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AuthorSearch Results
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December 30, 2007 at 5:33 pm #613460
In reply to: Stopping For Pedestrians!
grantedMemberI’ve been both a driver and a pedestrian and have felt the frustration from both sides of the issue. What I have to remind myself as a driver though is that I have the greater power over the pedestrians, therefore I also have the greater responsibility. A mistake I make as a driver has a much greater impact given that my vehicle weighs thousands of pounds and is typically traveling at speeds of 30mph or more. If I need to pay greater attention or slow down a little in order to spot and wait for pedestrians, then that’s a responsibility I have to accept. It’s the tradeoff I should be willing to make for the speed and convenience of personal motorized transportation.
That said, in practical terms everybody’s got a lot on their minds and sometimes people do forget to check every corner at all times for a pedestrian. One idea that could help is speed bumps. A well-placed speed bump can be just the thing to remind the distracted driver that they need to check their speed and watch for pedestrians. In areas such as 35th where people tend to drive faster (although the speed limit is 35mph), a series of the rumble bumps — not sure of the correct name for them — might be in order.
To me it seems like the least we could do when people are quite literally being killed in the streets.
December 30, 2007 at 5:40 am #613316In reply to: Gyms and/or Personal Trainers
JanSParticipantSue…interesting…thanks. Is it me or are others suspect about a place who won’t post it’s rates/prices…? Interesting franchise…looks like they’re all over the country…
December 30, 2007 at 4:52 am #613315In reply to: Gyms and/or Personal Trainers
SueParticipantThere is a personal training studio in the Junction called Fitness Together. I have not tried it out, but was interested in doing so at some point. From what I understand, you work one on one with trainers in your own private workout room. I am not sure if you can go in and use the aerobic machines when you’re not doing training though. They do offer a free first session, so you could check it out. there are reviews on Citysearch for a different area location that were positive. I have no idea about the price though. Their website is http://www.ftwestseattle.com
December 30, 2007 at 4:28 am #613473In reply to: Massage therapist – experienced with pregnant women
JanSParticipantamy, most all massage therapists take a class in pregnancy massage. There are some that specialize in it, though, and they are out there, but sometimes hard to find. I went to school with a woman in lower Wallingford/Fremont (40th and Stone Way, who is train as doula in addition to being a massage therapist. Her name is Heather Owens. She’s not in WS, but easy to get to. I’m sure if you looked on the AMTA website, you could find her number. Or try one of us in the area. Mostly we work with you side-lying…lots of support pillows.If you want your insurance to pay for it you need a doc’s referral…
December 30, 2007 at 3:36 am #613285In reply to: Delivery options?
WSBKeymasterData point, even pizza places are diversifying. WSB sponsor Garlic Jim’s, for example, has decent salads, as well as wings. But overall, the dearth of delivery is indeed kind of surprising. In some other Western cities, even non-pizza franchises offer delivery – visiting family in Las Vegas some years back, we noticed delivery numbers on the windows of places such as El Pollo Loco (which we wish would come to this state).
December 30, 2007 at 3:07 am #613470In reply to: alki sidewalk survey
WSBKeymasterThe search box on our site really does work pretty well. Typing in alki sidewalk brings up our most recent report:
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=4670
and the previous one
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=4048
We were just out “cruising for news” before sundown and guess we missed the spot where work has begun; will check it out tomorrow.
December 30, 2007 at 1:58 am #613433In reply to: Termites anyone?
sanMemberThanks for the responses and advice. I found out today that it was/is termites :(
The inspector found a few spots and we are on the road to repair. I am so bummed, because we had a thorough inspection prior to purchase, and nothing was even noted. The termite company that was out today seems to think this was a problem long before we closed. It just put me in a terrible mood. I guess we ( my hubby and I ) should be grateful we were smart enough to ( or able to! ) start a “House Crisis” savings account before buying. These little turds aren’t cheap to remedy. Honestly, we didn’t even realize how prevalent they are in Washington state. So, homeowners— add this to your list of things to sweat over! Thanks for all your good words and thoughts.
December 29, 2007 at 11:26 pm #586186amyParticipantI’m looking for a recommendation for a WS massage therapist with experience with pregnancy massage. I’m experiencing a stiff upper back and neck pain, and have a month yet to go (and lots more work to do to get ready). I appreciate any recommendations that you have. I may call Head to Toe, but I really don’t need the whole spa experience, just someone I can see for brief sessions for a few weeks. Thanks!
December 29, 2007 at 6:27 pm #613432In reply to: Termites anyone?
KatherineMemberAre you sure it’s termites and not carpenter ants? A good pest control company should be able to tell you. Either way, much sympathy. As an inexperienced home owner, you might consider joining Home Owners Club. They recommend contractors who’ve done good work for other members. And contractors are more likely to make good any problems so they don’t get taken off the recommended list.
December 29, 2007 at 6:07 pm #613335In reply to: Scissor sharpener
patriciaMemberThanks for the referral to the previous discussion on this topic! I see the the Junction True Value does scissors, I love that place! Definitely going there!
December 29, 2007 at 7:06 am #613097In reply to: Restaurants
westwoodMemberThe ID is packed with great Chinese restaurants. It all depends on what you like.
Here are a few of my favorites:
House of Hong, China Gate, O’Asian for dim sum–although most Chinese restaurants do a pretty good job with dim sum in the ID, avoid Ocean City.
For a great Chinese cheap lunch–Shanghai Garden, HoHo Seafood Restaurant, Hing Loon all come to mind.
As for WS–HoWin is about the quality of the Safeway steam table. Don’t worry about labels, just go to Lee’s and order the chinese dishes there on the menu. The chef used to be the lead chef at Wild Ginger for the first several years.
December 29, 2007 at 6:48 am #613457In reply to: Stopping For Pedestrians!
JanSParticipanthehehe…House…I’m afraid our prison system couldn’t handle them all. And I totally agree with you. I, too, am both. As a pedestrian I walk with a cane, hopefully temporarily. I’m a little slower than the average person, so really have to be heads up about where and when I cross. As a driver I try to pay attention, but we have to remember that we have a big hunk of metal (erm…sometimes plastic…hehe) around us, and it’s not always able to stop on a dime. There are times when drivers are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.
December 29, 2007 at 2:22 am #586184Topic: WS Plumbers
in forum WSB Reader RecommendationsShapeShifterMemberThis might have been talked about before, but I’m looking for a good plumber to help with a kitchen project. Any recommendations?
December 28, 2007 at 10:13 pm #613452In reply to: Stopping For Pedestrians!
SueParticipantAs a frequent pedestrian, I sometimes have a driver stop for me on Fauntleroy, and then get upset that I don’t go. The problem is, I appreciate that they stopped, but usually it’s the other side of the street, and the car on the side I will first cross is racing towards me and I am not sure they will stop, so I cannot safely cross. Meanwhile, the nice person who did stop is pissed off at me because I’m not crossing. I can’t assume that everyone will stop, so I need to be safe. I may have right of way, but that doesn’t mean I should just start walking in front of oncoming traffic!
Then one time they did all stop, I started crossing, and someone decided to drive *around* the stopped traffic (in the parking lane) to blow through the intersection and almost hit me in the crosswalk.
I, and a few neighbors, were in touch with people about putting in a crosswalk or traffic light or at the very least some pedestrian crossing signs, but they gave us the runaround for a very long time and then didn’t get back to us. Then I tried contacting the SW Precinct, telling them what’s been going on here with no one yielding to us, and they emailed back saying that pedestrian safety was very important, and they were going to come out and take a look and start ticketing people who don’t yield. That never happened. I’ve never seen a cop car yet during my morning commute, nor has the situation changed. I don’t know what else I can do to get the rules enforced, other than praying I don’t get hit someday.
December 28, 2007 at 9:53 pm #586183Topic: Southwest Precinct Scanner Frequencies
in forum WSB Reader RecommendationsGarybertMemberAnyone have info on what they might be?
Like to keep up on things in the area.
December 28, 2007 at 8:54 pm #613302In reply to: Forums – love ’em, hate ’em, or “meh”?
WSBKeymasterHi, nyx, thanks for constructive criticism. The monthly archives and categories actually do get clicked, believe it or not. The look/feel will change when the site design evolves before too long, hopefully with an additional sidebar so more of the site content is reachable from any page, not less. However, datapoint, it’s actually not something we built ourselves – it’s bbPress; a free hosted site is not feasible for us since, as a business, the pages, views, and ads need to stay on our domain. Re: the small symbols for replying – what browser and OS are you using? We’re on Firefox/Mac OSX at the moment and both the heading “reply” and the button “send post” beneath the reply box are pretty big. Let us know and we’ll check.
December 28, 2007 at 8:36 pm #613301In reply to: Forums – love ’em, hate ’em, or “meh”?
nyxParticipantI 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).
December 28, 2007 at 8:33 pm #613137In reply to: Favorite West Seattle Coffee Shop?
BlairJohnsonParticipantAt either end of Delridge:
•Uptown Espresso at the north end of Delridge has a nice atmosphere, comfortable seating and impressive menu board chalk art. Good coffee too.
•Cafe Rozella at the south end of Delridge has an intimate atmosphere and interesting artwork. Good people watching out in front if the weather’s nice. Events like music nights. Community spot to find out what’s happening in South Delridge and White Center. And of course good coffee too.
December 28, 2007 at 8:08 pm #613384In reply to: mechanic/auto repair
flowerpetalMemberWe have always felt good about the service we have gotten at Dere Automotive on 35th and Barton. The shop manager is Lee, nice guy, always upbeat and friendly. Never had any problems with the work done there.
December 28, 2007 at 7:44 pm #613134In reply to: Favorite West Seattle Coffee Shop?
swimcatMemberThe 35th/Avalon SBUX is the worst! I have complained numerous times to the staff and to corporate, and nothing improves, they just sending me free drink coupons. The new SBUX at Jefferson Square is great though- quick, friendly barristas and a fully stocked pastry case. And if you go in the morning you don’t have to deal with the bad parking since no one is there.
My favorite though is the coffee at Thriftway. Great prices, friendly baristas and grocery shopping all in one stop. I order Americano’s, and I’m always impressed there is a beautiful, thick crema on top. As Wes suggested above, if you want to tell the good from the bad or mediocre, just order a shot and drink it straight.
December 28, 2007 at 7:18 pm #613448In reply to: Stopping For Pedestrians!
BlairJohnsonParticipantRelated 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.
December 28, 2007 at 7:06 pm #613447In reply to: Stopping For Pedestrians!
LauraLouMemberI 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.
December 28, 2007 at 7:00 pm #613360In reply to: Not a Fan of Fastan
CMPParticipantI’ve only been to Fastan in West Seattle, but I do recall seeing tanning beds at All Star Fitness. If you choose that option, I’d bring my own spray bottle since their lazy employees probably don’t clean the beds often. There’s a tanning place on California between the Alaska and Admiral Junction (north of Charleston, I think) that looks reputable, but I’ve never been. I went to a great place in Bellevue growing up that would keep my pre-purchased tans on record for years. In fact, I bet I still have some over there, which is pretty cool and what you would expect from all tanning salons.
December 28, 2007 at 6:53 pm #613443In reply to: Stopping For Pedestrians!
BobLoblawParticipantDrivers 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!
December 28, 2007 at 6:49 pm #613132In reply to: Favorite West Seattle Coffee Shop?
thrasherParticipantI don’t have a very well-tuned coffee palate, but I’d like to add another recommendation for Bird On a Wire. I buy my beans there regularly since they are 2 blocks from my house and they always have fresh stock and are pretty reliable. However, they do take a little longer making drinks than some large chain stores, so just give yourself a few extra minutes.
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West Seattle, Washington
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