Beautiful Summer

This has been a beautiful Summer so far in the Seattle area! There has been practically no rain at all, aside from maybe 3-4 days, since May! The beautiful weather has really been getting more people outside! While I can't say that it's been getting more people out of their cars, it has been getting more people onto bikes and out walking, jogging, running, and such! It's been pretty great!

There hasn't really been a massive increase in bus ridership, but it is pretty hot on a lot of the buses and many Metro buses do not seem to have a/c, so it's not the biggest pleasure ALL the time! Aside from the ORCA card coming out for public transit in the Seattle area (one card that holds data about your account and any money you put on it for all Greater Seattle area transit systems), Sound Transit finally opened up the light rail system and it is up and running! I know that more than a few people are excited about the system, especially people who regularly commute from the southend into downtown Seattle. It is apparently much faster than the quickest bus routes into town.

One night, about a week ago, I was around Denny Way where it crosses over Aurora, waiting for a bus. It was a pleasantly warm night at 10:30ish in the evening and people were passing by with their car windows open. One minivan, which looked like a Honda Oddessey perhaps, that had the Washington state license plate "102-UAL" was approaching the bus stop that I was waiting at with about 3-5 other people and threw what looked like a can or bottle right out the passenger window onto the sidewalk. I sat there staring at the van, dumbfounded (although I apparently gathered my wits enough to look at the car), as it kept on rolling by, but was slowed down by a red light. It pulled up near to where all the "bus waiters" were standing and both seemed to be looking the other way. It was some preppy looking white guy and a blonde-haired woman and they didn't want to check out the crowd after they were stuck stopped next to them. I don't know why I didn't go up and talk to them before they drove off, but I didn't, so I figured I would at least tell the tale. I wanted to go see for sure what had been thrown, but the bus was only a few cars behind and I didn't get the chance. Lousy litterers ruin my relaxed Summer evenings some days...