YAY!..it's signals optional Friday (snark)

[JanS]

how’s you traffic going today? Any stories to tell?

Me..going northbound on Calif. Ave. approaching light at Alaska, 12:30pm, in left lane. Car in front of me has left turn signal on (illegal as all heck). I honk, he pulls into the intersection, stops. The light changes, he quickly starts to turn. Sadly, the southbound car decides to run the red light. They both swerve to not hit each other. The walk all ways pedestrians stop so as not to be hit by the cars. They both continue on their merry way. Time to shake head :-

Tell me yours…

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[GoGo]

At least they had their signal on! I want to know when it became “cool” to not use your turn signals. Drives me crazy!

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[JanS]

oh, that , too…or only turn them on after they are at the intersection…and you’re behind them and want to go straight ;-)

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[Sue]

Wednesday evening, trying to cross Alaska at 41st as a pedestrian. You know, where the pedestrian has the right of way but nobody yields. I see my opening so I don’t cut anybody off, start to cross, and guy going eastbound decided to speed up to catch up to me, just so he could slow down and crawl in front of me (making me stop in the middle of the street, now putting me at risk of traffic now coming the other way from Fauntleroy), so he could beep at me repeatedly, punishing me about my alleged wrongdoing of trying to cross the street there. Fun times.

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[JanS]

I hate when that happens…and I hate that intersection…

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[miws]

At the time this happened, I was thinking about posting here on the Forums when I got back Home, with not really a Rant, although that’s what is basically amount to, but with a “Request”.

I was walking down to Target a little after 10:00 this morning, and was waiting to cross Delridge from the NE corner, to the NW corner of Barton St, the Burger Boss corner.

There was a rather steady stream of traffic both north and southbound, and I believe by this time, at least one eastbound car waiting on Barton which, of course, I had to keep an eye on in case they were turning left, and not going straight.

A northbound drive stops, in the intersection, almost actually in my “crosswalk”.

I am a very cautious, and very defensive pedestrian. Always have been but more so nowadays that I have some mobility limitations, and can’t literally jump out of the way of moving vehicles anymore. Nor can I run across, should there be a quick break in traffic. I must wait until I can walk across, though will attempt to do so at a quick pace, for my own safety and as a courtesy to waiting drivers. I won’t take any chances, and have several times stepped back from the curb, and waved a polite driver along, when traffic the other direction would not ease up.

One thing I very closely watch, is to make absolutely sure that someone that appears to be stopping for me is actually doing so, and is not turning left, or is not confused/lost, looking for a particular street/building. The only thing I watch closely, especially at that intersection, is drivers that will pass left turners on the right. Dangerous as Hell, and illegal as Hell. I often wait for the bus on southbound Delridge, just south of that very intersection. Have seen right side passing morons quite a bit in the past few weeks.

So, this driver that stops, they really didn’t have an “I’m lost” look on their face, and really, I think they may have been worried that I was going to run out in front of their car, and when they realized I wasn’t, decided to proceed on. I really think that my body language was strongly indicating I was waiting to cross.

So, I really don’t know WTF was going through their head.

So, my request to them, would have been if you are going to slow down as much as you did, please actually stop, and let me cross if I think I can otherwise do so safely. Many people would have taken that driver’s slow down, as an absolute that they were going to stop, and would have started across. And gotten hit.

Mike

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[miws]

Sue, sorry you had to deal with that.

I haven’t had to deal with anything as purposefully aggressive like that in recent memory, but am bothered when I cross an arterial, and although I have given myself plenty of time to cross and not cause traffic to stop, a driver passes by just as I’ve cleared the traffic lane, and am just at the curb and about to step up, and I can hear that they are going by at a good clip, and not slowing down even a bit, should I fall back into traffic, or drop something.

Mike

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[JanS]

I see that happen quite often when I’m driving. It’s so precarious out in traffic now, and I so relate to your mobility problems.

Now…as a driver, when I stop for ABLE-BODIED pedestrians, I sometimes have to under my breath hurry them along as they take their time ….which happens frequently around the high school – lol…just sayin’ ;-)

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[pattilea]

My care was hit and I was injured last Friday night by a pizza driver that ran a stop sign. My son was very scared, doesn’t want to get into a car now, and when he does he is so worried. So sad, people can’t follow the signs!

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[JanS]

I saw your thread about that when it happened, Pattilea. Glad you guys weren’t injured. Sad for your car. Pizza drivers need to slow down…I’m sure it’s not the first time he’s blown thru a stop sign to make a fast delivery…the more he does, the more tips he makes. Crazy drivers, sometimes. Sorry your car took the brunt of it , and your son is traumatized. Hope the pizza company that he worked for comes through for you

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[pattilea]

Thank you, Jan!

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[pattilea]

Thank you, Jan!

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[Willie Murderface]

Aside from someone claiming that this driver ran a sign, what basis do you have for assuming they do it frequently?

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[datamuse]

If only this really worked…

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[JanS]

Willie…I didn’t say “frequently”. I said…he’sprobably done it before. He’s a pizza delivery guy….gotta go as fast as they can to make more tips. I’ve seen drivers zipping around often in the 39+ years I’ve been in West Seattle. And if it was the first time, hopefully he’s learned from it :)

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[trickycoolj]

I had a close call Friday commuting home on Delridge by a Subaru that decided they were too lazy to use their breaks and downshifted instead. Luckily I was watching traffic ahead of the Subaru but I got way too close for comfort and was rattled the rest of the drive home. There’s a reason we have brake lights, to warn the drivers behind us that we are breaking and to prepare to stop. Downshifting because you’re too lazy to use two feet and push your clutch and break is just rude and asking for someone to plow into your rear end. /rant

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[Rags]

Do you people ever quit complaining ?

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[JanS]

it’s petty peeves…so what? Harmless, venting a little. One always has the option of not reading it ;-)

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[clulessinws]

Hi Jan. As you probably know, it ain’t just on Fridays. :) Peds cross against the light, drivers sit on a green, cyclists do whatever the F they want.. “it don’t matter” . It’s WS, land of entitlement and flakiness. DERP.

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[JanS]

well, yes, but Fridays? They’re special ;-)

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[Willie Murderface]

The difference between the speeds of the arterials and the residential streets is 5mph. For example, if I can go 30 on california, i can go 25 on 42nd. What many people perceive as speeding is actually people going the speed limit.

People still think drivers are on the “30 mins or its free” mentality. That promotion ended more than 20 years ago.

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[JanS]

I don’t think drivers are on the 30 minutes or free thingy…I just think they’re in a hurry…

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