Atlanta: Gets a bad RAP.WHY?! (Decatur, Dallas: DMV, utilities, living in)

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

What is wrong with them? My worst complaint lately is all of the misprints and errors in the on-air program guide. Often I'll look for something to watch, find it and note what time it comes on, then come to watch it at that time and it's Good Times or something that I don't want to see (not to bash Good Times, but you know)...and I say "DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!"

LOL!! Its the customer service sometimes they can be really rude and even hang up on you.Lately i have had luck,but for awhile it was ridiculous.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by afonega1

LOL!! Its the customer service sometimes they can be really rude and even hang up on you.Lately i have had luck,but for awhile it was ridiculous.

"Damn, Damn, Damn!"

[FromCLTtoATL]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

"Damn, Damn, Damn!"

I don't know whether to cry or laugh when Florida Evans finally breaks down after James' death and throws that punch bowl down, at the riveting end of the episode.

It was the best of Good Times; it was the worst of Good Times.

[FromCLTtoATL]

Originally Posted by afonega1

THe comcast issue will get you no arguments from me and most people!!They are absolutely horrible!!I hate to say it but with them the worst might be yet to come!!

Your words were sadly prophetic. My bill came in today. I was overbilled again. I have written someone in upper management. I will take this to a lawyer if I have to.

[DeaconJ]

Dynomite!

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by FromCLTtoATL

Your words were sadly prophetic. My bill came in today. I was overbilled again. I have written someone in upper management. I will take this to a lawyer if I have to.

I'm so sorry good luck though!!A freind that just left after working there for a year says that their billing system is really not accurate at all.Each agent kinda has to figure out the equation of the start date versus the amount owed,there is no automated system.Agents just try to get as close as they can.Some are better than others.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by afonega1

I'm so sorry good luck though!!A freind that just left after working there for a year says that their billing system is really not accurate at all.Each agent kinda has to figure out the equation of the start date versus the amount owed,there is no automated system.Agents just try to get as close as they can.Some are better than others.

We could start a separate thread on Comcast that would probably go on for 200 pages. They put me through Hell for about 5 weeks a few months ago...no service during this period at all, and a different explanation every time someone came out. It was truly a situation where the left hand didn't know what the right was doing.
But I am getting a half-rate and free HBO now

[YBF]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

We could start a separate thread on Comcast that would probably go on for 200 pages.

there are so many threads on this already...Comcast is the worst there is even a website dedicated to customers who hate Comcast..SMH...

http://www.city-data.com/forum/knoxv...ast-oh-no.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/houst...ice-sucks.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...ices-hell.html

http://www.city-data.com/forum/conne...my-sunday.html

Comcast Sucks ComcastSucks.org ComcastSucks .org

I mean the lists go on and on....

[WilliamM]

Basically, Atlanta suffers a bad rap for some of the same reasons that its close cousin, Los Angeles, has also historically been disrespected: 1) its physical characteristics fly in the face of any classical or traditional conception of the city as an organic expression of human possibilities and a creative harnessing and synergistic taming of the rawest human energies on a colorful stage giving rise to theatrical styles and habits (in short, it hasn't been seen as 'gritty' enough for many city lovers); 2) for various political and historical reasons it has lacked the density of other major world cities (though this is beginning to change and with increasing oil costs and million-plus increases in population per decade it's likely that Atlanta will someday reach a critical mass of urban density, as happened long ago in LA, even without a natural barrier to growth); 3) It, unlike New Orleans, for ex., is located in the interior US South, which has not traditionally been hospitable to the development of the qualities mentioned above in a city (e.g., low historical immigration rates); 4) Finally, and unlike LA, it does not enjoy the profile of being the center of a major industry that is central to world culture such as film, music, publishing, advertising, fashion, or finance.

That said, and surprisingly to some, Atlanta may actually get more respect outside the US than inside (Atlanta ranks 37 in the world in a list of the 60 most important global cities published in the journal Foreign Policy, one of only 5 US cities included in the list). Don't forget, Atlanta gave the world the person who is arguably the most influential and important American of the 20th C in the minds of many people around the world.

Ultimately, though, in my opinion much of the 'disconnect' that you get with Atlanta (between hype and the backlash of the naysayers) comes from its almost meteoric rise in a relatively short time from, as the Wikipedia entry puts it, "a city of regional commerce to a city of international influence". This sudden rise causes a certain confusion of categories when comparing Atlanta with other cities. For example, does it really make sense to compare Atlanta with a city like Birmingham, AL or Little Rock, AR? Well, these were the cities that were Atlanta's peers just a half century ago before the Civil Rights movement. Now - like it or not - Atlanta is, as mentioned above, in the top tier of US cities in economical and cultural influence. So now for example it's not even very helpful to compare Atlanta with other mid-size US cities such as Denver, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh, because frankly Atlanta has shot past them and is now out of their league. Atlanta's true peers are cities like Houston, Dallas, Miami, Seattle, Boston, and Toronto, just to name some on the same continent. But at the same time, being in this top echelon of cities Atlanta is then inevitably compared more frequently with the most elite of world cities, cities which have been leading global centers for upwards of a century or more, the New Yorks, San Franciscos, Chicagos, and Parises, etc. Naturally, when compared with these cities Atlanta will be seen in a less favorable light, largely for the reasons mentioned above.

But my point is that when criticizing Atlanta in this context we often forget that just a few decades ago no one would have even thought to compare Atlanta shopping with New York, for example. But now we do, and that should not be seen as a knock on Atlanta but rather a tribute to how far it has come.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by WilliamM

Basically, Atlanta suffers a bad rap for some of the same reasons that its close cousin, Los Angeles, has also historically been disrespected: 1) its physical characteristics fly in the face of any conception of the city as understood in the classic conception of an organic expression of human possibilities and a creative harnessing and taming of raw human energies in a colorful setting (in short, it hasn't been seen as 'gritty' enough for many city lovers); 2) for various political and historical reasons it has lacked the density of other major world cities (though this is beginning to change and with increasing oil costs it's likely to accelerate); 3) It, unlike New Orleans, for ex., is located in the interior US South, which has not traditionally been hospitable to the development of the qualities mentioned above in a city (e.g., low immigration rates historically); 4) Finally, and unlike LA, it does not have the benefit of enjoying the profile of being the center of a major industry that is central to world culture such as film, music, publishing, advertising, or finance.

That said, and surprisingly to some, Atlanta may actually get more respect outside the US than inside (Atlanta ranks 37 in the world in a list of the 60 most important global cities published in the journal Foreign Policy, one of only 5 US cities included in the list). Don't forget, Atlanta gave the world the person who is arguably the most influential and important American of the 20th C in the minds of many people around the world.

Ultimately, though, in my opinion much of the 'disconnect' that you get with Atlanta (between hype and the backlash of the naysayers) comes from its almost meteoric rise in a relatively short time from, as the Wikipedia entry puts it, "a city of regional commerce to a city of international influence". This sudden rise causes a certain confusion of categories when comparing Atlanta with other cities. For example, does it really make sense to compare Atlanta with a city like Birmingham, AL or Little Rock, AR? Well, these were the cities that were Atlanta's peers just a half century ago before the Civil Rights movement. Now, Atlanta is - like it or not - as mentioned above, in the top tier of US cities in economical and cultural influence. So now for example it's not even very helpful to compare Atlanta with cities such as Denver, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh, because really Atlanta frankly has shot past them and is now really out of their league (I realize Denver may be more arguable). Atlanta's true peers are cities like Houston, Dallas, Miami, Seattle, Boston, and Toronto, just to name some in the same continent. But at the same time, being in this top echelon of cities Atlanta is then inevitably compared more frequently with the most elite world cities, cities which have been leading urban centers for upwards of a century or more, the New Yorks, San Franciscos, Chicagos, and Parises, etc. When compared with these cities Atlanta will natually be seen in a less favorable light, largely for the reasons mentioned above.

But my point is that when criticizing Atlanta in this context we often forget that just a few decades ago no one would have even thought to compare Atlanta shopping with New York, for example. But now we do, and that should not be seen as a knock on Atlanta but rather a tribute to how far it has come.

Great post