Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Why be selfish and not carpool?
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July 18, 2013 at 4:05 pm #608272
beaglenutMemberYes – as of late my comments have all been regarding the traffic situation with the WS commute, but for good reason. Just a few years ago, one could get to downtown in the morning in 20+ minutes less than it takes today. West Seattle has had an influx of people, or a hike in employed people.
My point is that with the current situation with traffic – nobody wins. We all have to sleep less and leave earlier, we all sit white knuckled and mumbling under our breath in our cars – and many of us are late to work for no good reason.
One could say it is what it is, and that’s not without merit. We have a lot of people here, and they all need to make it out in the morning.
HOWEVER…95% of cars I pass on the bridge have just one person in them. Now correct me if I’m wrong – but if just 25% of people carpooled, would that not make a MASSIVE difference to the current situation?
How can you not carpool, and how can you be that selfish? Does it really take that much effort? You could save on gas, cut back on rapidly growing pollution, you could use hov lanes on the freeway, and you could pay less for parking every day.
Yes there will be those that have smartass things to say and disagree, but please, just think about this – if even for just one minute…
July 18, 2013 at 4:08 pm #794007
WFMemberyes carpooling makes good sense; but if you are going downtown transit makes sense also.
and things would be better if those that drove alone were all in smaller vehicles that take up less space!
July 18, 2013 at 4:16 pm #794008
beaglenutMember@WF Why anyone has oversized SUV’s in this city I’ll never know. I’ve watched people take 5+ minutes trying to parallel park them. Hilarious, and yet so sad and pointless.
July 18, 2013 at 4:36 pm #794009
WFMembercheap gas prices; in europe they pay $6+/gallon and the vehicle fleet is far more fuel efficient
July 18, 2013 at 4:46 pm #794010
HalynParticipantRight, because the only reason anyone fails to carpool or take transit is selfishness. It couldn’t possibly be because they work an odd shift or in a less popular area and can’t find anyone nearby to share the ride with, it can’t possibly be because they survived a violent crime and have reason to distrust strangers, or because they have to squeeze errands into their 30 minute lunch break and their evening commute. No, it’s because they’re selfish bastards who like suffering through traffic, and want to make sure you suffer too.
God, the levels of self-righteousness on this forum can be sickening. If carpooling or transit works for you, by all means, do it. I use metro when I work downtown, but no way am I getting into a car with someone I don’t know. I’ve even used Metro when I had to work in Bellevue, and it took two hours and two buses to get to and from my job. I work for an employment agency, so my work location and my shift times are never the same from week to week, which makes carpooling impractical. And this week, I’m actually working in an area metro doesn’t serve, so I’ll be driving alone.
And by the way, I drive an SUV. It’s not huge, but it’s not small, either. I drive it because my husband is a rather large, long-legged man, and doesn’t fit comfortably in most cars. I drive it because I hate minivans, and I generally have kids or dogs to haul around. I drive it because it has a spectacular safety rating, and because I frequently have to spend time in Eastern Washington, and in the winter, the four wheel drive and the winch are nice to have. But next snowpacalypse, don’t worry…I’ll live up to your expectation of my selfishness, and instead of using my big SUV and winch to pull people out of ditches and help them get going again (as I did for four different people last time) I’ll wave happily as I drive by, selfishly hogging more than my fair share of lane space…but I am an expert parallel parker, so don’t worry, I won’t be in your way in that regard.
Why, oh why would you assume someone is acting with ill intent, rather than because this is what works in their life?
July 18, 2013 at 4:54 pm #794011
WSBKeymasterBeaglenut: I’m guessing you know ways for people to organize carpools. Can you offer some info on that? Aside from tacking something up on the bulletin board at work? Are there ride-matching services?
P.S. I dropped out of bridge traffic after WSB became a business. Before that, for 15 years of bizarre unpredictable shifts in TV, it truly wasn’t possible. Tried it for a while with a fellow night-shift worker who also lived in WS – but her role was compensated hourly and came with fixed hours unless we had breaking news resulting in oh, say, an extended broadcast (very rare in the late-night hours). As a salaried producer/manager, mine didn’t come with fixed hours, so carpooling fell apart before long.
-Tracy
July 18, 2013 at 5:12 pm #794012
beaglenutMemberAnd queue the haters… Am I self-righteous or are you in assuming this post applied to you and only you? Of course there are exceptions. And the statistic I mentioned said 25%, not 100%. This post was not about helping me, it was about helping everyone. The only “I” was in regards to what I’ve noticed. So get the stick out of your @$$ and breathe a little… Feel free to be that guy who drives past those in need, I wouldn’t be surprised. Look out for me – I’ll be the guy waving as I woosh past you in the hov lane.
Tracy – that’s a great idea. I know plenty of services such as that exist and I will report back when I have the time to gather a list.
July 18, 2013 at 5:24 pm #794013
HuindekmiParticipantThe most frequented that I’ve found is RideShareOnline.com
Of course, the whole carpool/vanpool thing only works if you have a very static schedule with no external commitments.
Need to drop off / pick up the kids at school/daycare? Might not work.
Need the flexibility to leave work if school/daycare calls and says “your child is sick, please come take him/her home.”? Oops. Carpools aren’t for you.
Have a flexible schedule where you work early one day and late the next? Does the schedule change frequently? You’re better off driving alone.
Don’t work in the downtown core? Metro probably isn’t a great choice either. Our commuting options around these parts assumes that *everyone* works downtown.
July 18, 2013 at 5:38 pm #794014
JanSParticipantHaters? Or just people with a different opinion than yours, or simply pointing out exceptions. One size doesn’t fit all. But haters? Nice snarkiness…
July 18, 2013 at 5:43 pm #794015
skeeterParticipantIt is very, very difficult to make a carpool work. The effort is not worth the benefit for the 95% you observe.
I am part of the 5%. My wife and I carpool about 80 percent of the time. We’ve carpooled every day this week. However, this is only made possible by flexible work schedules, patience, the fact we start and end at the same place and we happen to work within a mile of each other. I don’t fault the other 95%. Carpooling is very difficult because there are so many variables that people cannot control.
July 18, 2013 at 5:50 pm #794016
Driez206MemberI carpool with my wife everyday to work, yay for us. But that doesn’t mean if I don’t carpool I am self-righteous. OP is making broad generalizations and that’s really the problem with this topic. No info how to carpool, just ranting about people who don’t. Also even if you carpool, how is that going to reduce your trip across the WS Bridge…oh it’s not.
July 18, 2013 at 6:07 pm #794017
JanSParticipantI work in West Seattle (when I’m working at all). So I avoid the commute. However, I have early morning doc appts. For instance, tomorrow morning I have to be on Pill Hill about 8am, so I will be in my car, on the bridge, alone, trying to get there. I’m thinking there are others that have the same kind of agenda…
July 18, 2013 at 6:15 pm #794018
yes2wsParticipantBeaglenut, your wave from the HOV lane is not what will have me looking out for you… your words and the anger behind them will. “we all sit white knuckled and mumbling under our breath in our cars” and “get the stick out of your @$$ and breathe a little”? Really?
Sometimes I carpool; sometimes I don’t. But it’s not really up for your suggestion; unless of course, I can offer a suggestion to you, as well. And that would be… “Perhaps it’s time for you to make a move to a less congested area?” One less white knuckled driver might make our commute a little safer.
July 18, 2013 at 6:24 pm #794019
owenParticipantYou ask: How can I not carpool? How can I be that selfish?
I drive alone, but I also carpool. With my son. He’d prefer to drive alone, but he’s only 5 so I don’t let him.
We drive to his summer camp in White Center, then some days I drive alone in my big white mini van to my job in Pioneer Square crossing the West Seattle bridge at rush hour. Some days I bus and some days I bike that last leg.
It should be pretty clear clear why I don’t carpool – nobody has a close enough match for my family’s morning schedule and destinations to make it realistically possible with kids.
You ask us to think for just a minute. Perhaps you should do that too, and think of all the individuals and families that have schedules and commitments and lives that are different from yours, before you judge us as selfish.
July 18, 2013 at 6:47 pm #794020
HalynParticipantYOU used the word selfish first. That indicates that you assume those in single occupant vehicles are driving solo for selfish reasons. I pointed out that there are exceptions, and that you have no possible way of knowing what people’s plans are on a given day, nor what their reasons for not carpooling are. For all you know, every solo driver you see on the road carpools once or twice a week. But instead of saying something like “Wouldn’t it be nice if just 25% more people would carpool?” You said “Why be selfish?” You ascribed malicious intent just because the rest of the world isn’t acting the way you want it to right this minute. I brought up my SUV in response to people in this thread griping about urban dwellers with SUVs. Without knowing the circumstances of why someone drives the vehicle they do, the poster assumed that such drivers are sad, pointless, and unable to drive competently. And my comment about driving past those in need was facetious, and to my mind was obviously so. It was meant to be a warning in the sense that if people feel unappreciated when they do help, they may be less likely to help someone else–e.g. if I’m going to be called sad, selfish, or any other derogatory term for being alone in my SUV, why should I bother returning kindness for your nastiness? Well, the answer is I shouldn’t, although I will, because unlike the OPs characterizations, I am not a selfish person, and I’m happy to help my fellow humans when in need.
Also, as WSB pointed out, if you truly were motivated by a desire to relieve traffic and save the planet, you would have adopted a more conciliatory tone, and actually posted ideas to help–instead, you came into this thread on attack, with no empathy for anyone else, and I’m pretty sure at this point that you did so deliberately–I think you wanted to start a fight. Well, you got one, and now that it appears the bulk of the posters are not in agreement with you, you’re trotting out that very tired word, “haters,” which makes you sound like a 13-year-old on facebook, and resorting to nasty language about people who disagree with you.
As a rule, I don’t feed trolls, so I won’t be reading any more of this thread. Respond to me or don’t, I don’t care. I’ve got your measure now, and your opinion is completely meaningless.
July 18, 2013 at 6:47 pm #794021
beaglenutMemberWow, looks like I struck quite the nerve with the overly sensitive WS crowd. I will do my best to explain my reasoning and intent, and reply to all.
@Jans The term “haters” is most likely not accustomed to your generation – and that is not a snarky remark, it’s just an assumption. Commonly used vocabulary has changed (perhaps not for the best) and exaggerations and edginess are common place these days. As for reducing the WS bridge traffic, you have a point… However, most of that build up is caused by the mass traffic getting on 5 and 99, which essentially could be reduced.
@Driez206 Same comment as above about reducing the traffic on the bridge. And no, not carpooling when needed doesn’t make you self-righteous. I’m not the one that began throwing that term around, it was Halyn.
@yes2ws Lol, you’re making me out to be the bad guy and yet your temper is transparent. And fyi – I don’t drive, I ride, and I enjoy every second of it.
@owen Again, this post made room for the exceptions – it was by no means directed at everyone. There are people out there that drive alone just because they want to – that’s the sole issue this was aimed at addressing.
@to-all I’m not sure how this spiraled out of control. It was supposed to be an idea that we could build upon and perhaps make life a little easier for us all. I wrote an edgy title to draw you in, that’s it. I will come up with a list of ride share services when I can.
July 18, 2013 at 6:55 pm #794022
beaglenutMember@Halyn For someone who just wrote a 418 word mini essay – I find it funny you’re claiming to simply have no interest in this conversation. If you bothered reading my last post, you might gain a better understanding of my intent with this thread and the lack of hatred and simply a desire to make this issue noticed. Whatever you do for a living clearly isn’t working for you – consult a physician before you have an aneurysm . If anyone else wants to chime in I’m happy to keep the discussion going and address the real issue (which is not as negative as everyone has made it out to be). If not, so be it. Freedom of speech is a luxury for all…..
July 18, 2013 at 6:55 pm #794023
owenParticipantbeaglenut – how did it spiral out of control? Here’s how: you framed the conversation poorly with an edgy title to draw readers, you called everyone who drives alone selfish (re-read your first post, selfish is applied very broadly with no apparent room for exceptions, though you have since clarified that), and you wrote off any who disagree as “smartasses” or “haters”.
If you want to talk about carpooling, or other forms commute trip reduction, by all means do. It would benefit us all. But insulting your intended audience is not a great way to start the dialogue.
July 18, 2013 at 7:01 pm #794024
beaglenutMember@owen I’ll own up to that. If everyone can agree to be civilized from here on out (and by all means feel free to label me the instigator), I will happily join. Nobody knows me on here. I’m sorry for any offense caused. This is a frustrating issue for me and I assumed everyone had similar views towards it (at least the agony of waiting in any traffic that could be reduced). I’m not a bad guy I assure you. I’m a loving family member, I do what I can to help the community, and I work my butt off. Lets play nice from here on out… Accept my apologies for any hurt feelings caused.
July 18, 2013 at 7:29 pm #794025
sacatoshParticipantMy spouse and I became a one-car household about 7 years ago. It’s been fantastic! We carpool all the time, and still put fewer than 5k miles per year on our car. However, I drive across the bridge alone after dropping the other half off at work, as my work is two miles further toward downtown.
So, when you see me driving alone for that last stretch you may make up your own story about who I am and what I’m doing. Just be careful, because you know what they say about assumptions.
July 18, 2013 at 7:41 pm #794026
beaglenutMember@sacatosh My hat goes off to you. Good for you and your family! You are officially off my list of drivers to give to the evil eye to. ;)
July 18, 2013 at 7:41 pm #794027
BostonmanMemberI don’t carpool. My schedule is pretty flexible but I do take my son to school in the morning so I don’t bother with a carpool. If they made that stupid bus lane that sits empty 90% of the time into a 2 or 3 person HOV lane it might help congestion a little bit. You can only free things up so much because people either have to sit in a parking lot on 99 or I 5. So, remember that the congestion on the bridge is a result of the congestion on 99, I-5, 1st ave and 4th ave. More people use those roads than just people coming out of west seattle.
I just put some music on or use the opportunity to talk to my son about school, do spelling words or play I spy.
July 18, 2013 at 7:44 pm #794028
beaglenutMember@Bostonman All valid points. If you can find a way to enjoy the ride then kudos to you. Perhaps that should be an underlined factor in this thread. Count on bumper to bumper traffic, find something to keep you relaxed and entertained while still being able to concentrate on your responsibility as a driver – and ex-out the road rage! :)
July 18, 2013 at 7:50 pm #794029
JanSParticipantlolol…the word “haters” has the word “hate” in it…whatever generation you are in, that’s pretty self explanatory. Yep, us old folks just don’t get it, do we?
July 18, 2013 at 8:03 pm #794030 -
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