I’ll Drive Slower, I Swear

I’ve been working here in the south end of Highland Park for just over three weeks, and I’ve yet to be pulled over by HP’s finest. But I just had a close call as I returned from lunch. An HP DPS SUV [acronym overload!] was hiding parked in an alley on Wycliff/Fitzhugh just as I sped over from Central Expressway on my way back to the office. I either slowed down just in time, or the officer had mercy on me. Anybody else been asked to produce their license and registration lately?

Carpool Complaints

I don’t mean to intrude on Merritt’s beat, but the Hyer carpool line, at least at the front entrance on Caruth, was a mess this morning.  Partly this is due to it being Bike Rodeo Day, and dozens of kids and parents who don’t normally ride were riding their bikes to school this morning.  What I observed is that the kids know bike rules better than the parents: I saw three different parents veer from the sidewalk into the street without looking, and two of them went through stop signs at full speed with their heads turned backward to watch their kids (who stopped at the stop signs).

And in a continuing problem made worse this morning because of the heavier traffic, the crossing guards must be trained to alternate letting cars and pedestrians pass.  Currently, the crossing guards will hold up all traffic for as long as it takes to let pedestrians cross, even if the pedestrians are still half a block from the intersection.  The back-up of cars on Caruth reached three blocks.

Alternate.

That is all.

Please, Ozarka Truck, Feel Free to Stop Right There

Really. No problem. I’ll just wait here.

Parking Pic of the Week

Double Park it, Baby. You Deserve Two Spaces.

Saturday morning at M.I.S. the parking lots were full and all available street parking was loaded to the max for YMCA football games. But this lucky duck found two spots right together.

I’ll Follow The Rules, But I’ll Also Flip The Bird

Some reader feedback to today’s column. Thank you for the great e-mails!

MIS carpool is a scary place. I have only done it once, and will never go back. Last year was my oldest child’s first day of fifth grade. As we drove up smiling with first day nerves, this dad pulls through the main section of High School honking his horn, veins literally bulging from his neck, with children still in the car!!!  Nobody could figure out what they were doing wrong. I’m pretty sure  our mere existence was the problem. I was seriously scared of him. He was driving an SUV, the sports car must have been in for a service. (more…)

NTTA Closing Portions of Tollway Saturday and Sunday

On Saturday from midnight to noon, all northbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway will be closed from the I-35E entrance ramp to Mockingbird Lane.

On Sunday from midnight to noon, all southbound Tollway traffic will be required to exit at Northwest Highway, and the remaining southbound entrances from Forest Lane to I-35E will also be closed.

During the closure, crews will install permanent toll collecting devices, as well as foundations for roadway lighting, roadway camera structures and overhead sign structures.

Crews will also repair the pavement south of Oak Lawn Avenue from the Wycliff to Maple bridges, and to the Tollway bridge over Harry Hines Boulevard.

Cowboys - Eagles

Be careful on Central Expressway tomorrow.  There will be many sleep-deprived drivers.

Let There Be (Expensive) Light

I was asked by our webmaster, Josh Hixson, what I thought about UP charging more for cell phone violations than does HP (with HP only issuing warnings at the beginning of the school year while UP writes real tickets).  I didn’t really have any thoughts on the subject until it hit me in a “Eureka” moment.  UP must pay for its new chandelier somehow. 

And, furthermore, here we go again.  The old “light fixture” was insufficient; now we must graduate to an expensive “chandelier.”  When “carpool lines” are replaced with “queue lines” and “light fixtures” with “chandeliers,” watch your wallet.  Although I’m sure it’s quite stylish.

Gas Prices Looking Better And Better

I never thought I would say anything like this in my lifetime, but I sure was excited today when I saw gas for $3.29 a gallon at the On the Run and 7-11 on Oak Lawn.

I know that’s an insane statement, especially when, less than 10 years ago, I remember seeing gas for .77 cents a gallon. But after purchasing a gas-guzzling pickup (at a very, very good price) a month ago, I couldn’t be happier to see gas drop about .60 cents.

Keep on falling!

No Free Pass For Cell Users in UP School Zones

As you may have noticed, the police departments of University Park and Highland Park are out this week actively patrolling the cities’ school zones for drivers talking on their cell phones and other traffic-related violations.

What you may not know is Highland Park officers are giving offenders a warning this week only, while University Park officers have already issued 32 tickets (over the 2.5 days since school started) to drivers talking on their cell phones in a school zone, according to officials from both police departments.

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Serious About School Zone Enforcement in UP

The parking police were out in force today on the first day of school at Hyer.  There was a uniformed officer on the South side and a plainclothed officer on the North side writing tickets, and Lord help anyone spotted on a cell phone in his or her car.   Clearly, the UPPD means business this year. 

Tollroad Express Lanes To Get Express-ier

The North Texas Tollway Authority board of directors voted to increase the speed limits of toll booth express lanes to bring them equal to the existing speed limits in the lanes.

You have to have a Toll Tag, of course, to use these lanes, but this is just the natural progression of the NTTA’s plan to eliminate toll plazas entirely, forcing everyone to have a Toll Tag.

What I’d like to know is when they’re going to increase the 55 mph speed limit on the Dallas North Tollway. Unless it’s rush hour, nobody’s driving that speed, and the NTTA has been slow to perform state-mandated speed studies and act accordingly.

What He Said

I’ve noticed a truly annoying trend on plane flights lately. The captain will come over the PA system and announce that because of “unexpected turbulence,” he is turning on the seatbelt sign. Then, about five seconds later, a flight attendant will follow with the exact same announcement, even preceded by the words “…as the captain just said.”

Is this a turf war? Is this the flight attendant saying to the captain, “Hey, you fly the plane, I’ll handle the cabin?”

In the Land of Giants

As I drove yesterday from Dallas to Austin, I was reminded of something well-known by anyone who has made that journey lately.  Interstate 35 belongs to 18-wheelers, and automobile drivers are allowed, sometimes, to share a small part of the road, just so long as we don’t get in the way of the trucks.

And based on the volume of gigantic vehicles carrying heavy loads of construction materials, where is this economic slowdown and oil price crisis I’ve been reading about?

DMN Says ‘My Bad’ About Toll Stories

A couple Overheardians have pointed me to a sort-of apology for the Dallas Morning News‘ coverage of tolling on Mockingbird Lane.

Someone Bears False Witness to Merritt

From our page 2 columnist:

So someone (a Parkie) picking up an across the street neighbor kid backed out of their driveway after I backed out of mine. . My car was already in the lane and I was starting to move forward. He backs into the side of my car and bashes the crap out of the passenger side front and back doors. I got out and said I’d need his ins info and he said, “what? we were both backing out and just ran into each other.”

No, you don’t smash the side of someone’s car with the back of your car and say we’re both  at fault.

So I got his ins agent info, wrong number. There was an HPISD sticker on his car. I’ll find him.

Game on, brother.

Crossing Guards Out of Work

We mentioned this a couple weeks ago, but check out the story Cassie Clark got about why some crossing guards at Bradfield and Armstrong elementary schools may not be back in the fall.

Should there be an age limit?

Mockingbird Lane Tolls

In case you’re not tired of reading about it, after Belo and Channel 5 took a crack, Cassie Clark delivers the straight facts of the matter in this week’s paper — soon to hit subscribers’ lawns.

Mike Snyder Responds

I respect his willingness to defend his position. Since it’s clear he was relying on this distorted reporting by the field reporter at his station, I won’t hold it too much against him:

Interesting how some people will stoop to name calling instead of engaging in civil discourse. I will not dignify the ugly comments made about me on your blog with a direct response to those name callers. Their statements speak for themselves.

I am sometimes disappointed to discover I am human and quite capable of making mistakes. The difference between me and the name callers is I admit my mistakes, correct the errors and move on. I did misidentify Mayor Seay, sworn in just a month ago. I had grown accustom to associating HP with Mayor White. I am sorry for that error and correction made. Read my blog http://snurl.com/2ez5y.

I was not at last night’s meeting, but our reporter and camera were, and in an interview video taped and aired on NBC-5, Mayor Seay said the toll idea for Mockingbird Lane, while not likely any time soon, is “still on the table.” You can parse those words any way you like, but that is what the Mayor said on video tape. Are we not to believe your mayor, or was he just joking?

Mike Snyder Has No Idea What He’s Talking About

Looks like our concerns about the health and well-being of the good people of NBC5 should extend all the way to the anchor chair. Mike Snyder felt free to take aim and fire at Highland Park on his blog.

I’ll let Cassie point out his many, many errors.

Someone please tell the people at NBC 5 that there’s a new mayor in town. His name is Bill Seay. Former mayor Bill White is no longer in office.

Also, Snyder sure talks like he was at the meeting last night. I didn’t see him there, but even if he was there, I’m not sure how he came to this conclusion:
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Concerns Raised About Channel 5 Drug Use

No, I don’t believe they’re actually smoking anything over there at the Dallas NBC station. But read this report and tell me if you don’t think their reporting is grossly misrepresenting and ignoring what happened at the HP Town Council meeting last night.

Here’s reporter Cassie Clark’s response:

First of all, White isn’t mayor anymore.

Second of all, I’m not sure who the “Highland Park leaders” are, but it wasn’t any of the leaders I talked to yesterday.

I’m sticking by my story 100%. What I’ve been told has been VERY clear. This idea is NOT being considered, and hasn’t been since last August.

Re:Mockingbird as a Toll Road

Not only will tolling Mockingbird drive thru traffic onto the side streets, but what about students at SMU, who use Mockingbird to get to the Highland Park Village, get to and from campus, etc? Any plans that would not toll residents should, in all fairness, include SMU students. Like it or not, they’re part of the community.

I wholeheartedly disagree with HP town engineer Meran Dadgostar when he says this idea merits consideration. This is probably one of the worst things town leaders could do from a PR standpoint. They need to kill this idea ASAP.