Free-For-All Friday 5/6/16
Decatur Metro | May 6, 2016 | 8:36 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics not yet discussed here over the past week.
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics not yet discussed here over the past week.
Happy sunny Friday!
oops, i’m so sorry—guess i had a little too much Cinco de Mayo
Can anyone recommend a therapist who specializes in depression and anxiety issues? Thanks and happy (I’m trying!) Friday.
I don’t have a recommendation, but hang in there. Getting help should make a huge difference.
Marjorie Blum — she’s very warm and insightful, really helpful. Office on Clairmont just past Sam’s Club. https://drmarjorieblum.com
Beth-Ann Buitekant, 404-818-6073. She was for many years the guidance counselor at Friends School of Atlanta. She’s a special human being.
the Thrive Center across the street from DHS
I second what Therapy said. Sending you big hugs!
Does anyone know the selection process for the bands/singers for the Concerts on the Square? And are they paid to perform? Asking for an interested friend.
Don’t have the specific submission info but yes, they’re definitely paid. With funds primarily from the Beach Party, I believe.
Here is the info for the now-passed 2016 selection process: http://decaturdba.com/call-for-musicians.
Should open up for applications again late this year for 2017.
“J” Walkers with an attitude. In down town Decatur and busy Church street I see those crossing streets, texting and never obey the walk now signs. This holds up our already busy traffic flow. When you hit the horn you normally get some cursing and the finger.
It would seem we have so much going on in a positive way that our COD police could write a few warning tickets and likely SAVE a life !!
Yeah. Those texting and walking jerks are almost as annoying and dangerous as the texting and driving jerks who don’t stop for pedestrians in the crosswalks, even the ones with big, flashing lights! Let’s start ticketing the latter jerks first…
…And how about some tickets for those blowing through red lights there at Church and Ponce like the police are chasing them.
I agree to JT and your response. Where is our COD police enforcement on these issues? Traffic control and pedestrian safety will be a major issue going forward.
I am proud to say that is one habit I am not guilty off. I understand your point. The laws are on the books.If you have an accident while texting I understand from insurance professioanls that you are guilty regardless of the circumstances.
I learned this week that it is illegal in Georgia to back into a parking spot. Its in the Driver’s Manual.
Not holding my breathe until that one get enforced.
Happy Weekend.
Another example of bureaucrats and/or legislators who can’t follow the path from A to B. Given the proliferation of oversized vehicles on the road, many of which will be in spaces next to where regular-car drivers park, the safest thing to do is to back into the parking space. That way, when you leave, you have a chance of seeing oncoming traffic without having to pull into the path of that traffic first, as is the case when backing out of a space surrounded by SUVs.
I can see your point. No back up lights on the front of any vehicle makes a reasonable point in the drivers manual. I have an SUV with back up camera and sensors built in that scans 20 feet on both sides when I clear the vehicle bumper parked next to me.
Terry, I just went through the digital edition of the Georgia DDS’ Drivers manual on every page where the word “parking” appears. I can find nothing that addresses the legality of backing into a parking space. Here is the link so please take a look and let me know on which page you found this prohibition:
http://www.eregulations.com/georgia/driver/pageflip/
Prohibition? I don’t have to read it.. Not going to discuss common sense.. One thought. By design however,how many years has back up lights been on the back of our automobiles in this counrty and others.
A neighbor hit someone in the Kroger parking lot. She was backed into the parking spot. She was charged with the accident. Went to court. The judge found her guilty because she was illegally parked.
His comment at the time was ” that is why the back up lights are on the rear of ALL vehicles.
Reversing (backup) lamps (Google)
To warn adjacent vehicle operators and pedestrians of a vehicle’s rearward motion, and to provide illumination to the rear when backing up,[91][92][93] each vehicle must be equipped with one or two rear-mounted, rear-facing reversing[93] (or “backup”)[92] lamps.[7][18] These are required to produce white light by U.S. and international UN Regulations.[7][18] However, some countries have at various times permitted amber reversing lights.
The lesson is an easy one: we often need uniform rules of conduct to maximize utility. Imagine a flow of traffic where the driver ahead is pausing and reversing to back into the parking space on a busy road. Contrast this with the familiar depiction of a car in front easily gliding into a parking space while the traffic behind decelerates for a second or two. Since everyone is forced to park in the same way, everyone maximizes their individual freedom to travel quickly with minimal interference against the individual.
We don’t have tags on the front of our vehciles. Stolen vehciles, non registered and uninsured vehicles can only be identified from the exposed tag for law enforcement to do there job.
Take from it what you wish.
Have a great weekend.
So, clearly, “you don’t need to read it,” means arguing from bias…
Terry, it was a simple question regarding your statement that the Georgia drivers manual says backing into a parking space is illegal. Show me where the drivers manual says that. I couldn’t find it. I did look up parking laws in the Official Code of Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-203) and couldn’t find it there either.
As for your premise about that the driver backing up into a parking space holds up the flow of traffic, doesn’t a driver backing up to leave a parking space also hold up the flow of traffic? The only reason you don’t have a problem waiting on this driver to back out of their parking space is because then it comes YOUR parking space, right? When you wait on a driver backing into the space, they are simply an inconsiderate jerk who is holding up the flow of traffic.
Call me an inconsiderate jerk, then. I back into a space because it’s safer to back between two cars that aren’t moving than to back out into an environment that has moving traffic and pedestrians. When it’s time to leave, I can see look both ways then pull out slowly and safely.
Here are links to two articles that I found enlightening regarding this subject. One is about UPS drivers and why they back into parking spaces. Since UPS drivers average less than one accident per every million miles driven, I’ll follow its advice.
http://blog.ups.com/2013/03/01/what-backing-up-has-to-do-with-our-corporate-safety-culture/
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/transport/2011/02/youre_parking_wrong.html
On the contrary – safe driving courses teach that it is better to back into a parking space, once you have verified that the space is clear for you to back into. The rationale is based on statistical evidence that you are less likely to have an accident if you are backing into a vacant space than if you are backing into the flow of traffic. If your neighbor hit someone while parking, she is at fault whether she is pulling in nose first or rear first.
GDOT has some approved designs for rear-entry on-street parking. It exists in Macon.
Wouldn’t that make parallel parking illegal? 😉
Any word on how the cottages meeting went last night? I’d post on that thread, but it’s a few days old.
Couple of concepts presented showing 6 or 7 units, cannot actually recall, with a shared courtyard. They had adjacent neighbors’ concerns posted, which seemed to be pretty typical concerns. If I understood the posted timeline, this project will be ready for commission meetings in about three months if it stays on schedule.
Does anyone know why all of a sudden there are a bunch of For Sale signs popping up outside the new Brownstones on Scott Blvd, aside from the good market for selling?
The good market for selling is the reason. The only ones that have been for sale are the ones owned by folks without kids in the school system.
I would imagine that some of the original buyers were under water there for a few years.
Exactly. It’s pretty safe to say that that’s no longer the case.
Are there any good breakfast-for-dinner spots in or near Decatur (excluding Waffle House; I’m a fan but a member of my household is not)? Who else thinks we need an all-day pancakes spot?
There’s an ihop on clairmont.
I agree. The original builder sold out to less expensive design and construction. The Phase I units are awesome . The units in the back are quite nice as well. Turning right or left on Scott Blvd, now there is a challenge in itself.
Does anyone know when our collegiate pressure washer will return for the summer? And do you have his contact info? Thanks in advance.
I don’t know when he gets home for the summer but his name is Jacob Miller and he does a great job. Text him at (404) 309-9863.
Fantastic. Thanks!
As a follow up to this post and as an unsolicited plug for Mr. Jacob Miller…Over the Christmas break I reached out Jacob via text message and inquired about having one side of my house and my entire derive way pressure washed by him. He was responsive and courteous. Due to my schedule I was unable to ever actually meet Jacob; but he did come to my house, evaluate and quote me a price, he later returned to my house and did the job (unsupervised) and did a fantastic job. I could not be more pleased with the results and the honesty and integrity with which this young man performed the job. I highly recommend him. (PS I am in no way related to him, I am just a customer).
For those concerned about Decatur’s stewardship of our natural environment and how the city protects our waterways, The Thrive Group, LLC, has submitted a request (on behalf of the property owner) for variances from the required stream buffer requirements for a development at 116 Northern Avenue. Thrive Homes proposes replacing the 16 apartments in a two-story building with 10 four-story town houses. The affected stream is a tributary to Peavine Creek (itself a tributary to the Chattahoochee) that runs behind the property.
The request is for variances for intrusion into the 25-foot state-required no land disturbance buffer, the 50-foot Decatur-required undisturbed natural buffer, and the 75-foot Decatur-required protected area prohibiting impervious surfaces. (All buffers are measured from top of stream bank, so they overlap with 50-foot including the 25-foot and 75-foot including both the 25-foot and 50-foot.)
The Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to hear the request at their Monday, May 9, 2016, meeting, starting at 7:30 p.m. The request is the last item on the agenda (link to agenda available at http://decaturga.com/city-government/resident-boards-commissions/zoning-board-of-appeals). You can find a link to the application at http://www.decaturga.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/9845/324. Use the >4 of 4 May 2016 Packet link (application info begins on page 20).
If you would like to voice an opinion but are unable to attend the meeting, you can direct comments to the ZBA members in care of John Maximuk, Director, Design, Environment & Construction Division ([email protected] ).
Volunteer sign up is now open for the 2016 Festival.
http://www.decaturbbqfestival.com/volunteers/
It looks like Iberian Pig is open for lunch ??
Smart idea to re-pave CVS parking lot in the middle of a weekday.
Did the pavers get booted for parking without patronizing one of the stores?
Be careful what you ask for …
http://seekingalpha.com/news/3182149-tesla-discloses-production-risks-model-3