Trip to Dallas
Feb 9th, 2007, 06:05 AM
#143
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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.
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.
Feb 10th, 2007, 02:43 AM
#144
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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!!!
Feb 10th, 2007, 05:00 AM
#145
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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!!
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!!
Have a great time.
Feb 10th, 2007, 07:12 AM
#147
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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.
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.
Feb 10th, 2007, 10:01 AM
#149
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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.
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.
Feb 10th, 2007, 03:41 PM
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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.
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.
Feb 10th, 2007, 04:07 PM
#151
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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.
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.
Feb 11th, 2007, 01:03 AM
#152
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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??
Feb 11th, 2007, 05:56 AM
#153
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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.
The Rangers actually have a very interesting history that you might find interesting to read up on.
Feb 11th, 2007, 06:58 AM
#154
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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.
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.
Feb 11th, 2007, 07:13 AM
#155
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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.
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.
Feb 11th, 2007, 08:40 AM
#156
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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."
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."
Feb 11th, 2007, 09:06 AM
#157
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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".
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".
Feb 11th, 2007, 09:30 AM
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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
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
Feb 12th, 2007, 06:01 AM
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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.
