The in basket: Donna M. Floyd of Belfair writes, “I have an
inexpensive and sure-fire way to stop the confusion as to ‘when
children are present'” in school zones.
“When spending time in Mesa, Arizona, I found that they know how to
make it work!” she said. “At the designated time in the morning
each school day, the crossing guard (or whoever) puts a large white
sign on the dividing center line on all roads that border schools
and when children are NOT present, the sign is taken away!
“Both sides of this sign shout….. SCHOOL ZONE 15 MPH
ENFORCED.
Monthly Archives: October 2006
Updating Tacoma Narrows Bridge tolls
The in basket: Tom Hughes read the news story I wrote for Wednesday’s paper about progress on the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge and said, “You didn’t indicate what the toll would be or if it would ever be collected going west.”
Motorcyclists react to column
The in basket: It got to the point Monday when I winced whenever
the little chime announced I had a new e-mail.
I had that morning invited motorcyclists to defend the practice of
driving between lines of stopped freeway traffic, something I’d
seen when I was caught in an early-October freeway back-up in Los
Angeles. Having checked locally, I declared it illegal.
Well, sound off they did, most of them pranging me for not knowing
that while it’s illegal here, it’s legal in California. They even
have a term for it – lane splitting.
Motorcyclists in freeway traffic jams
The in basket: During an extended motor trip this fall, I found
myself stuck in one of the infamous traffic jams that bedevil Los
Angeles freeways. A rear-ender on I-10 had all but stopped traffic.
During the crawl, probably three dozen motorcycles in several
groups passed us driving down the line between the lanes – and
between the larger vehicles. A few were probably doing it at 25 or
30 miles per hour.
It was annoying and an a little alarming to have them speeding by a
yard or so from my door.
Mainline street signs not always there
The in basket: Charlie and Cindy Sandine say, “Once you get away from major areas like downtown Silverdale, there are no street signs for the street on which you’re driving. You’ll always have signs for the streets you’re crossing but we’re used to being able to look on the same pole and see the name of the street we’re on. That’s important when you’re new in town.”
Not everyone can legally ride in the bed of a pickup
The in basket: Brenda Byrd writes, “I am a pickup truck owner
(Dodge Dakota) and I would like for you to clarify the law on
passengers riding in the bed of the pick-up truck even if they are
sitting down.
It doesn’t make a bit of sense to me why seat belts are
required for people
inside the truck and not required for anyone riding in the bed of
the truck.
Where can you park at use Clear Creek Trail?
The in basket: A anonymous e-mailer asked on June 1 where a person is allowed to park at the north end of the Clear Creek Trail to use the trail. “It’s marked no parking except across the fog line on the overpass,” the e-mail said.
You can walk across Hood Canal Bridge, but you don’t have to
The in basket: The state has decided it gave me some wrong information in reply to Bill Schaefer’s question a month ago about whether it’s legal to be a pedestrian on the Hood Canal Bridge. And a couple of bicyclists have asked questions about their right to use the bridge.
Bridge clearance signs missing
The in basket: Cindy Sandine has noticed that the bridges in Kitsap County don’t have the same kind of signs as those she recalls seeing on Interstate 5, telling how much clearance there is beneath them, hence how tall a vehicle can pass underneath. Is that just required on I-5, she asked.
What’s the pit on Silverdale Hill for?
The in basket: Doris Boyd has a question about a hole dug,
apparently as part of the widening of Silverdale Way north of
town.
“Before they began the actual work on Silverdale Hill, a large
‘pit’ was created on the east side of the road, at the crest of the
hill,” she said. “It first had columns in it, and periodically
those were changed. Later, they were gone, and the last time I went
by, it was still just a pit, but a well- groomed one.”
This week she said it now is fenced.
“Can you tell us what purpose it was/is for?” she asked.
