“Right on Red” means you can jump the curb to cut through the private parking lot. Unless of course somebody leaves a stupid fire hydrant in the way. They oughta paint those a bright color or something…
Text below links Google Street view of the offending hydrant. Note that the lot owner blocks the entrance trying to keep errant SUV drivers from cutting through his lot instead of waiting for the light. It works on all but the most self-centered drivers who merely drive over the sidewalk to make their turn.
Street View
-97.361743
37.192508
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0
0
3505135
checkHideChildren
open closed
http://cbk0.google.com/cbk?output=earthfile&cb_client=earth&fname=cityblock_man.png
I used to go there for my back. One day I was parked right in front of it, and thought, hey, I’ll just drive over the sidewalk and make a right on howard.
Woops. Kaboom.
Yes, this is at Lotus of Life and was right around 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening–we saw it on the way to the RMS dance. Looks like people described–the woman tired of waiting at the light and decided to cut through the parking lot. She was sitting too high to see the hydrant. She did an amazing job of hiking her car up on top of that hydrant. Created a traffic nightmare for those behind her who wanted to go straight or left at the light–they all had to turn right and make the loop through Decatur to get back to W. Howard! Thanks lady!
Fun with body language: Based on the crossed arms (it wasn’t cold out) and her proximity to the vehicle, I’m guessing the woman in pink was the driver? Just a guess. The firefighters look slightly amused/bored, too.
Ok, I’m game. And there’s a father there whose little boy goes to the Frasier Center and just loves big trucks so they came up to watch the tow truck… And a twenty-something female who was stuck in the mess and decided to make the most of it and post a picture to her Facebook page so everyone would know where she was that second…..And a tow truck driver thinking “No matter how bad the economy gets, this job will always be secure because there’s always idiots who do things like this…..”
She should fire her spotter. The wheel-up approach looks pretty good, but the over steer was too much.
Next time, wheel-up on the first connection on the hydrant, then give it a little gas while applying a little brake. That should get her tire to the top of the hydrant. Stop at that point, take pictures, impress your friends, then back off the hydrant slowly.
At least she has an excuse to go ahead and add a steel bumper, perhaps a lift, and some skid plates.
Hope that driver is on his knees thanking God it was a hydrant and not a kid on a trike, an oldster on a scooter, a wino lying on the sidewalk (it happens), or even just someone’s beloved pet. I despise those behemoths.
You know, I don’t really care either way, but why such a hatred for the SUV? This one is not even that big. This city is crawling with Honda Elements. Are they somehow exempt because they are the cool, liberal SUV. Just curious….
Haha, I was going to write “I couldn’t care less” but I figured a comment like yours would come my way! I guess there is a difference between caring and curiosity though.
“Despise” not “Hate.”
I feel like they are the rolling symbols of conspicuous consumption. Besides, I can’t see past them in order to back safely out of an angle parking space.
i am not confident they can see me in my small car.
I can’t find my car when it is parked in their midst.
In sum, I feel like they are both a hazard and an inconvenience to the community of drivers. That equals dangerous and rude, enough for me to “regard them with disdain.”
People hate SUVs until they need to move furniture, buy pinestraw and shrubs, haul the Boy Scout troop to camp, take the science projects to school, etc etc.
True, but minivans and station wagons can do the same and actually have more storage room and block the view of others less. Some of the enormo-SUVs seem to be all size, without much extra muscle and storage. Now, if one is taking them off-road a lot on muddy, rocky, unpaved roads, the higher clearance is important but it’s always cracked me up how totally urban folks in NYC or Los Angeles who have never been outside of the metro area drive them in their high heels as a status symbol. But then, I also don’t understand Hummers. Why a boxy, military-like vehicle is a status symbol is beyond me other than the cost. But if the high price is such a draw, why aren’t people driving school buses as status symbols? A new full-length school bus is quite pricey. And a gas guzzler too!
35 years old, husband, father of two kids, and owner of a house with a seemingly endless list of DIY projects. Have moved at *least* once every 3 years. Perfect target for an SUV or at least a minivan, right ?
Never had an SUV or minivan and never needed one, either. Can’t stand ‘em. Why drive something 2x as big/heavy as I need every day for the less-than-a-handful times a year something that huge *might* come in handy. When I need something big, I rent it or borrow it, and lo and behold – it’s the proper size !
Currently driving 2x Jetta TDI (diesels) and will probably replace the commuter Jetta with an all-electric car like the Leaf.
Sure, my situation is not like everyone else’s, and I concede *some* people can justify owning a large vehicle, but mini-SUVs like this, especially in the city ? No justification other than simply wanting to sit up high (so you don’t see fire hydrants).
I drive an Element and I use the room it provides constantly for hauling stuff. We usually have at least one of the back seats up because we are loading something. I also have a 150 lb. Great Dane that does not fit in most cars comfortably at all. It is by far the best utilitarian vehicle out there, IMO. And btw, it can haul a washer/dryer, mattresses, etc. Lastly, why do I need to “justify” my choice of vehicle to anyone?
>> People hate SUVs until they need to move furniture:
What ? You must have some small furniture. Last I checked, no SUV could swallow a bed, couch, dining room table, fridge, washer, dryer, etc.,. Any small truck can haul more than the vast majority of SUVs. The Ford Excursion might the notable exception, but that’s been discontinued (for a good reason !).
>> buy pinestraw and shrubs
Car trunks work just fine
>> haul the Boy Scout troop to camp,
You don’t need an SUV, you need a bus or large van for that. Also, ever heard of “multiple cars” ?
>> take the science projects to school
Pretty sure the school would be pissed with anything that couldn’t fit in a standard-sized car.
Again, sorry to pick on you, but I’ve yet to personally meet anyone that can justify an SUV as a daily driver.
The real beauty in this is the individuality that the various types of vehicles on the market offer us. We can all choose a vehicle that expresses our individual styles, needs, or wants. It’s very easy to project our own views on others, it’s very much a NIMBY attitude twisted to “I don’t need/want/desire…therefore, you shouldn’t either”. How about if the City of Decatur passed and ordinance stating “Every resident is to drive a Honda Fit not older than a 2010 model. Should a resident be in possession of any other vehicle make or model, a $100/day fine shall be imposed until disposition of the offending vehicle can be proven.” How would that change the driving skills of the vehicle operator?
I believe in educating a driver to a competent level for the vehicle they choose to drive. So, no matter what vehicle you have, be competent enough to drive it safely and obey the road.
For work, I regularly look at hundreds, sometimes thousands, of acres of raw, untouched land for purpose of conservation or future development. In my job, 4×4 is a requirement. I do this year round and canvas tops aren’t very warm in the winter, much less quiet. Try carrying on a conversation with a passenger at 70 miles an hour. A four door ford sedan didn’t work for me…I tried it (I got back thanks to Verizon’s awesome rural coverage). For yard work, I know for a fact that my vehicle can carry 35, 2 cu ft bags of mulch, or 28 cinder blocks, or nearly 1/3 chord of wood. For off road driving, trucks do not have adequate weigh distribution for rear wheel traction sometimes. An SUV typically offers better weight distribution, and a secure storage area.
Sure, you could look in my vehicle and say I have “wasted space”, but I can look in your vehicle and say you wasted seats. (unless you have a SMART car, then it’s a wasted seat.)
I wish Decatur would hurry up and improve those sidewalks.
They’re barely drivable!
How come in the movies the hydrant always breaks off and a big geyser shoots into the air?
Oh please, please, please tell us the story behind this….
Heading home after the Beer Fest ?
Betcha two bits it involved at least one cellphone…
“Right on Red” means you can jump the curb to cut through the private parking lot. Unless of course somebody leaves a stupid fire hydrant in the way. They oughta paint those a bright color or something…
This is at Lotus of Life….I believe. Solid story to follow if anyone asks how I know this.
Text below links Google Street view of the offending hydrant. Note that the lot owner blocks the entrance trying to keep errant SUV drivers from cutting through his lot instead of waiting for the light. It works on all but the most self-centered drivers who merely drive over the sidewalk to make their turn.
Street View
-97.361743
37.192508
0
0
0
3505135
checkHideChildren
open closed
http://cbk0.google.com/cbk?output=earthfile&cb_client=earth&fname=cityblock_man.png
00ffffff
2
Images
checkHideChildren
00ffffff
2
http://cbk0.google.com/cbk?output=earthfile&cb_client=earth&fname=subroot_en.kmz
onExpire
“HIde your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husbands too…”?
So you can run and tell that, run and tell that …
Spill, Left Wing!
I used to go there for my back. One day I was parked right in front of it, and thought, hey, I’ll just drive over the sidewalk and make a right on howard.
Woops. Kaboom.
Firehydrants dont budge.
At all.
Yes, this is at Lotus of Life and was right around 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening–we saw it on the way to the RMS dance. Looks like people described–the woman tired of waiting at the light and decided to cut through the parking lot. She was sitting too high to see the hydrant. She did an amazing job of hiking her car up on top of that hydrant. Created a traffic nightmare for those behind her who wanted to go straight or left at the light–they all had to turn right and make the loop through Decatur to get back to W. Howard! Thanks lady!
Hey…who hasnt once been stuck at some of the lights in Decatur and wanted to cut a corner?
Perhaps she was just attempting to test the four-wheel drive
I’m SPECIAL!!!! YES!
I always thought so, now it’s been validated and confirmed!
Off to buy another SUV so I can be “EXTRA SPECIAL!”
How about the flip side of that coin?
“Hey….look at me in my massively overpriced Prius! Boy, I sure feel good about myself!”
Prius’ are small, quiet and unassuming. The polar opposite of a 4 wheel drive SUV.
And I don’t own either type.
You removed the post!! Haha, now I feel bad.
From now on, maybe we could refer to having a comment removed as getting “walrused.” or should it be “walrussed?” One or the other
I prefer “walrussed”, with two s-es. Makes it seem more of an “active” adverb.
Love it!
Thanks Cuba- My forgetfulness of all the rules really embarrasses me sometimes (especially the easy ones)
What did you say this time?? I want to knooooow!
LOL! She didn’t say anything– I forgot to put a smiley face on my comment so she’d know I was funning around!
Is the “she” me? If so, I totally got it! And if not, I’m totally clueless. Which is no surprise!
Yeah, it’s you– I was worried that I might not have come across as joking (I’ve often found myself operating from a surfeit of caution on this board)!
Fun with body language: Based on the crossed arms (it wasn’t cold out) and her proximity to the vehicle, I’m guessing the woman in pink was the driver? Just a guess. The firefighters look slightly amused/bored, too.
I’m thinkin’ the firefighters look like they’d like to walk off and tell the offending driver, “Hey– YOU made the mess, YOU clean it up!”
Ok, I’m game. And there’s a father there whose little boy goes to the Frasier Center and just loves big trucks so they came up to watch the tow truck… And a twenty-something female who was stuck in the mess and decided to make the most of it and post a picture to her Facebook page so everyone would know where she was that second…..And a tow truck driver thinking “No matter how bad the economy gets, this job will always be secure because there’s always idiots who do things like this…..”
She should fire her spotter. The wheel-up approach looks pretty good, but the over steer was too much.
Next time, wheel-up on the first connection on the hydrant, then give it a little gas while applying a little brake. That should get her tire to the top of the hydrant. Stop at that point, take pictures, impress your friends, then back off the hydrant slowly.
At least she has an excuse to go ahead and add a steel bumper, perhaps a lift, and some skid plates.
Heck with the rec center, Decatur needs an ORV park.
Hope that driver is on his knees thanking God it was a hydrant and not a kid on a trike, an oldster on a scooter, a wino lying on the sidewalk (it happens), or even just someone’s beloved pet. I despise those behemoths.
You know, I don’t really care either way, but why such a hatred for the SUV? This one is not even that big. This city is crawling with Honda Elements. Are they somehow exempt because they are the cool, liberal SUV. Just curious….
Obviously you do care. Otherwise, why ask the question?
Haha, I was going to write “I couldn’t care less” but I figured a comment like yours would come my way! I guess there is a difference between caring and curiosity though.
“Despise” not “Hate.”
I feel like they are the rolling symbols of conspicuous consumption. Besides, I can’t see past them in order to back safely out of an angle parking space.
i am not confident they can see me in my small car.
I can’t find my car when it is parked in their midst.
In sum, I feel like they are both a hazard and an inconvenience to the community of drivers. That equals dangerous and rude, enough for me to “regard them with disdain.”
Fair enough.
People hate SUVs until they need to move furniture, buy pinestraw and shrubs, haul the Boy Scout troop to camp, take the science projects to school, etc etc.
True, but minivans and station wagons can do the same and actually have more storage room and block the view of others less. Some of the enormo-SUVs seem to be all size, without much extra muscle and storage. Now, if one is taking them off-road a lot on muddy, rocky, unpaved roads, the higher clearance is important but it’s always cracked me up how totally urban folks in NYC or Los Angeles who have never been outside of the metro area drive them in their high heels as a status symbol. But then, I also don’t understand Hummers. Why a boxy, military-like vehicle is a status symbol is beyond me other than the cost. But if the high price is such a draw, why aren’t people driving school buses as status symbols? A new full-length school bus is quite pricey. And a gas guzzler too!
Re; SUVs
35 years old, husband, father of two kids, and owner of a house with a seemingly endless list of DIY projects. Have moved at *least* once every 3 years. Perfect target for an SUV or at least a minivan, right ?
Never had an SUV or minivan and never needed one, either. Can’t stand ‘em. Why drive something 2x as big/heavy as I need every day for the less-than-a-handful times a year something that huge *might* come in handy. When I need something big, I rent it or borrow it, and lo and behold – it’s the proper size !
Currently driving 2x Jetta TDI (diesels) and will probably replace the commuter Jetta with an all-electric car like the Leaf.
Sure, my situation is not like everyone else’s, and I concede *some* people can justify owning a large vehicle, but mini-SUVs like this, especially in the city ? No justification other than simply wanting to sit up high (so you don’t see fire hydrants).
-David
I drive an Element and I use the room it provides constantly for hauling stuff. We usually have at least one of the back seats up because we are loading something. I also have a 150 lb. Great Dane that does not fit in most cars comfortably at all. It is by far the best utilitarian vehicle out there, IMO. And btw, it can haul a washer/dryer, mattresses, etc. Lastly, why do I need to “justify” my choice of vehicle to anyone?
So we totally know how to spot The Walrus now- look for an Element with a giant dog.
Haha, my identity will slowly be revealed!!
Sorry to pick on you AMB, but:
>> People hate SUVs until they need to move furniture:
What ? You must have some small furniture. Last I checked, no SUV could swallow a bed, couch, dining room table, fridge, washer, dryer, etc.,. Any small truck can haul more than the vast majority of SUVs. The Ford Excursion might the notable exception, but that’s been discontinued (for a good reason !).
>> buy pinestraw and shrubs
Car trunks work just fine
>> haul the Boy Scout troop to camp,
You don’t need an SUV, you need a bus or large van for that. Also, ever heard of “multiple cars” ?
>> take the science projects to school
Pretty sure the school would be pissed with anything that couldn’t fit in a standard-sized car.
Again, sorry to pick on you, but I’ve yet to personally meet anyone that can justify an SUV as a daily driver.
YEAH! Why would anyone own an SUV, when they have a perfectly good roof on their vehicle? (For the humour-impaired, this was a joke.)
The real beauty in this is the individuality that the various types of vehicles on the market offer us. We can all choose a vehicle that expresses our individual styles, needs, or wants. It’s very easy to project our own views on others, it’s very much a NIMBY attitude twisted to “I don’t need/want/desire…therefore, you shouldn’t either”. How about if the City of Decatur passed and ordinance stating “Every resident is to drive a Honda Fit not older than a 2010 model. Should a resident be in possession of any other vehicle make or model, a $100/day fine shall be imposed until disposition of the offending vehicle can be proven.” How would that change the driving skills of the vehicle operator?
I believe in educating a driver to a competent level for the vehicle they choose to drive. So, no matter what vehicle you have, be competent enough to drive it safely and obey the road.
For work, I regularly look at hundreds, sometimes thousands, of acres of raw, untouched land for purpose of conservation or future development. In my job, 4×4 is a requirement. I do this year round and canvas tops aren’t very warm in the winter, much less quiet. Try carrying on a conversation with a passenger at 70 miles an hour. A four door ford sedan didn’t work for me…I tried it (I got back thanks to Verizon’s awesome rural coverage). For yard work, I know for a fact that my vehicle can carry 35, 2 cu ft bags of mulch, or 28 cinder blocks, or nearly 1/3 chord of wood. For off road driving, trucks do not have adequate weigh distribution for rear wheel traction sometimes. An SUV typically offers better weight distribution, and a secure storage area.
Sure, you could look in my vehicle and say I have “wasted space”, but I can look in your vehicle and say you wasted seats. (unless you have a SMART car, then it’s a wasted seat.)