SeaTac Cell Phone Waiting Lot
This article {#} about drivers who park on SR518 just outside SeaTac to wait for their pickups to call them on cell phones, brings up something I’ve been wondering lately: has anyone ever found the vaunted “Cell Phone Waiting Lot” where you’re actually supposed to park? There are signs all over the place, but I always end up dumped out on 99 with no clue where to go next.
Other airports, like California’s Oakland, have waiting lots right near the terminal, but all SeaTac seems to have is a bunch of signs going nowhere. Having said that, I’d never park on 518 for risk of being sideswiped trying to pull back into traffic. I end up just parking at one of the big motels on 99, vaguely rustling papers to make it look like I’m about to get out of the car.
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Being car-free, I haven’t had occasion to use or locate the cell phone waiting lot. However, since the folks at the Port of Seattle recently announced that it’s going to be expanded into an even larger lot, I’m guessing it’s quite popular.
It’s there, it’s just not marked well. I’ve used it once, when I didn’t time my pickup exactly right. It can be a bit of a pain to merge back in with the traffic coming from 99, and the lot itself (at least at 11 p.m. on a foggy night) is a bit creepy at best. But it’s better than hovering and hoping against hope that the cops won’t make you circle (which can take a good 20 minutes on a crowded night).
I travel to Oakland regularly - it’s definitely not as good as the one there.
Ha! I know what you mean. I’ve tried to find that cell phone waiting lot twice now without luck. There are so many signs along 518 and Air Cargo Road, and I think I remember another telling drivers to turn right onto International Blvd/99 but after that, you’re on your own. Did they run out of funding for signage? Is the lot so tiny that they thought it best to keep it a well-hidden secret? Am I just half-blind? Actually that last one is not far from the truth but I’d still love to finally find that elusive waiting lot.
I drove in circles the first time I tried to find it as well. What a pain! I did finally locate it (you had to turn into a rental car parking lot!), but I think it’s moved because this map (http://www.portseattle.org/seatac/ground/parkingcell.shtml) on the SeaTac site shows it somewhere different!
It is definitely a confusing mess.
And I thought it was just me…