Mailbag: 20 most interesting feedback notes on minimal-traffic restrooms to CLT drivers

“This is in response to Katie’s article “Safe Haven: 7 Minimal-Traffic Restrooms for When You Need to Drop a Deuce Uptown — RANKED”. Great article and it will come in handy — A LOT — but there is one glaring omission. On the overstreet level of the Hilton Garden Inn (locator: next to the uptown Y or by the 3rd St light rail stop — get Mary to draw an annotated map maybe), there is an excellent restroom near the conference rooms. Though technically not “public”, you’ll find you have no trouble slipping in there — and unless a convention is on break, you’ll have it all to yourself. As a bonus, the hand soaps are organic and animal-testing free, which I know is a big plus for Katie. ProTip: For maximum incognito and to avoid any cow-orkers that might be using the Y, enter the Garden Inn via the plaza near Fujo, and take the elevator to the overstreet level, slipping out the back of the elevator banks, straight to the Safe Haven door.” – A

“What the hell are you doing publishing the article ‘Safe Haven: 7 Minimal-Traffic Restrooms for When You Need to Drop a Deuce Uptown — RANKED’?!?!! Do you know why a Safe Haven is a Safe Haven? Because nobody goes there!!! But NO, now the secret’s out. What’s next “My 6 Favorite Shortcuts from Plaza-Mid to South End”…..or “Oh Hey Everybody Did You Know You Can Take 218 To The Beach Instead Of 74″? Thanks for nothing, Axios Charlotte. At least you didn’t tell them about my favorite Safe Haven of all at the Hilton Garden Inn.” – A

In response to: It’s not impossible to be a vegetarian in Charlotte. Here’s my order at 21 restaurants

“Is this Axios Charlotte or ‘Vegetarian Agenda?’ In regards to ‘It’s not impossible to be a vegetarian in Charlotte’ okay okay I get it… You guys are vegetarians… And that’s great… It really is… But the amount of fawning of Lunas Kitchen (I have yet to personally know anyone who has eaten there and liked it), and the number of articles that mention vegetarianism is bordering on the absurd. At times Agenda almost feels like a parody of the stereotypical Southend 30 year old hipster… But as a 50-something Ballantynian I assure you your reach can potentially go much further! And we can be hip too! I promise!” – C

In response to: EXPLAINER: What Gov. McCrory’s executive order does and doesn’t do with HB2

“This article was really nicely written and clearly presented. It’s easy to let emotions and personal stances get in the way of explaining this issue and it was nice to see things laid out in an unbiased and informative way.” – K

In response to: Queens University unveils new brand strategy, including new logo and new value proposition

“Going with an education-specific branding agency is a double edge sword in my opinion. While they would surely know and understand the needs and requirements of branding a university (I love their Sewanee work by the way) there’s the risk of simply getting back a regurgitation of marketing speak from other projects, with minor nuances that relate to the specific university. I’ve got to believe that out of the 15 logo designs submitted there had to be something better. The new logo is clean and smart, but could have been done by a first year graphic design student. At least the old logo had a “mark,” something that could stand alone in a variety of uses. I suppose my biggest issue overall is that this work could have been done locally. There’s at least a dozen design firms and agencies here in Charlotte that could have done better work. Queens is a wonderful university, they deserve better than this in my opinion. And, I don’t even want to know how much they paid for that? …. well, maybe I do want to know!” – A

In response to: Cutting through beer-aucracy affecting Charlotte breweries

“This was a great article explaining all the details of the law and who is affected. I think it is a little hypocritical of these “craft” breweries to complain that this law it not fair and hurts them though. When you sell over 8 million beers a year and have your own set up in the Hornets arena you are no longer a “craft” company. This is just a push by the breweries to keep more of their profits. I have no problem paying three times as much for a Charlotte beer as I would for a Bud Light because I like supporting local companies but please don’t cry poverty and say this law is unfair.” – T

In response to: Op-Ed: Why it’s so frustrating to talk about HB2

“Haha, not that I disagree…but I think the author’s bias is showing:
Person One: Hey, I’m a reasonable person who can see both sides of the issues. Discrimination is bad.
Person Two: I’m a dumb idiot who can’t understand words. Women are gonna get raped!
Person One: I’m going to rationally understand where you’re coming from and try to find some middle ground.
Person Two: RAAPPPPPEEEEEDDDDD!!!!!” – A

In response to: PayPal left Charlotte. Could more businesses be next?

“I really liked your article this morning about HB2 and how PayPal is pulling out. I applaud PayPal for using their actions to stand behind their support of the LGBTQ community. So many businesses are saying HB2 is bad, but until businesses start taking action and pulling out of the state and giving it an economic hit, there isn’t anything to truly convince the governor or the political representatives to change the law. I am a native of North Carolina and Charlotte, and moved out of the state for 10 years before recently moving back. I am embarrassed to tell people I am from here with reasons ranging from the blatant racism, the culturally enforced sexism, and now the open and unabashed hate for the LGBTQ community. I would love to see the state become a leader in something besides over-taxing it’s citizens, refusing to listen to its constituents, and creating a law stating that the sea level can’t rise. Let’s hope more businesses are willing to stand behind what they mean so that their employees and the citizens of North Carolina get finally get some progress that does more than just work in favor of the rich, old, white men.” – E

“With PayPal’s departure, what is also untenable is Gov. Pat McCrory’s argument that the passage of HB2 will not impact North Carolina’s ability to create and recruit jobs. This is especially true among a creative class seeking to work for companies like PayPal. And with tech leaders like Facebook and Google joining the growing chorus of major businesses at the anti-HB2 table, the law may tarnish the state’s reputation and potential economy for many Millennials who had been flocking to the Queen City for jobs and opportunity. PayPal’s announcement comes the same day that the CEO of Red Ventures, a prominent Charlotte-area marketing and technology firm, said he must also “seriously reconsider” adding hundreds of new jobs in North Carolina in the wake of the state’s passage of House Bill 2. Add in Lionsgate’s announcement that they pull production of a new Hulu show from the Queen City, and you have a chorus of entertainment, marketing and tech industry leaders pulling rank on Gov. Pat McCrory and North Carolina lawmakers who have consistently doubled-down on the discriminatory law.” – M

“Charlotte is getting pummeled over the stupidity of our governorship. This is not uncommon among republic legislation. When life is good the left doesn’t vote. That’s how Chris Christie got the opportunity to turn Jersey into a wasteland. We can’t fight these tyrants by abandoning the cities. Someone needs to write an open letter to PayPal and other companies like PayPal. Don’t punish the city. Instead bring the jobs that the already talented Charlotte base can support. Continue to invest in the city so the city will continue to grow in population. There will be a point in our lives where 7 out of of every 10 ppl will be living in a dense area. At that point we can eliminate a lot of the stupidity in politics as it will be harder for the majority of the population to hide behind what is said on Fox News. Nobody in Mocksville, NC knows how damaging HB2 has been. They have no clue how invasive it has been to their own lives even. Companies need to continue to come to southern cities, further expanding our footprint and population. Only is it this way that we can get bigotry out of the government. McCrory is an a**hole but he’s not an idiot. He has two motives. NC is a heavily divided state with few in the middle. Instead of getting people to switch sides he’s just insuring his support goes to the poles. Also with forcing companies to leave he’s going to make the population less educated, further helping the current republican cause. These companies punishing southern cities is not the answer. It’s bad in the long run. Sure, let’s move all the companies to liberal states. Let America’s most educated be housed in 5 states. Common sense will never win any election then, and Trumps strategy would be perfect. Keep investing in southern cities so we can get enough support to fight bigotry. Then we can finally focus on actual issues. I own a business that focuses primarily on acquiring commercial real estate. I want to stop the bleeding before the scars become permanent. Your business could be impacted much sooner than mine as you guys have done a great job, but I’m sure you want your readership to grow along with the city. But that can’t happen if growth is stunted.” – A

In response to: How bad are Charlotte drivers, really?

“Thanks for your article on Charlotte drivers. Here’s my question: should we be blaming drivers for Charlotte’s notoriously poor highway intersections? Seems like state funding plays a role here too.” – M

“What is really bad about Charlotte drivers is how much they are on their phones. I travel a lot and you do not see this in other cities NEARLY as much. People show no shame at all in picking up their phones at red lights and then slowly putting them down when they are halfway down the block, if at all. As a runner (and a driver), it’s terrifying!” – A

“I truly appreciate the article this morning regarding Charlotte drivers. My family has lived from FL to NJ and back (thankfully back to our NC roots!) and I promise you that Charlotte has nothing on Orlando, Atlanta, or ANY given city in NJ. For those of you who believe that Charlotte is the worst, here is one specific way that we can make it better and safer at the same time: STOP CRASHING RED LIGHTS! I can tell you that I have never experienced a worse place than Charlotte for this phenomenon. I know that wherever you are late going to is far more important than anything that any of us law-abiding citizens have going on, but think about the potential misery associated with a t-bone collision at an intersection. I cannot decide if this practice reflects sheer selfishness or abject stupidity. Both, perhaps?” – C

“It could be worse? Ha, please… Charlotte is by far the worst city I have ever driven in… And I’ve driven in Boston. I see cars run red lights daily… Do these drivers have ANY idea how dangerous that is? How late are you to whatever you’re running a red light for that it’s worth the potential accident?! Not only do opposing cars now have the green but pedestrians that ALWAYS have the right of way? (Yeah, you can’t just run them over because you overslept.) I watched a man sit at the red light to turn left onto Colony from Sharon Rd yesterday. We had a red left turn arrow. He waited and waited as you should when your light is red. Then he decided he wanted to make a U-turn. I guess people making U-turns don’t have to abide by red lights because he just went… On a red… With opposing traffic having the green light. Unreal… I see this every.single.day. Charlotte is a horrible place to be a pedestrian. Even buses don’t yield to them in crosswalks. (But don’t even get me started on the buses and their traffic violations.) Working in Uptown and crossing streets for lunch gives me anxiety. Funniest thing is I have NEVER seen someone pulled over for running a red light, almost killing someone in a crosswalk, speeding through neighborhoods, etc… Seems like a cash cow for the city to me. Am I a perfect driver? No. But would I purposely run a red light? No way. Do I yield to pedestrians? I sure do. Do I get honked at by the moron behind me because he wants to go even though the sign CLEARLY states,”No Right Turn On Red?” Sure do! I’m honestly so tired of it… More so because these drivers seemingly NEVER get punished (aka cited) for their illegal actions. I have driven and lived in plenty of cities including Boston, Dallas, DC, and LA… Charlotte is the absolute worst.” – F

In response to: Top 22 Charlotte bar trivia events, sorted by day

I love playing trivia but I also love my 2.5 year old daughter (Yes I do love her more). Wouldn’t it be nice for one of the 22 places listed that does trivia to do a 6:00 start time so parents can play, have a few drinks and still get their kids to bed by 8:30?!?! Just an idea :)” – D

In response to: In defense of Gastonia

“After reading the article I didn’t come away with any different ideas about Gastonia. What was the defense? That it’s safe? I thought maybe my mind was wandering so I read it again. Same. Did he imply that only people with ambition end up leaving? How about some info about things that are going on there, reasons to visit, stories about people moving back there and starting businesses? Give me something.” – R

“Please more articles about Gastonia, especially things to do, events, etc. I live in Gaston County, and I hate feeling like I always have to drive into Charlotte to do anything fun, eat at good restaurants, or drink at fun bars.” – O

“In defense of Gastonia?! OMG. Moved here 4 yrs ago. That story pointed out way more negatives that even I knew or considered!! And man were the scant positives mentioned weak!! How about easy access to Crowders Mountain?! Lower taxes. Better housing for the money. Gaston Day School. Schiele Museum. Really good hospital. Easy commutes to/fro CLT or SC, ok sans inevitable back ups at Belmont and 321. Perspective is how you see it. Reality differs. Sure, plenty of negatives if you want to focus on them, just like CLT. But man, thanks alot. That sty made me feel 10x worse for choosing Gastonia!” – F

In response to: Do I drive around Charlotte because my commute is unwalkable or because it’s a habit?

“I read your article today about walking from Cherry where you said at the bottom for bike commuters to show you the way. I am a young lady who is scared of cars. I started biking because everything was within 2 miles and a 45 minute walk was too long for me. I live in Cherry, and I ride to work uptown at Blumenthal. We should ride together one time, and I’ll show you the way! When I first started riding, I took all the wrong roads, which made it way worse. There are routes through Cherry and Uptown with much less car traffic, so even if you are going a bit out of the way, it still makes the ride better. I’m also a believer in taking the sidewalk when you have to take a busy road where there aren’t a lot of pedestrians. If you don’t want to ride with me, here’s the route I take: I go down Baxter and cross to the Greenway, then ride the Greenway to Trade, and then ride Trade (staying to the right of the trolley tracks, obviously) to uptown. Anyway, I just wanted to reach out with the offer.” – G

In response to: Do you miss your Northern food? Fear not: 24 Northern staples and where to find them in Charlotte

“One item that would’ve been great to see you and Kylie’s story about northern foods would be the spiedie. It’s basically a marinated meat kebabs that is put on Italian bread or hoagie roll. It originates from the southern tier of New York State for they have a whole festival for it. You can find it at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill.” – T

In response to: Charlotte Observer publisher Ann Caulkins is right and I hope McClatchy listens to her

“Liked the piece with maybe one tweak. The fifty-somethings you’re talking about in the boardrooms of McClatchy, or Morris or wherever aren’t lifer news people anymore. They’re bean counters and pencil pushers who pushed out the life long people that had ink in their blood. I left a large Morris daily back in 2004 when they refused to use a calculator to determine the real cost of their digital first strategy. A few years later they wanted me to come back when I turned out to be right and they were on their knees… I refused. I’m in a great place now. We have local ownership who isn’t concerned about pleasing Wall Street, just his wife. We make money, we have the highest circulation we’ve ever had and continue to grow because we continue to invest. These large companies from elsewhere came into town during our hay-days and bought up great papers and stripped them. Demanding more and more profit margin while investing less and less because they didn’t know anything about actually running newspapers and journalism. They ran brilliant minds into other lines of work and now they’re left with the great collapse of dynasties in the hands of incapable people. I don’t think newspapers will actually die although we may lose a few. I do believe these once great papers will eventually find themselves significantly smaller, but owned by local people who care more about their community than turning unreasonable profit margins to investors. People like that, like us, can take newspapers back to the top of the information age again.” – J