Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, January 18, 2012
City Police Shutting Down Queen Anne Ave Sled Party?
Posted by Eli Sanders on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 4:40 PM
Slog tipper Valerie writes:
I was just walking up Queen Anne Ave. N., watching the sledding festivities on what may be the steepest street in Seattle. It's closed to traffic today, obviously.
I just watched four Seattle police officers tape off the hill, right under a happy gathering of sledders—mostly college students and people in their twenties. I asked a couple of the officers why, and was told "one of my chiefs ordered it." He wouldn't tell me which one.
This doesn't seem like the most sensible policing tactic ever to me—more like a Grinchy city liability pro-forma sort of thing. I told the officers that, if they can give feedback to their commanding officers, the public safety hazard re: sledding on QA Ave today is at the bottom of the hill, not the top. I saw one young daredevil sled right in front of (admittedly very slow) traffic at the notoriously confusing intersection of QA Ave and Roy at the bottom of the hill. Yellow police tape down there could dissuade that sort of behavior—most sledders are using common sense and there is a certain amount of peer pressure for people not to act like idiots.
Sending the police out to establish rules that no one sees the sense in following is weird messaging. I'd bet a lot of money that the sledders will come back in a few hours when the police are gone.
I have a call in to the SPD asking if this is, in fact, happening on Queen Anne—and if so, what the purpose is. My guess is it has something to do with this.
1
there were kids sledding down Republican (from 13th to 12th earlier) ... there were a whole bunch of adults standing on 12th stopping cars if kids were on their way down ... or keeping the kids from starting when traffic was approaching.
2 police cruisers came by ... one of them stopped and told an adult present to be careful and that it looked like a lot of fun... didn't ask them to stop or anything else ... the other one just drove on by waving at the kids.
2 police cruisers came by ... one of them stopped and told an adult present to be careful and that it looked like a lot of fun... didn't ask them to stop or anything else ... the other one just drove on by waving at the kids.
3
City just wants to establish more defenses in case of a liability suit if someone gets injured or killed while sledding. City can now also argue in court "we didn't approve of it; we tried to stop it."
Peek behind every dumb thing government does and you can usually find a lawyer...no, a group of lawyers.
Peek behind every dumb thing government does and you can usually find a lawyer...no, a group of lawyers.
4
I've been listening to the police scanner and it sounds like they've been swamped with calls about serious injuries from sledding. They're probably just pissed at this point.
6
some weather wonk on tv this afternoon cited a seattle ordinance forbidding 'playing in the streets' so that's probably what's behind this. fuck the police. occupy queen anne hill!
7
Yeah, yeah everybody's all "F**K DA' POLICE AND THEIR HEAVY-HANDED AUTHORITARIANISM! WE WANNA HAVE FUUUUUNN!" But, of course, the SECOND some kid gets the top of his or her skull shaved off by sliding under a parked car, or a concussion from slamming head-first into the side of a building or storefront, or gets run over by a car that doesn't seem them careening down a steep hill, the tune will change to "WHY, OH WHY DIDN'T THE CITY DOOOOO SOMETHING TO PREVENT THIS TRAGEDY?!"
Because, you know, that's just how people are...
Because, you know, that's just how people are...
8
There's currently a cop car parked in the middle of the intersection of Queen Anne and Prospect, lights flashing. But there's still a large group of sledders on Highland and they're sledding around it now.
10
The city actually publishes a list of the steepest streets. QA Ave is 11th. http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/st…
11
3/CitizenR: Peek behind every dumb thing government does and you can usually find a lawyer...no, a group of lawyers.
True, but it's not just lawyers. It's also people unwilling to take responsibility for their actions when they do something fun or risky and get hurt.
True, but it's not just lawyers. It's also people unwilling to take responsibility for their actions when they do something fun or risky and get hurt.
12
10/br, thanks for that link. Odd that 4th Ave N on Queen Anne (the section from Newell to Dexter) isn't noted. I think it's steeper than anything on the list.
13
On the last day of my vacation in tropical Kauai, the local paper published a picture skiiers on Queen Anne, I really didn't want to return but...
14
Chris, I live right across the street from you. :)
I was a councilman in a small town and I have to say, it is true. People sue for all kinds of reasons. Every city carries insurance but insurance will hit you with higher rates if they have to pay out for settlements (usually a lot cheaper than letting it go to court) often or can prove you failed to mitigate basic risks. They can also force you to pay a portion of the settlement if they think the city was at least in part to blame. In either case, rates eventually will go up (insurance companies prefer to make money).
It makes me cringe that that is what it comes to but Citizen R is probably right. This is just SOP for reducing liability in the event of an injury. Tort claims are ugly business and a large fixed cost on municipal governments.
I was a councilman in a small town and I have to say, it is true. People sue for all kinds of reasons. Every city carries insurance but insurance will hit you with higher rates if they have to pay out for settlements (usually a lot cheaper than letting it go to court) often or can prove you failed to mitigate basic risks. They can also force you to pay a portion of the settlement if they think the city was at least in part to blame. In either case, rates eventually will go up (insurance companies prefer to make money).
It makes me cringe that that is what it comes to but Citizen R is probably right. This is just SOP for reducing liability in the event of an injury. Tort claims are ugly business and a large fixed cost on municipal governments.
15
@14 - AYIEEEEE! ;)
And as of right now, there are cars at Highland and Prospect with a truck scraping and salting the street... and some idiots on a sled just went ripping down the street.
What was that y'all you were saying about lawsuits?
And as of right now, there are cars at Highland and Prospect with a truck scraping and salting the street... and some idiots on a sled just went ripping down the street.
What was that y'all you were saying about lawsuits?
16
I for one would support the city curtailing the Denny sledding. The crowd is loud, openly drinks beer, and they leave a huge ugly mess not one of them would think of picking up. Also, the Denny sledders will be out until 2 or 3 in the morning. Last year when the crowds grew large enough to block cross traffic on Bellevue, sledders began throwing snowballs at passing cars that dared impede on their fun.
Fun is fun, but the Denny crowds can quickly to anarchy.
Fun is fun, but the Denny crowds can quickly to anarchy.
17
I love the Denny sledders, but the trash left behind is inexcusable. Last year when the sand/salt truck came through sledders booed the truck and pelted it with snowballs. It was a quick end to their party.
18
Sledding is fun, but in Seattle on a snowy day,check in with any local ER and they'll tell you what they think of steep-slope urban sledding, in Seattle.
Can't help but hold my breath on these snowy days.
Seattle is full of inexperienced sledders.
Have fun but watch the kids!!!
Can't help but hold my breath on these snowy days.
Seattle is full of inexperienced sledders.
Have fun but watch the kids!!!
19
Maybe Seattleites are just rude and selfish people?
The drivers are selfish, caring only about getting somewhere in a hurry and nothing for people having a little fun. The sledders are selfish. They don't pick up their own trash, or let people get a good nights sleep. Injured sledders selfishly want to get a big payoff, even though five minutes before they got hurt they were all about the personal responsibility. And the governemnt employees selfishly tries to cover their own ass.
Everyone involved is a selfish jerk, looking out only for number one and everyone else can go to hell. Seattleites are bad people.
For shame.
The drivers are selfish, caring only about getting somewhere in a hurry and nothing for people having a little fun. The sledders are selfish. They don't pick up their own trash, or let people get a good nights sleep. Injured sledders selfishly want to get a big payoff, even though five minutes before they got hurt they were all about the personal responsibility. And the governemnt employees selfishly tries to cover their own ass.
Everyone involved is a selfish jerk, looking out only for number one and everyone else can go to hell. Seattleites are bad people.
For shame.
21
@19, wow, maybe you're just having a really bad day, in which case I'm very sorry to know that.
So... How about this......Go outside to where the sledders are, close your eyes and just listen --listen to the sound of pure joy. I hope you can feel better by doing that.
Really, Seattle is full of wonderful people.
So... How about this......Go outside to where the sledders are, close your eyes and just listen --listen to the sound of pure joy. I hope you can feel better by doing that.
Really, Seattle is full of wonderful people.
22
@21
See. Right there. "Pure" joy you called it. The pure joy of the sledders. But if you think about the people their actions are affecting, it's a more mixed picture. It's only pure joy if you think nothing of other people, only the ones having their fun.
Seattle is full of people who live every day of their lives thinking like that. At least in LA they cop to it. Around here they all think they're humanitarians. Little Ghandis and shit.
See. Right there. "Pure" joy you called it. The pure joy of the sledders. But if you think about the people their actions are affecting, it's a more mixed picture. It's only pure joy if you think nothing of other people, only the ones having their fun.
Seattle is full of people who live every day of their lives thinking like that. At least in LA they cop to it. Around here they all think they're humanitarians. Little Ghandis and shit.
23
@22 -- oh well, it only lasts a day or two, hopefully nobody gets hurt, and hopefully they pick up their own trash. No big deal!
@22 -- oh well, it only lasts a day or two, hopefully nobody gets hurt, and hopefully they pick up their own trash. No big deal!
24
Yep. This happens every winter, like clockwork. Why can't people simply accept this run-of-the-mill occurrence, stay home & not bother people?
Oh, get off my lawn while you're at it.
Oh, get off my lawn while you're at it.
25
Wah wah baby pants. Adults and college students aren't allowed to sled!! Into traffic with no reliable brakes!! It's almost like we are ruled by fascists!!1!
Seriously, dumbtwat, you and your adult and college student friends should post a bond equivalent to the maximum expenses you could receive should you epically crash. If you do that and you're still denied your human sledding right, then you can whine about how unfair the police state is. If you won't post a bond to cover the risks of your recreational activities, don't expect the rest of us to pay your medical expenses. There are much more important people to support than a bunch of breathless privileged hipsters.
Seriously, dumbtwat, you and your adult and college student friends should post a bond equivalent to the maximum expenses you could receive should you epically crash. If you do that and you're still denied your human sledding right, then you can whine about how unfair the police state is. If you won't post a bond to cover the risks of your recreational activities, don't expect the rest of us to pay your medical expenses. There are much more important people to support than a bunch of breathless privileged hipsters.
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