Quirks you found when relocating to Washington? (Bellingham, Maple Valley: home, luxury)

[pikabike]

A neat thing I had never seen elsewhere: in eastern WA we drove by large crop fields which were labeled to state what was being grown there.

[leastprime]

Originally Posted by leastprime

Western Oregon to Western Washington.
Biggest difference is the weather; Western Washington is more moderate, cooler in the summer and warmer in the summer than western Oregon.
Everything that Oregon does, Washington does the opposite. Idaho does a little of both.

dang, my spell checker keeps confusing summer and winters
should read, " cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter..."

[pnwguy2]

As a Washington native, I don't find many of these quirks unusual at all. But I can see how they may differ from other States.

The labeling of crops alongside highways is simply pure marketing. And more power to them...it is great business strategy.

Washington is actually not that quirky when it comes to general law enforcement and licensing requirements. I think most laws are pretty standard compared to other US States.

I have noted that WA does use signs to signal "seatbelts are required day and night". I'm not sure how this became a sign-enforced statute, but it is about as "quirky" as it gets. Washington also has signs saying that the left lane is for passing only, and I think that has been helpful, except in the Seattle area, where either they don't get it, or there is so much traffic that it isn't relevant.

(Edit: I wonder if those seatbelt signs day and night are being taken down slowly, as they don't make much sense, and I don't see them as much anymore)

[StealthRabbit]

If on the we_tside... don't get a home stuck back in the DARK woods!

Choose LARGE windows and free air flow! (open hillside)

If you are in one of the 36 counties without election representation... don't expect your candidates or causes to win.

If you have a business with large capital assets, do your homework (and consider other states).

[notnamed]

Originally Posted by izzy2017

Strangest things we found moving to western Washington from the east coast.

A love of RVs and hot tubs not found in the east

Yeah back east if you had an RV it was off at a storage facility out of sight since they’re considered eyesores. Here it seems every other real estate listing prominently advertises that it has RV parking room on the lot and they’re everywhere.

[notnamed]

Ah another thing in homes ~20years old and older is the widespread usage of those in wall cadet heaters that just scream fire hazard.

[sll3454]

Originally Posted by pikabike

Also, at that time WA did not comply with federal regulations for driver’s licenses. Because of that, when I moved BACK to my previous state, I had to jump through extra hoops—with extra expense—to prove that I am legally in the US and am a US citizen. This was despite the fact that the DMV still had my file on record from BEFORE I had moved to WA.

It was as if I went from being a legal citizen to maybe-not-a-legal-citizen just because I had lived in WA for a few years.

It still doesn't, but progress is being made.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...ply-with-feds/

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by sll3454

It still doesn't, but progress is being made.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle...ply-with-feds/

Yes, I certainly hope I will be getting more 'value' from my $280 (with endorsements) 'Enhanced' WA DL in the future.

In the meantime get a Sentri and / or Nexus card. (More benefit, lower price than Global Entry)

[Beernik]

The surprising thing for me was the severe lack of spicy food. I haven’t really found spicy Mexican food yet. If I want spicy, the most reliable food is curry. Even at that, it takes a hotness level of 3 out of 5 for me to “feel” it. Back in SLC, a 3 would usually give me a couple hiccups and make me sweat.

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Beernik

The surprising thing for me was the severe lack of spicy food. I haven’t really found spicy Mexican food yet. If I want spicy, the most reliable food is curry. Even at that, it takes a hotness level of 3 out of 5 for me to “feel” it. Back in SLC, a 3 would usually give me a couple hiccups and make me sweat.

I think you may be on to something here. About a year ago I ordered some Thai food extra spicy, and when I arrived to pick it up, the clerk looked at me and said you probably don't want this food prepared the way it is. I said, "no, I like extra spicy", she said, let me re-cook this for you. I argued, but she insisted and of course, it came out too mild for my taste. Why does this happen? Stereotypes of white, middle aged men? That was my takeaway.