have the blinking type like they do in White Center.
I agree with the comments here – stop fully at the stop signs, watch for pedestrians, etc. However, I’ve noticed (West?) Seattle drivers wait too long at stop signs.
If I’m (car #3) waiting behind someone (car #2) and that someone is waiting for the person on their right (car #1) to go through the intersection you don’t have to wait until car going through the intersection (car #1) to get started crossing yourself. Start your roll as soon as they pass through the middle, nothing is going to happen that’ll cause that passing car to fly backwards into you. You don’t need to wait until the other person is past the intersection and a few yards away to get yourself through the intersection.
Ok, sorry about the rant, bring on the finger wagging, but it drives me crazy. Yes, I am trying to get somewhere and no I don’t want to wait any longer than I have to.
My pet peeve is people who won’t use their turn signals, or decide to use their signal just as they’re making the turn. Give us a clue about the next move you’re planning to make! It’s easy, and so much safer.
To the eastbout idiot on the West Seattle Bridge this morning. If you want to merge into the lane for Hwy 99, don’t pass a bus and then brake to a crawl so you can merge. Buses don’t have the stopping distance of your minivan. The people who were standing in my bus nearly fell like dominoes.
Hey Cy,
Nice try, but what you advise is illegal. Actually you do need to wait until the car crossing the 4-way stop intersection is through it before you start into it. (At least be reasonable about it. I see people pushing this all the time. Some really are agressive and its not only illegal, it makes people mad, and worse, confused about who is going across, in what order.
I am tired of people racing through the unmarked intersections in N. Admiral (almost always fancy cars racing to the million dollar homes along Sunset). Maybe I’m wrong, but aren’t you supposed to treat those intersections as if there were yield signs in place?
Here is the main lesson that needs to be learned: YIELD to cars on your right. If this could be told to each and every person driving in West Seattle – what a better place it would be.
Our house is on the corner of an unmarked intersection by Providence Mt. St. Vincent. I watch cars on a daily basis race through our residential intersection without slowing down. I have seen many near misses and also a few hits. Last year, two cars were traveling so fast through our intersection that when they did hit, one of the cars ended up in our front yard (through the fence, over a Japanese maple, over a juniper and over a large boulder) landing just a few feet from our front door. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Drivers here DO need to learn how to slow down and stop at both marked and unmarked intersections.
Cy…when we’re in our cars we ALL have some place to get to….and we ALL wolud like to get there safely. I never have understood what difference one or two seconds makes to wait your turn PATIENTLY. Is it worth maiming someone? or taking a life? In the realm of life it simply doesn’t matter, now, does it? None of us is more special than the next…..life is too precious to go through life always in a hurry…perhaps leaving a couple of minutes early would make the difference for you :)
Re: the cellphone … that was the problem with the PREVIOUS idiot who almost killed us. Never even got around to mentioning it here. A few weeks ago, heading out in heavy morning traffic toward The Bridge on Fauntleroy, driving through the Alaska intersection, someone suddenly roars right through the red light on Alaska and straight for our car … near miss … heart stops … we see her clearly as her car almost clips ours … she’s on the phone, obliviously chatting away. HANG UP ‘N’ DRIVE!
I completely agree with dq. There are far too many intersections in busy neighborhoods that do not have stop signs. I hear screeches quite often from cars that stop at the last minute. There aren’t even yield signs. Ridiculous and dangerous. Also, to House, I will have some brie with my whine thank you.
I think there should be random driving tests by homeland security with drivers licenses being temporarily (sp?) revoked for the slightest infractions.
I live on a very dangerous (uncontrolled) intersection. -the grade is so steep on one side it is blind to the intersection. I tried to get some stop signs up and this is the logic of DOT. “We find that putting in stop signs actually speeds up traffic and causes worse acidents”. And they were completely unwilling to make it a 4 way stop.
Bubba, I have had similar experiences with the DOT/police and a dangeroud intersection outside my house. No one wants to do anything proactively or with safety in mind. They wait until there are enough statistics (accidents, fatalities, etc) to deem a piece of road warrants modification. I don’t get this logic.. You cannot put a price on a human life but I guess according to the City, you can.
I second flipjack’s last comment and other comments on here – ALL of us should just take it down a notch and slow down. Nothing is worth saving a few extra seconds in the big picture. And what is with the nasty habit of driving so close to the car in front of you that if they have to stop for someone in front of them and do the right thing (as they should), they also have to worry that they are going to get rear-ended from someone following way too closely. Slow down, back off a bit and everyone just take a breath – we’ll all get there in one piece :-)
Seattle drivers seem to be too timid (to me anyway). The constant “You go.” “No it’s okay, you go.” “No, you were here first, you go.” “I’m not in a hurry, so you can go.” “Neither am I, so really I don’t mind.” “Oh, ok, I’ll go.” “What are you waiting for? Ok fine, I’ll go.” Then they both start going at the same time… game… drives me CRAZY! Someone grow some and just GO already! Just my observation.
ive been hit twice as a pedestrian so far in west seattle and almost hit four more times in the last year and a half. all of those times but one i was hit (or almost) crossing at an intersection when i had the “walk” sign and someone was turning right without looking to the right for pedestrians. they were only looking to the left for cars. look in the direction your car is moving people to make sure theres nobody there!!!
the other time i was almost hit for nearly the same reason. someone was pulling out of the driveway by circa looking to the left for cars, but not the right for pedestrians. luckily i knew he was going to be a moron and left three feet between me and his car. you know what he did when he noticed he almost hit me hard? he sped away. what if i had been a small kid on a bike?
the drivers here are really irresponsible when it comes to pedestrians.
how many more people have to die before they open their eyes?
West Seattle has some of the worst drivers in the City. Why is everyone always in a hurry? SLOW DOWN!! Also, I gues no one is aware that there is a speed limit on the West Seattle Bridge. Where are the cops when you need one. Also, get off my butt! If I had an old piece of crap car, I would slam on my breaks so YOU would rear end me and it would be YOUR fault for following too close. No wonder there is road rage. People drive too fast, tailgate, cut you off, no blinkers, and basically show no consideration for anyone else.
Learn to drive!
To: CY…Your probably one of the crazy drivers who is always in a hurry. What you said is illegal. You have to wait until the person has crossed the intersection. I can tell your a very impatient driver. I’m sure you don’t even wait your turn. Your the pest who tails everyone and speeds past. Probably another idiot on your cell phone too.
These four-way intersections are so easily misinterpreted by one’s own experience or lack thereof. I used to believe roads going parallel to the main road were semi-arterial and therefore you had the right of way on them. But at the same time, when I turned off the main road I believed the road I was on was the semi-arterial, and the ones off _that_ one were the minor roads. It wasn’t until I had three close ones in a row (I was fairly careful) that it dawned on me these ideas contradicted each other!
Now I know that all unmarked intersections are to be treated as four-way stops, not yields. If I stop when a car is approaching to my right, it is supposed to stop, and let me through because I was there first. People believing these are yields rather than stops think they should just speed up (because they’re on the right). Come on, raise your hand if this means you!
Sorry, comment time is over.
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