Burien, WA Support Our Troops Rallies

4/1/03 | JennyP

[jennyp]

Two Support Our Troops rallies in Burien this week, at the intersection of 1st Ave. S. and 148th St. (hwy 518):

• THURSDAY: Every Thursday from 5:00pm - 7:30pm. I saw them last week, and there were around 10 enthusiastic people with flags & signs. I found out that they do this every Thursday. I don't know if they're connected to Free Republic, but they'll know about us soon enough. :-)

• SATURDAY: 12:00 Noon - 3pm. Hubby & I started this last weekend. There was lots of traffic 'til 2 or 3pm when it started trailing off.

• SUNDAY: 12:00 Noon - 3pm. Surprisingly, traffic was also good on Sunday.

It gets interesting on Sunday, because Sound Nonviolent Opponents of War (SNOW) apparently has already been protesting on this corner on Sundays at this time. When we were there they had a half-dozen dull protesters on one corner, with hubby & I raucously generating all the honks & waves from the opposite corner with our one flag & one big "Support our Troops" sign.

This is a very friendly traffic area! We regularly got 3 cars in a row honking, and a couple times I was able to get 5 in a row to honk. We got cars, trucks, bicycles, Metro buses, semis, and even cops honking. Several times we had several vehicles honking at once for several seconds on end.

BTW, thank you to the guys at Burien Toyota. A pickup truck full of salesmen pulled up Sunday & handed us a big bundle of red, white & blue balloons. Cool!

This is such a hoot! Not to mention a good aerobic workout. The secret, for those of you who - like me - are quiet keyboard jockeys, is to discover your hidden cheerleader. After a while it almost becomes a rockin' party, where you are the hostess & all the vehicles that are stopped at the light are the party animal guests. If you approach it with that mindset, you can really magnify the response into sort of a chain reaction.

I'm convinced we can generate the same kind of magic in West Seattle - I understand there's someone who's been waving the flag at the overpass leading to the W. Seattle Bridge, but I think the nearby intersection at Fauntleroy & Alaska would be a better location. It's a wide intersection with lots of traffic, and we can generate more of a relationship with the drivers there. (More honks!)

Another idea would be Admiral Way & California Ave.

I know people keep talking about trying out California & Alaska (the heart of "The Junction"), but it's kinda cramped, and the sidewalks are blocked with parked cars during rush hour. I think that intersections with wide, open sidewalks have much better visibility. That's very important, IMO.

Should we try it in W. Seattle one of these days?

[jennyp]

Seattle area freepers BUMP.

[Eala]

The secret, for those of you who - like me - are quiet keyboard jockeys, is to discover your hidden cheerleader. After a while it almost becomes a rockin' party, where you are the hostess & all the vehicles that are stopped at the light are the party animal guests. If you approach it with that mindset, you can really magnify the response into sort of a chain reaction.

I'm normally a rather quiet type, but I discovered this a few years ago waving campaign signs. Keep moving, wave, make eye contact, smile... it gets great results! When it gets to be time to leave -- you don't want to.

[Eala]

jennyp, I hope you don't mind that I quoted you on my website http://eala.freeservers.com.

[Eala]

ping

[CyberCowboy777]

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[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Bump

[LibertarianLiz]

BTW, thank you to the guys at Burien Toyota. A pickup truck full of salesmen pulled up Sunday & handed us a big bundle of red, white & blue balloons. Cool!

As of this morning, the balloons are still there. I drive by this intersection couple of times a day as my daughter is enrolled at Kennedy H.S. just down the street.

[tomakaze]

If that was saturday then I think I saw a few folks on the corner there in Burien. I got a couple blurry snaps I'll put up when I get around to it.

[irishtenor]

Wow, I didn't know so many of us lived in the Burien area. Saw the balloons, but didn't know what they were about.

[jennyp]

Cool! Stop by Thursday during the afternoon commute or Sat or Sun after Noon & bring your camera. We'll get you something good to shoot.

[jennyp]

I'm normally a rather quiet type, but I discovered this a few years ago waving campaign signs. Keep moving, wave, make eye contact, smile... it gets great results! When it gets to be time to leave -- you don't want to.

Yeah, it's great being able to put someone else on the spot for once, LOL!

[jennyp]

As of this morning, the balloons are still there.

You know, when we got there Sunday we thought they weren't even in business anymore, so we tied the balloons to the building. But apparently they are. I actually prefer that corner (SE) because it's not obstructed by any light poles.

When we left, we asked the restaurant owners if they wanted us to take the balloons down & they said no. I guess if any freepers in the Burien area likes Thai you should check them out. It's the former IHOP barn.

[tomakaze]

Wow, I didn't know so many of us lived in the Burien area
 
Actually I don't, I'm in the Tri-Cities. I was just in Seattle over the weekend doing some consulting work (ok, ok, I did about 4 hours work and spent the other 4 days slacking off and screwing around with my friends)
We where cruising over to this killer comic/game shop in Burien when I saw the folks on the corner and snapped a couple pics.
I gotta admit though, Initially I was thinking "Gawdamned hippies!" and getting ready to pull over till I caught the sign and figured out you guys were "friendlys" :-)
 
I'll put em up sometime and post em here.

[Libertina]

Great job Jenny!
Rally Report BUMP!

[jennyp]

Initially I was thinking "Gawdamned hippies!"

What, you sayin' we look like hippies?!?

[tomakaze]

What, you sayin' we look like hippies?!?
no no no! perish the thought :-) I just got an earful on the radio about all the protests going on and was expecting the worst. it was nice to see the good guys on the corner for a change.

[tomakaze]

here's them pictures


 
Like I said, they aint too sharp or clear, but there it is. best I could do sticking my arm through the sunroof of my buddy's wife li'l rice grinder.
I'd have liked to stopped and chatted, but we were on sort of a schedule.
Next time I'm in the area and I stumble on another one (and have time) maybe I'll "crash it" and see how long folks can put up with me lol.

[jennyp]

It's still hard to believe 3 people were able to cause so much commotion!