I drive through the 44th and 196th Street intersection in Lynnwood every day on my way to work. The corners are filled with sign wavers asking for our vote. It’s very distracting. I’m trying to concentrate on my driving to avoid any accidents. It’s not a place for people to stand and wave to drivers. There are other ways to get votes, as there are other ways of ticketing bad drivers.
I was recently ticketed and now find there is an added tension for me, which is distracting my driving. Normally I am a very conscientious driver. Now I need to look beyond the cars in front of me and anticipate if they are slowing down or if there will be a delay. I have to decide if I should slow down or keep going at a normal speed through the green light and risk getting stuck in the intersection as it turns yellow and then red.
The Lynnwood police say you cannot get a ticket if you are in the intersection as it turns yellow. You have “four” seconds to get through the yellow light before it turns red. I’m driving too slow at times, which can create a hazard, as can speeding up. They call this safe driving?
I do resent the fact the city of Lynnwood contracts with an Arizona company to tell them what is going on in our neighborhood. I also resent the fact the city allows our politicians to put their consituants in unsafe situations by creating hazards on street corners. I am told by the Lynnwood Police Department they are reviewing the tapes several times and only ticketing “red light runners.” In my case, I entered the intersection at green, was slowed by traffic in front of me at yellow, and ticketed on red as I was leaving the intersection.
I think it’s wonderful how the police and the politicians are working together to make us all safer!
Mary Haile
Lynnwood
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