I hate to be a party pooper, but given the reality of this situation this just sounds like a lot of whining. As someone who frequently is bus riding pedestrian (using crosswalks marked and not) as well as a bicycle commuter this whole discussion sounds *exactly* like when people complain about bicycles dart around and don’t obey traffic laws and adhere to all traffic laws. Except somehow its from the point of view of the pedestrian/bicycle. Stay with me for a second. 99% of the road using public are car drivers. Anything that is as restriction to people driving is a frustration and a source of aggravation, they don’t care why, all they know is your slowing them down the 15 seconds that might make a difference. Usually the people behind the wheel blame everyone but themselves, and insist on laws to keep peds and bicycles from slowing them down. Read the hate and vitriol that drivers have for bicyclists. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=344924
now remember for a second, that if a ped or a bicyclist makes a mistake they fall down. If a car blows a crosswalk, someone dies.
Sorry to get in you face about it, but if you want people to care that your in a crosswalk, start treating it like its your life. Make a bigger deal about it, cause a scene, call the cops. because right now your just that 1% of people using the road that are easily dismissed. did we all forget that a rabbi on his cellphone hit his SECOND pedestrian in a crosswalk last summer? The gentlemen that was killed was a assistant to the city council. What did the driver get? NOTHING. You think emailing the council is going to do something?
The way I understand the law, drivers must stop for pedestrians if they step off the curb in a crosswalk (marked OR unmarked). If the pedestrian is standing up on the curb or sidewalk, drivers can legally drive in front of them.
So I wish more pedestrians understood that if they intend to wait for all the traffic to clear, they would stay up on the sidewalk, back from the curb. Sometimes I see a pedestrian up ahead standing off the curb in the crosswalk, so I come to a stop, only to have them just stand there. Finally, I have to gesture “oh well” with my hands and drive in front of them, risking a ticket.
When I am a pedestrian (and I walk frequently) I make sure I communicate my intentions clearly to motorists.
I don’t like the current forums at all, although I am glad you’re adding this feature. The layout and typography isn’t particularly nice compared to other forums, and the user interface is sort of clumsy. You should improve that tiny little >> you have to click on to reply, for example! That’s just making it unnecessarily hard for us. Also, remove the line at the bottom of every page “Put code in between backticks“. We aren’t posting formatted code here and “backtick” isn’t a word any real person uses anyway.
You don’t need to use the regular WSB sidebar on this part of the site, either, it’s just wasting space. Ditch the links to the monthly archives (no one’s clicking on those anyway, folks…) and category links. Those things point to content that’s separate from the forums, so it’s irrelevant here. Once that’s gone, use the full width of the content area for the forums.
Given the homespun feel of this thing, I suspect you don’t have the admin tools necessary to handle these forums if they see any real growth. I expect it will get out of hand quickly if there are lots of people posting often on lots of threads. I would encourage you not to try to build your own here, just go with a free hosted site like Proboards (http://www.proboards.com/index.html).
We use Harrahs on California Ave. in the Admiral District, by Blockbuster and in back of Click!. Ron and his partner are reliable and good, always keeping the cost to the customer in mind. They also maintain a service record on your vehicle(s)so they get to know them. They are all about cars.
Related to this topic is pedestrian right-of-way on sidewalks. Some people seem to think the sidewalks are their property. Maybe back before the area was platted and subdivided and annexed to the city it was. Now it is city property. Cars parked across the sidewalk can be ticketed. And property owners who fail to keep vegetation from growing over the sidewalk can be assessed a charge if the city has to cut it back. I suspect the people who block the sidewalk in front of their house are the same ones driving in front of pedestrians in the crosswalk.
I have to cross 35th each day at an intersection to catch the bus. This means I’m crossing an “unmarked crosswalk.” (FYI all intersections are unmarked crosswalks and drivers are supposed to yield to pedestrians.) I can’t remember the last time a car actually stopped for me, though. Last June or July, probably.
The City took away several crosswalks on 35th because they were unsafe. (??) Then said that in fact, all intersections are crosswalks so there should still be plenty of places to cross safely. Uh-huh, whatev.
I typically practice what I call “defensive crosswalking” when in a crosswalk. That means I wave to the oncoming driver, which tends to help get their attention, and even try to make eye contact, before venturing out.
I think some drivers don’t think they have to stop unless the ped is IN the crosswalk. That’s very untrue. If you are a ped and standing on the curb waiting to step out until it is safe, you absolutely have the right of way, and if the driver gets cited, the ticket is pretty steep.
I think Councilmember Richard Conlin is very tuned into pedestrian issues. If your email to the mayor was ignored (shocking!) I’d try Conlin’s office.
Drivers don’t stop at ANY crosswalks in West Seattle, or downtown. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I catch the bus at the park and ride below the West Seattle bridge and I always have a difficult time getting drivers to stop. The crosswalk I use was faded away and I called the city and metro. Within DAYS the crosswalk was repainted. However, drivers still do not stop unless I step into the crosswalk and force them to. Sometimes they just swerve around me into the other lane. Last spring my husband bought two buckets, put gravel in them, and made bright orange flags for me to use in that crosswalk. They’re gone now! The flags were taken and somebody dumped out the gravel and took the buckets. I have e.mailed the mayor about how to make our crosswalks safer, but got no response, other than my name was added to his monthly newsletter. His campaign to improve crosswalk safety needs to start with the drivers, not the pedestrians. Pedestrians in a marked, and unmarked, crosswalk at an intersection have the legal right of way, not the driver. What we need is drivers blowing through occupied crosswalks to be ticketed!
Funny you should mention it, my wife and I were discussing the same thing last night. We’ll have to look into it.
I’ll go out of my way to get a coffee from Cupcake Royale and also <3 Sleepless on alki for drive-thru.
Hi All: I’m looking for a new pad in WS (current pad is down by Alki) and there is so little to be found!! Does anyone out there own, or know of, any small gems in your neighborhood, such as a mother-in-law home, or a duplex or triplex that perhaps isn’t being widely advertised? Basically anything except one of those big-box apartment buildings. Thank you!
For those of us that fully understand that UV rays are bad but like to soak up some fake sun before going on vacation pay special attention when signing up for those “specials” at Fastan.
Here’s what happened to me:
Between 8/14/2006 and 12/7/2006 I purchased Tanning sessions from Fastan on Fauntleroy. I went into the store today (12/27/2007)for a session and was told that my credits had expired. Like rubbing salt in an open wound I was then told that if I wanted to sign up for an additional package, I would be credited the expired tans. I remember thinking, “so let me get this straight, I didn’t use all the tans I previously purchased, but if I buy more tans that I probably won’t use, then you’ll do me a favor and give me back what I already paid for.”
I expressed my disappointment in their policy with hope of some good explanation by the sales representative but only got what appeared to be a well rehearsed response of “we tell all of our customers that they expire
While I was in the store, I noticed that none of the advertised specials that were prominently displayed mentioned that the credits would expire after any set period of time. When I inquired as to why there was no written disclaimer, the sales representative told me they verbally tell customers at point of sale and that it is stated in the contract that is signed. I asked to see an example of this contract where it was stated in writing that my tans would expire and wanted to see where I signed acknowledging this, and they could not produce one for me. If I wanted a copy I was then told that I would have to get it from their corporate office. What is most confusing is that some of my tanning credits are set to expire in 1 year while others last two years. At no point in time do I recall this being explained to me, as I would have been reluctant to purchase as many credits as I did. I’m not really into tanning but go before vacation so I don’t burn on the first day when exposed to sun.
In the end I asked for the regional manager and was only given a first name and a phone number which I later learned was their Burien location. When I asked for the managers last name, i was told that she didn’t know it. Seriously, who doesn’t know their boss\managers last name. Anyways, I’m done with Fastan, they may have gotten my unused tanning credits but lost a customer.
Anyone have a good recomendation on where I should go for fake sun?
Looking for good burgers around WS, particularly take-out. Fries optional. Alaska Junction optimal. Thanks!
I would like to throw in my two cents and say that Diva Espresso makes a decent cup of coffee. C&P have GREAT baristas and the atmosphere is nice. Java Bean in my books is a NO GO!! I would rather wait in a line of 10 cars up at the 35th SBUX.
I am so-far quite satisfied with the message boards. I have for some time been looking for a place to communally kvetch about the ridiculously long east/west traffic-light at California and Charleston. Now ‘the Blog’, as it is referred to be my close circle, has given me this opportunity.
Keep up the good work
Their sign said something about teas … they may have an opening there now that T(ea) Gallery is focusing on downtown.
Ken’s Lawn Service will do both routine maintenance and specific one-off jobs. I think their recurring service is limited to just cutting the grass; I don’t know if they offer complete landscaping on a routine basis, such as continual gardening. But we’ve used them for annual pruning and clean up and they did a great job.
For larger trees, we’ve also used Davie’s Tree Service. They also did a great job trimming back one of our larger trees so that it continued to thrive after the trimming.
One of my issues with crowded parking lots is when people take handicapped spots when they don’t have a handicapped placard or plate. We went to the farmers market yesterday and saw there was one last handicapped spot, but the woman in front of us pulled in. As we began to pass her, she got out of the car we noticed she did not put up a placard, so we beeped at her and held up ours. She was visibly very annoyed that we called her on it, but to her credit she did pull out of the spot. I can’t stand when people think the rules don’t apply to them because they’ll be there “just a second” or whatever their excuse is.
Cruiser – I concur with this list. Southcenter is the 9th ring of hell. I try to avoid it altogether, but yesterday we had to go there. I experience all 10 on your list, and then this one – people who walk around the mall with zero clue of the space around them!! Like the crazy lady yesterday who was tearing thru Macy’s w/ her stroller, coming right at me. Uh hello, do you even see that I exist, or is your stroller more important than me. Hey, no problem, go ahead and run over my foot…I wouldn’t want to get in your way! Arrrgghhh… Whew, got that out of my system
As someone who works at the corp. office of said coffee co, I can tell you for a FACT it’s not a marketing ploy. It happened once a couple of years ago as a fluke thing, and the story filtered up to the powers-that-be, who decided it was a good story to put on the cups for the Holidays, to inspire people to “Pass the Cheer.” Apparently its working, as we’re hearing about it from multiple stores, multiple times a day. Buying the coffee of the person behind you in line is just a nice gesture, and a way to really make someone’s day for a couple of bucks.
On a similar note, there was a man named Jerry who used to stand at the corner of 1st and Spokane every morning. I often got caught at the light, and would chat with him and give him some breakfast or a buck or two if I had it. One day I gave him a $5 coffee card I’d been given as a gift, and he got tears in his eyes. He said “every day for me is about surviving. I get a little money, I get a meal, occasionally someone gets me some new shoes. But coffee. Good coffee is a luxury, and I haven’t had it in a very long time.”
We also have a tradition in my family of buying the salvation army bellringers a hot chocolate if it’s chilly out. Just bring them one, and see the reaction.
Just did a full Junction walk along California (not to the approval of my dog :) to check restaurant signs and basically everything is either closed or an unknown (meaning they didn’t have anything posted). I haven’t called any of the unknowns, but I’m assuming if they don’t say, they’re closed. Here’s the full list in case anyone has info on the ones w/o posted signs.<br>
- Ama Ama: Unknown
- Tom Young Kum: Closed
- Yummy Teriyaki: Closed
- Elliott Bay Brew Pub: Closed
- Talarico’s: Unknown
- Rocksport: Unknown (Forgot to check)
- Cupcake Royale: Unknown
- Jak’s: Closed
- Matador: Unknown
- Maharaja: Unknown
- Garlic Jim’s: Unknown
- Kamei: Unknown
- Lee’s Asian: Unknown
- Shadowland: Unknown
- Shoefly: Closed
- Pagliacci: Unknown (I turned south after Shoefly and forgot to check)
- Bee’s: Unknown
- Caper’s: Unknown
- Azuma: Unknown
- West 5: Closed (although open on C-Mas Eve)
- Easy Street: Closed
- Great Harvest: Closed
- Poggie’s: OPEN at 5:00 PM, but I don’t think they serve food
- Taqueria Guaymas: Unknown
- Husky Deli: Unknown (although presumed closed b/c they are for other holidays such as Easter)
- Mashiko’s: Unknown
- Puerto Vallarta: Unknown
- Bakery Nouveau: Closed
Sure, it would have been easier to just say “They’re all closed except for Poggie’s,” but you don’t realize how many restaurants we have on one street in a 2-block area until you look at each of them and try to commit them to memory. Looks like we may start a new Christmas tradition this year: Dim Sum in the ID followed by drinks at Poggie’s. :)
at Hotwire the other morning a customer gave the barista $20 and told her to treat the Postal Workers next door to coffee if/when they came in..Said they looked a little frazzled :)
we need a stumptown coffee over here! they have opened two in capitol hill! we need one here! amazing coffee. they serve it at cupcake royale/verite, but do not give it justice.
I cut my own grass, but the giant hedge next to the house has gotten out of control and I’m out classed. Can anyone recommend someone to come and cut the 10′ tall green monster back down to size? And take away the debris too?
Thanks neighbor!
I like Caffe Ladro but I must give a shout-out to Bird On a Wire Espresso, on Henderson west of 35th. They will take the time to craft for you a superb cup of joe. Plus I dig the cozy little shop, which has the feel of a family room. Also, as a long-ago former employee of Java Bean, I can attest to acemotel @8’s sentiment that they have both excellent coffee and serious management issues.
Any recommendations for a talented WS tailor?
I have a few suits that need to be altered. In a perfect world, I would also love to have a few custom garments made.
Thanks!
