I’m growing so tired of the traffic in Seattle. That’s a lot coming from the person who loves to drive especially in rush-hour traffic. The problem that I have, which was very evident today, is that when there is an accident or some significant event that blocks major routes through the city … NOTHING … is done to help direct traffic. For instance – today there was a terrible three car head on accident that took out all the lanes on a major thorough-fare right at 5 pm. This radiated out to effect a huge area of the city and made the only couple other ways around it literately impassable as everyone tried to get through.
What made things worse was that by the time you could even get close to “where” the problem was, it had taken you almost an hour. As you realized the accident was ahead, no where along this path was there any indication that you’d be detoured or blocked from your destination until you sat RIGHT in front of sole police car blocking the road. Of course to turn around now on a six lane road with oncoming traffic ripping by was close to impossible. So imagine, three lanes of traffic. One trying to get off at the only exit ahead while the middle lane trying to merge in to it and the third lane debating on trying to get across the oncoming rush hour crazies or try to get in to the middle lane, pushing over to the far right and taking that sole exit. ALL THE WHILE, Mr. Cop sits in his car doing nothing.
Had he, or one of the meter persons, just helped direct traffic 50-70% of the people would have been able to relax, move freely and head in directions to get them home. Instead everyone was being forced to choose a random route at the last minute, hoping they had a quick path home and getting more and more frustrated as others tried the same route, gave up and doubled back. Again, the two thousand cops that work in Seattle and the untold number of meter readers where no where to be seen. Oh I’m sure some got a ticket for running a light, making a quick and illegal turn or some such thing but no one bothered to help direct those poor souls on a Friday night get home.
Yeah, other cities are probably just as bad but to leave work at 5 pm and get home at 7 pm when you are less than 10 miles away … that just seems like a point everyone needs to speak up about.