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Small town advantages


Utah Bob #35998

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Went to get my license renewed. Walked into the DNV at 9:25. Walked out at 9:31. :D

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2 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Went to get my license renewed. Walked into the DNV at 9:25. Walked out at 9:31. :D

I might have you beat.  I walked into our County Sheriff's office today at 11:05.  I walked out at 11:11 with my fully issued CCW license (this is in Fresno, California).   I had submitted my renewal application on July 22.   They handled it timely (including background re-check) amid a huge application backlog.  Great system, great people running and administering it. 

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I grew up in a small town called Boise, ID.
That small town is now gone.

In my time, it was fabulous place to be a kid, or raise a family or a kid to ride his bike all over without fear of cars or being raped.
Today, I read somewhere that Ada County (ID) processes some 15,000 CA drivers licenses each year.
They build houses there as fast as they can manufacture nails.

The commute from Boise to Meridian is one of the worst in the nation now.
"Oh honey... you're home early... it's only May"

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Small town advantage I walked to work for 19 years.

 

Small town disadvantage.  Everyone knew where I lived and felt free to stop in to let me know of a problem they been having all week.  Could have been solved during working hours instead of making it an dire emergency after hours.

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2 minutes ago, Matthew Duncan said:

Small town advantage I walked to work for 19 years.

 

Small town disadvantage.  Everyone knew where I lived and felt free to stop in to let me know of a problem they been having all week.  Could have been solved during working hours instead of making it an dire emergency after hours.

I'm starting to experience that now, Matthew. I don't live here but they like to call me like I live next door. and expect immediate service. Sorry folks. I'm an hour away and eating my supper at 9:00 because I worked late and drove an hour home. Call me at 7:05 tomorrow morning please.

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8 hours ago, Michigan Slim said:

I'm starting to experience that now, Matthew. I don't live here but they like to call me like I live next door. and expect immediate service.

 

I had a long talk with the Town Board about paying overtime “NO!” I was told.

 
I was salaried at 40 hours and I was working 50 to 60 as acting Town Manger.

 

Saturday night I got a call.  Customer claimed he had stopped at the Lutheran Parsonage (Town Clerk Treasurer was the Pastor’s wife) and paid his overdue bill.    Customer had ignored the 10 day notice to pay 60 day overdue water bill.  I told told him the Town Board refuses to pay OT and it would be Monday at 7 AM before an Utility employee would be on duty.  He was not happy.

 

I didn’t wait long before a Board Member called asking me to restore water to the customer.  “Will the Town pay for the OT?  No?  Customer waited 70 days to pay he’ll have to wait till Monday morning.

 

Board Member asked how to turn the water service and he’d take care of it.

 

Monday I checked with the Clerk Treasurer.  The customer had not paid!  Told the Board Member.  This happens all the time.


And the time when it was winter when a lady called.  Her basement was FLOODING and her furnace was going to drown.  I was home alone with the kids, asked a neighbor to watch the kids and beat it the lady’s house.  The FLOOD was a very slow drip from a water pipe.  When she learned the cost of the repair was her responsibility she decided it was not emergency after all.  I wasn’t paid by the Town and was out the money I paid the babysitter.

 

After 19 years I said thank you good bye!

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1 hour ago, bgavin said:

I grew up in a small town called Boise, ID.
That small town is now gone.

In my time, it was fabulous place to be a kid, or raise a family or a kid to ride his bike all over without fear of cars or being raped.
Today, I read somewhere that Ada County (ID) processes some 15,000 CA drivers licenses each year.
They build houses there as fast as they can manufacture nails.

The commute from Boise to Meridian is one of the worst in the nation now.
"Oh honey... you're home early... it's only May"

My wife and I thought of moving to the Boise area when she retired.  Hadn't been there in years so we drove up about a year before she cut loose.  It took us under and hour to decide it wasn't where we wanted to be...didn't even have any friends living anywhere near any more.

 

We'd been looking at the area around Prescott since 1984 and we decided that was when we wanted to spend our last years.  She did, I haven't yet, but I'll stick it out until I die...if I live that long.

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17 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Went to get my license renewed. Walked into the DNV at 9:25. Walked out at 9:31. :D

Yep same way here (one county south from UB). Last year I had cataract surgery and do not have to wear glasses anymore. Stopped by DMV (without an appointment) took the eye test and was gone in 10 minutes with a new license. 

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40 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

We'd been looking at the area around Prescott since 1984 and we decided that was when we wanted to spend our last years.  She did, I haven't yet, but I'll stick it out until I die...if I live that long.


We also wanted Prescott, but it just isn't in the cards anymore. 
Too many CA have moved there, and prices are up as a consequence.
For us, it is FAR less expensive to stick it out here behind enemy lines.
 

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Yeah, there's that.  Bought our house 8 years ago next month for $127,000.00.  Been offered $650,000.00 for it....in less than eight years....and turned it down.  I can't find a place to fit my needs in my area for that amount.

 

Most of the Californians moving to our part of Arizona are pretty good people.  The trash are going down around Phoenix but the realtors and developers (including our mayor) are looking to double the local population almost overnight and not considering the fact that we don't have the infrastructure to support the growth.  Not enough roads, schools, power, sewers, etc. (although solar is rampant),  and most importantly WATER, to handle it.  Someone sold the towns and state that" round abouts" are a good idea..... and they are doing nothing but slowing traffic to a crawl in most places.  There are about ten of them between my place and Ash Fork .  A couple of them are within a couple or hundred yards of each other and at least two just go around and there is no place to go that wouldn't be served with a simple left hand turn lane. 

 

I think we got here just in time...and there are a lot of CAS shooters and other pro-gun folks among the new comers who jumped ship before the s--- hit the fan.

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22 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

Yeah, there's that.  Bought our house 8 years ago next month for $127,000.00.  Been offered $650,000.00 for it....in less than eight years....and turned it down.  I can't find a place to fit my needs in my area for that amount.

 

Most of the Californians moving to our part of Arizona are pretty good people.  The trash are going down around Phoenix but the realtors and developers (including our mayor) are looking to double the local population almost overnight and not considering the fact that we don't have the infrastructure to support the growth.  Not enough roads, schools, power, sewers, etc. (although solar is rampant),  and most importantly WATER, to handle it.  Someone sold the towns and state that" round abouts" are a good idea..... and they are doing nothing but slowing traffic to a crawl in most places.  There are about ten of them between my place and Ash Fork .  A couple of them are within a couple or hundred yards of each other and at least two just go around and there is no place to go that wouldn't be served with a simple left hand turn lane. 

 

I think we got here just in time...and there are a lot of CAS shooters and other pro-gun folks among the new comers who jumped ship before the s--- hit the fan.

The Round-About virus has infected many communities  now.  It is extremely contagious-- being  transmitted via traffic planning conferences and the Internet. 

 

They can be very helpful where you have multiple (more than 2) roads intersecting, but in a lot of places, they just become traffic speed regulators.   Some, like the big circle in Wickenburg, AZ, are an absolute fright; particularly if you are not area-familiar. 

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3 hours ago, Matthew Duncan said:

I had a long talk with the Town Board about paying overtime “NO!” I was told.

 
I was salaried at 40 hours and I was working 50 to 60 as acting Town Manger.

 

Saturday night I got a call.  Customer claimed he had stopped at the Lutheran Parsonage (Town Clerk Treasurer was the Pastor’s wife) and paid his overdue bill.    Customer had ignored the 10 day notice to pay 60 day overdue water bill.  I told told him the Town Board refuses to pay OT and it would be Monday at 7 AM before an Utility employee would be on duty.  He was not happy.

 

I didn’t wait long before a Board Member called asking me to restore water to the customer.  “Will the Town pay for the OT?  No?  Customer waited 70 days to pay he’ll have to wait till Monday morning.

 

Board Member asked how to turn the water service and he’d take care of it.

 

Monday I checked with the Clerk Treasurer.  The customer had not paid!  Told the Board Member.  This happens all the time.


And the time when it was winter when a lady called.  Her basement was FLOODING and her furnace was going to drown.  I was home alone with the kids, asked a neighbor to watch the kids and beat it the lady’s house.  The FLOOD was a very slow drip from a water pipe.  When she learned the cost of the repair was her responsibility she decided it was an not emergency after all.  I wasn’t paid by the Town and was out the money I paid the babysitter.

 

After 19 years I said thank you good bye!

Thirteen years, five months, eleven days.

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3 minutes ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

The Round-About virus has infected many communities  now.  It is extremely contagious-- being  transmitted via traffic planning conferences and the Internet. 

 

They can be very helpful where you have multiple (more than 2) roads intersecting, but in a lot of places, they just become traffic speed regulators.   Some, like the big circle in Wickenburg, AZ, are an absolute fright; particularly if you are not area-familiar. 

Billings has had a severe case.  At first I didn't care for them, but once you get used to them, they actually speed things up. 

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9 minutes ago, Rip Snorter said:

Billings has had a severe case.  At first I didn't care for them, but once you get used to them, they actually speed things up. 

Agreed. We have two state highways cross north of here and traffic flows nicely. You just have to train the stoopid people to not STOP if there is a gap to merge into. 

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1 minute ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

Took me about 20 minutes in my suburb of 40,000

Like everything else to do with roads, engineering design is  critical--also good signage.

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1 hour ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

Like everything else to do with roads, engineering design is  critical--also good signage.

I meant once I got inside. It only took me 5 minutes to get there. 

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22 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

And what happens if 80% of the people don't "get used to them"?

Factually, things have gone from rough and grouchy to smooth.  First time I encountered roundabouts was in England in the late '60's.  Between driving from the "wrong" side of the car, on the "wrong" side of the road, and my left hand not knowing how to shift, that was terrifying.  I was driving a shift car regularly, never figured it would be a major problem with a rental.

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I have never understood this traffic circle they put in Cameron Arizona a few years ago.

Yeah, it’s in the desert,.

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Here's the one I earlier mentioned in Wickenburg.  It is a nightmare when its full of trucks that block the view of signs, and if you are unfamiliar. Screenshot_20220803-210033_Earth.thumb.jpg.1720987d5dfa5ae6118de02352240489.jpg

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In my youth before I married my bride I was partying in Jamaica with two American gals.  Got up the next morning with a Hiroshima level hangover.  Got into the rental car found I was on the wrong side in the passenger seat.  Got out changed sides.  Started moving and went to shift 2nd gear… and opened the door.  Finally got to the roundabout only to discover traffic in the opposite direction due to driving on the left.  Gave up, backed up went back to bed.

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Traffic circles in the US are still made for amateurs. Got introduced to them when I was stationed in Rota Spain. Learn the rules and they are much better than lights or stop signs.

 

There is one in Bahrain that is 3 lanes wide.  Had lots of fun with the those new to Bahrain while they learn how to navigate it.

 

Coordinates are N26.133547612441003, E50.53789965413792  

 

Never had the pleasure of driving The Arc De Triomphe in Paris. It is more than 3 lanes wide.

 

I will admit that The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, UK looks rather intimidating.

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The trouble with roundabouts and even regular onramps on the highway is that 75% of drivers feel like it is everyone else's responsibility to make any adjustments to speed or moving over for everyone to safely and efficiently merge. They just drive like no one else is there and you should adjust for them.

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