Bizarre standoff with a garbage truck

Many of the roads in the neighborhood are too narrow for more than one car at a time, which forces Ballard drivers to test their politeness when an oncoming car is approaching. Well, last week one driver (we’ll call him Bob) came nose-to-nose with a garbage truck on NW 52nd St, according to a police report. The “tense” standoff continued for several seconds with neither driver willing to budge. Police say the garbage truck driver eventually climbed down from his cab and walked to the open window of the other vehicle and ordered that he move. “When (Bob) did not comply with his demands,” the police report says, “the garbage truck driver reached into Bob’s window, and punched his own hand with his fist.” Bob said that this action “scared” him but told police that he was not threatened with physical harm. He said he didn’t want the garbage truck driver to get in trouble, but called police to document the incident nonetheless.

In the end, the garbage truck eventually backed up to let Bob pass.