Free-For-All Friday 9/4/09
Decatur Metro | September 4, 2009 | 9:05 amUse this post to make comments and ask questions about topics not covered in the posts of this past week.
Comments will be closed on Monday.
Use this post to make comments and ask questions about topics not covered in the posts of this past week.
Comments will be closed on Monday.
Decatur Heights Dad
Diane Loupe
Diane Loupe
Diane Loupe
Mr. Bad Example
Blake
Steve
Dex
Steve
Jay
Decatur Heights Dad
DecaturCyn
Dex
Jane
Pat
Does anyone know of a measured walking or jogging path (or track) in Decatur? Does DHS have a track? On a more general note, where is the best place in Decatur for outdoor exercise?
I’m pretty sure there’s a track at Agnes Scott, and that it’s open to the community. Anyone able to verify?
Yes, Agnes Scott does have a track that can be accessed near their athletic center building on Dougherty Street. The public access hours are posted on the gate.
Scott is right. ASC’s track is usually open to the public (may be unavailable if it’s being used for other purposes). A plea on behalf of the surrounding neighborhood: the sound from the track really carries, so if you are out for an early morning run, please keep the motivational shouts down to a whisper! Thanks!
Unless it has changed, W.D. Thompson Park off Mason Mill in the Toco Hill area has a track, lovely walking trails, tennis, a dog park, etc.
You might want to consult this earlier thread about the question of where to play group sports: http://www.decaturmetro.com/2009/07/23/decatur-group-sports/
I think the public use hours of the Agnes Scott track are 5pm til dark. I don’t know why DHS didn’t build a track when revamping the football field. I wonder where their track team competes.
New to Decatur, and along on the lines of the first posting…
I read that Glen Lake park was pretty nice and i tried to go there a couple of weeks ago but it looked closed. Is there an alternative entrance I missed?
Glenlake park is closed until December for renovation. http://www.decaturga.com/cgs_citysvcs_ced_bondprojects_glenlake.aspx
Who is the right person with the city to approach with concerns/suggestions regarding the intersection of Ponce and Commerce on the east side of town? After witnessing the aftermath of several accidents, one fatal, I’ve now stood there and seen multiple cars blow through the red light, where my wife crosses the street with our children. I believe there are obstructions that prevent cars from seeing the light, including some overgrowth at “the crazy house”. Whose job is it to deal with this? How can I/we generate momentum to address this problem?
I live east of this intersection – almost to the Avondale MARTA Station – and I am out several times a day walking my dog. I have been amazed, shocked and angered by things I’ve seen drivers do on this stretch of East Ponce. I think part of the problem at the Commerce intersection could be addressed by dealing with speed issues long before drivers ever get there. Some East Ponce drivers are either blissfully unaware or simply don’t care that the Decatur speed limit goes into effect at the Sam’s Crossing/Arcadia and Ponce intersection, so they continue on at 45 m.p.h. or higher as they travel into the city. I’ve seen drivers pass cars they deem moving too slowly (like the speed limit) on the downhill stretch toward Glendale. Then there are the drivers who run the red light on Ponce at Glendale (c’mon, how often is it really green on the Glendale side??) I don’t know how many of them didn’t see the light as it can be hidden by the tree on the corner and how many of them just didn’t care enough to stop. I apologize for going on so about this, but I see things every day and wonder what can be done to help slow it down. And, yes, Bo, that intersection at Commerce is a huge problem because folks on Commerce are going to darn fast there too. Is it possible for the city to do a better job of making drivers aware of the speed limits and the potential consequences of not abiding by them? Maybe we need to go back to old-fashion ticket writing. I think things would improve noticeably if folks would simply slow down. Seems like a low-tech way to solve the problem.
Ditto. One first step would be to put a sign notifying drivers of the change in the speed limit at Arcadia and Ponce. I don’t think there’s any sign until much further down Ponce. The Ponce/Sycamore intersection is also dangerous and has a lot of pedestrians coming out of the Avondale train station.
What is “the crazy house?”
LOL. The house on the corner of East Ponce and Commerce that has been under a slow remodel for about 20 years now. The remodel is so slow that the “new” part of the house now needs fixing up.
I’ve seen that house and have come to believe a hoarder lives there. No confirmation, just speculation.
I think Amanda Thompson might be the person to speak to about traffic planning in the city. Please give us an update if you are able to speak to someone about the traffic there.
To all the drivers out there….when turning left from Ponce onto Church, if you have a green arrow, TURN. The pedestrians do not have a walking thing yet and should not be walking until the red hand turns into the little walking guy. Thanks.
Well, you may have a green arrow and the walker may have a red hand, but if you hit them you’re still getting a ticket and then getting sued!
Amen Nubbs! Jay walking irks me to no end.
I’m pretty sure that Andisheh brought this up a few months back, but continues to astound me how true this is:
Compact cars (especially hybrids) are about 4 times more likely to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk than a truck or SUV.
Why is this? Is it a vantage point thing or do they just hate all my presumptuous walking?
As a walker (and a resident of Decatur), I am aware of the crosswalks and will always stop for pedestrians. Many of the cars/trucks that do not stop for me are driven by folks who don’t seem to live here. I don’t know how much of it is ignorance, lack of education or the belief the law does not apply to them.
And yes, I drive a Subaru. Does that count as a compact car?
Yes, wagons and sportwagons are also good at stopping…especially Subarus. CR-Vs and Rav4s are also pretty considerate.
I’ve gotten to the point where I can predict with great accuracy whether an on-coming driver will stop.
I concur that out-of-towners are worse about stopping.
I think the original issue here was against pedestrians who cross when they do not have a signal. As far as I’m concerned, if you do not see the “WALK” signal, then you should not be crossing even if you’re in a crosswalk. And god help the high schoolers who don’t use the crosswalks across N. McDonough if I’m coming through. I love their indignant faces when I don’t stop for them when they’re clearly jaywalking. So far my high schooler is still using the crosswalk even though I’m sure it’s not “cool.” I suppose I’ve drilled into her head how it’s usually more fun to be alive inside an uncool crosswalk than pancaked outside those hash marks.
I was bringing up a separate issue CSD Mom.
But I share your sentiment, jaywalkers piss me off too.
Ditto about hating jaywalkers. But for the record, I think there are times when it’s fine and should be legal to cross a crosswalk when the sign says “don’t walk.” E.g. when the sign flashes “don’t walk” this is an advanced warning to the walker that the time is running out, it’s basically an extended yellow light. Caught half way through an intersection, or if I arrive just when it starts flashing, I can always cross it before the light change.
My pet peeve is drivers taking a left turn who assume because the sign says “don’t walk,” that they have the right of way over a pedestrian in a crosswalk who’s crossing with the light.
Pedestrians in a crosswalk do not always have the right of way at an intersection with traffic signals. For example, pedestrians may not walk when the pedestrian signal says “Don’t Walk” and there is a left-turn arrow for cars sitting at the traffic light. This is pretty basic stuff. The flashing don’t walk signal means “don’t start not walking now”. Pedestrians who think they can do whatever they want regardless of what the signals are doing are the worst. Oh, and if a car with a left turn arrow hits a pedestrian crossing when they weren’t supposed to, there is this thing called contributory negligence ….
You can feel an justified as you want to about not stopping for jaywalkers, but the fact is pedestrians always have the right-of-way. And I suspect a judge would have little interest in a “but they weren’t in the crosswalk defense” if you ran over a kid. Actually, I more than suspect, I know what at least one would say.
Brain, sorry but you are 100% wrong on that. Pedestrians always have the right of way ONLY in a marked crosswalk where there are NO traffic signals. Pedestrians do not have the right of way over cars in any other circumstance, period. They do not have the right of way outside of designated crosswalks- ie, jaywalking- they do not have the right of way when crossing against a light, they do not have the right of way when they are walking three abreast with a double jogging stroller down my street and they do not have the right of way jogging at 6 six am off the sidewalk. Period. I was the witness in a jaywalking incident a couple years back in which a woman crossed against the light. She was hit by an SUV. I had to go to court 5 times over this. She got a broken back, a ticket for jaywalking and a number of judges throwing out the suits she kept kept bringing against the driver because she was in the wrong jaywalking. I got a very detailed lesson in Georgia pedestrian law due to that case and my many court appearances.
Oh, and by the way, this was an 81 year old grandmother.
Question of the day:
Why are the “Vampire” authors scheduled to read at the Baptist church?
MANY times the “walk” signal does not operate at all. Pedestrians get frustrated after waiting
through more than one light change, and then they walk across the intersection when the light turns green for their direction of traffic, after waiting for the “left turn people”. This has happened to me innumerable times at the corner of Commerce and Clairmont, and at the corner of Commerce and West Ponce.
I walked with my son’s class today to the DBF…the crossing guards and Decatur Police were out in force at the intersections, and at McDonough & West College, some idiot started honking repeatedly at the car in front of them who was stopped by the crossing guard. Unbelievable!! Is it worth getting where you’re going so badly?
I hope it was someone from outside Decatur, and not a local who was being so crass.
Sounds like you were heading towards one of the south side elementaries. I found traffic intense heading with the kids to and from Clairemont. No rudeness and the police and public safety volunteers were a big help, but people really zip around and go right up to the edge of sidewalks and curbs while waiting for the students to finishing passing them. I found it a little nerve-racking. Just one careless moment on the part of drivers or young students or both and a bad accident could happen.
Because compact cars (e.g. smart cars) are more likely to come out the worse in a collision with something so much heavier than them (i.e overweight pedestrians.)
“Why is this? Is it a vantage point thing or do they just hate all my presumptuous walking?”
Not sure what you mean by “presumptuous walking,” but I presume that (non-work) truck and SUV owners are generally selfish people and so am wary of them when walking.
Oh yes, totally agree. Have to be wary of those selfish SUV drivers. But people driving huge sedans that get 15 MPG are generally so enlightened and selfless a that they’d stop for a chipmunk in a crosswalk. Ditto for people who drive Priuses and park them in the garages of their 4000 square foot homes.
Us Jetta drivers are the best! (smile)
Is it “selfish” when my sister loads up her kid and 7 others and drives them at her expense to St. Simons Island, Perry, and Clayton for technology student events in the Suburban? Is it “selfish” when she drives the entire tennis team to ice cream?
Don’t be so judgmental- it harms your tolerant crunchy image…
Yes. That is what roof-racks are for.
I was admitting to being pre-judgemental, an instinct to be wary of suvs and trucks and other large vehicles, who tend to be, at least in Atlanta, bad drivers and inconsiderate of others. Judgement is for specific cases, which as a driver/pedestrian I have no ability to make.
My two fat tabby cats and I need an apartment or house to rent for one-to-two weeks while I have my bathroom remodeled. Anyone have any ideas? Thank you!
When were you planning to have it done?
Whenever I can find a place to stay LOL! Looking in downtown Decatur or Emory U area. Emory Inn has a room for $89 a night, but it isn’t big enough for all of us for an entire week. I am hoping to start the remodel in Sept or Oct.
Would you be willing to dog sit 2 lovable dogs for a week in return for a place to stay for a week? House is out near Stone Mountain Park, takes maybe 25 minutes to Decatur.
You are considerate to offer, but I need to be closer to home in Decatur while the work is being done. I work in Buckhead, so constant driving between the office, Stone Mountain, and Decatur might push me over the edge.
I have a VERY GOOD pet sitting service if you are interested. I’d be happy to help if I lived closer to you. Sorry.
My idea would be to hope for two weeks but to plan for two months. I’d look in craigslist for short term rentals.
That’s a very good idea! Thank you.
The guys doing the work managed to do an identical job in the condo below me, so they are confident they can do it in 5-6 days. Yeah right.
@decaturmetro Any chance you can turn on full articles in the RSS feed instead of just excerpts like it is now?
Regarding Decatur WiFi…..has anyone puchased the wireless modem from Get The Speed to use to bring the internet signal into their house? How is it working out?
Anyone know what the deal is with the place on Adair that keeps 2 bicycles parked and chained out in the street? I’m not questioning their right to do so, just their reasoning. I have to fight an irrational and slightly hostile urge to run the bikes over every time I go through there.
My wife and I have determined that it’s because they don’t want people going to Adair Park, parking in front of their house. The bikes aren’t even usable they’re in such bad shape.
You are correct, sir! It’s your basic attempt to privatize public property. I’d write it off to harmless “local color” if I hadn’t been privy to an altercation between the owner there and some folks doing yoga in the park across the street. Let’s just say he questioned their right to be there. It was fairly ugly.
OK, this just guarantees that I run them over next time. I thought I was the only person who wondered what the heck was up with those bikes.
While we are on the subject of Adair, I’ve got to bring this up because it bothers me every time I drive by and I wonder if I’m the only one who has noticed. Or maybe I’m the only one OCD enough to actually need restraint from moving or otherwise fixing the signs myself, but what is up with the ADAIR OAKS APARTMENTS signage? Heading south on Adair, the first sign says “South Entrance, Office at North Entrance”. Proceed south and the next sign says, “Office, North Entrance”. The self-described north entrance is directly south of the the self-described south entrance. At first I wanted to just switch the 2 signs, but that would also require some re-painting because the office actually is at the wrongly described north entrance. Sometimes I take Drexel just so I don’t have to see these signs. Yes, I know I have a problem, but if someone out there can explain, I’d love to hear how this happened!
Regarding the Adair Oaks signage: simple logic here, J_T . . .
You are in the South. The South lost the Civil War but shouldn’t have. This means that everything that appears to belong to the North really should be the South, and this includes all objects actually south. Meaning: it’s all South, especially if it says “North.”
Thus, the correctly described “North Entrance” is actually South.
And, everybody knows that anyone willing to bother with such trivialities as going to “the office” must be from the North. Thus, and in logic I am becoming more and more familiar with in this here part of the world, the office is north (and North).
I never noticed the north-south thing because I’m too charmed by the squirrel finials on the signposts.
Local color is right. He’s the male equivalent of a crazy cat lady screaming at all the damn kids to stay off her lawn!! Every neighborhood has one…
Interesting … I thought he was offering them for sale or something…
The city should use its nuisance / rubbish collection laws to remove those bikes.
Hmmm, maybe my urge isn’t so irrational after all. What was that program that was collecting bikes a while back? This guy should make a “donation”.
Frak you smokey sheeple, Leave my bikes, my corn, jeff, tomatoes, kb and Stacy alone and stop using my park to spread your gayness pharmaceuticals, dog-based fertilizer and vermiculite all over my lawn. My fully functional 1974 Denault bicycles are treasures you children cannot begin to understand and if anyone touches them then you must buy them, and they aren’t cheap. 24 hr CCTV cameras capture every car and person on my Adair, so if anyone dare touch them, my mm or tomatillos you can be sure that both I and the Decatur PD will be watching you on television.
I want whatever dedogur is smoking!
Isn’t Dedogur the dude who maces the homeless for daring to breathe his rarified air?
I smell a troll. Moderation.
I always wondered too but I figure the guy is out there working on his garden so often that it might get frustrating for him to be overrun with constant minivans cranking, etc. As for yelling at people in the park–eeek. How disruptive could yoga be?
This is the last weekend for our swim season at City of Decatur pools. Ebster, Glenlake and McKoy will be open from 10 am to 6 pm Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Please call the Glenlake Tennis Center at 404-377-7231 with any questions.
Thanks!
http://decaturactiveliving.blogspot.com/
I posted this further up because I am stupid:
Question of the day:
Why are the “Vampire” authors scheduled to read at the Baptist church?
Guess a Baptist church liberal enough to have a woman minister can be tolerant enough to have “Vampire” authors on the docket. But no dancing, drinking, or smoking during the performance!
What is with the DeKalb Farmers’ Market and grocery bags? First they crack down on people bringing their own reusable bags in, now they have changed to crappy, easily torn, wafer-thin plastic bags. Grumble.