Bellevue Square Parking Space Warning

-From Martha

Hello fellow educators of adolescent mobility, 

I noticed that outside Bellevue Square they are redo-ing the parking spaces with fresh white paint. While this is to be applauded as the previous parking spaces were quite dull and made it hard to line up the front bumper and turn the wheel appropriately, thus challenging the student’s ability to succeed and also leading them at times to question our methodology, I must admit that I find the parking spaces, upon practice today for my drives, to be much narrower than previously. Previously, I would line up my front bumper and turn the wheel sharply and be able to pull in, while allowing the wheel to unwind (no slipping through the fingers!) slowly, and things would go smoothly. Today, however, I saw that the front bumper, when aligned, did not give me the same amount of room. I turned sharply, but still could not turn sharp enough. I didn’t make it into the space – and this is from an adolescent mobility instructor with 500 hours of drives under her belt, mind you. How will the fresh student do? I did it again and found that if I lined up my front bumper approximately ONE FOOT before the white line, then I could make it into the space. My guess is that Bellevue square, to increase per capita parking spaces and increase revenue, has thus shortened the spaces. Either that, or someone has not successfully measured the parking spaces. Does this merit a call to Bellevue square and a discussion? I would be loathe to see unnecessary collisions (they are not accidents in my classroom!) occur because someone did not appropriately adjust the spaces. For myself, I will be avoiding the parking lot entirely until the situation is remedied. We will practice elsewhere. 

Also, the printer in the Bellevue office is out of paper. I wanted to restock it but did not see procedures to restock printed anywhere. I am sure there is a proper methodology and wish to follow it. I am going to have breakfast tomorrow morning at the Starbucks before my Woodinville drives, if anyone would like to join me to discuss these issues. You get to the Starbucks in Woodinville from the drive location by taking an unprotected left (watch for oncoming traffic!) at the stoplight on 176^th, then proceeding in the left lane until safe to do a lane change (S.M.A.R.T.) to the right lane, slowly applying the brake to slow down (remember to use the ball of the foot!) and turn right into the starbuck’s parking lot before the CONTROLLED intersection at 178^th, and then, as discussed above, lining up your front bumper with the first line and moving into the space that is open…of course. 

Now that I think about it, It is possible that the city or county is redo-ing the lines everywhere, so I will be out there checking the Starbucks lines for anyone concerned as they pull in. This may be a good thing for us to do at all of our locations, and parking lots everywhere, in order to appropriately codify the curriculum, maintain our educational standards, and of course, insure students’ compliance and confidence. What do you think Ron? It does not seem to be too huge a task and certainly important. Other Topics I am thinking about discussing at the Starbucks in Woodinville should anyone choose to join me are the slide in class 13—I believe it is slide ten, that has a typo, and also what exactly is meant by the phrase – honey badger. I have heard a number of students use it lately and I do not, for the life of me, seem able to find a way to place it within the context of our curriculum.

Martha 

Problematic parking space pictured (picture not taken while with student!)