The City of Seattle has just launched a sneaky plan devised to kick seniors, disabled people, and low income folks off of utility assistance. Instead of sending out renewal applications, they are sending out 7 day termination notices. If there is no immediate reply, rates are skyjacked. This morning I read that Obama is actually backing this nationwide, suggesting an end to utility assistance. With utility rates up 20%, senior Metro rates up 300%, food costs up, Social Security frozen – it really appears that there is a concerted effort on the part of government to attack, if not eliminate, those least able to protect themselves. This same government simultaneously approves tax breaks for billionaires. Nothing surprises me any more.
Home Depot blows…which is why I shop more local…I love the No self check at Alki Lumber…They will always provide hands-on & direct service to their customers…decidedly low-tech too…
The pencils, order ticktets, and calculator option may be “slow” to some…but the computer will never go down there…
Home Depot’s self-checkouts are particularly poorly designed. And the massive inventory of a store like that easily overwhelms them and makes them sluggish at best.
So instead of the added efficiency of having four additional checkouts without the labor cost of four cashiers (great for Home Depot’s shareholders), you end up with four customers waiting at a terminal that says “Wait for Attendant” while one over-worked clerk has to run around solving problems. From a customer perspective, it really doesn’t seem like the best way to serve me. But I guess these are the consequences of the universal race to the bottom on prices.
Thanks maude I saw that craigslist listing and went over to pick it up and it was alrady gone so I thought I’d ask on wsb.
I really get irritated when there are ZERO normal checkstands open and only self-check is available. Some people, like the OP, need assistance. Also, some people (like me at times) take FOREVER to use the SC because of produce or having to swipe items upteen times before it actually scans… and in the end it takes 2-3x longer than if a clerk checked me.
SC should be there for people with limited items (5 or less) that can breeze through the line and get out of the store. It should be a convenience to the customer, but 9/10 times it’s a hassle.
Someone was yesterday on Craigslist.
So has anyone noticed that the DOT removed the diamonds from that lane and now it’s BUS ONLY? That means no cars. There should be no confusion that it’s possibly a carpool lane now.
And regarding the OP, you can generally tell if 99 is going to be backed up before you reach the crest of the bridge. If that far right lane isn’t backed up to the Delridge onramp, chances are good it’s moving along at a decent speed. It’s like picking the slow lane at the grocery store…just deal with it. Besides, you stated you have other options so why risk cutting off a bus that might be traveling significantly faster?
jack — I moved my family onto 48th, along the arterial about 3 years ago. It is busy and yes, people drive way too fast (I’m thinking of 2 Porsche owners in particular!!!!!)
I was a cat person, but have purposefully chosen NOT to have a cat while living in this house b/c of the arterials…. I know most people recommend to keep cats indoors and while I see the wisdom in that, I prefer to allow them to roam the outdoors as well and used to live on a greenbelt which supported that.
One of the more surprising things for us has been the road noise on this street. You sort of just get used to it after awhile, but it is a busline as well. We love the area and it’s proximity to Lincoln Park and Ercolini, but it does have its drawbacks.
I want to commend and praise the employees of Firestone on California Ave. for coming through for me at the last minute and making it possible for me to attend my cousin’s memorial service yesterday. After having experienced surly attitudes, changing prices and a total lack of service at the other major tire store in W.S. (on Fauntleroy) earlier in the day, the Firestone crew came through big time!
I’ve had a slow leak in my driver’s side tire and the “other guys” told me it was due to the rim being corroded. I was quoted a price to grind it smooth and was told it could be done by 5p.m. I gave my cell phone number and asked them to call if it was at all possible if it could be done sooner or if there was something they needed, to call me. I received no call, so returned to the shop at 5, to be greeted by the man holding my tire and rim. He told me it couldn’t be repaired, but he could sell me 4 reconditioned tires if I’d go pick them up across town. When I asked why he didn’t call me, he said he’d tried, but that my message was so long and drawn out that he didn’t leave a message. But there was no record on my phone that he’d called at all. I’ve recently completed renovations on my W.S. hair salon and wasn’t in the position to buy 4 tires on the spot. He then handed me the rim and tire and walked away without a word.
I considered making the drive to my family in Anacortes on the spare tire, but knew that would be dangerous, so I tried Firestone. It was closing time. I explained my situation and they promptly came out, took my tire, put it on the rim of the spare and all was done in 15 minutes, at a charge of only $20. And with SMILES! I was so grateful. I offered them all a free haircut at my salon, but they said that they’ll come get their hair cut and pay for it, because they like to support local businesses. What a contrast in service and community support! THANK YOU FIRESTONE!
KatherineL, bladder control is a handicap? Because sometimes, after a few beers, I need to go right away. Little did I know I could just charge to the head of the line. Oh, but I suppose it needs to be some sort of documented condition.
Maybe we should just require people with handicaps (is that the right term? I’m sure I’ll hear about it if it isn’t) to hang handicapped placards from their necklaces so everyone in line knows who is authorized to use the um, roomy, stall. I’m going to suggest it to my legislator in the morning.
Jiggers, then you and I agree: I’m overly cynical. Yay me! :) Seriously, though, I really do try to find myself in the bathroom (hanging out in the handicapped stall) when the national anthem is played. I just can’t stand out of respect for a country that I don’t feel respects me. And I served in the military. Not that the United States has treated their veterans with any sort of respect.
Al — my new year’s reso should have been to not try to answer these kinds of questions anymore!!! The traffic codes are often antiquated and have never been conformed to recognize additions or changes to other sections. Plus, I was answering two different questions which is why I posted the answers separately.
The 300′ limitation is meant to stop people who intend to make a left turn from driving in the center two-way turn lane for a longer distance (to bypass stopped traffic, for example.) It is also meant to leave the turn lane available and safe for a driver coming in the opposite direction who wants to turn left or for a driver who is entering from adjacent property. BTW, at 30 mph, it takes 6.8 seconds to travel 300 ft, which seems to be about half a block on the West Coast.
As you noted, the two-way turn lane is striped with a solid line on the traffic side and a dashed line on the inside. As I read the code, you cannot cross the solid yellow line to pass. Plus, the two-way turn lane code specifically prohibits using that lane for passing. Conclusion: you can’t use the two-way turn lane to pass slower traffic as in the examples in your original post.
MSG’s example was a street with a dashed line, which means she would be passing in the oncoming traffic lane, which appears to be legal.
I think it is a judgement call to pull partly into the 2-way turn lane to get around a car being parked (I believe technically you have to wait until the travel lane is clear) or a cyclist. I doubt if a police officer will issue a ticket in either case unless there is another infraction observed at the same time.
Best way to get drivers to slow down? Decrease speed limit for private vehicles within city limits to 20 mph, and revoke drivers license after three infractions.
Couple things wrong with your original post: vague subject line (it sounds as though you are “willing to work”) and a buried lead in the post itself (“I need honest, RELIABLE, hard working persons for my cleaning business” would have made a great subject line, actually — just needed to be shortened). It was difficult to quickly discern the purpose of your post.
Stating a sex requirement is another issue that’s already been addressed.
That said, and since you came back to this post to throw a tantrum: I’m quite put off by your attitude and would not exactly be eager to work for you. No one is obligated to reply to your (free) ad for employment, so don’t take it personally that only two people have. To get more replies, you may have to actually pay a pittance for a CraigsList ad.
On the flip side, I appreciate that you’re being up-front about the female part. I don’t necessarily understand it, but I do know that there are a lot of women who are more comfortable having another woman in their space. Doesn’t bother me, but customer is king/queen, and given that, an applicant could feel misled (disappointed, frustrated) if all of the available information isn’t provided.
metrognome, not understanding what you are saying? Are you trying to say it’s ok to pass someone by using the full left turn lane because you think they are going too slow? In that case, the center turn lane is always a defacto “no passing zone.”
Driver’s Manual http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/driverguide.pdf
“Two-Way Left Turn Lanes These shared center lanes are reserved for vehicles making left turns in either direction from or into the roadway (or U turns when they are permitted). These lanes cannot be used for passing and cannot be used for travel further than 300 feet. On the pavement, left turn arrows for traffic in one direction alternate with left turn arrows for traffic
coming from the other direction. These lanes are marked on each side by a solid yellow and dashed
yellow lines. Enter the lane only when it is safe to do so.”(pg 35)
And “Where there is both a solid and a dashed yellow line between opposing lanes of traffic, you may not pass if the solid yellow line is on your side. If the dashed line is on your side you are in the passing zone and may pass if it is safe. You must return to your side before the passing zone ends. Two solid yellow lines between lanes of traffic means neither side can pass.”(pg 32)
The key is that 300′ rule it seems. So if you are passing a driver that’s trying to park a car or pass a bus that’s picking up riders or a cyclist, you can use at least part of the turn lane to do so. 300′ is plenty of room for those purposes. You cannot use it to pass other drivers who are proceeding in the same direction because it’s not a travel lane.
I have two stories to add:
1. Northbound on Calif. near C&P. Explorer driver didn’t think I was going fast enough and passed me in the left turn lane. I caught up with her in the Alaska Junction as I was a whole 30 seconds behind her. She parked and ran in to Cupcake Royal to meet with friends. (She shaved 30 seconds by driving 50+ mph!)
2. Taking the scenic route, northbound, from Lincoln Park down to Beach Drive. I get behind a school bus that’s a trainer bus and it is completely maddening. The driver is going 10 to 15 mph. It is really difficult to sit behind a bus going that slow (and Beach Drive is not a good training ground because it is difficult to pass) but the truck behind me would not put up with it. As we neared a curve, he passed both me and the bus and nearly hit a small truck in a driveway. That small truck was upside down with someone in it and the ambulance was on its way. Apparently it was a southbound accident that had happened moments before.
MSG — as I read the SMC, it is legal to pass a car that is traveling at less than the speed limit, as long as you are not in a ‘no-passing zone’. You must pass on the left and you are not allowed to exceed the speed limit while passing; this would make it pretty challenging to pass safely … I’d relax and enjoy the view instead. Also, I’m not a lawyer, so I may have missed something in the code.
SMC 11.52.130 Minimum speed regulation — Passing slow-moving vehicle.
No person shall operate a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law. Any person following a vehicle being driven at less than the legal maximum speed and desiring to pass such vehicle shall not exceed the speed limit when passing such vehicle. Where any slow-moving motor vehicle tends to congest traffic, any peace officer may cause such vehicle to be removed from the roadway and permit the congested traffic to be relieved. (RCW 46.61.425(1))
(Ord. 108200 Section 2(11.52.130), 1979.)
SMC 11.14.385 No-passing zone.
“No-passing zone” means the portion of the length of a roadway indicated by a sign and/or:
A. A double centerline consisting of a broken yellow line and a solid yellow line when a vehicle is being driven adjacent to the solid line; or
B. A double centerline consisting of two (2) solid yellow lines.
(Ord. 108200 Section 2( 11.14.630), 1979.)
SMC 11.53.200 Overtaking other traffic on the left.
The operator of a vehicle overtaking other traffic proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left of such overtaken vehicle at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken traffic. (RCW 46.61.110(1))
(Ord. 122742 , Section 11, 2008; Ord. 108200 Section 2 (11.53.200), 1979.)
Fed the little stinker by hand a little while ago. He’s very sweet, and very wary. We’ve lined up a trap and we’ll see what comes of that. In the meantime he has food and a warm place to sleep outdoors.
Seriously? I didn’t even know she had messed up until everyone pounced on her.
The pooch seems to have settled in at naturalandorganic’s yard for the time being. Since we’re neighbors we’re teaming up to “bring him in”. Natural told me that he took food by hand a few times. He was sunning in the yard this morning, and I tossed him a few pieces of bacon, and got a guarded tail-wag out of him.
We’ve been trying to get the Humane Society on the line, but so far this morning 20 minutes on hold was all we could endure. We’ll keep trying.
I also happened to speak with a nice lady who lives nearby who also has been trying to get close to the little guy. She may have a home for him. For our part if he needed fostering (after checking for a chip and getting him some medical attention), we were willing.
A big thanks to naturalandorganic for providing him a comfy place to sleep these cold nights. If we can’t bring him in today, we’ll be adding a microwaved heat pad to his bed before nightfall.
Stay tuned.
and she’s obviously more attractive than black cats -and DOESN’T SMELL.
I live on that stretch of Fauntleroy and see lots of interesting traffic violations. The best one yet: Cars stopped at the light at Fauntleroy and Dawson. A southbound driver decided that he would drive into the parking lane, passing cars on the right, then inch slowly into the intersection, then turn left (across the rest of the southbound traffic still stopped), I guess pretending that he was coming from Dawson, in order to make a U-turn on Fauntleroy. Seriously?
In the past week I have seen the following actions by drivers, all between Morgan St and Alaska…
1) Driver travelling southbound on Fauntleroy in the early evening. Driver was using center turn lane as a passing lane, passing vehicles at a high rate of speed (near Brandon).
2) While I was on the bus #54, returning home from work at approximately 5:00 pm, bus was travelling down California Ave southbound. Bus was passed by a vehicle using the center turn lane as a passing lane. Bus was not travelling slow from a stop, nor preparing to stop. Bus driver was also surprised by driver. This was near the Rite Aid where a woman was hit and killed while using the crosswalk last year.
3) Yesterday evening, about 7:00, as my spouse and I were driving southbound on Fauntleroy, we saw a driver travelling northbound (near Brandon) use the center turn lane to pass two other vehicles also travelling northbound.
This is unacceptable, and all happened within ONE week. I am a frequent pedestrian a bicycle commuter who uses this area. I am appalled at the driver mentality – drivers need to be ticketed harshly for this behavior. Someone will be hurt or killed as a result.
