Local traffic updates.

The trusty westseattleblog always comes through...
http://westseattleblog.com/2013/06/traffictransit-today-finally-friday


And for today's selection / photo from my bridge crossings...

Life affirming...


Sometimes there are things we witness that are life affirming.
Seen on the West Seattle bridge -- foliage springing forth from what appears to be barren concrete

As you can imagine, I was at a dead stop on the bridge when I  snapped this pic.

A view from the bridge...

Some days it is OK being on the bridge...

I have taken some pretty nice photos while stuck in traffic (such as this). 

We do live in a beautiful spot.

West Seattle rocks!

Sometimes I feel (_________) while crossing the bridge...

Giddy
                                                     Confused 
                                                                                        Sucky                              Peachy                       

 Sour                 Salty
                                                                        Poopy               mommy            stupid              

                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                          pretty

         Blah
                                             Rage                   Shitty 
Pleased
                                                                                                             Ecstatic
                                                                   Peaceful
                           Disgusted
Dreamy
                                                                                                     Hostile
                                                         Squishy
                        Zen

                                                                                    blah

^^^^^^^^^^^What about you?^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Care to comment?

A blessing in disguise?

Could it be this horrendous bridge commute situation is actually a blessing in disguise?

Do we really, truly want West Seattle to be easily accessible?    Perhaps not.   If people continue to hear about how awful the bridge situation is -- and how long it takes to get across the bridge -- then just maybe less people will be inclined to move to West Seattle and we can keep this lovely, unique piece of heaven from becoming just another, overcrowded Seattle neighborhood.

If you are a West Seattle resident, then you certainly have heard the funny things other Seattlites have to say about where we live.   

When I tell people where I live, they often look at me as if I live on the moon.

"Oh?" they say, "...you live in West Seattle?" as if they may not have heard me correctly.   "Really?" they question, then add "West Seattle is a really nice place to live.  I'd love to live by Alki beach too, but its so far away!"  

Now those of us who live in West Seattle know that it really isn't "far away", but is actually "very close" to most things "Seattle".   However, once you get a reputation, it is hard to change people's opinion... right or wrong.   So for most Seattlites, West Seattle resides somewhere near Seattle,  but they somehow have a vague sense of where exactly it is... sort of like a lot of people in the US think of Alaska and Hawaii -- they're on the map, but sort of not on the map.  West Seattle is off someplace, but they're not sure where it actually is -- only that is is "far away".   Or so they've heard.

“A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.” 
― Joseph Hall

The above quote is spot on regarding how West Seattle garnered its "bad reputation" for being impossibly far away and hard to get to.   It speaks of  "the spot where the crack was".   This seems to refer to the West Seattle bridge's notorious history concerning its demise back in 1978, when it was struck by a freighter.  

Perhaps you've never heard the exciting and scandalous story?  About how the original bridge was destroyed by a freighter.  

Let me tell you...

Once upon a time, around 2:38 am on June 11, 1978 -- a freighter, named Chavez, bashed into the West Seattle bridge -- and basically destroyed it.   After the first bridge was no more, people became highly distressed and inconvenienced in their efforts to get in and out of West Seattle.  This went on for the next 6 years, between 1978 and 1984, after which there was a new bridge -- our's :)

It sort of puts our current hellish bridge commute into some greatly needed perspective.  All things being "relative" -- even I have to admit that the bridge situation we have now is better than no bridge at all.  

But I digress... back to the history of the bridge... 

In the beginning --  Seattle first built a bridge to West Seattle in the 1920's.   Then people started moving into the area ... more and more.  But sadly, and suddenly, the bridge was destroyed.  People found it highly inconvenient to get to and from West Seattle -- and so the popularity started to wane.  

Then a new bridge was built.  But alas, as they say "your reputation precedes you" --  and so it was with West Seattle and its bridge.   Only many of us are not dissuaded by bad reputations.  In fact, we may actually seek out that which has a tainted reputation -- we are rebels, we are rogues, we are West Seattle!

If you are titillated by this tiny piece of the West Seattle bridge history, might I direct you to read on...

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=3428

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Seattle_Bridge


Here are a few photos I took of / on the bridge, 

I'd hate to be that guy...

I feel badly for any sick or injured person who requires transport across the bridge, via aid car, during the morning commute.   Hopefully this morning's ill person was not deathly ill -- because trying to move an aid car around 10 billion cars on the bridge is no easy feat.   After all,  every second counts when you're trying to get a person to the ER and the bridge traffic doesn't exactly help speed things up.

I gotta say, when you have two lanes entering the bridge, and they are both backed up, bumper to bumper, and then you add an aid car into the mix --it gets messy.  Not exactly the traffic situation you want if you're experiencing some life or death emergency.   I really hope it all turned out OK. 

That concludes the story of this morning's commute.  Unfortunately, that is pretty much the status quo.  

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that at this same time,  the Mercer Street exit was clogged up on I-5 due to a semi hitting a car... which of course caused I-5 to back up, which of course didn't help the ambulance get across the bridge.  And so it goes...

Now I must sign off  -- it is time for me to cross the bridge again (I get to do it twice each day) so I bid you adieu.


  

Bridge Haiku

Because today's commute was Zen-ful, I had a Haiku moment:

Emerald city calling
Bridge halts my crossing
Dreaded cattle guard

Bridge Ya-hoos and A-holes...

The bridge commute was nothing out of the ordinary today (same crowd as every other day).  As well, there were the same sprinkling of rude people as usual.

I took note of a few rude "regulars" on the bridge today, and I asked myself:

Why do some people  feel the need to speed up and refuse to let those "merging" get into the lane?   It isn't as if the mergers have any other choice - their lane is ending and they must merge.  Let them merge, for God's sake!  I'm not sure what this bad behavior is all about.

Why do some people, who are driving behind you, feel the need to speed up and pass you -- when the traffic is pretty much stop and go?  So they speed up, cut in front of you -- placing themselves just one car in front of you, and then they have to stop, because the traffic is still stop and go.  Hey buddy!  I can see you behind me, and I can see you pass me, and I can see you when you are now driving right in front of me for the rest of the trip across the bridge.  Somehow it was VERY important to this type of driver that they get one car ahead of YOUR car...why is this?   I'm pretty sure it is because they do not think you being on time is as important to them being on time -- they think they are more important than any other driver trying to get to work.  These types of drivers are pretty self-centered.  Or more simply put,  A-holes.

And lastly, why do some people refuse to put their blinker on when they clearly want to switch lanes?  

Do you have any insight into these behaviors?

This is one reason we continue to live in West Seattle and endure the "bridge" commute...
beautiful vistas!  I'm so fortunate I get to see THIS view from the  front steps of my house.
(where I captured Mt. Rainier in all its glory)


HOWEVER
 I also get to see this view almost every day when I cross the bridge:

I took this while stopped on the bridge one day.  I edited to B&W
 because most days look this gray way when I'm on the bridge..

Did summer start today?

Summer must have unofficially started today because I was able to cross the bridge in under 5 minutes.   Everybody probably already left on vacation.  Or perhaps it was just the sunny weather forcast that kept everybody from going to work?   Either way -- it was all good for me.

Has summer arrived in Seattle?  
It sure felt like it today...free and easy on the bridge (and sunny!)
Heading East on the WS bridge

Bridge Buddy might be a secret agent?

Here we are, all of West Seattle humanity, entering the bridge.  All we want to do is get across the water and over to that grouping of buildings you see in the picture.  Those buildings are "downtown" -- less than 2 miles away.  Why can I take the water taxi and get there faster than driving a car or taking a bus?   Silly thing, those of us who drive across the bridge get lured into the trap, daily, of somehow thinking a bridge is supposed to get you somewhere.  When will we learn?

My sister  thinks I write a "funny" little blog about the West Seattle Bridge.  Easy for her to say since she lives in Texas where there are no high rise bridges, only dusty trails where people ride horseback.

She thinks I am writing a "funny little blog" but what she doesn't understand is there is nothing f-ing funny about the West Seattle Bridge.    After all, is it "funny" when you're 30 minutes late for work -- and you are the opening Starbucks barista?  No, not funny.   Is it funny when an accident on the bridge makes 500 people late for work and they all get fired?  I think not.

Nor is it at all humorous when your sister "outs" you on Facebook.  All I really wanted was to remain spinelessly anonymous to the world -- known simply as "Bridge Buddy".   Everyone knows when you post as "anon" -- you can say and do things you normally would not.   For example, I can insult whoever I like, or I can build up my importance.  I can be an expert in all things I know totally nothing about.   If I keep you in the dark as to who I am -- you might imagine I'm your neighbor (perhaps), or your check-out person at the grocery (perhaps) or a city engineer (perhaps), or your doctor (less likely), or your pastor (even less likely).  Perhaps the best part of being anonymous on a blog is the fact that you can lie an get away with it ;)  And there are no repercussions to speak of.   At least not so far.

Now back to my sister...   if she directed you to this blog -- she is totally confused and wrong about Bridge Buddy's true identity.

So for the record, Lisa is not my sister.