Recent posts

#1

General Highway Talk / Re: Freeways / Expressways giv...

Last post by Big John - Today at 10:29:21 AM

In the Twin Cities, is I-394 referred to as Wayzata Blvd anymore?

Another one that comes to mind is WI-145 in the Milwaukee area referred to as Fond du Lac Ave.

WI 145 is Fond du Lac Ave in the non-freeway portion. For the freeway portion, it is called Fond du Lac freeway and it runs parallel to Fond du Lac Ave.

#2

General Highway Talk / Re: Road-Geeky Things Of The P...

Last post by OCGuy81 - Today at 10:26:50 AM

The travel sized games that my sister and I used to play in the car!

Small, compact versions of games like Life, Monopoloy, and Sorry!

[rebate receipt in the mail]

#3

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by tchafe1978 - Today at 10:23:30 AM

See the Menards "11% Off Everything"

To get the 11% back, you have to send a rebate receipt in the mail
The 11% comes back as in-store credit

the 11% back gets you back to the MSRP.

Many of the loyalty programs do "sales" by marking up the price and having loyalty program use be required to bring it back down.

I can remember back to when Menards would actually send you a check for the rebate amount. But at the time the rebates were only tied to specific items, not an across the board 11% off everything. My dad would let me fill out the rebate and then keep the money for myself. But the checks would be for like 3 or 4, maybe 5 dollars. To a 10 year old kid, that seemed cool. I got 5 bucks I can spend on soda and candy! Now the merchandise credit check just sits around until I remember to take it with me the next time I go to Menards.

#4

General Highway Talk / State Line advertisements mean...

Last post by OCGuy81 - Today at 10:19:54 AM

I was recently driving down to California via I-5 getting ready to cross into California.

There's a LOT of signs advertising cheap liquor stores, since the state still runs the liquor business in Oregon, and California is a LOT cheaper.

I recall visiting family in Wisconsin at Christmas.  There are a lot of signs on I-94/41 advertising weed dispensaries just across the border in Illinois.

As a kid, in Wisconsin, I remember a LOT of ads for casinos approaching Iowa too.

What examples can you think of where something legal and/or cheaper in one state is used to lure in travelers from an adjoining state?

#5

Mid-Atlantic / Re: Francis Scott Key Bridge (...

Last post by 1995hoo - Today at 10:06:08 AM

But as Alex said, there's no word on when the new bridge will have a different name, so let's just assume that it'll also be called the Key Bridge.

It would be funny if they named it after John Locke.

"Locke" and "Key" made me think of a certain Madonna video from the mid-1980s, so now I have this utterly absurd thought of the "Open Your Heart Bridge."

#6

General Highway Talk / Re: Freeways / Expressways giv...

Last post by OCGuy81 - Today at 10:00:58 AM

In the Twin Cities, is I-394 referred to as Wayzata Blvd anymore?

Another one that comes to mind is WI-145 in the Milwaukee area referred to as Fond du Lac Ave.

#7

Northeast / Re: NYC Congestion Pricing

Last post by 74/171FAN - Today at 09:16:27 AM

Congestion pricing starts June 30th for anyone that has not seen that yet.

#8

Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Indiana Notes

Last post by TheCleanDemon - Today at 09:16:15 AM

Speaking of which, the east side of Interstate 465 from the southern junction of I-65 to the US 31 interchange (excluding the current ClearPath 465 project) will be undergoing a concrete pavement restoration (CPR) project that will involve a 21-day directional closure from I-70 to I-65.

Time-wise, the 21-day directional closures (weather permitting) will begin with I-465 SB/WB closed between May 29-June 30 and I-465 NB/EB closed between July 5-August 4. Completion date is Fall 2025 with the project being split up into phases.

This is next year, right? Seems like a pretty big deal for something that doesn't have any public visibility that I've seen if it's a 2024 project.

#9

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by wanderer2575 - Today at 09:10:40 AM

If YOU purchased yes. But if you are given a gift with a gift receipt, it's almost always returned only for in store credit.

Well, that's a weird double standard.

Not really.  Stores would prefer not refunding cash under any circumstances.  They figure they're more justified in taking that position with a gift return because you're not the one who laid out the cash in the first place.  I wonder if it also has something to do with affecting the store's credit card fees, which would be a reason that if the store refunds back to a credit card they require that it be the same card used for the purchase (so you can't game a card issuer's loyalty points program by purchasing a ton of stuff with the loyalty program card and then returning it and getting the refund in another manner).

#10

Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...

Last post by hotdogPi - Today at 09:05:08 AM

Brazil appears to use both $ and a comma.


I've gotten good use out of restaurant loyalty programs.

UNO: Essentially 1 in 16 back. When you get your $10 reward for spending $160, you have two months to use it. There's also the very occasional free entree or $10 off via email.

Outback Steakhouse: Essentially 1 in 14 back. Unfinished points do expire unlike UNO, but I believe you have either 3 or 6 months, and the threshold for the $5 reward is only $70. The only Outback close to me closed, though.

99 Restaurant: every 3 visits, you get a random offer that lasts one month. That said, they also send various coupons in emails that are $5 off $25, a $7 burger on Mondays, or similar, and sometimes they're better than the 3-visit coupons.

Bertucci's: one of the two best ones. No points. Instead, there are quite frequent coupons that are usually $10 or 15 off $30, $20 off $40 or $50, or $25 off $50. Yes, that's half off. (They also have free item with purchase on National Whatever Day, which happens several times per year.)

IHOP: the other really good one. For each $5 spent, you get 1 PanCoin, and anything that's not a full $5 is tracked as a partial one, so two $8 purchases will get you three, not two. Rather than a fixed reward, you can get three pancakes or five pancakes for 3 or 5 PanCoins, a kid's meal for 8, a burger for 12, or other things that are less efficient. They also have the occasional "buy this get 5 or 10 additional PanCoins". As each PanCoin is worth about a dollar if you do it correctly, this is essentially 20% back or more if you try to get the bonus ones. In addition, there's a 3 PM - 9 PM menu that's $6 or $8 depending on the item, so you get cheap meals while earning the PanCoins, and if it's lunchtime, you just use them on something instead of paying full price for a meal.