[KevinFromTexas]

Wow.

From the Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/24/0824kelso.html

COMMENTARY: JOHN KELSO

Got a new truck? In Frisco, it's an eyesore

By John Kelso
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Sunday, August 24, 2008

If you conducted a search to find the most elevated nostrils in Texas, the 'burb of Frisco, north of Dallas, would be hard to beat.

A snooty gated community up there called Stonebriar Village has a rule that prohibits parking a darned near brand-new Ford pickup in your driveway. On the other hand, more prestigious brand trucks like Lincolns are allowed.

We're not talking about a Ford pickup with fuzzy dice and Elmer Fudd mud flaps. We're talking about a black 2007 Ford F-150.

"I've got it finished out with some additional chrome and such," said Jim Greenwood, who paid nearly $30,000 for the truck, which has a dealer-installed metal bed cover painted to match the rest of the truck. The offending truck has about 25,000 miles on it.

Greenwood says he's gotten three notices from his homeowners' association telling him to get the truck out of the driveway or face a $50 fine per event — each time he leaves it in the driveway overnight.

"I really tried to handle this in a quiet, professional manner," said Greenwood, who wrote to the board asking if he could get an exception to the rule because his truck isn't anywhere near eyesore quality.

"That's when one of the board members told my wife that if we didn't like it, we could move," Greenwood said.

What's outrageous about this is that Greenwood says the homeowners association rules allow swankier luxury brands of trucks — such as the Lincoln Mark LT — to be parked in driveways.

"It happens to come off the same assembly line in Dearborn, Mich., as the Ford F-150," Greenwood said.

When Greenwood explained to the board during a July meeting that his truck and the Lincoln Mark LT were basically the same vehicle, he said a board member told him that "Lincoln markets to a different class of people."

Yeah. Snobs, in this case.

Greenwood bought the Ford truck for safety reasons. "Our oldest child turned 16, and we needed a third vehicle, so we opted for something safe so he would be up high," he said. "We're doing the right thing now. We're parking it in the garage."

I wouldn't call that doing the right thing. Greenwood should stick it to these snoots. After all, this is Texas. If you can't park a new pickup in your driveway in the Lone Star State, what's next? A ban on high school football, deer season and chicken-fried steak?

Greenwood says people have come up with some protest suggestions. "One is to have one of the many talk shows come out and broadcast from our driveway, and invite all of our friends over for a pancake breakfast," he said. "Everybody likes pancakes."

That's a start, but under the circumstances I think he should also put on a wet T-shirt contest.

[BTinSF]

Oh thank G*d! I thought you were calling my hometown the horrid "F" word. ;)

My non-gated subdivision in AZ had a "no-trucks-in-driveways" rule left over from when most of the houses were built around 1980 but we recently got rid of it now that every retired professional runs out and buys a loaded pickup to haul mulch from Home Depot. Now we have a rule that only bans trucks with commercial signage on them (don't want any evidence that "tradespeople" live in the hood). :shrug:

[KevinFromTexas]

That's what I had thought at first too. lol I know that's a no no among San Franciscans.

[vid]

Frisco is the stupidest thing to call that city anyway, I'll be glad when it is wiped out.

This is just one more reason to not live in gated communities. They're like pockets of authoritarian regimes.

[BTinSF]

:previous: Not to hijack the thread but I'm told that "Fr____" usage is now popular with hip-hop artists so I doubt it will die. Still, for whitebread folks it is a mark of being from somewhere else (now another SF forumer is going to say they use it--that's inevitable).

Back to trucks. How can you be in Texas without a quota of those "Texas Truck" license plates?

[KevinFromTexas]

I don't think we have the "Texas truck" license plates anymore. I haven't noticed them, anyway.

[Echo Park]

These gated communities sound like hell holes.

[LMich]

Just to note, this stuff doesn't just happen in physically-gated communities, this stuff can and does happen wherever you find these private "neighborhood associations", which are about as good of euphemisms as you can find. There is little neighborly about neighborhood associations. And, it's not just a suburban phenomenon, tower co-ops and multi-family condo associations can be just as hellish.

[KevinFromTexas]

There's one neighborhood in Round Rock, which is Austin's biggest suburb. It's where Dell is based. There's a rule there that says that you can't park your truck in your driveway if it blocks the sidewalk. Now, this isn't like some guy had his trailer hooked up to his truck or parked his truck behind another car and was hanging out over the sidewalk all the way to the end of the driveway. These are just very, very short driveways that can't fit a truck that is much more than 18 feet long. Especially the larger 4 door trucks with extended beds. And nevermind things like boats or RVs. The other solution would be to park in the street. But again, in most places parking a trailer in the street that isn't hooked up to a car is illegal. Also some of those neighborhoods have such narrow streets that it can be an issue with firetrucks then because they can't get through the street because they're too narrow.

Then there's the rules about not being able to have a 10 inch satellite dish on your deck, or anywhere on your home. And I'm not talking about some concern about damaging a historically significant building. We're talking about just ordinary ugo suburban homes or apartment buildings.

[BTinSF]

I don't think we have the "Texas truck" license plates anymore.
If I lived there I'd demand their return. They were the coolest thing about Texas. ;)

[bobdreamz]

The city of Coral Gables, Florida which is a suburb 5 miles west of downtown Miami prohibits any kind of pick up trucks or service vehicles in driveways of personal residences. They must be garaged if you own one of these vehicles. This city also must approve all renovations to make sure they conform to city codes including what colors and type of roof tiles are allowed, what types of windows or hurricane shutters you can install (no plywood for boarding up), etc. It's like a citywide Homeowners Association! Anyways interesting article thanks for posting.

[JMancuso]

I don't think we have the "Texas truck" license plates anymore. I haven't noticed them, anyway.

yes, we still do.

this is why i'd risk living in a neighborhood where my next door neighbor can paint his house purple and park his dead dodge dart in the front yard than live in one of these places

[oldmanshirt]

I don't think we have the "Texas truck" license plates anymore. I haven't noticed them, anyway.

My parents both drive F150s and they both have the "Texas Truck" license plates. Hopefully when the new-style plates come out they'll still have that on there.

P.S. I hate Frisco TX, its a horrible place

[Paul in S.A TX]

The neighborhood is very nice, but, I was expecting something much more ritzy.


http://www.stonebriarvillageonlegacy.com/stonebriar/outside_home.asp

homes for sale.

http://listingsemail.wyldfyre.com/ViewReport/ViewReport.asp?RID=TlRSRUlTLDAyOTg1MDUsMTIxNzg1Nzc0NjQxMQ==

[staff]

What puzzles me is that people actually drive those pick-up trucks voluntarily. They're absolutely hideous.

[Paul in S.A TX]

What puzzles me is that people actually drive those pick-up trucks voluntarily. They're absolutely hideous.

Oh my god! Where is the rope! lol :rolleyes:

[staff]

Excuse me?

[sabino86]

Typical HOA crap...

[10023]

Oh thank G*d! I thought you were calling my hometown the horrid "F" word. ;)

I'm not from the area, but I've always found that less annoying than when people say "San Fran". But carry on...

[KevinFromTexas]

What puzzles me is that people actually drive those pick-up trucks voluntarily. They're absolutely hideous.

Well, a truck is a truck. If you really do need one, as in for work, maybe you're a contractor or own a lawn service, etc, they can be useful. But I doubt any of those people living there would actually ever fill the bed with rock or dirt and throw a wheel barrel in the back.

Also, if you're talking about the Lincoln pick ups, I totally agree. They are hideous.

yes, we still do.


I figured they're still around. My mom's van has the plate with the blue band across the top and the cowboy on horse back and space shuttle. I just haven't noticed the Texas truck one.

[Tony]

Well, a truck is a truck. If you really do need one, as in for work, maybe you're a contractor or own a lawn service, etc, they can be useful. But I doubt any of those people living there would actually ever fill the bed with rock or dirt and throw a wheel barrel in the back.

Reading the article, they bought the new truck for their stupid kid who apparently needs something "high up" to keep him safe from his crappy driving. That's right, protect your kid at the expense of the poor schmuck who he ends up hitting and killing.

[oldmanshirt]

I figured they're still around. My mom's van has the plate with the blue band across the top and the cowboy on horse back and space shuttle. I just haven't noticed the Texas truck one.

I think vans are registered as cars. I've even seen full-size Econolines with just the plain Texas plates, same as you see on cars, even though they're on a pickup chassis.

[JMancuso]

What puzzles me is that people actually drive those pick-up trucks voluntarily. They're absolutely hideous.

why not? i have a truck. not a big one but still a truck becuase i wanted one.


I figured they're still around. My mom's van has the plate with the blue band across the top and the cowboy on horse back and space shuttle. I just haven't noticed the Texas truck one.

some vans and SUV's are titled/ registered as "cars" and some are "trucks". why they differ, i have no idea.

[Rail Claimore]

why not? i have a truck. not a big one but still a truck becuase i wanted one.



some vans and SUV's are titled/ registered as "cars" and some are "trucks". why they differ, i have no idea.

It's probably because trucks have a different registration fee schedule. The registration fees for your typical sedan in many states is based on its market value. States that put trucks under a different system usually determine the amount based on carrying/towing capacity.

[BTinSF]

I doubt any of those people living there would actually ever fill the bed with rock or dirt and throw a wheel barrel in the back.


My brother-in-law has a Ford pickup and I have personally helped him haul pine bark mulch from Lowe's for his well-landscaped front lawn. Suburbanites have all sorts of uses for these things from furniture bought at garage sales to pool supplies and firewood.

[BTinSF]

some vans and SUV's are titled/ registered as "cars" and some are "trucks". why they differ, i have no idea.

There is a clear distinction between so-called "car-based" SUVs and "truck-based' ones. In practical terms, it depends on what's under the sheet metal. The Ford Explorer, for example, is pretty much an F-150 under the sheet metal I believe.

At bottom, the "truck-based" SUVs generally have a body bolted onto the frame whereas car-based ones have "unibody" construction with the body and frame welded as a single unit the way nearly all modern sedans are.

"Truck-based" SUVs are almost always the larger ones in a given maker's line and so in addition to the differences in the way they are made, they also get much less gas mileage.

[KevinFromTexas]

Reading the article, they bought the new truck for their stupid kid who apparently needs something "high up" to keep him safe from his crappy driving. That's right, protect your kid at the expense of the poor schmuck who he ends up hitting and killing.


It would appear that is the case here.

My brother-in-law has a Ford pickup and I have personally helped him haul pine bark mulch from Lowe's for his well-landscaped front lawn. Suburbanites have all sorts of uses for these things from furniture bought at garage sales to pool supplies and firewood.

My dad had an '81 Chevy Scottsdale short bed, 5 speed (I think) that he bought from a friend. He bought it and used it only for hauling stuff. He had a firewood business at the time. We'd go and gather firewood at construction sites. Then we'd split it, and sell it to Christmas tree lots. Before that we had an '83 Suburban that we did the same thing with, though a bit messier. Yep, we loaded the back end of it with firewood to the roof. Before that my dad had a Ford Courier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Courier) (same body type as shown here) that he used with his lawn service. That was a cool little truck. The Ford Courier was the first American compact pickup. It was the precursor to the Ranger.

[staff]

why not? i have a truck. not a big one but still a truck becuase i wanted one.

That doesn't make them less hideous (no offence mate). :)
That's of course my opinion.

[oldmanshirt]

^^^Don't lump in pickups with truly hideous and wasteful vehicles like Suburbans and Expeditions. From my experience living in TX and rural Oregon, most people who own pickups actually utilize their hauling and towing capacity on a frequent basis. My folks have been redoing their house for years and have used their trucks to haul paint, cement, flooring, you name it. My dad often tows a 15' trailer for the Boy Scouts.

Probably 95% of people who own full-size, pickup-based SUVs, on the other hand, never use them for anything that couldn't be accomplished by a much more efficient (though less trendy :rolleyes:) minivan or station wagon.

[JMancuso]

That doesn't make them less hideous (no offence mate). :)
That's of course my opinion.

yes, that is your opinion.

[KevinFromTexas]

Pickups really aren't that bad. And they certainly are better than an SUV. If I needed anything like an SUV, I'd just get a station wagon instead, or as my friend liked to call them "people haulers."

[alexjon]

Oh thank G*d! I thought you were calling my hometown the horrid "F" word. ;)

My grandmother sat me down one day and said, "There's a convention with people from San Francisco in town today. Do NOT call it 'Frisco'. It's 'San Francisco'. It would be like calling our town 'San Antone'. Don't you hate that? Yeah, so don't say 'Frisco'."

[urbanactivistTX]

LOL, there's nothing wrong with trucks, but to get one just b/c your teen is a bad driver is ridiculous... especially if you're gonna spend 30k. Get the kid a decent used car and spend about 3000 dollars. That way if he totals it, you can just get another crappy car, and pay the extra insurance.

In regards to Frisco, thank GAWD that I don't live there. Those people can stay in their neighborhood fortress, and leave the cities to those of us who like diversity.

[Saddle Man]

If the kid is a bad driver, you don't buy him a 2,000lb hunk of metal to endanger others. The parents should get him a bus pass, a chauffeur, or drive him around themselves.

[BTinSF]

Probably 95% of people who own full-size, pickup-based SUVs, on the other hand, never use them for anything that couldn't be accomplished by a much more efficient (though less trendy :rolleyes:) minivan or station wagon.

Well, there's something about owning a minivan that labels you as dowdy and boring, and station wagons didn't seem to exist for while though they are making a comeback (mostly in luxury car lines).

If I had a monster SUV it would make my kitty happy--she'd have much more room for her litter box and food/water bowls and toys when we travel. ;)

I hate to contemplete the cost in gas per pound of kitty-miles. :(

[Jon Dalton]

I don't know what's stupider, that or this:
"Our oldest child turned 16, and we needed a third vehicle, so we opted for something safe so he would be up high,"

[urbanactivistTX]

LOL... a bus pass? In FRISCO???? Puh-lease!!! You know that if they can't even allow dude to park his truck in the drive-way, them high-class heifers ain't gettin' on no bus!

[vid]

Frisco probably doesn't even have buses anyway. :rolleyes: They're too scared that immigrants will shop at the Wal-Mart.

[SuburbanNation]

Whats a "drive way?"

[pip]

My brother-in-law has a Ford pickup and I have personally helped him haul pine bark mulch from Lowe's for his well-landscaped front lawn. Suburbanites have all sorts of uses for these things from furniture bought at garage sales to pool supplies and firewood.

oh come on.

How often does a suburbanite really use their pickup for their real uses? Renting one would seem more economical.




LOL... a bus pass? In FRISCO???? Puh-lease!!! You know that if they can't even allow dude to park his truck in the drive-way, them high-class heifers ain't gettin' on no bus!
you know there is a reason why people pay to live in FRISCO. I also would be interested to see FRISCO's average income of transit riders compared to a whole of where you are from.

[dimondpark]

Another reason to hate HOAs.

Almost felt like I was reading The Onion.

Truck owners should then petition to have any large SUVs caught operating with less than 5 people inside charged with the same fine. I mean, it could interpreted by outsiders that residents of Frisco(I hate the sound of that, sounds like someone scratching a chalkboard...somebody make it stop:D ) are gluttonous.

[SFView]

Sorry folks, being from San Francisco I just had to find out why the name "Frisco" in Texas?

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisco,_Texas:
In 1904, the residents chose Frisco City in honor of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway on which the town was founded, later shortened to its present name.

[pip]

haha I should have read the whole thread. I thought Frisco was short for San Francisco and then that makes my previous post stupid.

[Jasonhouse]

I added the state to the thread title to eliminate any local bias confusing people.


btw... If anything should be banned, it is trucks the Lincoln referred to in the article.