WTF happened with traffic yesterday afternoon.

[deadshot2]

Yesterday afternoon my wife and I left Marysville to meet with tarmorplus in Southcenter to make a trade. Figured an hour and a half should be adequate and leave some time to "make the bladder gladder" once we arrived a little early.

Starting in S. Everett traffic was bumper to bumper and less than 30 mph. No accidents or construction, just wall to wall, bumper to bumper cars. Hit 405 and actually got to drive the speed limit for about three miles and it was back to a slow crawl. Not a single accident in the Southbound lanes but several in the NB ones. Apparently everyone had to stop and look while going southbound.

Even with the traffic and the insanely slow speeds (if you can call a crawl "speed) we arrived only about 15 minutes late. In talking to tarmorplus, he was faced with the same issue on the NB side of I-5 while coming from the JBLM area.

OK, we did get to "drain the vein", do our trade, and get some food for the trip home. Back onto I-5 this time because we'd already seen all the accidents and NB parking lot that 405 was.

No sooner than we got on I-5, some doodle head ran his pickup/trailer combo into the back of a truck on the SB side so naturally everyone had to nearly stop NB in order to watch. (A-Holes). Getting into the NB express lanes was the usual parade of morons racing to the head of the line and then crowding in just before the impact cushion. Once in the express lanes my wife and I figured it would be smooth sailing until N Everett when the HOV lanes ran out. Well that just showed us what happens when you make a prediction. The freaking HOV lanes were slower than the regular lanes. It was creep, move a little faster, slam on the brakes, creep some more, all the way to Marysville.

And here I thought that taking my wife along so I could use the HOV lanes would allow us to just cruise along.

WTF happened yesterday to make such a "Goat Rope" out of traffic. I heard on the radio that there were 12 accidents in less than 3 hours between Highway 510 and the middle of Seattle. Has the hot weather roasted everyone's brains or just caused them to stick their heads up their butts to keep cool.

Screw it. I think this is the last time I drive through Seattle again. It would have been qicker if I'd taken a ferry to Kingston, driven to Southworth and then ferry'd back to the South end again. (Could have also had a beer on the ferry).

So far my wife's been a good sport but something tells me I'm going to pay the price for bringing her along just to use the HOV lanes. We'll see.


PS: tarmorplus is a great guy and it was nice meeting him. If anyone ever is in a position to make a trade or buy/sell something with him, he's got my vote.

[TwizDD]

Sounds like typical Friday afternoon traffic to me!

[MadPick]

Well, the fundamental problem is that you decided to drive from Marysville to Southcenter on a Friday afternoon. If we were playing "traffic jam bingo" you'd be a winner!

I don't know, man. Traffic is simply a piece of shit around here.

We're the I-90 westbound lanes already closed in Bellevue? If so, that would have had some effect on 405. But what you describe sounds normal to me, sadly.

[deadshot2]

Well, the fundamental problem is that you decided to drive from Marysville to Southcenter on a Friday afternoon. If we were playing "traffic jam bingo" you'd be a winner!

I don't know, man. Traffic is simply a piece of shit around here.

We're the I-90 westbound lanes already closed in Bellevue? If so, that would have had some effect on 405. But what you describe sounds normal to me, sadly.

I don't know about "winner". I'd say "dumbass" would be more like it but I've done dumber things in my life

As for traffic being a piece of shit around here, truer words have never been spoken. I wonder if it's the heavy "Asian Influence" around here. I've driven in heavier traffic in California and at least that traffic moves. None of this "slinky effect" where one minute your're driving 40+ and the next moment STOPPED. I can remember afternoon commute drives on "the 60" with wall to wall cars but at least everyone moved even though slow. Also none of the "pull up quick to block the person signaling a lane change". Maybe those freeway shootings years ago cured that problem in CA.

No, the WB lanes hadn't closed yet. I am wondering if Hwy 2 being closed had something to do with the Bellevue area crunch. Add the US 2 traffic from the East to an already f*cked up Friday.

FWIW, the only reason I even considered going out in Friday traffic was to make a trade with a WGO "member". Anyone else could "leck mich am Arsch".

[MadPick]

FWIW, the only reason I even considered going out in Friday traffic was to make a trade with a WGO "member". Anyone else could "leck mich am Arsch".

I don't think it's Asians any more than anyone else. Take a whole lot of cars, add someone who's driving slowly in the left lane, and another that can't merge, and another that's on the phone and can't keep a steady speed . . . and you pretty much have the recipe for f'd up traffic. If one of them causes a fender-bender, then it's 10x worse.

And it happens EVERY DAMNED DAY. (But especially on Fridays, lol.)

[APA]

If only dumbasses could learn how to merge, or stop rubbernecking accidents.

[Benja455]

Maybe those freeway shootings years ago cured that problem in CA.

This is the fundamental problem with folks in Seattle - especially when driving - this city is so safe and non-violent (and filled with wimpy software dorks) that they get away with tons of ridiculous behavior that would result in broken noses or shots fired in any other major city (and many rural communities as well).

[Old Jim]

Washington has 2 types of hiways...Inadequete and under construction

[deadshot2]

FWIW, the only reason I even considered going out in Friday traffic was to make a trade with a WGO "member". Anyone else could "leck mich am Arsch".

I don't think it's Asians any more than anyone else. Take a whole lot of cars, add someone who's driving slowly in the left lane, and another that can't merge, and another that's on the phone and can't keep a steady speed . . . and you pretty much have the recipe for f'd up traffic. If one of them causes a fender-bender, then it's 10x worse.

And it happens EVERY DAMNED DAY. (But especially on Fridays, lol.)

I'm having thoughts of what I will do when I get old(er). Thinking of going out and buying an old Dodge Power Wagon 4X4, installing a huge pipe tube bumper on it. and the next M*****f****er that I come up on that's got his head down and texting, I'm just going to downshift and floor it. I plan on pushing them just far enough that they crap their pants and then have to sit in it for the rest of their trip. When I get to that point what can they do to me, take my driving privileges away. Chances are that by then my kids will be trying to take my keys away (but I plan on keeping a spare set buried where they can't find them )

I would say that based on the Seattle area traffic a plea of insanity might be in order for anyone who "loses it" while putting up with the "zimmo's" that have taken over the highways.

[cosme9242]

Leaving Bellevue everyday and commuting to the South end is always shit. The backups in Bellevue are always due to I405 going from 4 lanes to two in Factoria. The West bound lanes to I90 went down to one lane last night just before 9pm so my commute back down South just went up by a minimum of 1 hour.

I predict taking I90 East and over Tiger Mountain via hwy 18 is going to be hell on earth so that's a no go

[deadshot2]

Leaving Bellevue everyday and commuting to the South end is always shit. The backups in Bellevue are always due to I405 going from 4 lanes to two in Factoria. The West bound lanes to I90 went down to one lane last night just before 9pm so my commute back down South just went up by a minimum of 1 hour.

I predict taking I90 East and over Tiger Mountain via hwy 18 is going to be hell on earth so that's a no go

Get half a dozen people together and charter a helicopter

[CQBgopher]

It's gonna get worse when 405 is down to one lane thru Bellevue and construction on I-5 from M St. to Portland Ave in Tacoma begins the end of the month.

[mash man]

I was born and raised in commiyfornia the traffic up here is 10 times worse up here. Last year I was flying on a freeway at 75mph and getting pissed by truckers. There was a fire on the side of the road with fire trucks trying to put it out and traffic was still moving at 75mph+

[Sinus211]

If only dumbasses could learn how to merge, or stop rubbernecking accidents.

+1 Merging issues cause the slinky(caterpillar) effect. Speed up between exits then slow down because either people are too slow, too cautious, or too busy being assholes and cutting into the front of the line instead of just using the simple zipper effect method.

Cell phones are a problem too. Every time you see someone driving like they're drunk 9/10 times they're texting.

[Benja455]

If only dumbasses could learn how to merge, or stop rubbernecking accidents.

+1 Merging issues cause the slinky(caterpillar) effect. Speed up between exits then slow down because either people are too slow, too cautious, or too busy being assholes and cutting into the front of the line instead of just using the simple zipper effect method.

Cell phones are a problem too. Every time you see someone driving like they're drunk 9/10 times they're texting.