Seattle Culture

I'm trying to adjust to being in a different state, the cool weather, the greenery... but there are some weird things about Seattle that I just find very strange. I think the strangest thing is driving here. First off the lanes are very narrow and I feel like I'm about to hit the car next to me or the curb! Yikes. And the speed limit! AHHHHH! The speed limit on the freeway is 60mph and of course that translates into 55, max would be exactly 60mph. What in the world?! I, on the other hand, have only ever driven at least 70 in Los Angeles, more like 80mph. Now I'm going crazy because I'm stuck behind everyone who's going 55!

Next are the bike riders. Everyone here rides a bike, even though it rains-which doesn't make sense to me. And I guess now that your on a bike that means now your magically considered a car. So they drive/ride in the middle of the road and hold up traffice. But if your from here, its ok, you just slowly pace behind them. I just dont get this- why dont you ride on the sidewalk like LA bikers do so we can all get where we're going a little faster? I'm going to have to get use to watching and driving safely around these bikers.

Pedestrians and J walking is an epidemic up here. In LA pedestrians know their place when they're crossing the street. You look before you walk out into the street and if a car is coming then you wait for it to pass before you cross. Not in Seattle! Pedestrians cross wherever and whenever they want, even when cars are coming! They will stop traffic to cross the street, annoying!

One thing that's been nice to get use to are the freeways that go over Lake Washington. This is something you'll never find in LA. You get a beautiful view while sitting in traffic. Something cool you can do here is canoe in Lake Washington right under the freeway passes and into the marshes and the lake. Kind of interesting to be going faster than the traffic on the freeway in a canoe.

These are pictures from our canoe adventure

Oh and there's traffic here all the time, maybe its because everyone goes so slow! Speaking of freeways, they have these freeways that are called "express ways." It's a freeway that runs between the two opposing directions, but is only open to go one direction at certain times of the day. This just sounds like suicide to me- lol. I'm not quite sure how it works yet, but i know this would not be an alternative to traffic in LA because people would end up going the wrong direction and kill each other.

The street lights are even different. They hang on wires rather than metal rods. I've heard this is because they have wind storms here-yikes. And what in the world is a blinking red or a blinking yellow light suppose to mean? I guess I'll find out.
That's it for now, but I'll be updating this list of interesting things about this city soon. Hopefully I'll find some fun interesting things that I like :o)