Always a trip to see Spirit Lake before the eruption…. There are a ton of family photos out there of summer vacations and YMCA camp meehan days etc

Its so devastating to know hes buried under those lahar flows, coca cola in hand…. But he died as he lived. He wanted to stay

Good perspectives on other cities’ norms. And how road infrastructure is an influence. I can see how the multitude of roundabouts and lack of stop sign at intersections condition people to approach cautiously.

Agreed Wa’s seem to have an obliviousness (funny to see so many with student driver decals, especially funny on luxury cars) as perhaps part of this could be due to later in life vehicle purchase or recent immigrants.

By courtesy, it’s also outside of yielding in traffic. General interactions in my day-to-day, be it businesses (employees in a Bartell Drugs gave multiple suggestions on where to buy an Orca card as they ran out), coffee shops (friendly customer service, above & beyond what I’ve seen in other cities), strangers (morning jogger offered to guide me while I unloaded my car from a carrier), neighbors (welcoming me to neighborhood), etc. The funny part is I never felt the mythical “Seattle freeze.”

If you have that little bubble on the center of the top of your dash, try to give it a cleaning. It’s the sensor for your headlights

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Many folks are just not that bright nor do they have the ability to think of the safety of others. You don't realize how visible a car is in rain or fog until you switch your lights on.

As the days go by, eastern wa is no longer cheap.

Everyone is a bad driver from another drivers perspective. No one is going to cater to your sense of safety on the road. Half those people probably don’t have insurance either so you better make sure you see them anyway.

This is so eerie to see.

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That trail needs some love.

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That could have been me and my sister! Spirit Lake was a great place to visit in the summers, but it often got thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Also in the fog...

But driving at night without lights is what all the cool kids are doing, I want to try it too

Also stop going 50 on the freeway. You're causing a hazard by making everyone have to pass you.

Including Highway Patrol. 01-18-2023 3 different vehicles with no lights, one tailing a speeder without lights on the 5 southbound. Could also be the sheer number of student drivers of all ages on the road. They may be new to driving and may not understand.

The fact that some people can’t/shouldn’t drive is a good reason to invest more in public transit.

Just look at that eternally serene, peaceful, quiet sister of Mt. Fuji! 😂

P.S. I remember the fateful morning when the shockwave of the eruption hit my house, 150 miles away. I thought someone was dynamiting stumps at a nearby farm. Windows rattling and walls shaking. Then the chaos from the cursed ash fall. 😬

I have automatic headlights, but I need to put the switch to that position.

That whole area was so beautiful back before the eruption. Hard to believe it's over forty years now. Somewhere under all that mud is Harry Truman.

It's always crazy hearing my dad talk about st Helen's before the eruption. Spirit was like the place his parents took them to for vacations and he has so many fond memories.

Just a tangent off your comment that “Wa’s are a hell of a lot more courteous”..:

I think it’s very interesting that one can perceive the “driving culture”, or to be more specific, “driving norms” in any given city or even region sometimes. Interstate highways too.

I’ve driven in many places and I first noticed this in Detroit. The street style there is basically, “you can do anything as long as you don’t impede someone else”. It’s extremely casual & you can feel it just driving around, but it’s chill & safe.
. I’ve seen people do full U-turns in the middle of a standard 4-way stop-light intersection, but hindering no one, it didn’t matter. And the cops there sure have better things to worry about.

I’ve heard that Boston drivers are “uptight” somehow, and tend to cut people off, especially when it comes to highway exits. But that’s hearsay.

In Seattle my sense is that people are “polite to a fault”, or otherwise kind of oblivious. I’ve seen more right turns done too early with oncoming traffic than I would expect. Which remains puzzling to me.
. But it’s generally the former, “polite”. Which is definitely a good ‘problem’ to have.

It’s just interesting that “street style” or “driving normative behaviour” is so readily observed & assessed when living or driving in a new area.

I’m curious: What do you mean by ‘courteousness’ with Washington drivers? Can you give some examples?

The law states that lights are required during inclement weather. (If I remember correctly).

That and there are a lot of trees on my commute which can make it darker on the roadway.