Listen To The Adventure Club’s 16-Year Anniversary Show

Right here, if you missed it last night. All songs recorded live in the Edge studios. Well worth your time, and I would say that even if the host, Josh Venable, was not — full disclosure — my best friend.

People I Hate: Entitled Jaywalkers of Dallas

(Part of an occasional series)

I’m not against jaywalking. I do it myself, especially if I happen to be with Wick, who seems constitutionally incapable of crossing at a light. Just so we’re clear. But jaywalkers have been a thorn in my paw since we moved downtown. Every morning, I take a sort of circuitous route to my parking garage, necessitated by the overwhelming amount of school zones on Ross Avenue.

Anyway, this route takes me past the intersection of Pearl and San Jacinto, and then through the nest of parking garages and pay lots near the AT&TPAC and Plaza of the Americas. And every morning, one (or, more usually, several) pedestrian darts out from in between two parked cars to make an illegal, but more convenient, cross. And every morning, when this happens and I’m forced to stop short to avoid broadsiding said pedestrian, invariably they stop and shoot murder out of their eyes. Like I’ve done something wrong. It completely shoots my wheels off. It drives me even crazier when this happens on San Jac because the crosswalk is literally 12 feet away.

Point is, I’ve run out of inventive ways to curse and I only have so many middle fingers. So consider this an open letter to all entitled jaywalkers: I’m morally flexible, have — at one point — been nicknamed “Captain Furious,” and have the number of plenty of decent attorneys.

Apologies for Our Slow Load Times Today

Thanks for your patience as we replace the hamster that runs on the wheel that powers our server, which is having trouble keeping up with the traffic generated by Nancy’s post about In-N-Out Burger coming to town.

Doing Business With Dallas County Is Difficult

Yes, I know that headline is akin to typing, “Sky is Blue,” “Starbucks is Overpriced,” or “Tim Rogers Likes Prank Calling.” But hear me out.

I just had to call the Dallas County Clerk’s office to find out the office hours. Specifically, I needed the office hours for the Marsh Lane annex. So I went to the Dallas County website. Most. Unfriendly. Website. Ever.

I finally locate the number I need, according to the website. I call that number, and get no answer. So I scroll, mouse and click through this antiquated website a little more, and find a completely different number that is allegedly going to the same office I need. Only, I get an automated message telling me that I’m being transfered. Then I get another automated message giving me several choices, and I choose the, “If you need further assistance, please wait on the line,” option. Only I get asked by Nortel for my mailbox password.

Then I curse. Then I go back to that stupid, stupid website, and find a main number to Dallas County Clerk John F. Warren’s office. Again, I wait through about eight options on an automated line before being told I can wait for assistance. I wait, and then explain to the woman on the other end my issue.

“Ma’am, that office is closed on Mondays,” she says. Is this information on the website? No.

“Can you tell me when it closes on working days?” I ask.

“No ma’am, I can’t. You’ll have to call back on Tuesday,” she says.

Now, how does one office not know when the annexes are open? Surely, since the information is not online that the Marsh annex is closed on Mondays, they get a lot of calls. Wouldn’t it be easier to A) put a list of office hours on the website or B) furnish this list to all the other offices?