I have been on several websites regarding credit and debit card use and it seems that the best option is the debit card,i.e. a card that is linked to a bank account in that it attracts a lower transaction fee.I now think that I will bring a combination of cash and both credit/debit cards.
Will anybody be on hand to advise how to use an ATM as I believe they
operate differently from UK machines and I dont want to risk loosing a card!!
I have used a debit card in ATMs in Spain and Portugal with no problem.
How will I know which ATM to use,my debit card has a Cirrus symbol on the back,do cabs accept cards or are they cash only.

I would never do downtown Dallas for 5 days and I live here. There's a lot of construction going on downtown to the buildings. It's not very nice to see. Perhaps you might like to watch cable tv. I would take the TRE to Fort Worth. It's much better than Dallas and no homeless people!

You shouldn't have any trouble using the ATM. They have very clear instructions, so you will be fine. Most of them don't actually take your card totally into the machine any more. They use more of a "swipe" or "insert and remove quickly" system, where your fingers never let go of the card, so you won't lose it. If you are worried, try using the ATM in your hotel first(I'm assuming it will have one). That way you can talk to the concierge if there are any issues. I'm not sure if all cabs take credit cards, there are probably some that do, just check with the driver first.
Hope you have a great time in Dallas! I live in downtown Dallas, and I'm sure you will enjoy yourself. Let me know if you have any other questions.

melcat71, I think you are deliberately baiting this thread with that comment to 'start something'.
I hope people reading to do not fall for it.

Dabber, the ATM machines will be labeled with a Cirrus symbol if it accepts Cirrus cards. Cirrus is quite common here so I don't think that will be a problem. I used my US debit card in the UK last year without any problem. I assume you will have the same ease here. Sometimes an ATM will "eat" your card if you fail to enter the correct PIN after 3 attempts, but I'm sure you know your PIN number.

A regular taxi will take cash only. You may find some who take credit cards, but cash is the preferred form of payment so I would assume that every time you get in a taxi you will need to pay with cash. Your hotel will be able to advise on approximate fares to your various destinations or ask the driver before you get into the cab. Nothing against US cab drivers, but don't expect a London cabdriver who will entertain you with their friendly knowledge of the city. Many are recent immigrants and some (American born or otherwise) are downright unfriendly. I haven't taken a taxi in Dallas, but have found this to be the case in most US cities. If they're not jovial or are uninformed, don't be offended. The Adolphus will have a cab stand and doorman to help you. Definitely make use of the concierge for any questions you may have.

One other thing that's different here in the States is the tipping system. I know it can be shocking to many Europeans and Canadians. Unless you are a large party, which you and your wife will not qualify, the gratuity will not be included in your restaurant bill. Unlike most of Europe, waiters and waitresses are paid far below minimum wage and their gratuities make up the majority of their compensation. The custom is 15% for "normal" service. Many of us tip 20% as our standard for good service. You only go less than 15% for very poor service. This does not apply to self-service counters. Often you'll see a tip jar at sandwich counters and coffee shops and people will throw in their change, but this is not necessary.

Taxi drivers also expect to be tipped at around 15%. Usaully we do not tip less than $1.00 regardless of the fare. When the doorman at the Adolphus hails a taxi for you and opens the door, he will be waiting for a tip. $1.00 or so will suffice. There is no need to tip him or her when you return to your hotel. The bellman, when he takes you and your luggage to your room, will be waiting for around $1.00 per bag (usually only the large bags). When I travel with my family of six and we have teddy bears and a lot of loose items, we tip more. For you and your wife, I think a couple of dollars will do. If you are just asking the concierge for directions or simple advice, it is not necessary to tip. If they obtain theater/atheletic event tickets for you, they wil expect a tip commensurate with the difficulty/desireablity of obtaining the tickets. At the airport, if you check your bag curbside at the airport, the custom is $1.00 per bag. We're always generous with those fellows as we don't want to get them miffed at us and our bag misses the flight! You do not tip if you check in at the ticketing/check-in counter. Tipping goes a long way in the States. If you tip well early on in your visit, you will find the staff at your hotel very helpful. Sorry, it's just the American Way!

I didn't proofread my last reply, but I want to clarify something. Forgive me for being overly simplistic, but you do not need to tip the doorman for simply opening the door of the hotel. You only tip them when they hail a taxi and hold open the taxi car door. I know you observe some of these customs in the UK, but I just wanted to clarify what to expect here.

Whew! I hope this thread is over.

dabber, I hope you enjoy the JFK stuff/Dealey plaza, etc...

Dallas is a business city. It's a great place to live, work, and most importantly for Dallasites, make money. It will introduce you to the extreme version of American consumerism, where people live on maxed out credit cards, shopping at high end shopping outlets and dining at a vast array of highly duplicated chain restaurants.

People in Dallas are self-conscious and looks are important, so you don't get that lazy attitude like Houston. They do work out in Dallas, only because they want to look good, whereas in Austin they work out because they like to, and they don't work out period in Houston.

People move to Dallas because it's a place to further their career. It's a place where their kids can go to good schools and get a good education, a place with afforable housing, and easy transportation to most cities.

It's also a place entirely devoid of culture in the sense that you think. Eating out or going to the movie is about as "cultural" as a Dallasites get.

Now, that being said, that is why I think you really will enjoy Dallas. You will get a glimpse of pure Americana behind the scenes. Dallas is what most American cities are like now, and you'll get to experience that.

I also think the evangelical Christian church will be quite an experience for you. When you go, please remember that most of the people go to such a church in Dallas and believe every word the pastor says. I think it'll explain to you why America has so many policies that are quite different to what exists in the UK and the rest of Europe.

bkN,
Pretty funny: I agree with your first statement (1st sen 3rd p).
Otherwise Dallas and many others would not exist (and I would not have been able to retire at age 58).
However, having lived in D nearly 25 years (early July '80 - late Apr '05), I would never consider the DISD/RISD as great schools.
FD: my children were in the non sec privates from day one 'til graduation.
Expensive then, but probably unaffordable now.
I have never paid any CC interest (in my entire life).
Paid off my mortgage in 1991 (same house all those years).
Saw fewer than a dozen movies in theaters while there; but attended lots of live theater, dance, etc., and favored restaurants like Lola; Bistro Louise in Ft Worth and the many local Thai; Mexicano, Indian, etc.
I have been to a couple of local services in RC churches and a few more in Jewish synagogues, but have never seen (nor have any desire to see) the inside of an "evangelical christian church".
I may have missed it, but you should definitely check www.guidelive.com
updated and published every Friday - quite reliable, imhpo.
Buen viaje.
M

Okay, I'll take the bait. If there are no homeless people in Ft. Worth, what did they do with all those folks who used to hang out at the Water Gardens?

Ft. Worth does, however, have a vibrant downtown.

Didn't they try to remove them via the drain... :(

I admit that I haven't been to the Water Gardens for years. (For those of you not in the area, several members of a visiting Chicago family drowned in one of the fountains a few years back.) Have the Water Gardens re-opened? I used to consider them a tourist "must see."

Guess melcat hasn't been on bad side of Magnolia St...nothing but homeless. And of course the Water Gardens...it kinda creeped me out a bit, but I guess they are there to clean up a bit.

Mikemo...pvt school is unobtainable for most of us these days...it's in-line with college tuition. May we meet someday in SMdA.

p, 131,
Claro mi amiga, all those years paying tuition certainly changed my life, but I would do it again given the end products, lol.
My dad made only one request: do for your children what I did for you.
M

dgg
I dont think that tipping will come as too much of a shock as we travel on holiday in Europe at least twice a year and tipping is expected there as well!!
We also leave a tip in the UK if we go out for a meal and get good service,there are tipping jars on McDonalds and KFC counters in the UK too.
Only 4 weeks to go now,hope the weather is warming up a bit,it is freezing here at the moment!!

For tipping in the US, I have always used 10% for wine and 20% for food service if all are acceptable.
Typically averages 17-18%.
A bit more for outstanding service.
M

bkluvsnola nailed it. I won't repeat what he / she said.

Dallas has alot going for it, but if it has a fatal flaw, it is the extravagant consumerism and lack of thrift of its population.

Dallas residents have the lowest average credit score of any major American metro. Proof: see attached.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/...2.asp?GT1=6358

There's a big difference between a TYPICAL score and an AVERAGE score. Averages are usually pulled up or down because of extreme values for a small subgroup.

If you'll look more closely at the list, you'll see that cities with high rates of growth have lower averages than cities with slower, or no, growth.

If Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Phoenix have lower average credit scores, it is because the numeric increases of their populations are so high.

They have more young adults, they have more poor immigrants from Mexico and Central America, They have more immigrants from the rest of the USA, and people who are moving between cities and between jobs tend to score lower.

If you want to insult the people of Dallas, you'll have to find another way to do it.

One thing that is true is that cities in the southern half of the USA are wealthier and more prosperous than the northern half. Their people have newer and larger houses, drive better cars, eat more often in restaurants, pay less taxes, have newer and better public facilities.

The southern half, below the 37th parallel, has the far stronger economy, more economic opportunity, more wealth creation, more scientific and cultural innovation, than the rest.

This has caused a great surge of migration of Americans from north to south. And Dallas, as the largest city in the southern region (next to Los Angeles), has represented the spirit of America in the last 50 years.

If you want to visit the REAL America, real for this period of history, Dallas is the place. Or maybe Atlanta, or Houston, or Phoenix.

"One thing that is true is that cities in the southern half of the USA are wealthier and more prosperous than the northern half."

- No, according to your own Census Bureau, of the 15 highest income cities, 9 were in places like Massachessets, Minnesota, Alaska, and Northern California. Arlington, TX, made the list at #10, but nothing else in GA, AZ, or TX was on that list.

"Their people have newer and larger houses, drive better cars, eat more often in restaurants, pay less taxes, have newer and better public facilities."

-- Precisely why the are in dead last place on the credit score scale. They borrow in order to have an ostensibly wealthy lifestyle. In the words of the Texas cowboy in "Millionaire Next Door" - Big Hat, No Cattle.

The higher wages of northern and coastal cities are more than canceled out by higher cost of living, which means that a $170,000 Atlanta or Dallas house would cost $600,000 in Boston or San Francisco.

Even if a lower "average" credit score were real and not a statistical illusion, it would be completely explained by the southern half's greater share of younger people with undeveloped credit history, a greater share of low-wage immigrants from Mexico and Central America, and newcomers' lowering of credit scores due to the fact of moving from one city to another. Once you correct for these extraneous factors, your credit score difference goes away.

The difference in real wealth between the northern and southern halves of America has been going on for decades, and will continue into the indefinite future. Investment capital migrates from north to south because southern costs are cheaper, because workers and customers are migrating south, because the southern half has newer ideas... thus the southern half has a better economy, with a greater share of goods and services for each person.

Why does anyone think Dabber cares about Texans' credit scores?

HonestAbe is trying to convince him that everyone in Dallas is crass and materialistic, and is financially irresponsible.

The bottom line is that Dallas has some things going for it, but is also a flawed city in many respects. In its defense, I think you could say this about most American cities.

Dallas Has:
- Below the national average job growth in the past 5 years
- Inexpensive housing
- Good air quality
- Higher than national average crime rate
- Per capita, lots of restaurants and movie theaters
- Hot summers
- Mild winters
- Lower college attendance rate than national norm
- Lower married rate than national norm

A picture of Americana. A great place to visit to see average America.

Hi Dabber. I didn't mean to offend with the lengthy explanation about the tipping policy in the States. Sometimes visitors are perplexed and assume it's because Americans are obstentatious. This brings me to the next question...are you enjoying your little socio-economic lesson about migration, credit scores and lifestyle in Dallas?

I'm reminded of the Lambchop tune..."This is the thread that never ends...Oh it goes on and on my friend...some people started typing on it, not knowing what it was, and they'll continue typing on it forever just because....This is the thread than never ends...

When do we start discussing politics, sex and religion? Oh, please no!!!

Can I summarize my trip then;-
Dallas is ok apart from the homeless and the building work downtown but I should have gone to San Francisco instead.
I can use my credit/debit card but there is a chance that some restaurant will rip my card off.
Dallas has a higher than average crime rate so I need to be careful but in compensation it has good air quality.
I will be going to church on Sunday but will not necessarily believe all that the preacher says.
We will be spending about 18 hours flying in a 5 day period but it might be a good idea to take yet another flight to visit Austin or San Antonio.
Fort Worth is a nicer place ans a train there from Downtown is only $4 so I will be there every day!!

dabber -

Couldn't have summed it up better myself :) Have a great time.

The most telling statistic about Dallas is its acceptance by the public as a desirable place to live. In the last Federal census, Dallas gained more people over a 10 year period than any other metropolitan area, other than the two mega-cities of New York and Los Angeles. Possibly, Atlanta may have slightly exceeded Dallas by a few thousand... but Dallas and Atlanta are very close in their roles as the high-growth capitals of America.

More people move to Dallas from somewhere else, and stay, and Dallas' young people are less likely to move away. So Dallas' desirability has caused its population to swell, and its rank among American cities to rise.

As of 2006, the estimated population of Dallas-Ft Worth passed 6 million people. It has surpassed Philadelphia as the 4th largest metropolitan area in the USA, as the Federal government defines metropolitan areas.

This does not mean that it is a tourist mecca... places such as Orlando, Las Vegas, Miami, etc make a living from visitor dollars. People visit Dallas for the things it has developed in its role as a large urban area... it's museums, its sporting events, fairs, concerts, restaurants, night life, shopping, etc.

Dabber, your post captured very well much of the inane and nonsensical "advice" that people are trying to deliver to you. I hope my suggestions were better than that.

Dabber, have a great time. This thread has been just about as entertaining as your entire trip might be! Along with the good advice you received, you also got a side show!

Aceplace, in the immortal words of Ronald Reagan, "There you go again". There you go again selectively using statistical data as you try to embellish Dallas' place in America. When people on this thread have citied their own statistics, you discount them and paint them as invalid. Yet, when you introduce your stats into the discussion, they are somehow supposed to miraculously carry the day.

Doesn't work that way. In my opinion, since you found so many flaws in others' points, your points are just as flawed and biased.

Could it be that Dallas population is growing because of its close proximity to Mexico and that fact that, well, it is better than Houston or El Paso?

Maybe it is the 1st place north of the border that offers decent jobs. If so, you can hardly claim that it is a magnet for all the country, a place where people all over the land proclaim "I want to move to Dallas!"

Dabber - as I mentioned many posts ago, I don't know what you'll do for 5 days in Dallas, but I'm sure you enjoy your trip.

Cargillman, my profession is related to interpretation of statistics, and to determine the underlying reality behind the numbers. I've been doing it for 30 years, and I'm pretty good at it. I know, for example, how averages can be either meaningful or meaningless.

Rapid population growth for cities like Dallas or Atlanta is interesting on its face. It is an indicator, or symptom, of the basic desirability of a city... we no longer have slaveships dragging people out of Michigan to the slave markets of Texas... people choose voluntarily to relocate to a city. They choose based upon the criteria that are most important, be it economy, weather, culture, or whatever.

Desirability affects people, and population growth, in 2 ways... people want to relocate to a particular city, and the local people either want to leave, or stay. For some metro areas, such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, more people want to leave than Americans want to enter, so the metro has negative migration. And yes, I have numbers for migration from and to various city pairs.

The fact that Dallas has is one of the largest American metros is a very significant factual number on its face, apart from any interpretation. I have more numbers that describe the metro, but I'm not writing essays on urban demographics here. The problem I'm addressing here is the impression of Dallas as a small and unimportant city, the impression that Europeans generally have.

Is Dallas' growth entirely, or primarily, Mexicans stopping in the first city they come to? No, and I have numbers to prove that as well. Dallas is actually one of the few metros in which domestic migration, from US states outside of Texas, is close to international migration. And "international" means from many countries in the world, not necessarily Mexico or Central America. The schools in the Dallas suburb of Richardson have children who speak 40 different languages.

aceplace -

Your mission of promoting Dallas is a noble one. Every American city has a story to tell and needs a few people like you. Regardless on whether I would ever agree with your points, I have to respect your committment to Dallas.

I am a bit confused over the number of law enforcement agencies over there,in the UK we have a police force and that is it,in the States there are police,highway patrol,state troopers,sheriffs office and even Rangers in Texas,who does what and dont they get in each others way??

Dabber, they have different geographic jurisdictions, and yes, sometimes they get in each others' way.

The Rangers actually have a very interesting history that you might find interesting to read up on.

Dabber, the various police forces patrol different jurisdictions, as was said. They are also answerable to different bosses.

The Texas Rangers are the Texas equivalent of the FBI in the USA, or Scotland Yard in the UK. They investigate major crimes on a statewide level. Bear in mind that Texas has the population of a mid-sized European country.

A sheriff is typically a law-enforcement officer for a county, a geographical subdivision of the state. The land area of Texas is divided into 254 provinces, or counties. Each county may contain many municipalities. The sheriff and his men, his deputies, generally deal with crimes occuring in the countryside, outside of incorporated municipalities.

State trooper and highway patrol are usually the same thing. They patrol highways and major roads for infractions of the vehicle code.

Police are usually hired by a municipality in order to enforce its own laws and ordinances. Since they are paid by a municipality, whereas the county sheriff and his men are not, the municipality has control over what its police do and where they spend their time.

The Dallas transit system, called DART, has its own police force, to patrol trains, buses and stations. They found that the Dallas police gave transit problems a low priority, so they built their own force, answerable only to the DART administrators.

The Federal government also maintains its own police force, in order to secure and protect Federal buildings and property.

These various police officers are generically referred to as "peace officers", and you are advised to comply with their instructions. A favorite saying is "You can beat the crime, but you cannot beat the ride", meaning that whatever the outcome of your case, you still have suffered the indignity of an arrest.

Dabber, one more thing I could mention.

In addition to the peace officers employed by governments and governmental agencies, private companies usually hire private security guards to secure their buildings and property. These guards are not official peace officers. They do not have the power to detain or arrest you, or to compel you to follow their instructions. The most they can do is to call the official police and charge you with trespassing on their property.

If you feel that a guard is unduly harassing you, the thing to do is to immediately leave the area of private property they patrol and get on a public space. Then, you can ignore them, or tell them to leave you alone.

Some years back, I was taking some photos of some picturesque buildings. A security guard challenged me and ordered me to stop. I told him I would not, that I was standing on a public road, and ordered him to stop annoying me.

Dabber, one bit of advice. If a peace officer finds sufficient fault with you, you will be fined. The officer will write the circumstances of your infraction on a paper and provide you with a copy. Before you receive it, you must sign all copies of the paper, usually called a "ticket" or a "citation". Your signature does not constitute an admission of guilt, but is just a propmise on your part that you will appear in court before a judge to answer the charges. If you sign, you will usually be allowed to leave. If you fail to sign, you could be arrested.

Once in court, you can plead various ways. "Guilty" is self-explanatory. "No Contest" means you do not admit guilt but will accept the fine in order to dispose of the matter. Not guilty means you choose to dispute the charges and ask for a court date to argue your case.

In your case, with 5 days in the USA, you should plead No Contest. The simplest way to do it is to determine the amount of the fine and mail it by post to the office listed on the back of the citation. If you fail to appear, or to pay by mail, a warrant will be issued for your arrest.

In some European countries, a policeman will collect a fine at the time of arrest, but that is not done in the USA. Never offer a police officer money to dispose of the case.

The above may seem like the actions of a police state, but we are used to the procedure, and if we follow the rules, an encounter with a policeman is usually quick and painless. There are strict rules of engagement, you see. Just remember to speak to the policeman with courtesy, address him/her as "officer", and do not admit that you are guilty of anything... as in "Sir, do you know why I stopped you? No, officer, I have no idea."

For a foreigner, a citation and fine is just a loss of money, but for a resident of the USA, there are other consequences as well.

In the USA, each person has absolute rights, such as the right to join a religion of your choice, or to publish an opinion in a newspaper. But the ability to drive a vehicle on a public road is not considered an absolute right, but a privilege. You earn the privilege by demonstrating your ability to drive, and your knowledge of the rules, and are then issued a license to drive by one state or another. Each of the states in the USA is obligated to accept other states' licenses, under the US Constitution.

If you accumulate too many citations within a period of time, such as 4 in one calendar year, your license may be revoked. If you commit a crime such as driving while intoxicated, it may be revoked. Even one citation is one too many, since insurance companies that insure your car will raise the fee for each citation on your record.

As a foreigner, you are, of course, not subject to these problems. Moreover, if you depend on public transportation, you will also avoid the issues of driving. Under the DART system, you purchase a daily pass and use it to ride all day. Occasionally, an inspector will ask to see your pass. If you fail to produce one, you will be given a citation.

One reason that the State of Texas, and other states, use state troopers to enforce rules on the highways is to remove the small town police from traffic law enforcement. Many small town police would arbitrarily fine out-of-town drivers merely for the sake of collecting revenue, usually employing deception and trickery to justify a fine. I was caught once in a small town in Nevada, but was arrested and immediately taken before a cynical peasant judge. He told me I was driving "twenty dollars too fast".

Hi dabber,

When I was in Dallas/FW one of the craziest place I experienced was Billy Bob's in Fort Worth. It prides itself as "the world's biggest honky tonk", it's like a country/cowboy version of disneyland. It's cheesy and probably a tourist trap but we had a good time. Here's the link: http://www.billybobstexas.com/

While in Fort Worth, my favorite places were the Modern Museum, Amon Carter, Kimbell, the Stockyard. We also had a great dinner at Angeluna. We also loved the Nasher in dallas.

This is not particularly American or Southwestern but we had a great day at this place called Fossil Rim Wildlife Centre. It's supposed to be the largest animal safari in the U.S. We've been to real safaris in Africa and this wasn't bad. To manage your expectation it's not close to the real thing but it was much more than just a normal zoo, we enjoyed it. Sorry again this was about 1.5-2hours drive from dallas so it needs a car, in fact we spent the night in one of their "safari camps" close to the animals. Here's the link: http://www.fossilrim.com/index.php

Dabber, I'm amazed that you are even paying attention to this thread anymore. My eyes are glazing over after reading some of the posts. But, as long as we're talking about law enforcement, you may find this tidbit mildly intresting: The county sheriff is an elected position. The chief of police is hired after an executive search, but for some reason (?), the voters get to decide who the sheriff will be.

Missypie, if you get Dabber started on our local politics, he'll probably conclude that Dallas, Texas and the USA is an asylum with the inmates in charge.