Morning Metro: Soapbox Derby Photos, the Future of Coupon Sites, and Samsung Bets on Green
Decatur Metro | October 2, 2011 | 12:17 pm
- Photos from yesterday’s Soapbox Derby on Madison Ave [Next Stop...Decatur]
- Dresden East Residents Not Happy About Brookhaven City Boundaries [Patch]
- What’s the Deal with Daily Coupon Sites? [NYT]
- GA State Wants More Beefed Up Crosswalks Around It’s Urban Campus [Fresh Loaf]
- Wingfield: “No Brainer” to Use TIA Funds for Existing Rail Line To Cobb Instead of New Light-Rail [AJC]
- Will Samsung Drive Down the Price of Solar Panels and LEDs? [Economist]
Photo courtesy of E.J.
What do folks think about that NYT’s article about Groupon? I see a lot of you are clicking on it.
While I found it interesting – especially Groupon’s specific fall-from-grace, I feel like it leaves a lot unexplored. Also, it’s hard to tell if the real-life examples given are not having great success because of the deal itself or from just offering a undesirable product.
Lots of areas left to discuss – like the double-edged role that the internet plays in providing local businesses with this option, but also overwhelming the merchant and the higher possibility of delivering a more fickle customer.
Also, the whole dimension of how these sites affect local merchants – and the local economy. We’ve had a couple discussions about that here over the years, with some siding on the “all’s fair in love and coupons” and others less than comfortable with using a coupon at a retailer they’ve long patronized, in part, to support the local economy.
Someone could write a book about it.
For me it’s about trying places that I otherwise wouldn’t. For example, no way would I have tried Terrace without the thirty dollars off Scoutmob deal. It’s simply too expensive for me to take a chance on otherwise. Unfortunately, for them, I was not impressed enough to make a repeat visit. On the other hand, I gave Isabella’s a shot thanks to the Scoutmob coupon, and I do plan on returning.
I am not one of those who will not go somewhere without a coupon, but I am more likely to go somewhere new when a coupon is available and stick to my favorites otherwise.
I still buy the occasional Groupon and am now invested in doing so for the foreseeable future since they helped me get a refund in the form of a credit on the hot air balloon ride that never happened, but I much prefer the Scoutmob approach where I don’t have to put the money out there and risk not using it. My hubby and I have discussed the use of such coupons at places we go regardless of discount, but I feel the b’ness should have enough b’ness sense to make sure it’s in their best interest before undertaking to sign up. I still rue the day I didn’t check my inbox until after the Ale Yeah! deal was sold out, but I give credit to the folks at Ale Yeah! for recognizing that they would need to limit the deal in order to meet its demands. I expect that of all the b’nesses opting to participate.
And I agree that it’s a good way to try new places so the good businesses will increase their customer base as well as get positive word-of-mouth advertising.
What I’ve often wondered is whether it proves to be a profitable venture in it’s own right – there is a lot of cash paid out in purchasing the deal and not all of those folks will end up using them. It sounds like they are addressing that problem by allowing the cash value to be used after expiration of the additional discount, but I would have to guess it’s like the gift cards that sit around – the b’ness gets the money to do with as it wants until someone gets around to buying something and some of them will just never do so. The article makes it sound like some businesses take a big hit between splitting the cash with the deal company and giving the huge discount, but I still wonder if some of that is recouped in these no-shows.
I need the 30-second haiku Groupon for Dummies version of how to do Groupon or similar site.
Re: Kyle Wingfield’s AJC commentary on the Cobb ‘no-brainer’ transit line:
I admit I get tired of the topic at times, but in the spirit of trying to get decent information to counter the misinformation coming from haters, I believe that the state-owned track that Mr. Wingfield mentions in this piece is actually under long-term lease to CSX and is heavily used. His commentary suggests it is there for the using, except for needed upgrades. Sent him an e-mail for clarification and will update if I get something back.
p.s. And a “ha ha” to the referenced “brain train” idea that went nowhere. Or was that merely a cliche/not intentional?
I just have to chime in on the additional cross walks around GSU. As a commuter who crosses through GSU on Auburn/Luckie, I think they first need to teach their students to honor the crosswalk before they expect additional crosswalks to help. On one commute, I watched pedestrians who all appeared to be students step out against the light and/or away from a crosswalk without any regard to on-coming traffic in 3 separate spots. One of those was a guy crossing Luckie with his back to the one-way traffic and never even bothered to turn to look. Luckily, I was able to predict their reckless behavior, but it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. I posted my frustration on FB and a friend shared the sentiments of one of her GSU colleagues that Atlantans love their cars too much to hit her. I am certainly not a model pedestrian, but I do have a healthy respect for something that’s likely to hurt me far more than I am to hurt it. At least look to see what might be coming!
There seems to be an oblivious attitude among the students crossing streets down there. I watch them cross streets while texting, talking on the phone, etc., without even looking to see if a car is coming. Then there is the problem of people crossing before the pedestrian signal changes because they fail to note that the drivers have a left turn signal. If I were a motorist downtown I’d find this extremely frustrating (of course, I do everything possible to avoid driving downtown). I’m not sure why Georgia State police do not take a more active role in addressing this poor pedestrian behavior. I guess it’s because there is no revenue to be collected like there is with cars running lights, speeding, etc.
The feature in the current issue of National Geographic is “The Teenage Brain”. I haven’t read it yet but the byline on the front page suggests that the brain at 18 is no where done growing and developing.
I’ve also witnessed all of the pedestrian misbehavior described above. College students don’t get a pass to walk around like self-absorbed nincompoops just because their brains are continuing to develop.I know 3rd graders with enough gumption to cross the street safely.
So what’s your suggestion? I completely agree that third graders seem to have more common sense that teens and young adults under 25. But I have no idea what to do about it.
Ticket jaywalkers. Pursue a public awareness campaign that emphasizes mutual responsibility and respect among motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and anybody else using the public right-of-way (as opposed to allowing the dominant narrative to be all about the poor, victimized pedestrians who need more crosswalks even though they don’t use the ones already there). On a more general plane, stop coddling and apologizing for dingbat behavior on the part of people old enough to know better and let them get on with growing up enough to survive in this world. Beyond that, let Darwinism run its course.
Can we also ticket motorists who block a sidewalk trying to get out into an intersection then?
Sure. I said “mutual responsibility and respect” on everybody’s part and that’s what I meant. Also a little patience. As a pedestrian, I don’t mind pausing for a car that is forced to creep out across the sidewalk in order to see when they have a break in oncoming traffic. (I can think of at least two places in downtown Decatur where you can’t see past the cars parked along the street, unless you nose right out to the curb.) If they don’t need to, though, and are simply being piggishly oblivious, that’s another matter. Personally, I would particularly like to see citations for parking across the sidewalk when there’s not room to pull all the way into a residential driveway — especially if on-street parking is available.
The police could actually police some down there…seems like there are a lot in their cars who could be out on the street. Plus, I’ve seen the ones who are on the street completely ignore reckless jaywalking.
That sounds like a practical suggestion. College students’ brains may still be weak in judgment and self-policing but they have the ability to learn that jaywalking = expensive ticket + late for class.