Watch out — this traffic warning has some teeth.
A banner at the Kirkland Way Bridge that says “I eat trucks” has been alerting tall vehicles of the low vertical clearance since July 2021. Even though new changes to Kirkland’s banner codes could have spelled the sharky sign’s doom, the city decided that because the sign is so popular and recognizable, they’ll keep it up. Smart move.
Kirkland resident Angela Beegle said she created the banner after noticing how many crunches happened at the 80-year-old bridge. While there were official Utilities and Transportation Commission signs installed on the road, they may have difficult to see due to a curve in the road.
Angela found the banner in a dumpster, spruced it up, and hung it with help from another woman, Barbie Collins Young, who came up with the slogan.
Low and behold, people are still getting the message a year and a half later. According to the city’s data, there were 10 fewer crashes at the bridge from 2021-22 compared to the previous two years.
“As an ordinary neighbor, I can do things and act more rapidly than the city can do,” said Angela, who added that she’s grateful the city will be taking stewardship of the signs soon.
“I don’t think I’ve done an extraordinary thing. But my husband says, ‘The point is that you did it, and no one else has ever tried.’ And that does make me feel like I’ve accomplished something positive.”
