Scottsdale | Scottsdale Sucks

Your thoughts on cell phone bans while driving?

This week, California's ban on handheld cell phones while driving goes into effect. Since I already have handsfree in my car, it won't effect me, and there's nothing unconstitutional about the law, and it is entirely within the state's power to impose it under the 10th Amendment, so I'm not sure what I think of it. It's necessary for all the idiots who weave all over the road and don't pay attention while on their cell phones, but on the other hand I hate government meddling and increased nanny-state laws. On a positive note, it's only a $20 ticket with no points on your record, unlike states like New York where it's a very expensive ticket in the hundreds of dollars.

I'm curious to hear all your thoughts on this, because idiots driving badly while talking on the phone is a *HUGE* problem in Scottsdale, especially those idiots who drive huge SUVs and can't handle them safely as it is. And, let's be honest here, Arizona has become one of the more big government nanny states in the nation, so your cell phone ban is undoubtedly right around the corner.

Would you support or oppose a ban on cell phones while driving, considering what a problem it has become in Arizona?

Thoughts on Scottsdale and cars

Today I filled up my gas tank, something I only do about once a month now that I no longer live in sprawl-exurb-hell Arizona. (And, granted, because my car has a huge tank and I don't go to my office every day.)

While it was filling I grabbed the window washer and scrubbed my windshield clean. It had a fair amount of dirt, bugs, and other splatter on it.

Then it hit me - never while living in Scottsdale did I have to do that. Why? Because the place is massively image conscious, and I somehow got caught up in that and was washing and detailing my car once a week. Therefore my windshield was always sparkling and spotless.

Now I do it every 3-4 weeks or so, sooner if it's really dirty from a rainstorm or whatever.

Instead of wasting all that time slaving away on car detailing, myself and everyone else are out walking, jogging, enjoying the nearby trails, the beach, or any number of enjoyable outdoor activities in the mornings. When you actually enjoy life and focus on enjoying it, you don't get caught up in irrelevant stupid little details like having some dust on the car.

Just a thought as to how your idea of quality of life shifts when you escape image-obsessed Scottsdale.

A word to Scottsdale "homeowners"

Courtesy of our friends at HousingPanic:

It wasn't "your home". It never was. You couldn't afford it. You never should have been approved for the loan. You probably committed mortgage fraud to get it. You got caught up in Angelo Mozilo's profit-at-any-cost mortgage-fraud-galore Ponzi Scheme. You believed The Big Lie. You believed debt equaled wealth. And you stupidly believed you could live like you were rich.

So let this be your wake up call. Your home is worth nowhere near what you paid. Nowhere near. Your choice now is to simply turn in the keys, walk away, start over and rent (for a fraction of the cost of 'owning'), or you can continue to live the Big Lie, because of your ego and your pride. And those swell granite counter tops of course.

Walk away Homedebtors. Send Angelo the keys.

This game is over.

And take some solace in the fact as you start your life over, Angelo Mozilo himself will soon be on his way to jail, his riches confiscated, his reputation in tatters.

Every dog has his day.

Out-of-control Scottsdale HOA slapping boots on cars

Now the scumbag Scottsdale HOAs are slapping boots on residents' cars and charging to remove them!! Lawsuit anyone? This is about the worst violation of private property rights I've seen from an HOA yet. The story is picking up steam and over a quarter million people nationwide are following it - read the full story here:

As I told myself I'd never live in a HOA community here I am. After a year here they forced upon us that we had to pay for parking passes to park outside. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ There's over 700 homes.

Gee, I wounder why they did that?

So you have to display your pass or you get booted, by an outsider company not associated with the HOA, they just won the contract. As the schmucks drive though they look for the obvious outsiders looking to park (visitors) and boot them, and milk the cows. "That will be $140 Sir to remove the boot."

Well, it's just a long day @ work, your mind is busy, you park and don't put your pass on your rear view. They throw 2 boots on you, a large display sticker, phone # and $140 removal fee. I've parked in the same spot for 3 months, always displayed, they know the car, a extensively modified Audi parked in the same spot for 3 months with a displayed pass. It's a no brainier I have a pass.

Gee, I wounder why the pass isn't a permanent sticker?

Now, why wouldn't I always keep the pass hanging from my rearveiw? Being in the top 10 auto theft capitals in the country, I'm not comfortable DISPLAYING where I live when the community is displayed in the largest characters on the pass.

The plastered WARNING sticker on the window mentions you will be penalized to the fullest of law if you remove or damage the boots. So I called the cops.........only one.....but she said I can not damage the the boots, however nothing illegal about removing them.

You know the case, if you don't pay up evenly you'll get towed,so.......

I'm just going to get some f-ing dollies, install them and push the freaking Audi right into the garage you bsaterds. Give them a call to come get their num nut boots..........................and the Audi is undergoing a semi-rebuild....I don't need them off...they won't bother me keeping them on....I don't need to drive it.....a waiting game means nothing.

I own my home, they can not come on the individual property unless I grant permission, and they can not tow it as it'll be in the garage.

Scottsdale cop resigns following illegal search

No big news here - another corrupt Scottsdale cop. At least this one got caught and had to go. I wonder how many false DUI arrests he made and how many people he hurt and abused before getting caught?

Kierland condos still going strong... ?

The AZ Republic reports today that sales of the condos at Kierland are still going strong.

Well, here's my take on it: Having rented a condo at Kierland my last year in Arizona, I can tell you that they're full of 80+ year old retirees and snowbirds from Canada. Retirees who have a decent savings and pension are the only people left in Scottsdale who can afford anything, now that the phonies have been flushed out by the housing crash.

(And, while on the subject, I can also tell you that living there is really lame. It's just another shopping center, and it gets boring fast. The only benefit is being able to go out drinking and not have to worry about driving home, and that's a benefit I suppose, considering that drinking is the #1 most popular activity in Arizona and that the cops - at least in Scottsdale - love to abuse the slightest degree DUI laws for revenue generation.)

When I was in Scottsdale the last week of April, I found it strange at first that even "trendy" downtown Scottsdale's restaurants were full of nothing but white-haired retirees, who seemed really happy and overjoyed that they now have the entire city to themselves.

Don't get me wrong - I like this new direction Scottsdale has taken. I'd choose to be around happy, friendly old people in a heartbeat over the obnoxious, disgusting, nauseating phony jerks who invaded around 2003 and took over for the next few years. I just find it amusing that the paper is trying to spin the fact that retirees are buying the condos and trying to trick people into the myth that Scottsdale is a young, vibrant community that 20- and 30-somethings are flocking to. Yeah, right!

(Well, except for the trailer trash, illegals, and two-striker felons who get run out of California and wind up in Scottsdale.)

Ban-happy Scottsdale is at it again

This time they want to ban jeep tours, all-terrain vehicles, and all other forms of off-roading.

This is in the name of "dust control."

In reality, it won't make a damn difference. The amount of dust kicked up from these activities is just a tiny fraction of a percent of that kicked up by things like, umm, the wind, storms, and so on.

They of course probably know this and just want something else to ban and some new way to oppress their citizens. That's what the City of Scottsdale does best.

The irony though is they're so hellbent on preserving the dreary dusty desert scape, and now they're banning anyone from using or enjoying it. How ironic.

Scottsdale clubgoers ... afraid of the camera?

Thanks to the work of sites like Dirty Scottsdale, Scottsdale clubgoers are now camera-shy!

It seems that, now that the truth about Scottsdale's so-called nightlife is out - that it's a bunch of overextended, druggie, fake credit phonies - nobody wants to be seen in a Scottsdale bar or club. While clubgoers in Phoenix, Tempe, Glendale, etc., are all happy to smile for the camera, not so in Scottsdale. They're acting like those crooked corporate execs who throw a towel over their heads while being frog-marched in handcuffs.

Nice ... thanks to TheDirty.com, this site, and many others like it, Scottsdale has been exposed ... so badly in fact that even their own are ashamed to be seen there!!

Yet another shooting ......

This time a woman in Scottsdale was shot by her ex-boyfriend.

I wonder if he was seething after the repo man towed his Porsche away?

This is getting boring. Same old news every day in Scottsdale. A shooting here, an armed robbery there, a wacko group of anti-business citizens petitioning progress somewhere else.

Yawn.

What are Scottsdale realtors telling you?

About once a month or so, we hit open houses just to see how much prices have come down from the previous month. In talking to the realtors, they agree with us that now is a bad time to buy and to wait at least another year.

(Why anyone would hold an open house just to tell people not to buy is beyond me, but I guess that's another discussion altogether.)

Has anyone had any contact with Scottsdale realtors or been to any open houses? I'm curious if they're being forced to start telling the truth like they are here in South OC, or if they're still spewing the same NAR lines of "Real estate always goes up!" "They're not making any more land!" "Scottsdale has pro athletes and year-round golf!"