GrandLakes

No hostility here. Like a previoius posted said above - you are making an apples to oranges comparison here. Comparing a "car-to-car" accident or even an "18 wheeler to car" accident to a "bike to car" one is not fair.

To clairify my position above - I don't think all bikers are idiots. I have very good friends that ride on the roads around town. The bikers that ride down a jam-packed road like Fry during rush hour are just asking for it. That's all.

N Judah - I (like most people, I hope,) care for the well-being of the cyclists. While the law protects the riders and we can all try to get used to them the law does not protect the riders from people accidentally hitting them.

memebag - are you saying that riding bike down Fry road is safe during rush hour? What is safer - being in a car or on a bike?

By that logic, why would anyone drive anything smaller than Mack truck?

Seriously? You must lack common sense. Drivers do not expect cyclist to be on the roadways. While laws are in place to "compensate for the laws of phyics" unfortunately people do not follow the laws all of the time. That is why people are killed every single days on roads across our country. If every single person followed every single law then we wouldn't need police, would we?

I am willing to bet that a family sedan hitting a cyclist is going to do a lot more damage to the cyclist than the car. While the cyclist might have had the "legal" right to be there, who had the last word? The car. Are you willing to bet otherwise? Accidents happen.

This is where the common sense that you lack comes into play. It is just not safe for someone to be on a bike on a road like Fry Road during rush hour.

Maybe I should alter your perception of my perception. I was wrong in stating that these cyclists tick me off - because in fact they really don't. When I pass a cyclist on a road like Fry during rush hour I think to myself, "Look at that idiot, he must have a death wish."

Isn't a road like Westheimer Parkway safer for you? It has nice wide shoulders that you can ride on to stay out of the main traffic flow?

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In other news - isn't it nice to see the "Katy" section of this website active again? It isn't usually very active - I enjoy it!

Cheers.

But the bicyclists own the road just as much as the automobilists. There is no special privilege given to cars. It sounds like your frustration is based in a misunderstanding of Texas law.

The laws of physics give special privilege to cars. Your assessment of my frustration is wrong. If the laws do indeed give bikes the same "ownership" of the road that cars have then my frustration is with the laws.

Again - I am not a crazy driver that does anything stupid or disrespectful to bikers. I wouldn't want anything done to me - so I play nice, slow down, and give them plenty of room when passing.

There are fair amount of aholes on bikes but a profane word, etc I understand but be so enraged or just find so much fun in trying to take someone out or make it seem like you will run them over just escapes me. My wife is not a bike rider and she doesn't want me out on the main roads on my bike anymore strickly based on how she sees cars react to the bikes on Fry coming home from there jobs.

All of the "law" and "cyclist rights" stuff aside - for the life of me I can't understand why someone would ride a bike down Fry Road during rush hour. While it might be your right and the law says you can be there - it just seems incredibly dangerous. People drive crazy. All it takes is for one car to come up behind you real fast and then change lanes quickly to go around you. The second car that was tailgating the first car doesn't realize that the first car is passing a biker and slams into you. It can happen so fast. If that is your time to ride it seems like there could be safer roads to ride on in the Katy area.

Just my opinion.

Minute Maid's new building will be opening very soon - they will move into that building and start working from there as of February 16th.

You act as though all of us cyclists do not own cars. We pay registration, we buy gas. And frankly, we did not ask for all those bike lanes. We are actually following state law by riding in the middle of the road. And insurance? Have you had a recurring problem with cyclists running into your car? Unlike many of the motorists I encounter driving around Houston, cyclists actually try to avoid running into things. Next time a cyclist runs into you, be sure to let us know.

I am curious why you are on those backroads between Katy and Navasota. Nice scenery? Less traffic? Yeah, that's why we're there, too.

I am not the least bit irritated at cars. Most every cyclist I know owns one or more of them. We are not hypocrites. Just as I pointed out to the other road ragers, the best way to get the cyclists off of "your" road is to support the building of more bike lanes, paths and trails. That way, you can then demand that the state change the law that puts us on "your" road in the first place.

Note: Left untouched is the issue of why the momentary slowing to pass a cyclist provokes such rage in motorists in the first place. Self-conciousness at one's own lack of a healthy lifestyle? Living in the suburbs is not the bucolic and stress free living that it is advertised to be? Recently quit smoking? It must be something, because waiting to pass a cyclist is only a momentary delay. I know. As a motorist as well, I do it often, sans the rage. The outrage expressed here is completely out of scale to the time waiting on a cyclist. A stoplight takes longer.

To answer your questions - no, I haven't had a recurring problem with cyclists running into my car. Nor have I had a recurring problem with other motorists running into my car or me running my car into other things. I still am legally required to carry insurance. Why am I on the backroads? It is the route to College Station that I take from Katy.

I understand that building bike lanes out in the middle of nowhere isn't feasable. I am not calling the road "my road". My frustration is directed towards the groups of bikers (wheather that group is two people or ten) that feel they own the road / lane they are cycling in. I would say the majority of bikers I come across make a point to stay out of the way - most likely out of courtesy and fear for their lives. As a driver, I make a point to not run up real fast behind them. I make a point to give them as much room as possible when passing them as I would want the same treatment if I were on a bike. I don't lash out in frustration towards these bikers by cutting them off or anything stupid like that.

So you say that riding in the middle of the lane is state law, huh? I wasn't aware of that. I would guess that most drivers aren't aware of that. We all know legal or not, if a car hits a biker the car is going to win. It might be an accident - and there are also people out there crazy enough for it not to be an accident.

To your attempt at assessing why a driver might get frustrated towards the cyclists - you are off on all counts.

I just thought I would add in my opinion to the mix...

The bikers on the two lane road with no shoulders really tick me off too. You want bike lanes? Start registering the bikes with the state just like we are all required to do for our motor vehicles. Pay for that registration that will help fund these bike lanes. I think you should also have to carry liability insurance on your bike in case you slam into my car and damage it or you hit me while I am walking down the street. You should also be required to have safety inspections of your bike at least once a year.

I am not against all of the bikes on the road. It just irritates me to no end when there is a group of bikers on a two lane road with no shoulder. It has happened to me on the backroads between Katy and Navasota. They will block an entire lane of a two lane road that has a speed limit of 60 MPH. Your only option is to pass them by moving over into oncoming traffic. If there are cars coming at you you have to slow down until it is safe to pass.

Most of us are at least aware enough to notice you on the road. You get so irritated at cars - yet who is going to win when a driver doesn't notice you and barrels through your group at 60 MPH? Or, when someone is coming at you in the oncoming traffic and is passing a car in your lane - and hits you head on?? It just seems that there are better, safer places for folks to ride.

59 diner has great shakes! Are there any other locations besides the one on the Katy Freeway around Gessner? I agree - it is better to have something in the spot instead of it wasting away.

Atami is a hibachi grill in Katy. It is a great place and I highly recommend it - it is very comparable to Benni Hana (sp?). They are located on South Mason Road in the Kroger shopping center - right around Mason and Kingsland area. Here is their website:

http://www.atamisteakandsushi.com/top.htm

They have a hibachi grill but you can also order sushi. It is great...go for it!

That place is in the Cypress area I think...rumor has it that it is ghetto - old, run down, and generally not a good crowd. Again, this is rumor - I have never been there.

I don't have a suggestion for a plumber but do have a question - where in the house is the hot water heater located? They are fairly easy to change out yourself. I am guessing that it is in your attic - just drain the old one (hook a water hose up to it), then unhook it and set it aside. Bring the new one up, hook it up, and you are done. The challange is getting the new one up there. $1,600 seems excessive.

Sure - some of that goes to your management company. I think having a company / HOA raises property values - I would be leery of any neighborhood that didn't have some sort of formal, structured program set up. A lot of that money probably also goes to utilities (street lights), insurance, taxes, etc. There are no parks, play areas, anything like that requiring maintenance?

Grand Lakes History:

$865

$995

$1060

$1090 this year.

There are only 3,000 households in Grand Lakes. They tell us that compared to Cinco Ranch we have way more amenities per household. Cinco has something like 10,000 houses.

I'll answer my own question - I have heard that there is a Holiday Inn Express going in on this corner between / behind the two restaurants.

That hotel has a ways to go - the big building is not actually 35 floors. I think it is 33 or 34 and that includes the crown. The actual "building" part is aroune 27 - 28 floors - meaning the hotel has a ways to go.

Oh yeah and I will add that the shelves were not as high so you could see more of the store. The electronics section was against the back wall and looked pretty big...

I, too, went in there after work. There were a couple of observations that I made:

1. Signage is different and there is more of it. All of the aisles have these small signs hanging over the products telling you which products are on that aisle.

2. The store is bright and clean (it is new, I know). The floors were stained concrete and wood (or laminate). Most wal-marts have that white tile type flooring.

3. The aisles were wider. And there were not any of those displays on palletes sitting in the middle of them.

4. The homegoods section felt like a Target. It was very nice.

5. The layout was very different - you just have to go to get the feel of it.

6. The pharamcy was on the grocery side of the store (usually on the "other" side in older stores). Also, it had a drive-through pharmacy which was interesting because the actual pharmacy was towards the middle of the store (not against an exterior wall). I guess the send the meds to you through a tube from the middle of the store. It also looked like the drivethrough had some sort of screens - maybe so you could see the person that you were talking to?

7. There was not an automotive service department. It looks like they have some bays in the back that might be used for that in the future but right now you can't get your oil changes, batteries, tires, etc. there.

Overall I like it. I just hope the aisles stay de-cluttered like they are now and that they keep the store shining.

Xpert Hair Care in the CiCi's parking lot on Mason Road. $8.95 for a mens haircut. I have been going there for probably 15 years. When you walk in there are two ladies directly in front of you - avoid them. The other five or so on the left side of the divider (you'll see what I am talking about) are good. Need names? Peter, Connie, Maria, Ning, and Mira. Peter is the most popular but the others are good too. Avoid Jenny...

It is Cheddars - 100% for sure. My dad stopped by there a few days ago and looked at the construction permits on the trailer and they say Cheddar's on them. Now - there is something else under construction between the Cheddar's and BBQ place - kind of between and behind them. Any idea what THAT is?

Most folks don't consider Katy Mills to be a real mall because it has more of an outlet mall feel to it. Regarding the talk of a mall in Katy for a long time...my parents moved to Katy in 1979 and there were signs up for a mall to go in on the North side of I-10 between Mason and Grand Parkway. It never happened.

Five years ago there were A LOT of places in Katy that were fields that are fully developed today. So does this construction from Franz to 290 also include continuing the mainlane portion of the GP from just South of I-10 all the way up to Franz road? I know that the I-10 part over the GP feeder was constructed to incorporate the GP mainlanes to fly over it. I hope so...this would really help out with traffic at that intersection now - and a GP northbound to I-10 EB flyover bridge would be nice too.

Has anyone noticed when traveling east bound on the I-10 feeder that there are sections of the "permant" barricade on the EB mainlanes that are not there and only temporary ones are there? It is almost as if they planned for future flyover ramps or future on-ramps to the freeway.

Maybe we will get something like the galleria was blessed with - Zone D' Erotica - with a huge, obnoxious sign advertising its presence.

What is bringing you here? If I remember correctly you slammed Katy a while back!

Just giving you a hard time.

Half a tank of gas to search for a place to eat?? That would be an expensive meal!

We closed on a new home two years ago in Grand Lakes with no representation whatsoever - no real estate agent, attorney, etc. Everything went fine.

Good luck!