And if so, why doesn’t it get me more cool points?

I bought a compact car in 2000. At the time, gas was $1/gal. Today it has over 180K miles on it and still gets 34mpg or better on the highway doing 70 with a full trunk and four riders. It was recently listed as one of the top 16 most economical used cars to get. SUVs and other gas guzzlers, once popular status symbols and family “necessities” are now being discarded like Betamax tapes.

I’ve also been riding the bus to work since I started my current job about two years ago, when gas was under $3/gal. A few times here and there I also take the train.

I beat the first trend by 6-8 years and the second trend by 1-2 years.

Now, to figure out what trend to be ahead on next.

Oh great. I can’t wait for the anti-viaduct crowd to add “It encourages crime!” to their repertoire.

Two people carjacked under viaduct

Two people were forced from their car at gunpoint late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning in downtown Seattle, the Seattle police reported.

The carjacking occurred around midnight in the 900 block of Alaskan Way, police spokesman Sean Whitcomb said.

Sound Transit’s Link light rail construction project is curently occupying the Seattle bus tunnel and strips of land along 6th the busway in Sodo. The tracks are down, the platforms are in, and even the shelters, sconces, and other decorative / stylistic elements. The stations look like they could open in two months… but the system won’t be operable for another 2-3 years.

Don’t get me wrong. Seattle and more importantly, its metro area, really needs this project. But does Sound Transit really think that all the nice Sol Lewitt-esque modern-art-deco fixtures and awnings will really look as nice in 2-3 years when the stations finally open, as they do now? Looking around at the surrounding buildings and fences, etc., in Sodo, nearly everything covered in graffiti and lots of windows broken, I don’t have much hope for the safety of the nice white plexiglass and bright red trim. I hope Sound Transit has budgeted the cost of having to replace as many as half of these fixtures by the time the line is running.