Iceland Iceland and IcelandAir bad Photographer Contest

The daily trees photo

Iceland Iceland

Land of volcanoes that can eat small villages and occasionally disrupt global air travel. Sobering to think of that in this the year of our Lord 2026 when all global energy prices are through the roof. 

Thanks to RantWoman's volcano video habit, YouTube has previously sent RantWoman assorted tourism themed videos. Based on these videos, RantWoman has formed the impression that Iceland is very interesting geologically and if one wants to chase the aurora borealis. Also, nature is gorgeous but experiencing it can be challenging.  The weather is to put it diplomatically unpredictable. And travel is EXPENSIVE. 

Part of RantWoman's fun has been elaborating and adjusting that impression as well, repeatedly, as asking Google / Gemini questions and coming back with answers that keep RantWoman coming back for more and even thinking about how travel to Iceland can be affordable for many categories of travelers. More in a moment, in a few cases just RantWoman's queries replicated for readers to do their own next steps.

Land of many summits of world leaders. RantWoman is the kind of nerd tourist who might go to and even enthusiastically participate in a half day or even a full day opportunity to replay one of the summits held in Rekjavik. RantWoman has not gone looking to see for sure whether such a tourist attraction might exist but would seriously consider participating in it if it existed.

Land of many churches interesting to photograph, not just the famous tall one in Rekjavik.

what churches can one visit in iceland - Google Search

 Land of lots of hot springs and geothermal energy. Lots of the videos talk about people renting cars to travel independently. If RantWoman is travelling alone, renting a car or even a camper is not really an option. Global fuel prices are forecast to stay high for quite a while so RantWoman has wondered about but not researched, what is the electric vehicle scene like in Iceland. Is there geothermal electricity generation? Is that ubiquitous enough that people could simply plug cars in at every stop and charge without needing special charging stations? Is this whole paragraph just a dream that might need to be more fully realized

Land where one can't name their child Harriet? The short answer: a concept near to RantWoman's language nerd hear, to wit noun declension.

why can t you name your child harriet in iceland - Google Search

Icelandic girls can't be called Harriet, government tells family | Iceland | The Guardian

Iceland parents told children cannot be called Harriet or Duncan because they are not government approved names | The Independent | The Independent

Icelandic Naming Committee - Wikipedia

RantWoman did it. RantWoman submitted a VERY barebones video entry saying basically, RantWoman has a lot to say and cramming it all into a one-minute video is not happening so please check out this blog. RantWoman is having fun thinking about this contest. That is the main thing.

PS. There is a question in the application form about how comfortable one is being on camera. RantWoman can manage. RantWoman has other thoughts about whether one is supposed to be good or bad at social media in general, but the application does not ask that.

Stay tuned for some of RantWoman's favorite YouTube channels.

Some Useful Iceland-themed YouTube channels

Iceland Iceland

Whether one is abstractly planning a trip to Iceland or just massaging the idea for the IcelandAir Bad Photographer contest, here are some YouTube channel suggestions, sometimes based on one example from the channel.

RantWoman is amused by a few points:

--All the videos with the word "Mistakes" in the title.

--Advice from everyone not to buy expensive bottled water and shopping at the regular grocery chains, not the big tourist-oriented store in Reykjavik. Also comments about using the city bus from the airport and saving money over lagoon prices by going to the many public pools.

--Very adamant safety culture: no speeding. No drunk driving. No stopping except in designated lookout points to take photos. Park only where authorized. No walkiing on hot lava. Avoid sneaker waves. Do not get too near all kinds of edges of things. TAKE WEATHER WARNINGS SERIOUSLY.  Only 4x4 vehicles are allowed on the F roads, roads not on the ring road.

--Equally consistent culture about cleanliness: NO pooping out of doors. Shower completely nude before entering the various pools. Take shoes off when asked

--Contradictory advice about the Blue Lagoon, staying in Reykjavik...

Rick Steves Iceland

Learn Icelandic in 10 minutes 🇮🇸 Essential Phrases for Tourists Visiting Iceland

or at least an introduction before checking out the next video

Stop Using Google Maps in Iceland. Use This Instead

Info about weather and alerts specific to Iceland.

Note: other videos say use Google Maps to check location of Air BnB

How to Explore Iceland Like a Local (Avoid These 5 Mistakes!)

Skip the Blue lagoon because there are other cool hot springs near by

Visiting Iceland Summer 2026: Travel Guide & Best Local Tips! 🇮🇸

Base in Reykjavik and do day trips

What NOT to Do When Traveling To Iceland | 15 Mistakes To Avoid!

Don't base in Reykjavik.

Waterproof gear

5 Proven Ways to Avoid Crowds in Iceland (Like a Local)

travel in winter

Hidden Gems of Iceland: Avoid the Crowds & See the REAL Iceland!

Iceland Travel Tips: 10 Things You Need to Know (From a Local) 🇮🇸 

5 Mistakes You Make When You Arrive in Iceland    

Car rental, the "Flybus, and PUBLIC TRANSIT. RantWoman loves public transit and does not care that it will take longer. Maybe the Flybus for the first day, but public transit at some point.

The Blue lagoon is on the way from Keplavik airport to downtown Reykjavik but ...

20 Things Tourists in Iceland Learn Too Late

Weather can be even more fearsome than RantWoman previously imagined.

20 Things Tourists in Iceland Learn Too Late

VERY limited public transportation outside Reykjavik. No trains. Only intercity buses. RantWoman is a bus / slow travel nerd and might really enjoy some travel by bus

3 Iceland Itinerary Mistakes That Will Cost You Days

Don't spend too much of your trip at Reykjavik at the beginning.

Don't rush the South Coast islands

The Westman(?) Islands and The PUFFINS.

What will make Ideland unique to Me?

Iceland Itinerary Mistakes 90% of People Don’t Know About

10 Things You Should Never Do in Iceland (Locals Hate It!)

15 Ways to Insult Icelanders (A Guide for Travelers)

Again with the IcelandAir really bad photographer contest: some requirements!

A very sunny day

Really bad photographer | Icelandair US 

The basic gig: 10 days of travel all travel expenses paid with $50,000 to cover, as RantWoman understands it, gear and whatever one needs for a trip.

For more detail about the gig: 

This is who we're seeking:

• You must be able to take part in physical outdoor activities and adventures
• You must be comfortable hiking and navigating uneven terrain in spectacular landscapes

M'kayyy RantWoman has the impression there is plenty to do in Iceland for people with different levels of tolerance for physical activity, but um...

RantWoman has never had the body to, say, work as an underwear model. RantWoman has grey hair and arthritis that comes and goes. In other words, RantWoman is in a NOT QUITE senior citizen demographic that may or may not be the best fit for what is needed. But every time RantWoman hits something that might talk herself out of even applying, amother voice comes up and says just apply and see...

So to make this trip work, RantWoman might need to think about how to have a trainer or a massage practitioner on speed dial. RantWoman also imagines that well broken-in shoes will be a must.

The initial application does not mention anything like overnight camping. If that is on the agenda RantWoman is going to need some kind of solar powered battery to support a number of devices.

Spectacular landscapes sound glorious. RantWoman also has enough vision and has lived around enough mountains to be really interested in the task of writing good alt text or creating meaningful tactile representations of gorgeous views.

Another fun thing: RantWoman is poking around for some background. Simple well-behaved websites are making RantWoman SO happy.

Will RantWoman actually apply...or will RantWoman just go for more vicarious online experience...?

Stay tuned and in the meantime, check out the video and channel linked below.

ICELAND TRAVEL TIPS FOR 1ST TIMERS | 40+ Must-Knows Before Visiting + What NOT to Do!

Pickled Greenland shark for breakfast?

Window trees building clouds

Contest Reminder:  

Really bad photographer | Icelandair US

When RantWoman travels, RantWoman likes to immerse herself in local cuisine, culture, and history as well as geography. Consider the question, delivered to Gemini "what do people in Iceland eat for breakfast?" 

At home RantWoman cycles among homemade porridge of the week, cold pizza, and sometimes other leftovers, often with a banana or hard-boiled egg.

Thank you Gemini, sort of. Submitting the question in natural language is cool. Here are a couple snippets from the first screen of results.

Why you should be eating an Icelandic breakfast

(summary: the basic low-fat, high-fiber, high protein regimen recommended in many places.

I tried a traditional Icelandic breakfast, and it was nothing short of intense — especially when the fermented shark hit the table. From creamy skyr, fresh rye bread, and liver pâté, to the infamous hákarl (a national dish made from fermented Greenland shark), this meal is unlike any breakfast I’ve had before. It’s all part of the unique and bold food culture of Iceland. #IcelandFood #IcelandBreakfast #TraditionalIcelandicFood #Hákarl #Skyr | Strictly Dumpling | Facebook

Thank you Gemini? 

Porridge or muesli? Checks out.

Good yogurt? checks out.

Rye bread or rye crisp: RantWoman likes both fine.

Pickled Greenland shark? RantWoman likes pickled herring on flatbread but does not eat it very often. As for Greenland shark...? 

How I Learned to Eat Fermented Shark with Iceland ProCruises - Food, Wine & Travel

So definitely a bit more of a big deal than mere pickled herring. RantWoman is fascinated to learn more about Greenland sharks. RantWoman also hopes that pickled Greenland shark is not an every day menu item.

As for Gemini

1. RantWoman is still not sold on Gemini offering to "help" abut email.

2. RantWoman appreciates getting info from multiple platforms but is lazy about wanting to sign in or even to read user agreements for these same platforms, especially since one BIG driver of whether RantWoman is going to come back to a site or portal is how easy it is for RantWoman to use. This is probably a trial and error iterative process. Most of the time RantWoman can live with that except RantWoman tends to want info NOW and in easily digestible form.

But speaking of easily digestible, RantWoman will check out other meal customs another time.

FIFA travel advisory

 #FIFA  #FAFO

Probably if RantWoman posts vids like this, YouTube will send RantWoman more FIFA content.

Readers can search on #FIFA or #FIFAWorldCup for other previous posts cataloguing previous videos

RantWoman would SO like to have a president who does not generate the kinds of warnings and boycott threats that President #StableGenius is ginning up.

RantWoman is firing up her transit knowledge bank preparing to have as normal a life as possible. RantWoman is glad to know some other conversations are taking place and is has full confidence in very articulate voices involved. Stay tuned.

The World Cup Ban ⚽🔥 They Tried to Stop Iran - YouTube

If we are VERY lucky RantWoman will also manage enough soccer literacy to at least hold her own for conversations with far more rabid fans. Maybe

Trump FREAKS OUT as MAJOR EVENT COLLAPSES

Germany Drops 2026 World Cup BOMBSHELL — FIFA's 2026 Master Plan Is Falling Apart in Real Time - YouTube

World Cup Mess WORSENS As U.S. Gets Slapped With Travel Warning

Trump's RECKLESS Move Just Destroyed 2026 World Cup Tourism

Icelandair bad Photographer Contest

One of RantWoman's
daily tree(s) photos

There are only a few days left to enter the IcelandAir "Really bad photographer" contest.

RantWoman encourages everyone who might be intrigued or even just slightly interested to read the contest guidelines.

Really bad photographer | Icelandair US

The only small accessibility blip: Must be able to interact and choose one of 5 emojis to respond to one of the questions.

Need some tips?

• Just be yourself, no script needed.

• Share any other skills you have other than being bad at photography.

• What excites you most about this opportunity?

• Got a memorable photography fail? Tell us about it!

   

So there RantWoman was one night watching volcanic eruption videos, one of RantWoman's fave diversions from other horrors of the current timeline. There was a volcano erupting in Grundjavik for several days. The eruption was the kind of slow meltdown that opened wide features and crept closer and closer to a village until part of the village had to be evacuated. 

That eruption has faded from RantWoman's media streams, but along with the eruption videos YouTube sent RantWoman several videos of things one might do while visiting Iceland. The videos featured a certain amount of rugged hiking, sometimes in rainstorms, as well as ordinary daylife activities such as going to the grocery store or swimming in a completely non-chlorinated geothermally heated pool. 

The rugged hiking sometimes in pouring rain sounds like maybe not the biggest sell, but a possible trip to Iceland in June when days are longest still intrigues RantWoman enough to do a couple posts turning over the idea of entering the contest.

And why the tree motif? STAY TUNED.

Mind wandering again to the Metro fare enforcement report.

 RantWoman, as has already been established, is a bit of a nerd who spends a lot of time on the bus.

During today's bus travels RantWoman's mind wandered again to the recent King County fare enforcement officer report and to RantWoman's own experience riding around for more than a month with a demagnetized ORCA card, a card that only very occasionally produced the beep indicating that the card read properly when tapped. 

Adventures of RantWoman: Reporting on the Metro Fare Enforcement misses a number of points.

(Please do not tell RantWoman about paying her fare on her phone. Between a white cane, a purse, and whatever baggage RantWoman is carrying, taking out a phone and waking it up to pay a fare is more than RantWoman even wants to attempt.)

RantWoman currently has a small couch on a cord around her neck but the whole time her card was not beeping, RantWoman was pulling the card out of somewhere and trying to tap it. RantWoman is white and bathes regularly so maybe drivers just believed her when she said she had a pass. Or sometimes, the imperatives to stay on schedule outweigh more detailed inquiry.

That entire time, RantWoman had in fact paid for avalid pass, online through the MyORCA app. At some point, possibly after RantWoman encounterd a fare enforcement officer, RantWoman followed directions on the back of the card and called an 800 number. RantWoman was referred to her local transit agency. The person RantWoman spoke to looked up the number of transactions which had registered for the previous month. It was substantially lower than RantWoman's estimate of the number of her trips. Then it registered with RantWoman that she just needed to get her disabled pass replaced.

RantWoman imagines that her situation is probably a small minority of situations that look to drivers like someone has not paid a fare. RantWoman has no idea whether these comments are helpful in deciding what the report actually means, but here the info is anyway.

Reporting on the Metro Fare Enforcement misses a number of points.

Silly RantWoman. RantWoman still naively hopes that asking a search engine for a specific document will immediately yield a link to the document, AS THE FIRST LINK in the search results. Thankfully, the Urbanist article and the KIRO radio links below this video both have a direct link to the Metro fare enforcement report. 

For grins, RantWoman read the whole report. The report is presenting the raw numbers requested in the ordinance that requests the report. RantWoman still has questions not addressed by reporting that only looks at the numbers.

RantWoman has ridden every route addressed in the report at least once and usually on a round trip in the last 12 months. So RantWoman's opinions are informed by lived experience. RantWoman considers fare payment a mark of good citizenship, an indicator that she has her own act more or less together. RantWoman always just pays for a disabled pass because that is so much easier than payment for each ride. 

RantWoman may have encountered fare enforcement once on Metro and once on Sound Transit during the study interval. At some point RantWoman's disabled pass got demagnetized and whichever fare enforcement officer RantWoman met looked at the ORCA app on her phone, and told her she needed to get a new card. Since then, RantWoman's card has reliably beeped as expected when tapped.

RantWoman wonders where the estimate that 30% of passengers don't pay fares comes from. RantWoman's estimate would be more like 20% based on what she can observe. However, some of the routes surveyed are so crowded during peak times of the day that people literally cannot get to the card reader to tap their cards. These same routes have plenty of capacity at other non-peak times. By peak times, RantWoman means both regular commuting hours and times when there are concert or sport events RantWoman is VERY glad people take transit to.

All of the routes listed are heavily traveled frequent routes, with frequency as high as every 6 minutes. So, one obvious way to look at raw numbers of fare enforcement contacts would be to look at some kind of ratio, say, of contacts per 1000 boardings.

During non-peak hours when the bus is mostly empty. but when the bus is almost empty, if passengers are clean and well-behaved, RantWoman is just FINE with people using the service, especially if their destination is something like a governmental or social service. Well, passengers who get on the bus carrying a bathtub sized latte and can't pay their fare get a disapproving look and the acknowledgment that one can't pay a bus fare with, say a Starbucks gift card.

RantWoman is aware that transit services are paid for in large measure by sales taxes which are highly regressive. If people can't come up with bus fare because they have paid sales taxes, RantWoman still figures they have at least partly paid their way.

Several media reports note that many of the people who received citations are "experiencing homelessness." If they can't pay bus fare, is anyone surprised that they don't pay fines either? Clearly though, actual payment of fines is not necessarily a great indicator of program success. Fare enforcement officers are also supposed to help direct people to options to be able to pay fares and to other relevant resources. 

So one obvious question: what is the trend about people getting signed up for low income or senior / disabled fares? And can the trend be linked to the work of fare enforcement officers? RantWoman has seen firsthand how just having a bus pass, reliable transportation can help people manage all the inconveniences of homelessness and get them on to paths toward more stable situations. It is not obvious to RantWoman how one might illustrate this point with numbers, but it should be considered when evaluating the fare enforcement program.

Here though we also come to the public safety concerns that are part of the push behind fare enforcement and to driver comments that people causing problems tend also to be people who haven't paid their fare. RantWoman would definitely look more deeply at that concern. 

RantWoman is not at all charmed by drug use on buses or near bus stops. If it were up to RantWoman people also would not smoke tobacco or weed near bus stops. Worse than drug use though are assaults and verbal abuse. RantWoman would be interested to know whether presence of fare enforcement officers reduces on-board crime, either compared to runs when there is no office present or overall.

RantWoman also wants to know more about the increase in fares collected overall. Is that because informational programs are reaching the people they are intended to reach? Is it because more people have figured easier ways to pay their fare? Is it possible to quantify whether the fare enforcement program has contributed to the uptick in fare revenue.

Citations Virtually Nonexistent After Metro Resumed Fare Enforcement

Huh? King County hired 30 fare enforcement officers – they only issued 8 tickets in an entire year

Best sneering from local ragemonger Brandi Kruse

King County Metro faces scrutiny after only 8 citations despite 78K fare checks

on "WasteWatch"

Harger: King County hired 30 fare enforcement officers. They worked 40K hours, issued 8 citations, and voided all of them - MyNorthwest.com

A search will yield several  additional articles for readers who want to geek out in even more detail.

SPOG says city's ICE policies put public at risk: Oh PLEASE

#ICE #SPD 

Oh Please

First, SPOG president Lim (?) apparently has not noticed issues such as ICE agents in masks and unmarked vehicles doing all sorts of tactical driving nonsense, swarming and ramming cars, failing to ducment, lying to children to entrap parents...  Should RantWoman go on?.

Today there is new reporting about people being hired into ICE , given badge and gun with nowhere near the level of vetting and training that SPD officers go through. And now SPD is expected to collaborate with these frauds in the name of protestor safety?? 

How far does anyone think that "collaboration" should fly?

At the Portland ICE facility, there is now an understanding that Portland police will interact with protestors about anything that is not federal property.

RantWoman has no information about protests at any ICE facility inside Seattle. Scratch that: recently someone was detained at immigration court while showing up as required at a hearing. Save that point for a different post.

RantWoman is not plugged into any protestor networks involved in the kind of swarm protests that rocked news cycles in Minneapolis, but at this point, RantWoman encourages people thinking about protesting not to be naive, to be aware of what they are getting into. 

And if police are worried about protestor safety, show up with body cam and dash cams ON. Be prepared to document situations. Start there. And do not try to spin collaboration with out-of-control thugs as "public safety."

Meanwhile, in MN

ICE Agent Criminally Charged!

Potatoes, onions, bananas and delivery FEEDBACK for Amazon

RantWoman now has potatoes. RantWoman now has onions, in particular a bag with the kind of small onions RantWoman really prefers. RantWoman is about to run out of fresh bananas but the point of a recent Amazon order was bananas.

(RantWoman acquired the potatoes and onions at a street level grocery right next to a bus stop near an in-person meeting. So Amazon is out of the picture about that, at least this time.)

Here a confession: RantWoman quit shopping at in person at her neighborhood Amazon Fresh in connection with the last #No KingsDay protests. There are both food preference and political reasons: Before No Kings Day 2.0 RantWoman found herself looking on Amazon for faraday bags to protect her electronic lifelines while out protesting billionaires for doing billionairish things. At that point, RantWoman reality checked, decided that she prefers shopping in other places anyway, and also decided she did not have time to evaluate other delivery options. So RantWoman made a small in-person shopping gesture but still relies a lot on Amazon delivery. 

Stay tuned for a bananas reflection in connection with #NoKingsDay 3.0

RantWoman realizes that the vexations of an Amazon order are definitely "first world problems" when the news media is melting down full of lots of scary scenarios involving oil, fertilizer, ground troops and all like that. RantWoman also has TWO pleas from Amazon to interact with the Amazon data collection about satisfaction with the delivery. The pleas had links that took RantWoman to more ads, not straight to the comment options, unsatisfactory as they are. So here goes world.

When RantWoman is out of fresh bananas, RantWoman has this odd tendency to forget about all the other food in the house, including multiple packages of dried bananas. A few nights ago, RantWoman was out of fresh bananas. RantWoman fully intended to go replenish the supply of bananas and also potatoes and onions. RantWoman figured there is a short bus option, prices are affordable, and RantWoman could buy in a quantity she can carry home.

Nice thought. RantWoman got sucked into one of her YouTube rabbit holes and realized it was really too dark out even for the easy bus option she had in mind. RantWoman REALLY needed bananas. There the yellow Amazon icon was on her phone. RantWoman was even in a space to do the free delivery with a $100 order deal that comes with Prime. RantWoman simply REFUSES to pay $9.99 / month for free perishable grocery deliveries on orders over $25. RantWoman, though is quite happy making orders over $25 for non-perishables. But RantWoman needed bananas.

RantWoman has NO idea what she did, but she wound up in Amazon NOW, unable to get out and with no acknowledgement of one order. RantWoman did in fact include potatoes and onions in her selections but those selections apparently went into a different shopping cart. RantWoman also forgot the all-important bananas. RantWoman would REALLY have liked just to add bananas to the first order but wound up making a second order, partly because there was some kind of hiccup about the usual  order confirmation. 

Here is a summary of those two orders from a few days ago:

RantWoman has bananas. That is the important thing.

RantWoman does not have the russet and yellow potatoes and avocado she would also have liked to have.

RantWoman also has

4 packets of cheese slices when 1 or 2 would have been fine

5 c6 ox containers of raspberries or blackberries

2 packages of hummus

one package of two small frozen pizzas

1 box of donuts

1 6-pack of good tapioca pudding.

2 pints of Cherry Garcia ice cream at a price lower than usual.

RantWoman also has two emails asking wihether RantWoman was pleased with her deliveries

No.

The two delivery drivers were wonderful, courteous, helpful. The problem is definitely not the driver(s).

RantWoman's intent had been to start her grocery list, on Amazon. RantWoman got taken straight to Amazon NOW.

RantWoman previously rebooted her phone to get out of Amazon now. This time RantWoman went ahead.

RantWoman placed her order then realized she had forgotten the bananas, the whole point of her offer.

RantWoman also lost patience before getting acknowledgment of the order in the app.

So RantWoman did a duplicate order with several of the items. RantWoman added the bananas but could not see the potatoes.  They showed up in RantWoman;s shopping cart after the second order was placed and RantWoman was finally able to get out of AmAzon Now.

WTF

The bananas arrived in great shape but too ripe to last very long.

RantWoman definitely was not distressed to get several of the items she ordered at discounts over prices she has seen and / or paid in the past.

RantWoman's shopping cart leaned a little more toward treats than sometimes. RantWoman can definitely COPE.

Dissatisfaction with the Satisfaction survey

In other words, RantWoman is mostly fine except for the part about whatever UI issues are going on about getting out of AmazonNow.

Well and frustration about options for sharing feedback about where Amazon is doing great and / or falling short in contributing to RantWoman's happiness and nutritional needs.

The Opening Day /#NoKingsDay 3.0 angle

Digression: RantWoman spent her Saturday immersed in the hordes of transit riders celebrating the opening of the #2Line #CrossLakeConnection. By now RantWoman should know better about opening day hordes. RantWoman also had to adjust her initial travel thoughts based on howls of pain from her own body. That meant doing other errands and only then trying out the full opening day experience. The trains were packed. At one point RantWoman flashed back to the only other time she has felt that smushed on public transit, a long time ago on a subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan for another GIANT protest. Protest and Survive, indeed.

The opening day moment: RantWoman again needed bananas. By the time RantWoman did her day's train travel she was exhausted, and there were hiccups about bus connections. But RantWoman finally figured out minimal walking bus connections that yielded her preferred banana purchase: one banana ripe enough to eat the next day and a bunch green enough to feed RantWoman for a whole week.

By the way, a plea to Amazon Logistics

While RantWoman has people's attention, and if her rambling narrative has not driven Amazon readers crazy, a BIG request:

RantWoman lives in a building with over 100 apartments. Everyone has the same street address. Many people order from Amazon. Some of them have tougher mobility and budget considerations than RantWoman. Quite a while ago, RantWoman got a phone call from Amazon Logistics in connection with a delivery. 

There are two entrances to RantWoman's building. People making deliveries to the better entrance can phone residents to be buzzed in. However, driving directions to the exact street address in some GPS point people to the back door. Deliveries to the back entrance are difficult for everyone because someone has to know to come meet the driver. This means deliveries get dropped outside the door, stolen... RantWoman gave the Amazon Logistics person precise reliable driving directions. 

RantWoman's account repeats the driving directions and also makes clear her preference to have deliveries brought all the way to her apartment. At this point, RantWoman simply reports that the delivery was great when these directions are followed. We will not discuss the poor unfortunate drivers who deserve scorn from multiple customers when several packages all get dumped in a heap in the mail room.

Recently a number of neighbors have complained that they are having issues with drivers coming to the back door rather than to the front where there is a keypad and options to let the drivers in. Is there some way that Amazon can standardize the driving directions for all drivers? Or is the expectation that drivers will do whatever the GPS says and individual customers will just have to complain every time a new driver goofs up?  RantWoman would SO appreciate being able to help her neighbors out.

Line 2 Opening Day Adventures!

 First, please enjoy this lively commentary with some fun, yes, fun engineering details about how actually a light rail on a floating bridge actually stays afloat. 

RantWoman also enjoyed some hints of festivity at stations she did not make it to. For more on the RantWoman experience, please read on the other side.

First in the world: How Sound Transit built light rail on a floating bridge

First the wardrobe, with thoughts of POSSIBLY stopping by a #NoKingsDay event: Nothing organization specific. A #WhiteCaneDay T-shirt under a hoodie that said "ICE OUT" in a long-winded, pedantic and harder to read way: "the GPS coordinates of your mother's cervix at the time of your birth have no bearing on your value as a human being." The hoodie turned out to be a great weight, warm enough in the morning, not too warm when the sun came out.

RantWoman is thrilled that the #CrosslakeConnection is open. RantWoman appreciated mostly cheerful sunny weather. RantWoman definitely applauds all the parents getting kids started early, even the tiny ones who fell asleep on the bus or while waiting for the bus.

RantWoman probably has some "Dear Accessibility community...here is an opportunity to preview..." email she has not read. RantWoman and Ambassador Thwack the #WhiteCane caught a bus unencumbered by much knowledge of the day's schedule. Plus RantWoman wanted to check out the Rainier Avenue entrance to the Judkins Park station.

Meh. Whose bright idea is it to put the bus stop nearly a block away from the light rail entrance. RantWoman will be interested to see what actually happens about scooter and biker share users stowing their vehicles in the designated areas.

Also, issue a bullhorn for the nice woman whose job it was to stand behind the pull down barrier and tell people over and over that the opening of that entrance was going to be delayed.

Never mind the delay. Hanging out where RantWoman was turned out to be an easy way for friends to find her.  Excitement was contagious, even with the heavy crowds and long waits

RantWoman had an invite to an opening day meet and greet but realized that sleep was going to have to take priority. RantWoman also had to decide not even to try to get into a line to walk up the hill to the 23rd Avenue entrance where people were allowed to board sooner than from Rainier.

After about the third delay in the promised opening, with the line getting longer and longer, RantWoman decided to skip the thought of any inaugural ride. Instead, RantWoman did an errand involving the 7, the E line, a detour for lunch at IHOP and an ibuprofen, Despite some nasty pain issues, it felt good to walk to catch the 40 to Northgate. 

The southbound 2 line was already packed, but RantWoman basically zoned out. At every station, lots of people got off, but an equal or larger number got on. RantWoman was lucky to have a seat. RantWoman would have preferred to face forward, but managed with a side seat.

RantWoman would like to say the view over the lake was glorious. RantWoman would like to say that, but the train was too crowded to catch more than a glimpse of sky and open water, with views of trees as the train rolled through to Bellevue City Center. RantWoman decided that was as far as she needed to go before heading back to the Judkins Park station.

Score a couple bright spots:

--After seeing construction for quite awhile, it was nice to see the train actually serving downtown Bellevue.

--RantWoman likes that the platforms seem wider than  some other stations and that there is more space for people both to stand and to navigate along the tactile warning designs in the floor.

--It was fairly easy to find the elevator(s?) to go up and over to the return side of the tracks. One small grumble: RantWoman's glasses had turned dark but the hallway to the elevators could maybe use a little more lighting.

On the way back, RantWoman wanted to get off on the 23rd avenue side of the station so she purposefully headed for one of the rear cars. Again, the train was packed. A very observant guy indicated a seat next to him and then, when it was time to get off, stood and loudly asked people to move so RantWoman could get off the train. 

Next, walk the direction everyone was headed toward the exit. Locate the elevator(s), again in a hallway where RantWoman might want a tad more lighting. Out the door, across the plaza, hoepfully to catch the #8 bus southbound. That was not to be. After various wanderings and directions, RantWoman decided to just take the 48 NB from the stop she could actually find and pick up the 8 at Jackson as part of her quest for bananas.

From there, life was easy. The only minor hiccup: somehow the pavement in the crosswalk at MLK and Union is, um, worn unevenly. 

The Loo Review and a mumble test announcement

 which sound transit stations have public restrooms - Google Search

RantWoman is feeling lazy about boring more deeply into the question of which SoundTransit stations have public restrooms. RantWoman does think that if hundreds of thousands of visitors are going to pour into town for the world cup or even for the upcoming opening of cross-lake service THIS SATURDAY, maybe a concise list somewhere with tips would be desirable.

RantWoman is also perplexed because the search results claim there is a restroom at Tukwila International Boulevard station and RantWoman has never found it. A fast skim also yielded no info about restrooms on the 2 line. Assuming people will come to opening day for cross lake service, and / or will ride transit to No Kings Day events RantWoman would be THRILLED to get info systemwide in one easy query, not just relying on Gemini, especially when Gemini might not have complete information to work with.

RantWoman digresses. RantWoman's THRILL of the day was to find not just one public restroom at the North end of the mezzanine as previously but TWO. RantWoman managed to locate the directions for how to gain entry. 

The directions lacked one piece of info: both restrooms were occupied. RantWoman would not have minded some kind of more explicit audio cue about this. However, just as RantWoman was about to press a button to have security try again about unlocking, someone emerged and RantWoman was able just to walk in. One judge of the need and public appreciation for this amenity: someone was waiting when RantWoman emerged.

What does one walk into? An almost palatial space with room for a whole family and whatever mobility device or baggage one is traveling with.

Truly, RantWoman was so excited to be able to enjoy this amenity, she ALMOST forgot to find anything to complain about. Two small grumbles.

The toilet is COLD. The design is the same one used in many Seattle Parks, so one can live with it, but it is noticeable.

--There are no hooks or places to put one's bags anywhere but on the floor. This is less than ideal. Transit riders nearly always carry some kind of bag. And floor storage is not preferable on rainy days. RantWoman is determined just to COPE.

But while RantWoman is going on about "Rider experience," at one point recently, RantWoman was listening to announcements about the 2 line. There was the usual English voice. There was a female voice that was pure mumble test, and there was a male voice definitely in a language RantWoman does not understand.  By mumble test, RantWoman means the kind of real-life situations where travelers or aspiring interpreters need to make sense of something like train announcements in a foreign language through bad audio in a noisy space. RantWoman could not tell whether the female voice was speaking English or something else. RantWoman will simply leave that here as a concern.

Minimal walking to #OpenThePaths

The short version of this rant: will RantWoman just ride her usual bus Metro 48 to the #OpenThePaths conference with a few blocks walk to the Zillow Center? OR will RantWoman ride her usual Metro 48 bus a couple stops further, cross a street and catch a Metro 372 bus that would go practically to the front door of the Zillow center and mean much less total walking?

Stay tuned. RantWoman may or may not get arround to either documenting her travels in #ACCESSMap or explaining her thinking to the kinds of people who design trip planners.  RantWoman has SO many other pathways to ranting before getting back to these details.

To heck with #SOTU2026 and multiple other news threads RantWoman would find it easy to have generalized ranting about. Let us stick to the annual #OpenThePaths conference at the TASKAR center at the University of WA.

First a rant about bleeping INTRUSIVE AI. RantWoman does NOT want AI to help her write email. RantWoman does not want AI to help her read her email or at least not as a default. And furthermore, ff RantWoman puts a search string into a search bar, the LAST thing RantWoman wants to see is some wordy AI verbiage. RantWoman wants a direct link to the even website. That did not occur. Hence the rant when RantWoman already needs to rant about other topics. Hence the hastag and RantWoman will look up other info she needs later.

A while ago, RantWoman promised readers some meditations about transportation and elder care and adult family homes. Steam will still rise from RantWoman's fingers if she tackles that today. Instead RantWoman needs to go off about her own new transportation constraints called minimal walking. After weeks of various leg weakness, muscle spasms, and other delights, RantWoman finally went to a doctor. 

RantWoman got same-day x-rays. First RantWoman had to stand in a couple positions that reminded her, she probably has not one but two legs that are going to hurt sometimes. The diagonosis: Congratulations RantWoman, you have arthritis and other age-related issues which YouTube will offer abundant input about if one supplies one's birth year.

Arthritis??? I am too young to have arthritis!

Earth to RantWoman: look at your family tree. Uhhhh....

RantWoman walked out of the initial appointment calculating a path that would minimize pain because she had not recently munched any painkillers. Walk to Light Rail? Ummm? Walk to a couple different bus route options? Ummm.

Then RantWoman remembered a nearby bus stop and the Metro 65 which would take her directly to a Metro 48 stop she could ride to a Metro 8 stop and from there all the way home on the 8. Phew. What a relief.

With that window into RantWoman's current transportation thinking, RantWoman will now leave readers in suspense and report back after Day 1 on Thursday.

AHEM. Blowing whistles is protected first amendment activity...and...

The whistle code:

three short blasts: ICE has been sighted.

(Oh, Good! Just what RantWoman wants in the pedestrian environment allegedly increasing public safety: violent, poorly trained, unidentified, unaccountable goons. SURE. Sure, as in MANY local police officers and reportedly, even some people within ICE will attest)

One long continuous blast: ABDUCTION

(phrasing on the instruction sheet)

Regardless of where one comes down on federal officials grabbing people off the street, pepper spraying citizens trying to record what they are doing, and spewing lies, Lies, LIES (Can anyone tell RantWoman is a little biased?) RantWoman needs to go off about one aspect of the literal whistleblowing campaign: a bunch of whistles going off all around one is likeluy to be DARNED confusing to blind pedestrians. RantWoman also notes that there may be other people with mobility issues or personal reasons to need to find paths to safety, paths AWAY from places crowds may be running toward.

RantWoman bases the observation about difficulty identifying the sources of whistles on what she has heard in a number of videos about ICE / Border Patrol actions in Minneapolis and other cities. RantWoman has NO desire to use her limited eyeball time on videos getting analyzed in minute detail. RantWoman does, though, want to encourage people responding to whistle alerts to look around and #ASKDontGrab if someone nearby might need help finding paths to safety. 

One more comment for #PWD who DO want to go to protests: there are any number of options for training and opportunities to game out different issues. RantWoman highly recommend both finding a compatible training / collaboration opportunity and just planning to go with a buddy.

 

Reference about the first amendment issue.

Blowing whistles is protected first amendment activity

Minneapolis Star Tribune cited here:

REVEALED: DHS Broke Pretti's Rib One Week Ago!!!

The Mom Report: transportation to a new destination.

Just when RantWoman was starting to groove on some new to her transit options in N Seattle (Yeah 365),  RantMom will move soon, hopefully to a lovely Adult family Home on Boyer Ave E.

Location. Location. Location.

Location is so important that the RantSisters opted to skip visits to other Lake City locations suggested by the consultant assisting the RantFamily. If the goal is "comfort and quality of life," the Rant Sisters spending more time with RantMom and less time on transit is exactly on point.

The closest frequent bus route, the Metro 48 happens to serve Little Sister on one end and RantWoman on the other end. First day preview from bus stop to location was in a car. Irrepressible Nephew is good at spotting curb ramps but not so good at noticing sidewalk issues from the car. 

Stops at Boyer on both sides of the street seem a little steep to RantWoman but Little Sister has a power chair. 

RantWoman walked the sidewalk between the location and the bus stop the other day. The sidewalk is not brand new so it's bumpy in places. Little Sister at first dismissed RantWoman's observations but after a visit today thanked RantWoman for the heads-up.

Next comes visitors from Lynnwood on Light Rail. RantWoman has not put the route into a trip planner but did realize that in terms of easy connection to the 48 the best option would be to get off the Light Rail at the U District station and walk over to 15th Ave NE to get the 48. RantWoman remembers some nuance about the 48 ending at the U District station at least some of the time so probably a visit to the trip planner with some different date time combinations would be fruitful.

RantWoman generally does not try to plan / replan trips on the fly but does like to have general contours of the schedule in mind from planning ahead.

Anyway, the other option of course is to ride all the way to the University of WA station. RantWoman realized that option is less preferable just because the walk between the station and the 48 stop in front of the UW Medical Center is a pain and worse a pain to explain to another low vision person. RantWoman also notes that she may sometimes opt just to Uber part of the trip especially because of a vexing issue RantWoman REALLY needs to schedule her own medical appointment about.

Do not look at the news. DO NOT look at the news. How about some nice Nondriver eldercare transportation issues.

 

The tree outside
RantWoman's window

Same tree  different day
outside RantWoman's window

It's fashionable for stress relief to tell people to "Touch Grass." It's Seattle. WHO IS ANYONE KIDDING? After atmospheric rivers have innundated parts of WA and less cold hardy souls have made it through a few spectacular days of cold and beautifully clear, Seattle is back to grey skies and heavy mist and need for 100 words to describe Seattle rain.

The tree counts, especially since RantWoman gets tobe deliriously grateful that in the small part of her vision which sort of works, RantWoman can tell the difference between the light and cloud patterns in the two pictures.

RantWoman means it about the title of this post. The list of current news items that could make RantWoman's head explode is too long already. RantWoman may or may not get around to penning her own reflections on 2025, couture, health, technology in general, Twitter or X, and numerous other topics. RantWoman WILL be posting about eldercare and transportation.

Instead RantWoman will be writing about two non-drivers, RantWoman accompanied by Ambassador Thwack and Little Sister in her wheelchair looking for eldercare that provides RantMom a lot more services than simple independent living. HOEPFULLY RantWoman will spare readers both the sordid details of a decrepitating body and at least most of the family emotional landmines. 

Instead expect

--commentary about what kinds of vehicles are easy or difficult for people with different mobility needs to get into or out of.

--consultation about transportation options for candidate locations from multiple trip planners.

--comments from Walk Score, Access Map, and Find a Ride

We will start with one generalized rant: in some respects, Sunday is a GREAT time to visit candidate locations. That is whan bus service is sparsest, so how does life work under that condition.

HOWEVER, probably on NO planet will it be reasonable to try for a tour of three locations via transit on one day unless Irrepressible Nephew can drive his mother around and RantWoman can sync up with one of the people who has issued blank ride offers. RantWoman is not crazy about this option BECAUSE the POINT of demanding to test the get there on transit angle is specifically to evaluate everyday life realities.

STAY TUNED.

President #StableGenius drives Amazon TO CANADA.

Amazon ABANDONS Seattle for Canada — Trump's $15 Border Fee BACKFIRES | ...

Lynnwood City Center on the Light Rail.

 RantWoman would in principle like to pen a sunny "I love you all and I am sure life is going to get better" holiday greeting. That, alas, is not going to happen, or at least not before RantWoman just gets some opinions off her chest. With that in mind, RantWoman is going to offer a Christmas tree of posts assembled in such form as to give readers options to pick and choose which RantWoman eye views of the year sound most enticing, entertaining, elevating, ... Get the idea.

Lucky Lynnwood City Center Sound Transit station, the first window into RantWoman's year, and luckily for someone the topic RantWoman can most concisely summon rants about.

Start with Thanksgiving. 

There was an invitation to family for feasting in Lynnwood. There was also an offer of a ride all the way that was going to involve too many people, a dog, and a vehicle specially lifted for off-roading. RantWoman owes the world a whole post about getting in and out of cars. In this case, RantWoman was still flirting too easily with some post-surgery crabbiness and wanted simply to take transit and, if needed be fetched from a transit end point.

RantWoman should have somehow been able to ask her info sources "which light rail station is closest to the address?" The answer: Lynnwood City Center is about a mile away. Instead RantWoman got various unhelpful suggested routings wound up having to ask Irrepressible Nephew to fetch her from an intersection before the one suggested by the trip planner.

Nephew was EXTREMELY good natured about this.

Family feasted well, petted a cat and two dogs, and did fine about many things.Then came time to go home. Nephew dropped RantWoman off at a station entrance inside the parking garage. Another woman in the same boat joined RantWoman in fogging around until we found the hallway with elevators to the platform. Some signage in the parking garage would definitely not be a terrible idea.

Next comes Christmas Day. The RantFamily did Christmas Eve church gathered around a laptop at the rehab where RantMom is currently in residence. The laptop does not do justice to a church organ but that was the celebration needed for this year. It also left RantWoman free on Christmas Day to invite herself over for takeout Thai food with her buddies The Weed Whackin Wenches who also live in Lynnwood. RantWoman would have been happy to take Zip to their house, but WingNut was itching to drive a few days after several days of heavy pain meds due to a dental abscess.

This is now the second try for connecting with the Wenches and their car. The first time was opening day. There were crowds and crowds. RantWoman got to a point where the only thing that made sense was to stand still somewhere amenable to car traffic and act tall. 

Christmas day is SUCH a mellow time to travel on Light Rail. BIG shout-outs to everyone working on holidays. The train was not crowded. RantWoman found an elevator to "surface." The only problem: RantWoman does not consider it "surface" if there are 10 steps between the pedestrian path and what did turn out to be an acceptable driveway. RantWoman is not sure what signage would have provided more helpful guidance about how to connect with cars.

In any case, the day was a blast. The Wenches have been working on re-doing their kitchen. One appliance quit and then something else had to be moved and then another thing needed upgrading. Christmas saw the work paused in mid transformation. Hence the interest in take-out, along with a grand tour: new stove with an induction cooktop, big round tactile controls as well as the possibility to do all kinds of things from a smartphone app. Some electrical work is still needed to ensure the wiring is appropriate and now there is talk of a new exhaust hood to go with the new sink, new dishwasher, and new compact overhead ceiling fan. Never mind that the refrigerator is currently around a corner into the dining room. The Wenches just had so much fun talking about their kitchen. Everyone agrees that moving around the appliances opens up LOTS of ideas.

The Wenches also have two new cats, intriguing but not as snuggly as previous household felines.  The cats emerged for dinner. RantWoman appears to have passed muster. After supper, the more standoffish kitty sat at the other end of a long hallway and just observed for quite awhile. The other more adventurous one visited RantWoman's dangling fingers several times. RantWoman got two nose touches, a leg brush, and a tail brush. Apparently this is high praise for this kitty around strangers.

Now an awkward confession: the Light Rail plus one bus is easy peasy for RantWoman. The Wenches like to drive RantWoman all the way home. RantWoman is always glad for car ride conversations. RantWoman is A LOT less glad about rides in the dark involving a lot of headlights from oncoming traffic. RantWoman is going to have to find some way to...

With that, may there still be feasts ahead as we kick 2025 out the door.

Speaking of Go Bags, Holidays, and Bouncing around like Tigger.

#wawx #AtmosphericRivers

First RantWoman sends heartfelt holiday wishes to everyone displaced by recent flooding and / or struggling with cleanup. May there be joy in spite of all the struggles.  Closer in, RantWoman knows two people having lumpectomies for the holidays, a friend having a root canal, on top of what RantWoman is about to recound about RantMom. This year, all this is just going to be what is.

RantWoman feels VERY lucky to live warm and dry and far away from flooded roadways, communities, and agricultural fields. RantWoman watches evacuation orders and sometimes checks in with people who might be affected. RantWoman realizes she can be more robust in meeting the moment as far as one part of her network and has filed the observation for now. Mostly RantWoman listens to news, exchanges weather info with a couple friends. RantWoman is also collecting such data as others want to share about travel disruptions, extra long paratransit rides, and related experience.

And then a family member has a medical emergency. RantMom has been showing signs for awhile that a chronic condition is wearing on her. Friday after monitoring some concerns for several days, Little Sister decided that "bouncing around like Tigger" and hands fluttering sounded sufficiently odd. Little Sister persuaded RantMom to call the consulting nurse. The consulting nurse told RantMom to call 911. RantMom lives far away from direct flooding risk but in an area where a lot of first responders are dealing with flooding related deployment. RantWoman has no idea of the response time. RantWoman just needs to offer the following observations:

--look up Go bag via your favorite search engine and plan accordingly.

--if you are a senior with recurring reason to need to be scooped up by paramedics, don't wait around for disaster weather forecasts. Consider having a Go bag just in case of more specific first responder needs. Maybe also have a list of things to grab at the last minute.

In RantMom's case, her Go bag needs to include charger for phone (or other devices) and charging container for hearing aids. One may be able to grab such things before the paramedics arrive but it is probably not wise to expect paramedics to be able to help grab necessities, but having some kind of a plan seems like a good idea to RantWoman

In RantMom's case, it took a couple days before Irrepressible Nephew, the only driver in the family was able to take Little Sister to RantMom's to retrieve the needed items. The next parts of the story get to be told another day.

"Bouncing around like Tigger" makes RantWoman smile. Ads for ridiculous sugary cereals were one reason besides mindrot programming that RantMom for a number of years had strict limits on the Rant children's consumption of Saturday morning cartoons and weekly series. More recently, RantWoman notes that 20 years ago RantMom was finishing chemo for her second cancer treatment.

Get this lady some taxi scrip?

RantWoman is playing crash test dummy checking out the process to apply for taxi scrip as administered by Metro. RantWoman recently learned that, although her income has been looking tup, she probably qualifies for Taxi scrip for those transportation moments when the bus won't do and travel is needed within King County.

Understand, RantWoman REALLY likes the bus for being easy to get on and off, for leg room, and for some level of adventure if, for instance, RantWoman is venturing to a part of the county she does not know well, and of course for modest physical exercise. RantWoman does like the idea of taxi scrip not expiring so RantWoman can have some on hand if needed and not have to worry about it expiring.

1. a search string for the Google or copilot, RantWoman does not remember which

King County Metro taxi scrip

RantWoman has in mind a nice path to an application even though RantWoman did not specify that in her search string. Instead RantWoman got a whole paragraph full of information she already knows. RantWoman lives in King County. RantWoman is definitely over 18. RantWoman qualifies according to the household income table she found a couple steps down.

2. Because of a recent software update on the computer RantWoman is using, some stupid message asking me which ads RantWoman finds most annoying--besides the stupid question when RantWoman is on a mission. 

3. Redo the search adding "application form" to the search string

Noodle around with a bunch of "people also asked" suggestions and god knows what, especially since RantWoman tends to try bad eyes first and then remember to tab around and / or do a links list.

4. Behold: a bare minimum form to apply. Form requests RantWoman's name and contact info. Form does not ask whether RantWoman already has a Regional Reduced fare permit though RantWoman does. The form just asks for contact info and promises a response. 

5. RantWoman notices a list of cab companies that will accept taxi scrip. RantWoman will come back to the list depending on a couple aspects of experience. RantWoman does not expect to use taxi scrip very often. RantWoman also notes that taxi scrip comes as paper that works like money except that cab drivers have to submit the paper for payment. RantWoman has heard that cab drivers are sometimes reluctant to deal with taxi scrip because of the processing time. 

Here RantWoman is going to acknowledge that paying cash for paper probably is really important for some riders. HOWEVER, RantWoman also fantasizes about either an app, maybe like the app that allows RantWoman to pay for laundry or a refillable debit card, perhaps like RantWoman's ORCA card. The card would need to work for drivers who accept credit / Debit cards and Rant Woman would like to know her taxi scrip balance. Okay, it;s a fantasy...

Elapsed time to step through the hoops and write a blog post, plus or minus a couple distractions 45 minutes but the task would get easier if done regularly.