The Observation Deck

McDonald's on Detroit and Hall was open and busy for breakfast this morning.

Opening ahead of schedule, everyone seemed happy to be back and work.

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One of the reasons I love big box chains is how they understand the community.


Hence this sign in Spanish.


Two lanes no waiting!

This McDonald's is more geared at Drive-Thru


Inside seating is sparse.


I know this is wrong, but I had to smile at the thought of offering a braille menu in writing at the drive-thru.


They could use a WARNING Pedestrian Sign. The distance from the second window to the sidewalk is short,
at because of the building crowding the walk, nearly invisible to children running home on the street.

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Two drive in lanes?
They must expect a rash of "Big Mac Attacks".

I'm old enough to remember when you had walk inside.
On the other hand, back then you didn't have to pump your own gas.

Michael Deneen wrote:Two drive in lanes?
They must expect a rash of "Big Mac Attacks".

I'm old enough to remember when you had walk inside.
On the other hand, back then you didn't have to pump your own gas.

Damn Mike you always make me feel real old.

I remember walking up to the window, outside. I don't think they glassed it in the first two years. Then you had
to walk through a billion midges twice a year!

OK who remembers when they went after Arby's with Roast Beef on a chain?

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City Hall reports that McDonald's has already had two minor collisions in its drive-thru lane.

Is anyone surprised?

I drove through the drive through today, not to order food, but to see how it worked before I formed an opinion.

IMO, the exit onto Woodward from the food pickup window is a hazard to pedestrians. The building obstructs your view of the sidewalk until the point at which the nose of your vehicle is already passing the plane of the sidewalk. If kids were running along, a car could not see them, nor stop in time to avoid hitting them. The car ahead of me narrowly avoided hitting an older woman.

It is a poorly designed exit. I don't care who designed it, they are an idiot.

Grace O'Malley wrote:I drove through the drive through today, not to order food, but to see how it worked before I formed an opinion.

IMO, the exit onto Woodward from the food pickup window is a hazard to pedestrians. The building obstructs your view of the sidewalk until the point at which the nose of your vehicle is already passing the plane of the sidewalk. If kids were running along, a car could not see them, nor stop in time to avoid hitting them. The car ahead of me narrowly avoided hitting an older woman.

It is a poorly designed exit. I don't care who designed it, they are an idiot.

Grace

It like so many other things have become a true hazard to residents and others.

No matter who designed it. Lakewood City Hall and our Building Department approved it, the ARB approved it,
and what we have is a death trap. Much like the nightmare on Warren and Madison. Instead of giving drivers
and pedestrians a fighting chance again and again we see both compromised by this near idiotic idea/plan that
we need to retain "our street car designed strip mall look." OK maybe strip mall look was my words, but many
times I have heard what used to be called Planning and Development now just Development "our unique
street car feel."

What amazes me is how does this, which isn't it true more important than safety? When did clean but
mediocre esthetics mean more than the life of a child? It was odd that McDonald's Drive-Thru was basically
added to the City Block watch release as an almost warning to residents.

Why does City Hall hate people, and residents?

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Jim O'Bryan wrote:Why does City Hall hate people, and residents?

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Which brings up the subject of the new traffic configuration at Mars and Detroit. Hundreds of people walked across the street at Mars and Detroit to get to the library. It's now against the law to do so. I thought the City might put up a pedestrian crossing like they did at Manor Park and Detroit and at City Hall but I guess that's out of the question. I guess you can get back in your car and drive to the library... "Lakewood, the driveable City!!"

I noticed that the sidewalk in front of the new McDonalds is only a couple of feet wide in some sections. Who approved that?

If you cant drive through a parking lot without being hit or cross the street without avoid getting hit by a car then I dont think McDonald's is the problem.

Wrong, Mark.

If you cannot walk down a SIDEWALK without being fearful that a car won't see you and hit you, then something is wrong and it's NOT the sidewalker's fault. If you exit a parking lot and it is designed such that you cannot see if anyone is walking on the sidewalk until you are ON that sidewalk, then something is wrong with the DESIGN of the parking lot exit.

Quit blaming the victims.

Grace O'Malley wrote:Wrong, Mark.

If you cannot walk down a SIDEWALK without being fearful that a car won't see you and hit you, then something is wrong and it's NOT the sidewalker's fault. If you exit a parking lot and it is designed such that you cannot see if anyone is walking on the sidewalk until you are ON that sidewalk, then something is wrong with the DESIGN of the parking lot exit.

Quit blaming the victims.

Good point...that is why you take your time, look both ways, and pull out slow. Then you shouldnt hit anyone. Being alert helps in life. Being ignorant and thinking someone wont be there then pull out like a bat out of hell will not help.

Grace,

Have you actually driven out of McD's yet? I have multiple times (it is a problem I know ) There is plenty of clearance for people to see any potential walkers and the windows are there that you can see them coming as well.

I do think signs should be put in place warning the drivers and walkers just to be on the safe side.

Ryan

I will stop by there tonight, pick up a heart attack, and see what its like to leave. Maybe it is insane....couldnt be any worse then the Marc's parking lot.

I haven't kept on track with the evolution of the new McDonalds from the controversy of the old theater to now. I came across this, pretty cool how this McMansion is a McMansion: http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=5458

Art

Nice link, but that does not apply here.

There they had a mayor and city council that actually had a plan and cared about residents and their neighborhoods.

Here in Lakewood, we are not that lucky.

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