Botts Dots? Here's All There Is To Know

Hey Johnston: I need some Botts Dots for a home project that is too ridiculous to describe. Botts Dots, as I am sure you know, are those yellow bumps glued to the street so you can tell you are drifting out of your lane as you're changing tape cassettes. I need a half dozen of the big ones. Any idea where I can buy them? By the way, was there actually a Botts who had the dots named for him?

Answer: Of course Mr. Johnston knows about Botts Dots. He mentioned the dots three years ago, but he didn't share the interesting background of the dots. Now he will share.

These bumps in the highway - both the big domes and the small buttons - were invented by a guy named Elbert Botts. Botts worked for the California Department of Transportation as chief of the highway-pavement division.

In the 1950s, Botts was looking for a way to warn motorists when they wandered out of their lanes. He came up with a raised dome that could be made out of plastic, ceramic or polyester, said Bill Lane of the Transportation Department.

Lane said Botts was proud of his dome invention but Botts thought the best thing he invented was the glue to keep the Botts Dots stuck to the pavement. Lane said the glue worked so well that some of the dots have been in place for more than 30 years.

Washington was one of the first states to install Botts Dots. By the way, the bigger Botts Dots are usually spaced 48 feet apart, while the smaller dots are 4 feet apart.

Oh yeah, they aren't officially called Botts Dots. They are known as raised pavement markers. Unfortunately, Elbert Botts died in 1961, so he didn't find out he became famous.

You can get your Botts Dots by calling Alpine Products in Auburn (253-351-9828). Just ask for Alpine Nonreflective Pavement Markers, but the company also knows them as Botts Dots.

Hey Johnston: What are all those rags hanging on the soccer-field fences at Marymoor Park in Redmond? They look like someone is drying their laundry, and they are disgusting! Who do we need to complain to?

Answer: Gaylis Linville of King County Parks and Recreation Department didn't know whether to laugh or cry when we asked who was hanging their dirty laundry at Marymoor.

So she sort of snorted.

The things you think of as "dirty laundry" are actually banners promoting the Heritage Festival. The festival was held at Marymoor last weekend. Linville said the banners would be taken down by the end of this week.

Hey Johnston: I live in Kirkland, and I have a big transportation question for you. How come there's no Boeing 717? There's a 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777.

Answer: This is another question Mr. Johnston answered years ago. We're surprised that you didn't clip that column and save it pressed between the pages of your family Bible.

But here is the answer again. There was a 717, and Boeing built 806 of them from 1956 to 1965. Only they were called KC-135s, and they were built for the Air Force. These 717s hauled fuel. This column appears Mondays and Wednesdays. Leave your questions on Steve Johnston's voice mail at 206-464-8475. Or write: Just Ask Johnston, The Seattle Times, 10777 Main St., Suite 100, Bellevue 98004. The e-mail address is east@seatimes.com Eastside Briefly is on B 4 today.