The BRT Is Not For Me Or You, Fresno

IMG_7522 The BRT Is Not For Me Or You, Fresno
In case you were asking “What the hell?!” while avoiding all the lane closures and construction while driving down Blackstone lately, BRT is being built.

Suck it up, chief! It’s just a freaking little closure here and there. Big whoop.

You might be thinking “But dude, I don’t ride the bus. The BRT is no help to me.” Yeah, well, I don’t either. 

Riding the bus seems complicated. What if the bus I’m getting on is going to take me to the wrong place? …like Clovis. Talk about screwed, cowboy.

But that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you or I ride FAX or will ride the BRT. It’s not just for you and me. 

We can’t all be cruising Blackstone in a slick 96 green Saturn complete with the head-turning spoiler. Some Fresnans need that bus action. The BRT will give riders a better experience.

Plus, you don’t have to ride this new BRT to enjoy its benefits. Look how slick construction guy is:

IMG_7522-0 The BRT Is Not For Me Or You, Fresno 
That guy doesn’t give a rake if he needs to get on a bus or not. He’s just hanging out in that Jetsons style bus bench, waiting for some action.

(Graphic stolen from Better Blackstone)

Best Part Of A Revamped Manchester Center Lies In A Priceless Facebook Comment

Machester-Center-1024x588 Best Part Of A Revamped Manchester Center Lies In A Priceless Facebook Comment

Did you see that they are going to revive Manchester Center? Yes, for reals! There will be a Chipotle and everything! You KNOW you are reviving when you get a Chipotle, Bro!

Manchester making a comeback? I bet you’re doubtful like me. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Well, one of the project’s managers has read your mind.

“Let me be clear. I’ve been asked a lot and I want to be clear about this,” said Benjamin Nazarian, Omninet’s managing partner. “This is not ‘if it will happen.’ This is happening.”

Super rad. Seriously. Whenever something gets a legit makeover, South of Shaw, it is to be celebrated and supported! I am excited this is happening.

So what about this Facebook comment teased in the title?

If you haven’t noticed, the comment section of local stories posted on Facebook (in this story’s case, The Fresno Bee) can get pretty negative and silly. My first thought after reading was “Oh man, there are going to be some shots taken at Manchester Center. Here we go.”

But this one didn’t quite turn out like I thought.

“Heather” posted this:

heathercomment Best Part Of A Revamped Manchester Center Lies In A Priceless Facebook Comment

Ok well, a bit misguided about the bus stop, I think. But there is a decent point buried there that folks need to feel safe if they’re going to shop and eat at this new Manchester. But that wasn’t the interesting part of her comment.

A guy came up to her and asked her if she wanted to go “back in time with him?” My first question was “Did he say his name was Doc Brown? Maybe Calvin Klein?” [obviously a Back To The Future refrence].

The other would be Doctor Who. Somebody went right to it, bless their Internet hearts:

Dr.-Who-1 Best Part Of A Revamped Manchester Center Lies In A Priceless Facebook Comment

Heather is not getting the Doctor Who reference and it’s freaking adorbs:

heatherno Best Part Of A Revamped Manchester Center Lies In A Priceless Facebook Comment

HA! Maybe Heather doesn’t know Dr. Who. Understandable. But she would have to wise up to any Back To The Future references, right? It seems no:

oh-heather Best Part Of A Revamped Manchester Center Lies In A Priceless Facebook Comment

“Oh Heather” indeed. Thank you for bringing nerd joy to this blog.

Back to the Manchester remodel: There is no word on if the new look center will have a TARDIS or will be hosting any Enchantment Under The Sea dances:

Fresno. Are We Total Assholes For Loving Our Drive-Thrus? Maybe…

Starbucks-Herndon-and-Cedar-1024x533 Fresno. Are We Total Assholes For Loving Our Drive-Thrus? Maybe...
Future Starbucks Drive-Thu
Pictured above is the new drive-thru being built for a new-old Starbucks opening soonish at Herndon & Marks. Remember way back when there was one there and there was a campaign to save it but it closed anyway?

Yeah, well, it seems it closed because there wasn’t a drive-thru. Now there will be one and I’m sure it will be filled with cars soon. They are even tearing apart the property to do it. You’ll be able to spy on the people across the street in the Taco Bell and McDonald’s drive-thru from your Starbucks spot.

More drive-thus tainting the Valley air? That’s fine. Best to forget the Sierras are there. Out of sight out of mind. Now I don’t feel as guilty about not going up there as much as I should.

Fuck you, clean air! And while we’re at it: Fuck you, Sierras! I can kinda see an outline of the mountains, so I’m sure it’s cool. Can’t be that bad. Drive-thru it is! Dude I am not getting out of this vehicle right now, the new Green Day just came on New Rock!

Honestly, I will walk into a place more than use the drive-thru. I tell myself that it’s because I’m saving the air, but really it’s when the drive-thru is too busy. Plus, sometimes I don’t like the person working the drive-thru looking into my truck and seeing what a mess it is.

Not using the drive-thru and having the discipline to walk inside is kinda like when you’re thinking you should go on a diet but eat all you want anyway. Tomorrow I’ll stop going through the drive-thru, today I feast on convenience.

But wait a damn idling second here. How bad is it really for the air when we use the drive-thru as compared to parking and walking inside? Well, the best thing I could find was a study they did up in Canada at a Tim Hortons (a sorta Canadian version of Dunkin Donuts/Starbucks). This blew my mind:

“The study concluded that a Tim Hortons restaurant with no drive-thru actually produces higher emissions per vehicle than one with a drive-thru, because of emissions from starting up vehicles, traveling to and from parking spaces, and congestion that occurs in the parking lot.”

WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?! Mind. Blow. I couldn’t find a local study on this so we’ll have to accept a Canadian one. Crazy.

Really, it points out that we should be walking or biking to our Taco Bells and Dutch Bros. But eh.

So if you must MUST drive your truck with sexy rims to Robertito’s at 2 in the morning, don’t feel as bad about idling in line. Just feel bad about that California burrito and two adobada tacos you’re about to put down.

Is The Time Almost Here When Downtown Fresnans Will Look Down On Tower District People?

 IMG_7270 Is The Time Almost Here When Downtown Fresnans Will Look Down On Tower District People? 
North of Shaw vs. South of Shaw. The eternal Fresno battle.

People South of Shaw don’t like Northerners coming into their cool spots and people North of Shaw… think nothing. 

So there is your battleground, and Shaw is the dividing line. Gritty, creative, urban life on the South side. Suburbia, chains and “nice things” on the Northern side.

But is there another tension brewing? Are groups of Downtowners becoming identifiable when they venture into other areas of Fresno?

Tower Folk already don’t like it when a group of NE Fresnans comes in. For realz, you can tell when a group of Northerns wander into Goldstiens, looking to slum it for a night. Or a couple of Clovisians strut in with a cowboy hat and a confused look.

So is it inevitable Tower people will be looking sideways at Downtown hipsters? Will the Loft People Of Downtown (not a real title yet but it should be) start mad-dogging Tower Rats until they leave Tioga Beer Garden?

We may not be there yet. But I feel it coming.

Let’s Debate This Via Podcast

If you feel like listening to Fresno stuff, we try to figure out if there actually is a divide between Tower people and Downtown people, in the new episode of Flowing With Famous: