About a week and a half ago, I found myself sitting just outside of downtown Kingston in gridlock. And in shock. Gridlock? In Kingston? It seemed too weird to be true. I called the office, just to make sure I hadn’t missed a huge car accident/structural fire that was blocking traffic. Nope, nothing had been reported.

So I sighed, turned up the radio show I was listening to, and prepared to wait.

Fourty-five minutes later, I had witnessed 27 traffic infractions (I kept count) and I was starting to feel the stress. I was trapped literally two blocks from my house, with no way to get there, surrounded by frustrated and overheated drivers. I seriously considered leaving my car and walking home just to get away from it. It was a nerve-wracking position to be in.

The next day, I found myself needing to get to the bank in Kingston. So I decided while on the way home from the office if I could see cars at the top of the hill on State Route 104 heading in to Kingston, I would take the back roads home and forget about that credit card bill temporarily. No cars showed themselves, and I felt it safe to make my quick stop. How wrong I was. Again I was stuck in Kingston traffic (sounds like an oxymoron, no?) about 50 feet from my goal. This time, the only thing preventing as many or more traffic infractions was the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle stuck two cars behind me. With copious amounts of time on my hands, I wondered, how was this affecting Kingston? And just what would that sheriff’s car do if there was an emergency? Or the North Kitsap Fire & Rescue crews, how would they get through the parking lot that was downtown? I’m glad we haven’t found out yet.

And then, the blessed release as the current ferry unloaded and loading began! It felt like sun on an overcast day, or ice cream in the middle of a hot summer. I was able to roll forward about five feet at a time. What bliss being able to at last move.

Since my unlucky decisions, I’ve talked with many Kingston residents about the traffic problems, and heard every reason under the sun for them. In a small town that is used to ferry traffic, but not constant gridlock, rumors and accusations abounded. It only strengthened the obvious frustration, and proved a Catch-22 for some I spoke with.

Business owners in downtown Kingston rely on ferry traffic and the tourists it brings. But when the traffic blocks up the roads and makes their regular customers feel uncomfortable and harassed, it can be extremely detrimental. What can they do? Close and lose some of the tourist shoppers, or stay open and provide a free distraction for people looking to kill a half hour or hour. It’s a tough question, and many of Kingston’s business owners are struggling with the answer.

The moral of this whole story: If you are in line for the ferry, or anything else, try to stay calm and realize that little Scion XA trying to slide in between you and the car in front of you may not be cutting, just trying to make its way home, just two blocks away. Locals live in Kingston too after all.

ANNIE TIETJE

Staff Writer

Kingston