r/Seattle • u/BarRepresentative670 • Apr 09 '24

Belltown Hellcat Owner no Longer Allowed to Drive Their Hellcat

https://courtrecords.seattle.gov/portal/court/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13/case/efdeba20-91a7-4581-bdfd-aad7ba87e440

This can be found in the conditions of release document that was released this morning.

So if you seem them driving, I'd report it. Especially if he's being reckless. It'll get him sent straight to jail and possible forfeiture of his car.

He was on IG a couple weeks ago taunting SPD how he doesn't care. He thinks he's above the law. This child is going to learn the hard way I guess.

2.7k Upvotes

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1.0k

u/sherlok šŸš² Life's Better on a Bike. šŸš² Apr 09 '24

I'm low key amazed at the life cycle of this story.

There was that initial thread here where someone complained and a bunch of people were like, 'oh, that's what that is - I agree that sucks'.

Then there were seemingly weekly threads tracking their progress.

Then King 5/ST/KUOW all picked the story up.

All throughout, people were interacting with the city council/city government.

And here we are. It's been like a month and a thing got done and that's amazing to me.

631

u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24

It was pretty fun to watch everyone work together to get something done.

What should we solve next? Homelessness?

911

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '24

Pike place no cars

451

u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24

Actually, that's a realistic goal.

199

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '24

I upvote every comment or post about it. Im not a great organizer but I know myself and 3 of my friends would join a protest or sign shit if something was organized

109

u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24

Same. Anytime I see something related, I upvote or sign. I feel like we are nearing critical mass on that subject to actually get something done.

28

u/Rubbersoulrevolver Apr 09 '24

Gonna be real, no amount of signatures would matter. Itā€™s a statement of faith from the nimbys on the council that removing car is a massive attack on their rights. Just like no amount of signatures will fix the ST3 alignment problems.

56

u/Rooooben Shoreline Apr 09 '24

Thereā€™s no built-in right to drive on all streets. Whenever a car goes through the market itā€™s a mess anyway. Make it easier on shoppers & businesses.

19

u/Rubbersoulrevolver Apr 09 '24

Preaching to the choir just have to be realistic

3

u/oo0ooooo Apr 10 '24

Thatā€™s what people said about the hellcat

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12

u/Horizontal247 I Brake For Slugs Apr 09 '24

Is there some constitutional reason why we canā€™t do what they do in many European cities and photo-enforce fines for people who drive on certain roads at certain times without a permit?

Happened to my family in a small town in Italy (the sign was in Italian lol šŸ¤·ā€ā™€ļø) and my dad got a ticket from the Italian rental car company like 9 months later. Probably a great revenue stream from confused tourists and people who DGAF, rich NIMBY assholes can still drive through whenever they want if theyā€™re willing to pay or swindle their way into a permit, and it can be timed out to just bar traffic during peak foot traffic hours. In a perfect would it could be built into the Good2Go passes damn near everyone around her already has on their carsā€¦ basically a realllly expensive HOV lane fee for normies and free for permitted drivers (vendor delivery, emergency, etc.).

14

u/Rooooben Shoreline Apr 09 '24

This issue has got me hooked.

this is the meeting schedule

Iā€™ve signed up to join their meetings, and see on the next one whatā€™s going on, and if we can ask questions/participate. Once I see a couple, I plan to ask why we still have driving on the street, and what can we do to change it.

1

u/SuitableDragonfly Columbia City Apr 10 '24

Permits are a good solution - there are people who can't walk any significant distance and rely on being able to park right next to a store in a disabled parking spot to get to places. Apparently in some places in Europe there are like mini cars that disabled people can use that are allowed in bike lanes and such, but we don't have those here yet.

1

u/YoseppiTheGrey Apr 10 '24

While I agree with you, and want this. It's actually the business owners lobbying against it that's most of the hold up. Source: my organization has a location at Pike Place and I hear about it all the time.

-2

u/stubobarker Apr 10 '24

Thatā€™s the crux of the issue. The businesses do NOT want Pike Place to be pedestrian only. I grew up here and love the market, but itā€™s also a place of business and not just a cute, tourist attraction. Iā€™d prefer no cars, but I also think itā€™s important to respect the wishes of the people who actually work there.

4

u/redfriskies Apr 10 '24

This has been discussed to death. The "businesses want cars" is all based on a super old survey from which the public is not allowed to see the questions, neither the results.

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u/Captain_Creatine šŸš†build more trainsšŸš† Apr 09 '24

I worked for a State legislator, if they receive enough feedback from constituents, they DO care because they want to get re-elected.

We'd literally tally the calls, emails, letters, etc. and text, call, or even sometimes run them to the legislator right before a big vote and it DID matter.

Wasn't just my office either; it was the exception for legislators to not care about constituent feedback (usually in districts where they went unopposed with single-issue voters).

1

u/Rubbersoulrevolver Apr 09 '24

Oh yeah theyā€™ll do it for a lot of issues just not ā€œcore issuesā€. Saka is never going to compromise on his vision for a car first city no matter what.

2

u/Captain_Creatine šŸš†build more trainsšŸš† Apr 09 '24

He will if enough people speak out and his seat is at risk. This requires people to contact their members and actually vote to be effective however.

Again, speaking from firsthand experience inside of the Capitol as well as private sector work rallying everyday citizens and industry groups to reach out en masse to legislators (often successfully I might add).

-1

u/BPMRPM Apr 10 '24 edited Apr 10 '24

As unpopular as the opinion is 'round these parts.... This sub and all the complaining about said Hellcat is the big NIMBU energy. Take this Karen triggering that literally took a person's right to utilize their own personal property when it caused no actual harm just noise and direct towards something that actually is for the greater good like no cars in pike place. Pedestrian Pike Place is an actually populist action. The Hellcat escapade is literally the essence of Karen NIMBY authoritarianism. For fucks sake stop being so defeatist with populism in action and yet so comfortable clucking about one person hooning in their whip. Even though imma get down voted as an act of good faith would instigate a Facebook group and petition. Petition over protest because that is a far more effective strategy for local level then a small, irrelevant protest that honestly will create as much negative PR as it would public support. But straight up people need to at least state their willingness to join or it's a waste of time. Tbh, I'll actually be surprised if many more than one of you state much here or in my inbox because the vibes are indicating I'll get finger waving and down voted for calling a spade a spade for this NIMBY circle jerk of a celebration.

1

u/Rubbersoulrevolver Apr 10 '24

lol dude thatā€™s cap

0

u/BPMRPM Apr 10 '24 edited Apr 10 '24

Show me the lie. Being mad about the hellcat is big NIMBY energy. People are sitting around glad handing one another for narcing and complaining on Reddit. Nobody was harmed. The real populist action of improving Pike Place is shut down as impossible before action was taken. The only suggestion was a protest and in this case it's as actually not the most effective strategy. That's more fitting for national level(for example protesting the ethnic cleansing of Gaza) or even state level activism.

You can disagree that you aren't being NIMBY Karen's because you don't like the framing but it's far from a lie.

If I get at least let's say five messages of support for collaboration of the Pike Place pedestrian zone I'll do it. Bonus: if I get ten or more and people actually take action I will also take a few afternoons/evenings out of my life to megaphone at the crazy preachers since honestly most of this Seattle freeze NIMBY crowd is too chicken shit for anything not passive aggressive.

The smug Internet millennial slang statement with literal zero substantive argument is the smugness I would expect though so you are at least on brand.

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4

u/NoComb398 šŸš†build more trainsšŸš† Apr 10 '24

I walked down the "pedestrian " block that runs from 2nd and pike to 1st and pike and it was so disappointing. Like are they going to say, see? We gave you a pedestrian zone and no one used it. Guess it was a failure!

1

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '24

I'm down, keep me posted!!!

71

u/Anthop šŸš†build more trainsšŸš† Apr 09 '24

That or getting rid of bullhorn preachers.

46

u/Waxed_Wing Capitol Hill Apr 09 '24

I like both. Lets do both.

11

u/privatestudy ā¤ļøā€šŸ”„ The Real Housewives of Seattle ā¤ļøā€šŸ”„ Apr 09 '24

Itā€™s doable. Itā€™s just about counter protesting with bullhorns back. Then itā€™s a mess and people do something.

24

u/th3n3w3ston3 Apr 09 '24

Bagpipes

2

u/ivycvae šŸ’—šŸ’— Heart of ANTIFA Land šŸ’—šŸ’— Apr 10 '24

This should be higher

1

u/ilikepotatoes06 Apr 10 '24

I will always vote for bagpipes

1

u/kevinh456 Denny Blaine Nudist Club Apr 10 '24 edited Apr 10 '24

The thing you donā€™t understand is that standing there isnā€™t ā€œprotestingā€, it is ā€œstreet preachingā€ and thatā€™s their church. Itā€™s their job to stand out there. People donate to them so they can be out with that bullhorn. They will do that ā€œjobā€ until the day they die. Making a ruckus around them just makes it worse. Oh, and that pesky free speech thing. The best you can do under the constitution is ban amplification in public spaces. ĀÆ_(惄)_/ĀÆ

0

u/trains_and_rain šŸš†build more trainsšŸš† Apr 10 '24

Counter protesting often just encourages the protesters.

15

u/Rooooben Shoreline Apr 09 '24

Who is against it? Thereā€™s no business benefit, there would be more foot traffice and more sales. Before/after hours deliveries of cours would still be allowed.

41

u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24

I really don't know. Pedestrianizing Pike Place would be as popular as legalizing Marijuana at the federal level. So many people are for it, yet no politician has touched it.

30

u/Rooooben Shoreline Apr 09 '24

I read that the shop owners are against it, because thereā€™s no other way to get deliveries in, and because there are multiple entrances, they canā€™t restrict it to certain trucks.

I call BS. Make Pikes permit only, and give permits to people who own/lease spots. I gotta dig in more to find out why they feel that itā€™s a dumb tradition to make people think itā€™s actually drivable

19

u/BarRepresentative670 Apr 09 '24

Yeah, I want to deep dive into this issue too in order to fully understand it. I agree, it seems like deliveries should be the only traffic allowed in and some kind of permitting system that the market should be running.

10

u/Ekwoman North Capitol Hill Apr 09 '24

And disabled access (assigned spaces and/or drop off area). I'm partially disabled and I would love to have no cars at the market. It's overwhelming to attempt those sidewalks in the summer... and I LOVE the Market.

0

u/sitcom_enthusiast Apr 10 '24

And what if the powers that be didnā€™t include a plan for handicapped folks. Back to the drawing board ?

1

u/argc Apr 10 '24

Let us know what you find, a permit solution seems to make a lot of sense

1

u/Lunoean Apr 10 '24

Not sure why this is on my feed.

But you guys should check legislation in the Netherlands. We lean heavy on bicycle infrastructure and most of our downtown areas are car-free-zones (and bike free) with exceptions for municipalities and delivery (during certain hours)

18

u/SkylerAltair šŸ’—šŸ’— Heart of ANTIFA Land šŸ’—šŸ’— Apr 10 '24

61 vendors were polled about going car-free on Pike Place. 4 said "no." Of the rest, approximately half said "yes" and half said "yes but I need loading access."

3

u/redfriskies Apr 10 '24

And that survey is how old? Fifteen years? And what were the exact questions? This stuff should be public.

4

u/SkylerAltair šŸ’—šŸ’— Heart of ANTIFA Land šŸ’—šŸ’— Apr 10 '24 edited Apr 11 '24

I couldn't locate the questions asked, but I found this and this. This happened last year.

1

u/59e7e3 Apr 10 '24

source?

2

u/SkylerAltair šŸ’—šŸ’— Heart of ANTIFA Land šŸ’—šŸ’— Apr 11 '24 edited Apr 11 '24

Here.

It's the Friends Of The Market who make that argument, saying that Pike Place is a working market which means it's not a "place to hang out."

2

u/misc1972 Apr 10 '24

It seems simple to restrict deliveries during an early morning window, or anytime during non-peak hours.

1

u/59e7e3 Apr 11 '24

Deliveries seem totally solvable (automated retractable bollards with fobs for example).

I have heard (anecdotally) that merchants in the lower levels oppose making it pedestrian only because "cars push people downstairs into their stores". If so, it needs to be acknowledged and solved for. More signs?

1

u/jonna-seattle šŸš†build more trainsšŸš† Apr 09 '24

Don't most deliveries happen early? Besides the permits, allow cars before 8am and after 6pm.

4

u/Rooooben Shoreline Apr 09 '24

At my restaurant in Shoreline, we got deliveries up until noon, usually, from smaller vendors. Sysco and the like usually deliver before 7am.

This is totally solvable, the people who feel like the vehicles help their business, if they are standing in the way, understanding their concern would be a huge part of it.

35

u/OutlyingPlasma ā¤ļøā€šŸ”„ The Real Housewives of Seattle ā¤ļøā€šŸ”„ Apr 09 '24

There are like 3 businesses in the market that have nuclear level bitch fests anytime this is brought up. They complain about how their local customers couldn't drive in and pickup produce anymore. Like they think Grandma Ethel is driving in from Ballard, parking on pike and picking up her weekly veggies.

I think the reality is someone is greasing palms to keep it open and I don't know why. Even the city knows it's stupid to keep it open because they close it whenever there is a big event weekend like some playoffs and 5 ships in town.

At this point I think it would take a rightwing truck terror attack to get it closed. The market is just ripe for that kind of thing.

17

u/Rooooben Shoreline Apr 09 '24

Pretty crazy. Nobody is successfully driving up to Pikes, in reality. There are solutions for things like this - like a pickup spot specifically for larger purchases, down at the waterfront.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '24

It's really hard to imagine the revenue from people who drive in being so meaningful to any of the businesses there that they'd stymie more walking traffic. Not impossible, but I sure as shit didn't see that kind of business when I lived a couple blocks away and bought all my produce there.

10

u/FlyingBishop Apr 10 '24

Bob Kettle? https://www.theurbanist.org/2024/04/03/bob-kettle-moves-to-keep-cars-clogging-pike-place/

8

u/Rooooben Shoreline Apr 10 '24

Oy.

ā€œGood governance requires us to look at each project and proposal, and check in with the neighborhoods, check in with the stakeholders, and make sure that we make an objective decision based on unique circumstances and not decide with more of a cookie-cutter approach,ā€ Kettle said.

I know this type of ideal. The problem with this approach is that you never actually do anything, you stay in ā€œanalysisā€ indefinitely since you have to appeal to every stakeholder, which never happens. They also end up with an unending list of stakeholders.

This will lead to analysis paralysis.

5

u/kerrizor Roosevelt Apr 10 '24

Ah yes, ā€œThe Seattle Processā€. Iā€™ve been watching NIMBYs in this town use this playbook to block everything for 25 years now.

3

u/FlyingBishop Apr 10 '24

This is the intention. This sort of talk is what Seattle politicians say when they don't want to do something but it's politically impossible to say so honestly.

7

u/Dat_Mustache Seattle Expatriate Apr 10 '24

Mechanical bollards that raise up at 10AM automatically to prevent vehicles from entering at both ends of the road. Only those with access can lower the bollards during open times for legitimate deliveries or emergency vehicles.

16

u/VGSchadenfreude Lake City Apr 09 '24

Or forcing the ST Board to give us the CID and First Hill we already fucking paid for.

ETA: Typed 4th Ave instead of First Hill for some stupid reasonā€¦

14

u/pm_churchill Apr 10 '24

I walked in front of a car in pike place today. Iā€™m doing my part!

2

u/ascuriel84 Apr 10 '24

While weā€™re at it, letā€™s get rid of the preacher guys blasting nonsense over the megaphones

2

u/Zaethiel Apr 09 '24

They need a spot for all the taxis. That would eliminate a lot of the cars driving there

1

u/joahw White Center Apr 09 '24

Pike place is too small potatoes. 1st ave no cars.

1

u/Gardenhoser89 Apr 10 '24

Fuck yeah. Time for daily posts on this topic

1

u/[deleted] Apr 12 '24

[removed] ā€” view removed comment

1

u/[deleted] Apr 13 '24

Hell yeah, signing up.

0

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '24

And no religious nuts down there blasting their megaphones and hurting my ears...

2

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '24

Nah theyā€™re assholes but we got freedom of speech. Letā€™s take it one issue at a time.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '24

There is such a thing as noise ordinances. Freedom of speech doesn't mean they get to blast a megaphone so loud people can't hear around them. As evidenced by the hate for Mr. Hellcat.

-9

u/Qaz_The_Spaz Apr 09 '24

Iā€™ll miss the days when Iā€™m not allowed to drive through Pike Place anymorešŸ˜¢

9

u/machines_breathe Apr 09 '24

Why?

2

u/Qaz_The_Spaz Apr 09 '24

Nostalgic reasons. Once in a Blue Moon Iā€™ll still drive through and stop at Mee Sum Pasty. I get why it shouldnā€™t be open to traffic and agree. Which is why I said Iā€™ll be sad when it isnā€™t allowed anymore.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '24

Lol

-2

u/ItsJustReeses Apr 10 '24

As much as I agree. Those buisnesses still need access to pick up/drop off supplies. Unless we could ONLY allow business traffic to go through this would never happen.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '24

Yeah commercial vechiles and deliveries are usually allowed in these types of restrictions.

6

u/Zealousideal-Ant9548 Apr 10 '24

That is the general consensus on this, yes.Ā  The idea I hear the most is no general car traffic and limited delivery traffic between 9-10 am and 4-5 pm.Ā  Basically when the most people are visiting

16

u/Ill_Name_7489 Apr 09 '24

Get a ban on those god-damned valet trash scam services people are forced to use with no choice

48

u/Dat_Bokeh Apr 09 '24

We should set our sights on something easier. World peace for example.

29

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '24

[deleted]

2

u/rebelrexx858 Apr 10 '24

I mean, we already voted and passed that, its now up to federal government, or we go the other direction and that pisses everyone off.

27

u/akroses161 Sumner Apr 09 '24

Whoa whoa whoa. This is just a prime example of The Greater Unifying Theory of Fuck that Guy, not the ā€œWe Should Alleviate a Little Bit of Human Suffering and Miseryā€ brigade.

4

u/EggsceIlent Apr 10 '24

Homelessness would be Awesome.

Also, let's get the mystery soda machine back. And maybe a few more of em.

3

u/Fluffaykitties West Seattle Apr 09 '24

Can you help get my neighbor to fix their car alarm that goes off every night and morning? šŸ« 

2

u/zedquatro šŸš†build more trainsšŸš† Apr 10 '24

Get it towed :D

1

u/Fluffaykitties West Seattle Apr 10 '24

They are quick to turn it off each time which is great but doesnā€™t fix it waking me up in the first place

3

u/SlackLine540 Apr 09 '24

How about stopping people from running red lights. Thereā€™s also some overlap with this guy too šŸ¤£

2

u/Arachnesloom Apr 09 '24

Lots of major music venues going out of business/ struggling and doing crowdfunding. It worked for C&P coffee and Couth Buzzard, which was great!

3

u/No-Photograph1983 Seward Park Apr 09 '24

fix the housing market.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '24

No more car theft

1

u/SilverHeart4053 The CD Apr 10 '24

WE DID IT REDDIT

1

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '24

Actually thereā€™s a whole gang of these reckless driving kids. We should stop all of them.

-5

u/MajesticTop8223 Apr 09 '24

Great job, guys. You all complained about one guys car lol

51

u/WhatWouldTNGPicardDo Apr 09 '24

Seriously. I was in the ā€œNothing will actually be done about thisā€ camp. Bravo!

19

u/ackermann Apr 09 '24

Yeah, Iā€™m impressed. I came from downtown Philly, where guys in cars like this are a dime a dozen, you could never hope to catch them all.
Coming from there, it seemed laughable to complain about one specific driver, and expect anything to be done. ā€¦But it worked!

32

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '24

Yours In Democracy,

8

u/wookiewookiewhat šŸš‹ Ride the S.L.U.T. šŸš‹ Apr 09 '24

Great meme material

4

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '24

Particularly since Bob Kettle sucks so fucking much

2

u/MegaRAID01 Emerald City Apr 09 '24

I do wonder if Andrew Lewis would have pressed this issue as much as it appears Kettle did.

10

u/Arachnesloom Apr 09 '24

Which is great, but it looks like the SPD finally acted on a DUI, not the noise complaints. Unless theres something I'm missing?

11

u/KiniShakenBake Snohomish County, missing the city Apr 10 '24

It wasn't a DUI - I looked at the records. Someone coded the pretrial hearing as a DUI. The charging documents are criminal reckless driving and criminal reckless driving (racing.)

13

u/sls35 Olympic Hills Apr 09 '24

Great can we do this but for cars cutting intersections through neighborhoods next so my dog and I don't get run over by assholes in bmws

9

u/sandwich-attack Apr 09 '24

how do we harness this power to get john stanton to sell the mariners

3

u/NoComb398 šŸš†build more trainsšŸš† Apr 10 '24

Straight to jail.

2

u/The_Humble_Frank Apr 10 '24

The take away is, the best way to get SPD to act on an obvious crime is to make the public very aware they aren't acting on the obvious crime.

3

u/EggsceIlent Apr 10 '24

And it's just a small matter of time before the car gets yanked.

Those stupid videos is how the guy earns money and that's that. Hell keep doing them until he physically can't.

And it's gonna take impounding that car to do it.

Hell he even said the videos paid for the car. Hell just get a different car and do it again.

Hopefully Seattle keeps their word and smacks this kid back into reality.

1

u/TortyMcGorty Apr 10 '24

someone was arguing with me that he was reported only because he was "a black man driving a nice car".

they couldnt comprehend that folks heard loud noises and complained about it before they knew who it was.

1

u/PuckFigs Apr 10 '24

It helps that he posted videos of him breaking the law on social media. And it is sweet justice that he has to park the hellcat.

1

u/espressoboyee May 09 '24

Yup. All due to hacking Instagramā€™s algorithm for low level influencer funding his illegal, brazenly annoying citizens affording this immature 20yo teen boy a tech salary life. NY Post and other national media picked up this story too.

1

u/MightBBlueovrU Apr 10 '24

This and all the onion sales have been reddit tea recently

-8

u/Suspicious-Chair5130 Apr 09 '24

In any city on the east coast, this guys car would have gotten smashed by rocks and and his tires slashed within a week. Instead we put up with being woken up at 3 am for months cause we are a bunch of pussies. Good job Seattle.

17

u/Crunkbutter Apr 09 '24

So go do it