To all transplants: You now live in Texas (San Antonio, Mission: high school, utilities)

[wCat]

I have a pet peeve with the signage on entering the Airport. As many times as I've gone to the airport, I ALWAYS end up in the far right lane and snailing through the Southwest Arrival/Departure [dropoff/pickup curb parking. That little "stay left" sign for Terminal 2 is a little too late and hard to figure out even for us seasoned SAers!

[hello13685]

Hi wCat, good post. One of my points is that the huge insurance loophole won't be closed because too many powerful people depend on these uninsured and underpaid laborers to get to work in their cars. As with illegal immigration issues, those in power simply PRETEND to address (or express vague interest in addressing) these problems to keep the tax and insurance-paying voters thinking they give a crap about them.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by hello13685

Hi wCat, good post. One of my points is that the huge insurance loophole won't be closed because too many powerful people depend on these uninsured and underpaid laborers to get to work in their cars. As with illegal immigration issues, those in power simply PRETEND to address (or express vague interest in addressing) these problems to keep the tax and insurance-paying voters thinking they give a crap about them.

Sadly I have to agree. Seems like the Insurance companies are also cashing in.....they get business even if it's bad business.

[RedOregon]

Originally Posted by smuboy86

Two completely separate roads. Northwest Military, goes from 410 to camp bullis, and southwest military that was a connector between the AFB on the south side.

Three.

Northwest Military, as you said, which goes up through Shavano Park... the Military that goes through in front of Lackland and what used to be Kelly... and the Military that goes from Villages of Westcreek all through the Westover Hills area and stops dead at Reed Road.

Technically, if you look on a map, that should be an extension of the Military that passes in front of the bases and terminates at Potranco, but I guess there must be a stubborn landowner there with some political pull. Only a field of maybe 10 acres separates the two Military's, and I've never seen a crop planted there.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by hello13685

The other thing was, one day a friend told me to take the Jones Maltzberger exit on 281 to get to something. Should I have assumed that there would be more than one Jones Maltzberger exit on the same freeway? How retarded is that? I know now that the road winds all over hell and back, but don't post the same street name on more than one exit sign. When I met my friend I was like, "Sorry, I know I was supposed to take the Jones Maltzberger exit, but I guess I took the Jones Maltzberger exit by mistake." What’s a transplant to do?

Hello again Hello! I used to live in a great old house on Jones Maltsberger Rd. I totally agree that the two different sections of the road now need to be identified as "North" and "South" JM Rd. Then there's the section that I lived on that doesn't even cross 281!

Jones Maltsberger Rd was named after two dairy farms that were located somewhere around 1604 and Bulverde Rd. They were in operation in the early 1900's when even "The Quarry" was considered out in the country. The construction of the airport cut off the portion that runs along McAllister Park. Then 281 was cut through from near North downtown through the Olmos Basin and connected up with San Pedro Ave (North) and JM Rd was diced up a few more times. I've seen some old maps that show the complete road before all these things existed. It zig zags so much because it followed the boundaries of old farms that were out in that area. Now you have to KNOW to take the Nakoma exit to get to that portion of Jones Maltsberger!!

The same thing happened to Bitters Rd. The Airport construction cut off the section of Bitters Rd that runs in front of MacArthur High school. When my daughter attened there, a group of parents tried to get that portion renamed "MacBitters" It took too long to get petitions etc and many of the kids graduated and the newer parents didn't pick up the baton. Oh well.....we tried!

[wpotsie]

OMG!! I had the same experience. There's two Jones-Maltxberers, Nacodoches has two roads, Stahl has two roads. They separate the roads for no reason and there is no continuity. I don't k now who planned this city but I have less trouble getting around Boston, believe it r not. I can totally empathize. Two Wurzbacs...the list goes on and on. I've never seen anything like it in my life!

Originally Posted by hello13685

Thanks. I can kind of understand the problem with West being directional, but still think people should get it from the context of my naming an intersection. Two other things really got me screaming in my car: Having to figure out by trial and error that there was no 410 to 281 interchange. I drove past that sucker cursing and screaming a few times before understanding that to get from 410 east to 281 south you had to exit and take some shamehole side alley street to connect. This was the connection for two major freeways--who knew? The other thing was, one day a friend told me to take the Jones Maltzberger exit on 281 to get to something. Should I have assumed that there would be more than one Jones Maltzberger exit on the same freeway? How retarded is that? I know now that the road winds all over hell and back, but don't post the same street name on more than one exit sign. When I met my friend I was like, "Sorry, I know I was supposed to take the Jones Maltzberger exit, but I guess I took the Jones Maltzberger exit by mistake." What’s a transplant to do?

[slaleman]

Get a map.

Whenever I move to a new city, the first thing I do is get a map and hang it on the wall. Every city, and I mean EVERY CITY has some idiosyncrasies that you have to learn, whether it's how the streets are numbered or named, whether the avenues or streets have any significance (some cities have avenues N-S and streets E-W), etc.

When I moved to San Antonio, the first thing to go on the wall of my apartment was a map. It stayed there for two years because even though I knew the city pretty well after a couple of weeks (thanks to the map) there were always new places to go.

No one is going to straighten out the roads in San Antonio, and they sure as heck aren't going to rename them for you. Look at some of the new subdivisions going up...street names change in the middle of the road if two different developers are right next to each other and the road goes through.

Get a map and deal with it.

If you can't read a map, get a navigation system.

[hello13685]

Hi wCat, Thanks for the history. That's very interesting. Slaleman, for me part of the reason that SA is so confusing to navigate on the ground is because it's not on a grid like many other large cities (and there are no mountains as quick landmarks). Another is that the roads that web the spokes of the wheel (e.g., Huebner, Bitters, etc.) don't just cut across from one spoke to another (e.g., joining I-10 to Blanco), but wind to and fro through this mess of suburban whatnot until you find that there is no convenient way to get anywhere.

[LongHornGuy86]

Is San Diego on a grid?

[Steel Man]

Originally Posted by slaleman

Get a map.

Whenever I move to a new city, the first thing I do is get a map and hang it on the wall. Every city, and I mean EVERY CITY has some idiosyncrasies that you have to learn, whether it's how the streets are numbered or named, whether the avenues or streets have any significance (some cities have avenues N-S and streets E-W), etc.

When I moved to San Antonio, the first thing to go on the wall of my apartment was a map. It stayed there for two years because even though I knew the city pretty well after a couple of weeks (thanks to the map) there were always new places to go.

No one is going to straighten out the roads in San Antonio, and they sure as heck aren't going to rename them for you. Look at some of the new subdivisions going up...street names change in the middle of the road if two different developers are right next to each other and the road goes through.

Get a map and deal with it.

If you can't read a map, get a navigation system.

Or you can go on line and find directions. Mapquest was my preference until I tried Googlemaps and found that their maps are more updated with current roads. A good example, look at Wiseman Blvd and Loop 1604. On Mapquest Wiseman stops at Loop 1604, but on Googlemaps it shows the road extended to Talley Road...and the road is not even opened yet!