Back in the late 60’s through the late 70’s I loved that city. Despite it being twenty five miles or so from where I lived and usually worked. One time I had a job offer there from Ma Bell (obviously long ago) but didn’t take it.

I found everything I wanted downtown, record stores, camera shops, motorcycle shop (elderly owner that actually knew BSA’s!) restaurants, bars (Blind Pig, Mr. Flood’s Party, Del Rio) with good live music and once in awhile big name performers would stop in and jam session.

Many times I took first dates out, figured that after a evening in Ann Arbor and if she would say “Let’s go back” there was hope. Obviously this was a long time ago, my wife would not approve today!

Well, time passes and I find myself going there less and less, last time I set foot in downtown was early 2019, I found a computer shop that would work on Apple devices for a reasonable price.

So this weekend with the birth of another grandson at the U of M Hospital I had to make a couple trips there. First thing in the parking structures is the smell of skunk weed. Ok, I get it, it’s legal but geez, that shit hangs in the air. I don’t partake nor do I enjoy the smell of it. Get in the elevators, about half the time they reek of it too.

Then, traffic. Sure, let’s narrow streets down for bicycle lanes. Safety for them allegedly. I mean allegedly as now they ride down the center of the road in the left turn lanes. So now traffic flow is restricted, took me a half hour to go one mile along Fuller Street between the hospital to Main Street that enters to U.S. 23 out of town. So much for reducing pollution.
Not to mention that those on their bicycles seem to think they are immune to the laws of physics, traffic laws and common sense in riding.

Then U.S. 23 north. Where Main Street leads into 23, construction zone. Posted 60 mph. I’m doing 75 in traffic. Some asshole in a Mustang 4 door (surprise) is on my tail while I have my right turn signal on trying to get into the right lane without cutting the guy off and starts flashing his headlights at me. Now I’m not holding up traffic, we’re in a pack and the left lane is packed in front of me. So as I get over the passenger flips me off……I rolled down my window and gave them the single finger salute in response. (And she wasn’t that cute either!)

Yesterday, just about as bad on 23 except they had the Flex Lane open (another brilliant MDOT innovation, a band aid on an amputation I say) and again in a pack, this time 80 in a 70 and a F-350 right on top of me this time I’m in the far right lane………

Guess I’m really becoming a curmudgeon……

I drive through there a couple times a year on the way to and from Canada, I don't care what day it's always a cluster fuck !

Ah yes, hippy college towns. You mention bicyclists. My (least) favorite are the fargin pedestrians who walk right out into traffic without giving it a second thought. You can watch them coming up to an intersection and they don't even slow down, they don't look both ways, ... nothing. Whoever determined that pedestrians have the right-of-way needs to be beaten and then run over by a 2000 pound vehicle that can't stop on a dime. Entitled idiots.

Early 2000’s my cousin was moving from Saline. Borrowing a friend’s late 90’s F350 diesel we’re on Main Street at a traffic light. Add to this the quaintness of sidewalk dining as one restaurant had tables outside and at curbside.

Well as we were waiting for the light to change, one of the diners made the remark “That truck is smelly”. I hope they enjoyed the hydrocarbon seasoning as we pulled away. Like,what did they expect?

Both My grandsons were born at U of M, one during freshman move in, what a shit show.

Ahhh, The People's Republic of Ann Arbor. Berkeley East

It's crowded, traffic sucks. It's full of college students and old hippy liberals.

Food's good. Interesting shops, a couple decent bookstores. Their food co-op is one of the best I've ever been in.

While I try to avoid the med center when I'm not working in an ambulance, my wife had an outstanding experience with her cataract surgery there. I'd recommend Kellogg Eye Institute to anyone.

All in all, just another college town and as long as you avoid it on game days, no worse than any other city to get around.

A cousin lives on the west side off Jackson Avenue near all the car dealerships, I think that’s actually Pittsfield Township. Occasionally I’m used as her back up driver as she no longer drives.

I can avoid all the city traffic as it is almost straight south of us here.

I swear, Michiganders think they invented drafting and restrictor plates. Every where I go downstate, people are bumper to bumper doing 80 and only 80. Not 79, not 81, but 80.

Up North, it’s bumper to bumper, but nobody passes. I’ll be four cars back, until we catch up to a fifth car, then a sixth, a seventh, and so on until we’re doing 50 in a 65 and still nobody passes.

My daughter and I toured UofM on a week ago. Your assessment is spot on with our experience. We did go to a record store after the tour. First time in maybe 30 years for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Appliance Brad:
Ahhh, The People's Republic of Ann Arbor. Berkeley East

It's crowded, traffic sucks. It's full of college students and old hippy liberals.

Food's good. Interesting shops, a couple decent bookstores. Their food co-op is one of the best I've ever been in.

While I try to avoid the med center when I'm not working in an ambulance, my wife had an outstanding experience with her cataract surgery there. I'd recommend Kellogg Eye Institute to anyone.

All in all, just another college town and as long as you avoid it on game days, no worse than any other city to get around.

I remember the SigForum dinner after our shoot a number of years back.

I do miss Aunt Agatha’s Books, they specialized in mysteries.

Apples and Oranges in Nickels Arcade, they saved a Apple laptop that the Apple Store in Novi said was junk and tried to get me to leave it with them for “disposal”. Yeah sure, “dispose it” right into the repair facility and someone in the store would have had a free three month old laptop.

trapper189,

There used to be a record store just west of the Michigan Theater on Liberty Street, between State and Maynard Streets. Used to be called Schoolkids Records. About the only place I could find The Firesign Theater vinyl and CD’s.

Me too but for a different reason. Go Bucks!

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Ah yes, hippy college towns. You mention bicyclists. My (least) favorite are the fargin pedestrians who walk right out into traffic without giving it a second thought. You can watch them coming up to an intersection and they don't even slow down, they don't look both ways, ... nothing. Whoever determined that pedestrians have the right-of-way needs to be beaten and then run over by a 2000 pound vehicle that can't stop on a dime. Entitled idiots.

I hit a pedestrian one time. Kid was in front of a UPS truck and sprinted out of that position right in front of me so all I could do was brake. He wracked his back up pretty good but no major injuries. He admitted to the police on site that it was all his fault. One thing that I learned from that episode is that Pedestrians Do NOT have the Right of Way in a cross walk, they are required to practice Due Diligence and may NOT force traffic to stop for them. The only exception for this is the Blind and they must be carrying and using a red tipped cane.

Point here is that those hippies in Ann Arbor will from time to time and get a very physical demonstration why you need to observe the traffic and understand that vehicles are inhibited in maneuverability and stopping distance and take that into consideration. Fail to do that and you'll get cited for not exercising Due Diligence.