Commuters don’t get much more comfortable than this.In response to yesterday’s post about the West Seattle Water Taxi’s move to Pier 50, a fellow foot ferry commuter had the good sense to remind me of the existence of Commuter Comforts, a tiny bar located right by the passenger waiting area in the Washington State Ferry Terminal at Pier 52. As the crow flies, it’s probably about equidistant from the Water Taxi’s drop-off area as the Pioneer Square Saloon or Marcus’ Martini Heaven, although Commuter Comforts’ drink prices are significantly higher, especially during rush/happy hour. Its layout is cramped and served by a guy-girl tag team of servers. It reminded me of an airport bar. More specifically, it reminded me why I miss the days when airport bars could be frequented by anyone, regardless of whether or not they had a flight to catch (thanks, Osama).Believe it or not, there once was a time when the bars at Sea-Tac played host to regulars who lived nearby. Naturally, these bars also served a lot of people who were passing through town for a night or less, so the potential for string-free coitus went through the control tower. But the terrorist attacks of September 11 made it so you needed an actual ticket to access bars beyond the gate, thus turning them into largely sterile (in more ways than one) environments.The convivial nature of Commuter Comforts reminds me of Cheers. Most people are regulars, and favorite drinks and beers are poured from memory by an alert, attractive pair of twentysomethings. A bus driver rolls in, and the male bartender asks him what recourse he has after getting into a testy altercation with the pilot of a late-night bus to Magnolia. I doubt there’s much post-drink boning going on, unless there’s a marine equivalent to the Mile-High Club that’s seeking to bolster its rolls.Another strength is proximity: A hurried commuter could easily jog through the terminal, stop at the bar, do a tequla shot, and still make his boat with a minute to spare–if he’s traveling to Bremerton or Bainbridge, that is. For Vashon and West Seattle ferry passengers, the Saloon and Martini Heaven are at least Commuter Comforts’ equal. But it’s nice to have options.