Gripes about Wichita (Atlanta: crime, loan, home)

[Gibsonj45]

I don't know why you had to mention James Dobson in your reply. I am very curious to know. I often wonder why people move to a new place and compare it with the old. If you don't like go back where you came from. My husband is from Wichita. We are trying to get out of the rural area in Arkansas where there are no jobs and few homes and no culture and no programs for our kids. I think Wichita will be a wonderful place to live, and I pray we can get there soon.

[bjmkw23580]

I'm really liking the west side... my old neighborhood can bite me

[drjones96]

Where did you live previously, bjmkw?

[meteoreyes]

Hi, former Californian! I, too, am from there (many years ago now, but was 21 when I came here). I guess I feel that you can walk down by the Arkansas River in the evening (you still can, right Wichitans? I've been in Germany for 3 years, so...), walk in the neighborhoods which you particularly like, and feel much safer than in CA--Southern, anyway. Many places outside are lighted at night, and even if they aren't actual parks, they can be lovely for walking and getting outside. There are lakes to go to on weekends (some a wee drive away, some Afton), and nothing is as mobbed as everything seems to me to be in California. Bottom line, with exercise, we can make of it what we want, hm?

As for sunscreen and cancer, most people (all) I know do use it and slather their children with it. Most Kansans are very aware of the risks in life, but perhaps our "backwardness" is simply allowing others to make their OWN CHOICES!! Well...that said, people do tend to be a bit less sophisticated in Ks., but I love that about it. The bigots and busybodies I can do without, but they're everywhere, I guess. Live and let live, and be open to the good things and good people in Kansas, and you'll be happy.

[k350]

I am still wondering why there is operating hours for parks, what, the trees and grass need to sleep?

[cjones15]

I'm really shocked by the number of people who wonder about operating hours for parks. It's called SAFETY!!! Parks are not just land that isn't owned. It is owned by the city, generally, who must operate it just like any other place. It has to have operating hours. If you are there after operating hours it is trespassing. All parks have differnet hours but I have found in general if it's dark they are not open. It makes it dificult to for the police to protect any area such as a park at night. If a park was full of people at 2:00 am and something happened I guarantee someone would complain. I would think it would be common sense to know this!!!

It amazes me what everyone gripes about. Most of your "gripes" are things that happen in almost every other city in the nation. It's life!!!!! Maybe you shoudl get out and live a little more. I think a lot of you wouldn't be happy no matter where you lived.

[k350]

I think anyone would complain at anytime if something happened, not just at 2:00 am.

Again I ask, why are there operating hours for parks? Safety? HWhat does safety have to do with anything? Or has America become so unsafe and hazardous that people feel the need to put closing times on public places? Is this now representative of our society?

While living in the UK and Sweden for a few years none of their parks had closing times on them, there was not even any alcohol restrictions or open container laws, I guess we have a flawed society if we feel we need to restrict adults in where they are allowed to go.

Plus there is nothing operating about a park, it just sits there, I do not see how that compares to a government office which has employee business hours.

By the way, its not a gripe, its an observation, of course our founding fathers I guess had gripes against England also.

[bjmkw23580]

Ooh! Ooh! I've got another one!

There SO MANY rent-to-own and payday-advance stores here!

[Houseslinger]

Are there no GYMs in Wichita? Do you HAVE to walk in a park? Is there a law stating that the Life guard CANNOT have an umbella if they choose?

[Chemist Rays]

I grew up in Kansas, and I've also lived in California.

1. The San Francisco Bay Area population exceeds the total population of the state of Kansas. Los Angeles exceeds the total population of the state of Kansas. The San Diego metro area, exceeds the total population of the state of Kansas. In other words, there are MANY more people using the parks in California, justifying the cost of lighting the parks at night.

2. California weather permits people utilizing the public park system 365 days a year, as opposed to the weather in Kansas.

3. In the middle of a Kansas winter, not to many people are going to leave their warm house, & drive to a park to walk around at night for exercise. That doesn't make much sense. In the time it would take to drive there and back, you could have walked around your neighborhood for the same exercise benefit. It's not backwards, it's just common sense.

As for the lifeguards working without umbrellas.....their purpose is to save lives, not to chill out for some R&R under an umbrella.

If you watch any of these lifeguards in Kansas, you'll notice they apply sunscreen/sunblock before going on duty, which is essentially an umbrella in a bottle.