Saw this question posted in another city sub, and thought it elicited some cool tips.
What’s a Dallas “life hack” everybody living here should know?
DiscussionAdding on to this:
Even if you're on a one-way street, look both ways.
If you're on a three lane road approaching any cross streets prepare for the car in the center lane to either go left/right onto that cross street.
Also if there are two turn lanes assume both are going to try to go straight and adjust accordingly.
In the same kind of intersection: if you are going straight in the straight OR TURN lane assume the person in the far right thinks they are in the turn lane and are about to turn directly into you.
Over the last 25 years hubs and I have seen and been hit by people making some crazy decisions involving left turns
Probably my biggest pet peeve when driving. Apparently “closest available lane” was never taught here. I’ve never seen anything like it. 9/10 turns (left or right) here are unnecessarily wide.
Police do it too, yet wide right turns are technically illegal and a $380 ticket 🤷♂️
This is a huge one for me. Few things are more annoying than sitting behind someone wanting to turn onto a multi-lane street and needing ALL lanes clear before they proceed, never mind there is no traffic in the lane they are supposed to turn into. On the flip side are the drivers that freak out and honk at you when you turn into that nearest lane, and they are in the adjacent one.
It is possible you’ve been behind me when I’m trying to turn right onto a busy multi-lane road, wondering why I haven’t turned even though the nearest lane is clear (and if so, my apologies). So many times, I’ve found when I pull into a clear right lane of traffic, some schmuck in the middle, or even far left lane will suddenly decide to pull over to the far right lane, apparently having never heard of turn signals. I have been nearly hit this way so many times! So I try to wait until at least the right and middle lane lanes are relatively clear, then get up to speed as quickly as possible.
There are no good solutions here unfortunately. I promise I try not to impede the flow of traffic more than necessary!
you’re nice, so you apologize. but i’m not nice and i don’t apologize for being overly cautious during a moment that has proven far too disastrous for myself and people i know. i know ill make the turn, but the multitude of people who switch lanes in the middle of the intersection without using their signals will cause me to wait in that situation.
As one of those drivers who honks when someone turns next to me, it’s because I’m used to seeing these ridiculous wide turns.
IOW, honking is a last-ditch attempt to make sure I don’t get sideswiped bc lord knows there’s a good chance I’m getting hit and run on if that happens.
My move is always to get in the far outside turn lane to “corral” the driver in the lane next to me who will inevitably think my lane is theirs for no reason. Take the turn in their blind spot and always be prepared to use your horn 🤠
One of the first things I remember learning about basic driving skills is that right when it turns green just means it’s now legal to enter the intersection, not that it’s safe.
That and never trust a blinker. Wait til that car is actually right turning before pulling out.
Only if you want a new car
If you want to pay for your new car, cause odds are the guy or gal blowing through the red isn’t sticking around to swap insurance info.
If Dallas taught me anything it’s that there’s virtually 0 consequences for a hit and run
Yeah my car got totaled while it was fucking parked... the runner even left their bumper with the license plate still on it, but the cops didn't do shit since my insurance covered it.
It's almost like they don't want to fill out their own paperwork lol.
User deleted comment
1mo
Ain't that the damn truth! We've been living over near Walnut Hill & 75 for a few years and we've been involved in TWO hit and run accidents. Thankfully no injuries, but holy shit has it gotten bad. Don't get me wrong, things weren't amazing 10 years ago either, but it didn't used to be like this.
Facts look both ways before you cross the street is not just for pedestrians. I see so many close calls each day it’s bewildering
Live in far west Dallas.(Fort Worth)
And get a dash cam!
This saved me from a T-bone 2 hours ago. My light was green for at least a second when someone blew through their red light. Good thing I have the idea of looking both ways before going on green engrained in my mind. The person even waved as they went by so they obviously knew how egregious it was
God damn, this, so fucking hard. My fam call it the 10 second delay. We wait and watch two, three sometimes four cars blowing through an intersection after it turns red.
Cyclist here (sorry). Had the right of way and a long green light. Driver never even looked up. Luckily my buddy stopped me from becoming road kill that day and I significantly reduced the time I spent on roads afterwards. Currently I have a cycling buddy in the hospital that was run over by a distracted driver, likely he isn’t going to be ridding, must less walking anytime soon.
Especially in Deep Ellum/surrounding areas. People run reds like theyre getting paid to.
Look both ways, but don't take 10 seconds and fuck over the people behind you.
Get a work from home job and never drive.
FR my wife WFH and complains about not seeing people every day. I keep telling her it’s absolutely not worth the chaos of commuting here
Tell her she's living the dream!
I had a job that advertised as Hybrid, the pay was better than the previous job so I agreed to it.
Found out "Hybrid" was every other Friday with the "possibility" of more days after a few months.
Bet your ass I was out of there ASAP.
It was a 25 minute commute "in" and like a 35-40 commute "out", which I can tolerate a day or two a week, but not every day.
My partner has been WFH since March 2020, every time they go out in the world they are like "People driving crazy today!" not realizing that's just life now. :sadface:
Cries in medical field job 😞
I want as many people possible WFH so all you people who have to actually go into work have fewer cars on the road.
It is my dream to have Dallas be like late March-May 2020 traffic wise.
I remember feeling so uncomfortable with the freeway that empty, but then realized how magical it was lol
That time period on the road felt like a parallel universe.
I still dream of the empty Woodall Rodgers I drove on in April 2020 🥹
Getting those HOURS a day back really have helped my mental health. Not to mention the other benefits of never having to go into the office/put on pants.
Getting those HOURS a day
Whenever I was on the job hunt and 100% looking for Fully Remote or (close) two days in office hybrid I always told the recruiters "Look, I'm, taking classes to get another degree in my field, do you know how much studying time 1-2 hours a day is where I don't have to commute?"
Had to cover my ass from "Oh you don't want to be in an office, lazy!" accusations, lol.
As someone who works from home and lives in a walkable neighborhood. I keep going the traffic isn’t THAT bad. Then there is that one day every so often I leave my neighborhood and have to use my car during peak traffic hours and I’m just sitting there going what the hell. I feel bad for those that have to be somewhere by a certain time in this city on a regular basis. Most of my driving is done after 8pm or just on weekends
Changed apartment based on circumstances out of my control and now my commute went from 7 mins to 45 mins and I feel like I’m dying everyday.
After a giant rock fell off a work truck and destroyed my windshield, I started looking for remote jobs hahahaha
Run errands while the cowboys are playing. Like you can have Northpark almost all to yourself & you won't be setting yourself up for disappointment.
Note: this only applies until early January when the Cowboys season ends
Hey now, sometimes the season ends in December.
Oof
Fuck you, but you are right 😢
I went to Whole Foods once on a Sunday afternoon and thought I walked into the twilight zone. Literally no one there expect for older white women and Indian folks. Was kind of alarming in a funny way.
Turns out there was a Cowboys playoff game.
Yep, in season we do our weekly grocery runs in the middle of the first quarter.
But that’s when the Cowboys still have hope!
But NEVER go to the grocery store in the 6 hours leading up to game time.
We went to the state fair on a Sunday before a noon kickoff and it was a ghost town. No wait at all for a fletchers corny dog
If you put a paper plate on your Altima, you are now exempt from all traffic laws.
Cops hate this one simple trick!
And people say Houston and Dallas dont have anything in common
Dixie or Solo? What works better?
I call them paper plate pendejos
If you go to the AAC for a Stars or Mavs game, park at a DART station such as Mockingbird Station and ride the train in. Parking is free, DART ticket is cheap and the DART train drops off/picks up right at the stadium.
If you're going anywhere walking distance from the actual rail lines, ALWAYS take the DART train. I live in East Plano & I make it my mission to take the train whenever possible & it has saved me so much money, stress & time.
Especially take it if you're going to the fair, yes it's crowded but $6 tickets beats $25 parking in someone's yard after waiting for 45 minutes trying to find a spot.
This!! I have driven into work six times since I moved here three years ago. All were because of rain. DART is so good. (At least, the trains are)
The buses are getting better as well, they just reworked the network layout. Bus lanes on key corridors would help even more.
shoutout r/DART
Except when Stars are in playoffs. 🥴🙈
i hope we didn't see them for the last time this year in the aac...vegas got our number sigh
Used to do this all the time, but once we had our catalytic converter stolen at Mockingbird station. We pay to park now 😅
Get the GoPass app, too.
Working remotely in this city is the ultimate life hack.
If I worked remotely I wouldn’t choose to live in this city. It’s not bad, but there are better options.
Where would you be then
I'd go to some backwoods remote cabin with satellite internet. Drastically save money on cost of living
Lmao good luck getting fast internet out there
I literally do that, but satellite internet is terrible for teleconferencing. Frequent dropouts. I have to use our 300-baud DSL instead.
Check the traffic apps on your phone every day to see if the routes you take are backed up, look for alternates
Which is the best app
Waze
This! Every time I have to get on the highway, I use Waze. People have asked me why I need GPS if I have lived here for so long, my answer to them is "I don't need it for direction. I need it for traffic."
I alternate between Waze and Google Maps. I can’t really tell which is better. They’re both pretty good.
Both owned by Google now so data is likely identical or close to it.
Waze is way better for long drives on highway, but it comes up with absolutely crazy routes in an urban/suburban area. Routes that are prob telling the algorithm it can shave off 30 seconds, but you need to cut through some neighborhood randomly or take an unprotected left turn across a super busy street that will be a total headache.
So I alternate between Waze and Google. Google’s search is also better.
Apple Maps: Our artisanal cartographers hope you enjoy this pleasant journey. 28 min
Google Maps: Our algorithm has determined an optimal path for the most efficient route given current traffic conditions. 25 min
Waze: Drive through this dude's living room. 17 min
Waze has been disappointing me lately, it’s given me some absolutely bonkers routes through downtown at times that don’t seem to actually save me any time or heartache versus just going down 75 > 345 > 30
If I'm driving across the metroplex I'll use my navigation even when I know where I'm going. I've been routed around accidents on my preferred method plenty of times.
Fair Park is open year round and free to the public. I live across the street, it’s like Dallas’ version of Central Park, but with very few people.
You can actually park inside the park and walk around. It’s great for jogging, walking, relaxing, there’s ducks, geese, and turtles in the pond.
It’s amazing. In fact, nevermind. It’s a drug infested rat hole and no one should ever go there.
Some of the architecture of the building is really cool. Also the African American Museum is cool.
I ride my bike there all the time! Love the emptiness!
I was amazed and disappointed when I walked around down there during the day recently. It could be such a vibrant place to hang out but it's a deserted ghost town these days.
during lockdown i’d get off work and go roller skate in fair park, it was so spacious and quiet i miss that era for me
If a car starts slowing down in front of you, be prepared for it to go in any direction including up.
Ugh the levitators have really been getting out of control lately.
Well I was also talking about the vehicle blowing UP. I think most Dallas drivers have seen vehicles levitate when they transition from a metal to a gas in the form of smoke.
I work at Love Field and live in McKinney. Never take the DNT, it’s a waste of money to just sit in traffic. I use Marsh Lane to get all the way up/down from Plano and it’s just a fast but no tolls.
Added bonus of less stress.
I’m on the tollway everyday and rarely have any issues whatsoever. I stay away from peak traffic times but I get from Dallas to Frisco in 25 minutes on a daily basis
Going north in the am and south in the pm, is no issue. Going South in the am and north in the pm, is an issue.
Used to live in Oak Lawn and work in Addison. DNT was great on the rare day there was no traffic. But otherwise, insult to injury having to pay $2.50 to sit in traffic for just as long as if I'd just taken Inwood/Midway/Marsh.
Avoid I-35 when it rains
and 635. And I-30. And I-20. and PGBT. and...Oh heck you get the picture...
When else will I get to drive with my hazards on?/s
avoid 380 at all costs.
And avoid 75 as much as possible… you can literally ride the frontage and get on and off without hitting lights.
Live under a highway bridge so you don’t have to pay rent
Don’t trust the weather app. If it’s cloudy and windy, there’s an 80% chance of rain. Doesn’t matter if the app says there’s a zero percent chance.
If you’re walking, don’t go as soon as the signal gives you the OK. Wait a second or two.
The DART is better than you think it is during the day, and worse than you think it is during the night.
Avoid I-35 and 635 whenever possible.
On the weather thing, if local meteorologists are calling for severe weather, it means severe weather will not happen.
Severe weather that hits the metroplex (doesn't go around us) only happens unexpectedly.
Also be aware that the high temperature for a day could well be at 12 AM, so you really need to look at the hourly temperature if you're planning an event in the afternoon.
If you are heading north on 75 or south on 75, the segment in between Campbell Road and the high five interchange…. if there is heavy traffic, you can simply use the on-ramp and offramp. They lineup so they skipped the lights but you’re not staying on the highway yet you’re still still traveling at the same speed. I’ve used this several times to get around pileups.
You! Hush.
Be quiet about this trick.
No! Don't tell people this!
Downvoting. You weren't supposed to give away the REAL hacks lol.
DELETE THIS
Similar driving tip, if you're on 35 southbound and want to switch to Irving Blvd southbound, you don't have to turn on Inwood or Medical District, you can turn on that little road with the Taco Cabana.
pretend you never said this 😅
If your drive is less than 10 miles, just take major side streets instead of freeways/tollways. You’ll get to your destination in about the same amount of time with less stress.
Don't neglect the value and importance of your emotional, physical and spiritual health when you are negotiating employment.
You don’t have to give money to panhandlers
If you dress in black slacks, and a black polo t-shirt, you can basically walk into the back rooms of any major hotel in dfw (examples: anatole, renaisance, westin, sheraton, gaylord etc). They'll assume you work for PSAV and audio visual company or at the hotel itself. Bonus points if you some type of audio visual equipment with you like cords or a speaker. The hotels are to large to keep track and no employee will say shit. Majority employees are friendly illegals
I mean… why would you want to tho
To spy on private corporate events obviously.
They must be doing something important back there if you need a disguise. Maybe something with synergy or game changers
IDK, but its a hack lol
And the purpose of this being?
He's agent 47
there was a YouTuber that got into a lot of different places by carrying a ladder. No one ever questioned him as it looked like he was just supposed to be there.
What’s in the back rooms of a hotel?
Free black coffee and MAYBE week old donuts ?
There's a subreddit for this: r/ActLikeYouBelong
There is a subterranean cocktail lounge beneath the Joule hotel and there's valet parking for an interesting and private night out.
Midnight Rambler, been going since 2018 and it’s always a fun time. Gets loud on Saturdays when they have live music playing though, so a heads up to anyone going to visit.
protip: call the Concierge at the Joule and have them make reservations for one of the tables if you’re going on a weekend, otherwise standing room only after ~8pm. Also, lobby bar at Joule is great GREAT people watching before going downstairs.
You can get cheap standby tickets at the box office for Mavs games (around $5-30 depending on location) about an hour before game time. They’re usually unsold singles, but sometimes you luck out. My wife and I got two tickets together 10 rows up from courtside for 30 a piece.
You can always get cheap seats for lessor opponents on Seat Geek. Usually less than $30 including fees.
All errands should be run during the hours of 9am-noon on Sundays.
Allergies. All of the allergies.
The parking lot of the Mountain Creek Library or Prayer Mountain a little further up the road in southwest Dallas has one of the prettiest views in town. Sits on top of the hills of that area with a view of the valley, Joe Pool Lake, and lights below. Beautiful at sunset.
If you go to Eatzi’s at 9pm, anything with a red dot sticker is BOGO.
I think it starts at 845, and they close at 9.
Related:
* PetsMart marks their pet food down to up to 80% off when it gets close to the sell-by date, you just have to walk around and look for the stickers
* Sprouts deepely discounts their prepared meals daily, just look for stickers
* https://www.toogoodtogo.com/ is an app where you can buy super cheap food from restaurants and cafes when they're done at the end of the day
* Instacart has a pick-up option at many/most stores, so you can apply store coupons ($20 off $50 at Lowes runs a lot) by placing a pick-up order
Never, I mean NEVER, jump into Lake Lewisville (actually, Lewisville Lake, but the locals never call it that)! We get a death or 3 a year from a drunk yoloing right onto a stump either crushing their skull or impaling themself. The Army Corp of Engineers hasn't thought to remove them in the 75 or so years since they expanded it.
Don't let your skin meet Lake Lewisville water period!
First time I’ve ever seen “yoloing” as a verb 🤣
Good window tint is a must if you don’t want sunburn during your afternoon commute
Ohio Dr turns into Hillcrest Rd and runs from Frisco to Highland Park.
- Never miss an exit by slamming your brakes and swerving through three lanes of traffic.
-Use a fake paper plate so you never pay a toll.
-Go to South Oak Cliff at 2 AM to get free seats to a real life shootout.
Make way for Teslas. These devices are incapable of following traffic laws and the only thing you can assume is their next maneuver will be idiotic and negatively impact your day.
User deleted comment
1mo
Look both ways when entering an intersection even if the light is green. It may save your life.
If flying out of Love Field and running late, the valet outside garage C saves precious time (gets you VERY close to ticketing and security) and isn't obscenely expensive for a few days. Definitely better than missing your flight.
A membership at either the Dallas Arboretum or Texas Discovery Gardens will get you into 360+ gardens in the American Horticultural Society's reciprocal garden network.
Drive literally however you want without repercussions.
Not really a hack, but the Dallas Sanitation Services app is nice for reminding you when to take trash/recycling and bulk items out and when there's a deviation in the schedule.
User deleted comment
1mo
I skip lines by never going out
Mike's Chicken is the best fried chicken in the world please go there.
Use Hillcrest instead of Preston when heading North or South from Dallas to Plano.
- Get a Tolltag.
- Get a library card and borrow ebooks and other digital items with Libby or Hoopla.
- The east side of White Rock Lake is prettier than the west.
- The Audubon Center is a great cheap outing.
- La Pasadita on Carroll makes delicious pupusas.
If you’re going to Galleria mall, be parked by 9:30 AM even if stores open at 10 and just wait if you can. That parking garage is a different dimension and traffic laws don’t apply
air conditioning is important
No one knows what a Yield sign means.
Don’t use turn signals on the highway(s). It’s a sure fire way to have vehicles behind you, in the lane you’re moving to, to cock block you.
I find using my blinkers helps out a lot.
omg I have NEVER experienced this in any other city in TX besides Dallas it's so bizarre - like wtf is the point? your ego hurt because I need to switch lanes? fk off
My turn signals are a warning, not a polite request.
User deleted comment
1mo
Absolutely do not do this
To summarize the other advice: Drive under the assumption that everyone else driving is an idiot
Go to the State Fair during the afternoon in the middle of the week.
Defensive driving is good everywhere, but it is CRUCIAL HERE.
Get your windows tinted as dark as the law allows to help with the summer heat.
Always try to go to the original location of a local restaurant.
Drive as little as possible. Buy stuff online instead of in person.
Make a friend who has lived in Dallas for 25-30+ years. Their knowledge is valuable.
Buy a mapsco. Oh wait that’s my life hack from ‘95
Avoid Mockingbird through the Park Cities.
Live close to home don’t commute far to work, avoid all major freeways and the tollways.
I always try to live close to home
Get a toll tag...even if you don't plan on driving on a toll road... get the tag and save yourself the hassle / headache of late tolls.
DART trains are pretty dope if you can make it work
Quick tips:
- Having some form of micromobility (bike, scooter, etc.) makes DART way more viable if your source and destination aren't right along the rail line
- Don't forget about the buses. #3 goes to Lower Greenville. #9 goes to Jefferson Street in Oak Cliff. #47 goes to Bishop Arts. You can get to cool places on the buses.
- Sit up front in the first car on the light rail to minimize your chances of dealing with tomfoolery
- Tapping your card is the best way to pay, because it'll charge you the minimum amount, and it'll never charge more for a day than a $6 day pass.
- The Transit app is a good way to get around. Both it and Google Maps now have real-time data about where vehicles are, so you can see on these apps whether your bus or train is late.
- Don't hold public transit to the same standards as driving. Yes, it usually takes a bit longer (sometimes it doesn't!), but you're able to relax and maybe even get through some texts or emails while you commute. Also you're hundreds or thousands of times safer (like actually) than on the roads.
- Take a friend with you. Aside from it being safer at off-hours, it can in a sense make the commute time zero, because now you're just hanging out on the train or bus. :-)
No one was ever taught right of way … 4-way stops are the 7 circles of hell.
Get a dashcam.
The Dallas Public Library system is fantastic. I don’t purchase books, ebooks, or audiobooks, because they almost always have the book I’m looking for in some format.
There is a speakeasy at Globe Life Field, it's pretty cool.
Living along Katy trail is money. So beautiful to walk it when I go visit friends. And easy access to mavs games
The users of this sub are insufferable. Turned a fun thread into bitching as usual.
Came for life hacks, learned how I'm supposed to drive instead. No wonder we are #12 on the unhappy city list.
After 9 pm, the red light is a suggestion. So be mindful
The service road is your best friend
If you Pete Delkus excited and concerned about the weather. Pay attention.
Learn your side streets. The highways are often not the fastest ways to get places.
If you leave your car door unlocked, you can save your windows from being smashed when your car gets stolen. If they happen to not be able to start your ignition, then very little damage to your car. If they do happen to steal it, oh well, this is Dallas, it’s gonna get stolen anyways.
If you have to go down the Lovers/ Greenville intersection to get on 75 during rush hour, get on the second left lane where you can still turn left to get on Central Expressway. You’ll have a high chance to merge to the freeway entrance since most cars leave a lot of space once they turn.
That or just drive up to Caruth Haven and get on 75 from there.
From the video previously posted on the Dallas reddit earlier, I learned these words of wisdom "Stay low, ho!"
There are a ton of BYOB restaurants around DFW, especially in parts of town that were once dry. Bring a beer, a nice bottle of wine, hell, a whole ass bottle of whiskey and don't pay crazy markups. One of my favorite tex-mex places is BYOB and families bring entire coolers full of beer.
Stay off your phone when driving. Please. That guy on a bike in front of you doesn’t want to be your hood ornament.
You can get a breakfast burrito, salad (with meat!), and beverage (coffee, iced coffee, frozen strawberry lemonade is amazing) for $10.83 at Salad and Go. Download the app and order in advance for extra quickness. Protein boxes come with chicken, hard boiled egg, and cucumbers for $3.99 and is the perfect snack or adult meal. Substitute avocado for cucumbers for no charge on the app!
Eat a burger at Sky Rocket
Live in Turtle Creek if possible. Everything is a 10 minutes away and Dallas becomes an actual walkable city with accessible parks and stores/shops (not from July - September)
Drop people off at Crossunder #2 in DFW and skip the toll charge.
It’s the drop off and pickup area for DART and Terminal A.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/tjok3Kurmj8zLzAr7
*They should have built the tracks all the way down to the south exit.
Believe it or not , someone you know who may not even seem like it , sells weed. . I swear it seems every 1/4 ppl in the city sells weed 😂😂
If the speed limit is posted 70mph that is the minimum speed required not 55, not 60 but please go the speed limit it’s about your safety. Take side roads if your car won’t go that fast or if you are afraid of doing 70.
Attend the car and truck show at the state fair in October. You can see and sit in almost every new car around, with no dealer hassle. It can really help you zero in on what you want to buy. It's the largest car and truck show in Texas - very worthwhile and a lot of fun. It's my favorite thing at the State Fair. (Oh, and take the Green Line to the Fair.)
Make some travel plans for chunks of July and August. You may love it here most of the year, but you will definitely be glad to go someplace else then.
Sports day DFW app let's you rewind an hour so you can skip commercials
The Dallas Arboretum is part of the parks system. If you’re a resident of Dallas you can get free passes at the city recreation centers. It’s something like 6 per household per year.
Don’t go when the light turns green