Dundrum Town Centre ?

Re: parking?

Free parking at work should be treated as a benefit in kind in my opinion.
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...provided that there are decent public transport options avaialable imho.

And Dundrum would count as one of those places which is pretty accessible.
 
Re: parking?

provided that there are decent public transport options avaialable imho.
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What's the betting that most people would judge that their own work location falls just under the threshold of 'decent public transport'?
 
Re: parking?

I know, I know, it's a contentious issue - but something that, if there was really a will, could probably be quantified in a reasonable way. How about destination accessible in less than 1.5 x time it would take in a car with moderate traffic as a starting point? Of course then you'd have people with disabilities who'd need exemptions and it'd all get very contentioius in the end so we'll all just keep on clogging up the roads in the meantime. Anyway, think we're moving into a whole different area now, back to Dundrum Town Centre - I'm considering writing to Tesco to ask why they insist on a 30 euro spend before paying for parking. I understand the need to try and prevent the carparks being used by Luas commuters for free all day - but something like the way they operate in Tesco Rathmines might have been more suitable - you pay for parking but then hand the ticket stub to the cashier and that amount is taken off the total of your bill.
 
Free Parking

Have you ever come across any shopping centre where the majority of the parking was multi-story from the time the centre opened where the multi-story parking was free?
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Well since you opened up the discussion to anywhere in the world, Yes, I have been in a number of multi-storey car parks that were free. In the US, specifically one in Orlando, and one in Tampa. The vast majority of parking is outdoors, but in these two cases they were multi-storey car parks.

Incidently the spaces were about 50% wider so you could comfortably get in and out. Parking in Ireland is getting more and more difficult as they try to cram cars into every available square inch, and as people opt for bigger and bigger vehicles.

I was recently considering a Public transport trip to Dundrum, kill two birds with one stone and have my first Luas journey and my first trip to the new shopping center.

When I realised that the Luas nearest my house doesn't go anywhere near the Luas for Dundrum, I thought "why bother", and I hopped in my car and had a very enjoyable day (I didn't go to Dundrum as it happens).
Had the lines intersected like in every other major city in the world I would had used the Luas.

Keep talking about your multi-hop public transport routes, and your sacrafices to avoid single occupancy car trips. Your sacrafice just makes my car journey that little bit quicker. And even when I'm stuck in traffic, I have the satisfaction of knowing I'm warm and dry and I've got the Radio to keep me company.

Thank you.

-Rd
 
Re: Free Parking

Lol...well done to daltonr for hitting the nail on the head regarding people's views on using their car.
 
Re: Free Parking

Yes, I have been in a number of multi-storey car parks that were free. In the US, specifically one in Orlando, and one in Tampa.
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OK, so if you really want to play the 'What did the Romans ever do for us' game, I'll join in & clarify my question again to read;

Have you ever come across any shopping centre in Ireland where the majority of the parking was multi-story from the time the centre opened where the multi-story parking was free?

And even when I'm stuck in traffic, I have the satisfaction of knowing I'm warm and dry and I've got the Radio to keep me company.
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You don't know what you're missing. I have my radio courtesy of my Nokia mobile phone, and I was so warm on my walk into work this morning that I left my jacket in the office and walked home in the beautiful sun wearing just a sweatshirt. [Given the amount of petty nitpicking on this thread, I'll clarify that I wasn't wearing just a sweatshirt, but I think you know what I mean]. My only complaint today was that I didn't have my sunglasses with me to keep the glare down, but that is easily rectified. If the unintended side effect speeds up your journey, that that's just fine & dandy. But the real purposes are to get me into work quicker than the car journey, to keep my weight down by fitting exercise into my daily activity (and not require late evening or early morning trips to the gym).
 
Re: Free Parking

and walked home in the beautiful sun wearing just a sweatshirt
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Rainyday

You weren't arrested for indecency?
 
Re: Free Parking

Did you not read the disclaimer?

[Given the amount of petty nitpicking on this thread, I'll clarify that I wasn't wearing just a sweatshirt, but I think you know what I mean].
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Re: Free Parking

This is the letting off steam section. I didn't think it necessarily had to make sense.
 
Re: Free Parking

God forbid I should choose to be flippant in the wrong arena. I'll contain myself in future.
 
Re: Free Parking

I was so warm on my walk into work this morning that I left my jacket in the office and walked home in the beautiful sun wearing just a sweatshirt.
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Well done Rainday you use the one sunny day of the year to encapsulate your typical commute to work. If a financial institution was so selective in describing it's products you'd be on them like a ton of bricks.

Incidently when I mentioned Orlando and Tampa I was simply answering the question that you posted....

Have you ever seen any multi-story car-park anywhere in the world that was free of charge?
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For the sake of comparison with Dublin Let me describe very
a Saturday in a country where annual road tax is $40.

Left Hotel at 8.30 drove about 25 miles to the first shop I needed to visit, was there at 9.00 parked outside the door (free)
Spent about an hour chatting to the guy in the shop, got in the car drove on to a huge shopping Mall parked (free) with no difficulty in finding parking,
Spend a couple of hours there, drove on to another shop about 20 miles away made it in about 25 mins.
Parked outside the door (free) spent about 30 mins chatting to the very friendly staff, went to another mall, parked (free) with no trouble finding space.
Had Dinner (very nice and very cheap).
Drove on to another shop, parked (free) outside the door.

You get the picture.

In total I visted 3 shopping Malls, and about 4 or 5 individual stores. At no time did I pay for parking. At no time did I get stuck in traffic.

They can provide that kind of road network and parking facilities charging $40 road tax per year, with low tax on fuel and $400 VRT.

A Crysler Crossfire costs about EUR65,000 in Ireland (As far as I know), you would be on the road in the states in the Same car for less than EUR18000

They also have a strange idea over there that the speed limit should have some relevance to the road.

In residential areas you have a 25mph limit, which people seem to obey. There were roadworks on some of the Freeway's etc, but they didn't slap on a ridiculous 37mph limit as we did in Naas. They simply double the penalty if you speed while work is being carried out.

By and large the speed limits seemed to be reasonably well observed, with those speeding standing out rather than being the norm.

Of course the difference is that most cities in the States were Planned and didn't evolve from medieval towns and villages with narrow streets etc.

But on the outskirts of Dublin there are cities that were basically built. Firhouse was essentially built in the last 10 years. And yet it's notoriously bad for traffic. The M50 was built in the last 20 years, Tallaght was built, the vast housing sprawl at Lucan was buillt. There doesn't appear to be any thought for design. We just accept that cities in Ireland can't be controlled or designed, even though the evidence from around the world is to the contrary.

Dublin's public transport, traffic congestion and bland housing sprawl are just the outword symptoms of the cancer of corruption that built Dublin.

-Rd
 
Re: Free Parking

So the obvious question is - why are you still here?
 
Re: Free Parking

So the obvious question is - why are you still here?
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Because as you well know you can't up and emigrate overnight. But I'm working on it. I'll be there for another couple of weeks from Saturday.

Don't worry, it may take a while but I'll get there, and when I do you're welcome to visit my EUR150,000 house and lounge in my Swimming Pool. I'll even pick you up at the airport in my EUR18,000 Ford Mustang. I won't even ask you to chip in
towards the EUR30 per year road tax.

Oh! and don't forget those sunglasses you mentioned.

-Rd
 
re

Hi Rd
Some points for you to consider
You're not comparing like with like there, regarding time to get around etc, the way Dublin has devloped so fast in recent years has to be taken into consideration also you won't get around say LA, San Fran, NY, Chicago as fast as that either.
Do you think you'll have as good a quality of life alone in your mansion with the mustang. I would bet not, which is why I choose to live here after spending many years in the US. There is an emptyness to life in suburban USA, that will eat at your soul after a while. Of course you've got vibrant interesting places there also, but you'll have traffic also.
I'm not saying life is perfect here, far from it, but on the whole, you can do alot worse.

Oh and don't forget you could be paying $600 / month on property taxes and other local costs associated with that house. As for health insurance; that'll be another $500 / month please. Granted you get a better service, but you'll be paying for it. Starting to sound less appealing......is damn well is!
 
Re: re

You're not comparing like with like there
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Yes I am, I'm considering two places where I could live.

the way Dublin has devloped so fast in recent years has to be taken into consideration
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Why should that be taken into account? Dublin is what it is, and other cities are what they are. Why should I put up with This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language in Dublin and excuse it? If other cities can grow logically in a well planned way, the bye bye Dublin.

also you won't get around say LA, San Fran, NY, Chicago as fast as that either.
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I'm not talking about any of those cities, but since you mention it I have gotten around NYC a lot more easily than Dublin. In fact if I lived in NYC I wouldn't even own a car.

Do you think you'll have as good a quality of life alone in your mansion with the mustang.
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1. Who said anything about being alone?
2. Yes the quality of live that I've experieced is significantly
better that the quality of live in Ireland, Dublin in
particular.

There is an emptyness to life in suburban USA, that will eat at your soul after a while.
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I find my time and my life far more full in the US. The emtiness of Ireland is what has worn me down.

Of course you've got vibrant interesting places there also, but you'll have traffic also.
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Yes, I've spent time in Parts of the States that I didn't like, I certainly wouldn't like to Live too far North, and from what I gather LA can be hell, I haven't visited. But I'm happy with the part of America I've been visiting over the past couple of months.

I'm not saying life is perfect here, far from it, but on the whole, you can do alot worse.
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Of course you can do worse if you really look, but the point here is that I've found somewhere significantly better. (In My Opinion).

Oh and don't forget you could be paying $600 / month on property taxes and other local costs associated with that house.
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And No State Income Tax, only Federal Tax which is significantly less than income tax here. And with Ireland moving towars more and more regressive indirect taxes that $600 per month starts to look like a good deal. At least they damn well deliver the services you're paying for. Unlike here.

Bottom line is value for money for me. Take the quality of life and the cost of living and compare them. Ireland comes off very very poorly.

As for health insurance; that'll be another $500 / month please. Granted you get a better service,
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Trust me on this. When weighing up the pros and cons of Ireland, The Health System should not be put in the Pro column.

but you'll be paying for it. Starting to sound less appealing......is damn well is!
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No it's not sounding less appealing. I am certainly not saying the American way of running a country is perfect.
But When you put aside all the theoretical nonsence about administrations and democracy, and taxation/welfare policies etc, etc, etc. And just look at life as a citizen, I don't think we get value for our Tax spend in Ireland.

Maybe education, healthcare etc will cost more in the States, but at least I'll have the cash in my pocket to pay for it.

Maybe I'm to my horror becomming a Republican (in the US sense of the word) but having lived in a country that takes our money in taxes and doesn't provide the services in return, I'm a little more open to the idea of letting people keep their money and fend for themselves.

Anyway who knows how it will all pan out. It's a complicated matter, lives are tricky things to uproot even when you want to. I don't know if the States will happen. I am 100% determined to leave Ireland for somewhere as soon as possible.

When I get there I'll let you know how it works out.
-Rd
 
living abroad

quote: I don't think we get value for our Tax spend in Ireland.

I have to agree with daltonr. I too have the same problems with Dublin/Ireland. I live in switzerland which is notoriously expensive however I feel I really get value for my taxes paid. The train and public transport system (no need for car), education (even as a foreigner I attend school here at night heavily subsidized by the government), and renting/buying property, facilities for people with babies or the handicap are excellent. Health insurance is expensive here but it works and therefore Im happy to pay it and I pay 18% tax.

Ive never had that feeling in ireland.

As an Irish person, when I was living in ireland and I heard people go on like myself and daltonr my attitude was "well why dont you just pack your bags and go", similiar to rainydays response above...but now I think that was/is our mistake as irish people accepting that that was all we were getting for our taxes.

Anyway, have a safe move daltonr, and yes...LA is terrible.

Cas.
 
Re: living abroad

I've hear good things about Switzerland and also Sweden, never had the pleasure of visiting.

On the issue of lack of value for money. Even if a Party like Fianna Fail or Labour or Fine Gael now offered to improve services in return for a Tax increase, I wouldn't believe them.

I'd assume (probably correctly) that we'd get the higher taxes but the services wouldn't follow, because that has been the track record.

Sometimes past performance is a guide to future performance.

-Rd
 
Re: Free Parking

I guess we just have different priorities. When I think of quality of life issues, none of them have EUR symbols in front of them. I'd worry more about living in a country where this kind of thing happens on a worryingly regular basis than whether my house has a pool or not.

Hope you find happiness over there....
 
Re: Free Parking

As an Irish person, when I was living in ireland and I heard people go on like myself and daltonr my attitude was "well why dont you just pack your bags and go", similiar to rainydays response above...but now I think that was/is our mistake as irish people accepting that that was all we were getting for our taxes.

Who says that those of us who don't moan but stay here don't do our bit in an attempt to change things?
 
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