Dear Municipal Court,
If volition has anything to do with this, I am innocent. Never for a moment did I know I was in violation. What warning sign? I saw no sign though I was looking. I also thought that on Sundays you could use 3rd Avenue, even for a block but no, Seattle Customer Service tells me. Instead, for at least the past two years. no cars whatsoever at any time allowed on 3rd Avenue before Virginia. Is that true? There are signs on 3rd saying otherwise.
What is true, what is not, what is up, what is down? Though I know the City of Seattle rules state that a driver is given one warning, and one warning only covering all the intersection/bus lane cameras throughout the city, I ask, how is that fair and just, let alone logical? I know the court only enforces laws, not writing them but how does the current formulation of these bus lane rules make any sense? To me they do not. This is not the first time I have felt victimized by this ordinance. Hopefully it is my last.
Thank you.
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On my return from my wonderful trip, I found a notice waiting for me from the City of Seattle, stating I had, for shame, drove in a bus lane at 3rd & James in an successful attempt to avoid post-Seahawk game traffic. This is my written (typed) response to the judge who will review my mitigation request. The Court's reality is that it has no interest in seeing you in person, delaying the inevitable. Once the citation is issued, you are "dead meat" unless you were not the individual behind the wheel. Then you are not liable. Otherwise, the best you can usually hope for is a reduction in the $75.00 fine.
My letter, repeated as written, is a bit cheeky because I am beyond caring, knowing this kind of enforcement is a joke. I've gotten a few of these, and each time there wasn't a bus within a mile of me. Obviously then I wasn't impeding anyone. All this is merely more stupidity generated by Dumbbell Seattle, an inherent idiocy now Seattle's official credo and motto. If that isn't true, then what is it, "Intelligence Upon Demand?"
I just read in last Sunday's edition of the Seattle Times Pacific NW Magazine that the current Mayor wants to put a streetcar line down the middle of 1st Avenue. Talk about impeding traffic! Can we please issue "His Dishonor" a ticket? For what violation, you ask? Why for being a complete _______! I'll let your imagination soar, allowing you to fill in the blank. Don't worry, you won't hurt Bruce's feelings. He's a millionaire, sitting high above commonplace chaff. Why should he care? Now that's a good question.
Puget Sound Dispatch Rumors and Allegations
It seems like there is internal turmoil at PSD (Seattle Yellow Cab). Before I put anything in print, I will try to get Amin Shifow (PSD's GM) and Lema's (Now the sole owner?) daughter Marta to tell me what is true or not. I'll see what they will verify or not. I keep requesting from the City and County regulators that they "please, please, please!" regulate associations just as they regulate drivers. I have always gotten the response that there is nothing they can do to control association behavior. Do I believe that? I do not.
GM Cruise in a Spin
It was just announced that nine top Cruise executives have been sacked, along with 900 Cruise employees laid off by General Motors, Cruise's parent company. It appears that the aftermath of the October 2nd, 2023 San Francisco accident continues to reverberate throughout the company. Cruise is facing a potential fine of 1.5 million dollars due to its lack of initial transparency, having concealed a video of the incident. It angered both State and Federal regulators. This all appears to be a classic example of a company getting "too big for its britches," thinking they are above rules of law and common decency.
What is glaringly obvious is that the technology involved is still developing, and for Cruise to say that wasn't true, was a lie, or a best, a half-truth. Using another idiom, Cruise got caught "with their pants down," truly an embarrassing position. How Cruise's problems affects Waymo and other similar companies remains to be seen. I am sure they are paying close attention to the regulatory and media fallout currently pummeling Cruise. Ultimately this will be a positive going forward, ensuring safety not profit their first enduring focus. Not a bad outcome from an avoidable tragedy.
The Sorry Subject Plaguing Uber
Sexual assault and Uber is nothing new to these pages. I have reported much about this terrible reality connected to Uber: too often their male drivers sexually assault their female passengers. In the years of 2017 and 2018, there were 6000 sexual assaults allegedly committed by Uber drivers. In the years embracing 2019 and 2020, there were 4000 reported sexual assaults. Regular readers might remember that in Santa Clara County, California, Uber was actively requesting that any woman who had been sexually assaulted first contact, not the police but Uber. Same in Seattle. Don't call the police. Call Uber, your friend and protector. That Uber helped pass a 2022 Washington State Law removing fingerprinting requirements as part of its background checking protocol should worry every woman entering an Uber minus an escort or gun. Does Uber truly care about your safely? Doubtful is the obvious answer.
The Brooklyn woman who claims she was raped in 2018 by her Uber driver duly reported the assault to the NYPD. A rape kit was used, and yes, they found conclusively that her claim was true. That it took five years to gain Uber's attention says everything about their priorities. If anyone doubts that, Uber lawyers fought to remove the term "sexual assault" from a collective 100 victim lawsuit currently active in California courts. Uber's priority has been, and remains, making money regardless of consequences. Destroy the American Cab industry? That's good and fine. First lower your rates, then later, after your customers are hooked, gouge them for every possible penny? Perfectly okay. Welcome to the Uber Industrial Complex! Never forget. They love you!
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