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#1
Mid-Atlantic / Re: Francis Scott Key Bridge (...
Last post by 1995hoo - Today at 10:06:08 AMQuote from: Scott5114 on April 27, 2024, 07:15:31 AMQuote from: Henry on April 24, 2024, 10:02:30 PMBut 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."
#2
General Highway Talk / Re: Freeways / Expressways giv...
Last post by OCGuy81 - Today at 10:00:58 AMIn 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.
Another one that comes to mind is WI-145 in the Milwaukee area referred to as Fond du Lac Ave.
#3
Northeast / Re: NYC Congestion Pricing
Last post by 74/171FAN - Today at 09:16:27 AM #4
Great Lakes and Ohio Valley / Re: Indiana Notes
Last post by TheCleanDemon - Today at 09:16:15 AMQuote from: Great Lakes Roads on April 28, 2024, 05:16:21 PMSpeaking 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.
#5
Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...
Last post by wanderer2575 - Today at 09:10:40 AMQuote from: vdeane on April 28, 2024, 09:26:35 PMQuote from: SEWIGuy on April 28, 2024, 06:04:06 PMIf 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).
#6
Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...
Last post by hotdogPi - Today at 09:05:08 AMBrazil 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.
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.
#7
Northeast / Re: NYC Roads
Last post by crispy93 - Today at 08:59:25 AMHere's some dashcam pics of the new lane configuration on the Major Deegan northbound at the Cross-Bronx. They re-allocated one of the lanes from the service road to be an exit lane for the CBX: https://imgur.com/a/tXxnIJR
#8
Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...
Last post by formulanone - Today at 08:56:46 AMThis is why I don't bother with too many shopping/restaurant loyalty programs; I enjoy too much variety to get any benefit out of them before the points expire; but still left with 30 emails a months from each of these programs. I'll join some of the supermarket programs so I can enjoy less faked-out pricing, but my chances of getting back to those same brands are maybe 1-2 times a year.
Airline and hotel points, that's another matter; some let you keep the points for the life of the account (though they find ways to devalue them naturally though inflation and manipulation), some do not, but they're pretty good about finding you some way to convert them into digital downloads, small gifts, and other doodads. Avis rental points are the worst to use, because you still pay for 25-30% of your rental.
Since there's always a lot of gift card theft and fraud, I doubt any stores are going to allow quick conversion to cash; although I personally feel they should permit trivial cash-conversion amounts; say, under a dollar. It's annoying to try to keep track of gift card purchases at places where they must know the exact amount and then hope the key it in properly so you can combine different methods of payment.
This reminds me, the credit card-backed gift cards are the absolute worst of these. My kids get these from relatives and they're a booger to use if you don't call in advance to active it right away, but not too soon that the funds start to evaporate. They're old enough now to understand why we use those for groceries and give them "checkbook balances" instead (it just us using our credit cards), for when they want to buy gifts for themselves. We also feel the latter shows them the idea of available credit and debits while trying to maintain something like a checking ledger.
Airline and hotel points, that's another matter; some let you keep the points for the life of the account (though they find ways to devalue them naturally though inflation and manipulation), some do not, but they're pretty good about finding you some way to convert them into digital downloads, small gifts, and other doodads. Avis rental points are the worst to use, because you still pay for 25-30% of your rental.
Since there's always a lot of gift card theft and fraud, I doubt any stores are going to allow quick conversion to cash; although I personally feel they should permit trivial cash-conversion amounts; say, under a dollar. It's annoying to try to keep track of gift card purchases at places where they must know the exact amount and then hope the key it in properly so you can combine different methods of payment.
This reminds me, the credit card-backed gift cards are the absolute worst of these. My kids get these from relatives and they're a booger to use if you don't call in advance to active it right away, but not too soon that the funds start to evaporate. They're old enough now to understand why we use those for groceries and give them "checkbook balances" instead (it just us using our credit cards), for when they want to buy gifts for themselves. We also feel the latter shows them the idea of available credit and debits while trying to maintain something like a checking ledger.
#9
Mid-Atlantic / Re: Delaware
Last post by 74/171FAN - Today at 08:52:46 AMQuote from: epzik8 on Today at 08:23:02 AMIt looks like Delaware has a color detour system for the 896 interchange project in the style of Pennsylvania's.
The detour requiring turning around at the Biden Welcome Center is much more interesting IMO.
Quote from: 74/171FAN on December 29, 2023, 01:37:20 PM(https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10219228995036191&set=a.10219229104798935)
#10
Off-Topic / Re: Minor things that bother y...
Last post by 1995hoo - Today at 08:52:33 AMQuote from: Big John on Today at 08:50:22 AMDo any countries use both the $ symbol and a comma for a decimal point?
Portions of Canada, for one (French-speaking areas). But normally in French the dollar sign goes after the amount, not before.