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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so buckle up

Talk about a panhandler with expensive taste.

A certain plain-clothed Washington State Patrol trooper operating earlier this month near Tacoma wasn’t looking for spare change. He was looking for seat-belt law violators, who were promptly given $101 tickets.

The trooper stood at a corner, holding a sign reminding people to buckle up.

When drivers stopped at the intersection, he looked into their cars, and then radioed other officers to stop those not wearing seat belts.

The same operation has been used in Vancouver.

It created something of an uproar on the west side of the state, where King County troopers are considering similar tactics. But local troopers don’t plan to test the approach in Spokane County.

“We’re looking at other avenues to address the 5 percent of people who aren’t wearing seat belts,” said WSP Capt. Jeff Otis. “It’s a public safety issue for us.”

So, in that spirit, here’s some Getting There begging: Please have safe, happy holidays, and buckle up.

Snoqualmie lanes to reopen

The days of fretting behind a large tractor-trailer headed to Seattle could soon be over.

All Interstate 90 Snoqualmie Pass lanes are expected to be clear and open by the middle of this week, as crews wrap up work stabilizing a slope east of the pass.

Bolts have already been secured in the rock face and large steel mesh nets are being installed to catch any falling rocks.

Now if a major blizzard holds off, it may be smooth driving for the long Christmas weekend coming up.

End of an icon

What is it about those bright-red double-decker London buses? Tourists who never rode the bus at home couldn’t wait to jump aboard.

But now the days of the “Routemaster” bus are over.

Other than on two limited routes, the 1950s era buses have been retired because of disabled-access issues.

Modern double-deckers will still travel London streets, but it just won’t be the same.

Makes you wonder how all those now-unused buses would look on Spokane streets. But, then, they probably wouldn’t fit under the skywalks.

Fair warnings

Local and state law enforcement have a couple of patrols going on this week to bust drunken drivers and make sure people don’t leave their cars idling unattended.

People always say you can’t legislate common sense. Well, maybe you can.

Leaving your car running outside while you’re inside? Bad idea and illegal to the tune of a $101 ticket.

Spokane police are going to be leaving warnings on violators’ windshields this week. Better that than what four people found last Wednesday — their cars had been stolen.

And drunken driving? We all know it spells trouble. Police across the state will hold their annual “Night of 1,000 Stars” Friday to bust those who drink and drive.