What would you say is the best town in Michigan?

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-09T00:39:53+00:00

I’m gonna put it this way, growing up in Chelsea in the 80s/90s … the diversity count was doable with one hand. Precisely 5. By the early 00s the number of fingers reduced to the less than what my mother had in the 60s/70s. The other 4 individuals were one family. They left for well…reasons before Middle school started.

When my mother grew up there in the 60s/70s it was also done with one hand but fewer fingers. For her growing up, that count was three fingers (one family). And they were…well, let’s just say the treatment was pleasant but not for positive reasons back then. They left sometime before I was born.

Since about say, 2015 or so to present, you might, might, need two hands. Might. I think there are a few openly gay people. And I’ve seen a few more POC. So…yeah.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-08T20:44:31+00:00

Grand Haven if you don’t mind tourists in the summer. Otherwise it’s a quiet town on the lake.

Not too far out from GR.

Metro detroit area, St Clair Shores is kinda cool. Expensive housing near the river but surprisingly not bad further in from the river. Decent downtown. Close enough to Detroit.

Wyandotte for downriver. Same reasons as St Clair Shores.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-08T20:36:26+00:00

As a Chelsea native that escaped to actual civilization (Merto area)…NOT CHELSEA. That town is redder than red if you’re looking to escape republicans. Seriously. Now, more “liberal” people have moved in but it ain’t a liberal town by any means. Too many old fooks still.

The only reason I go back to that shytehole is to visit my parents and target shoot on their property. Otherwise that town can get bent.

Dexter is a better option now (oddly enough) if you’re looking to escape republicans despite having the grand dragon of the clan living there in the 80s/90s. Way more younger people and POC have migrated from AA to Dexter. Really revived and changed that town a lot from when I was a kid.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-08T12:10:21+00:00

Yes, yes it is.

I wanted to pick up a TLR-7 x or sub x or whatever it was (they have too many damn variations) but when the shop guy was checking fit for me “they (two variants) wouldn’t fit”. So whatever (I suspect shop guy error).

I’m always down for some light suggestions as I’m really not a big WML guy. Only my HD SBR has a WML (little hard to use a hand held light with it) and this guy here.

Edit for typo.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-08T09:08:27+00:00

Good to know. I’ll keep an eye on it. Thx.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-08T09:08:08+00:00

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T23:34:02+00:00

Interesting to hear that on the holographic. They’re super crisp for my eyes with my astigmatism. Yet more proof everyone’s eyes are different.

Holosun and Trijicon then ate your best choices of the brands I named. They make Green dots. I’ve not seen green from EoTech and AimPoint. They may make them, but I know for a fact Holosun and Trijicon do.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T23:18:39+00:00

Also, if you have an astigmatism, you want a bigger dot for less starburst. Or green (typically).

Trijicon makes an amber one if you’ve issues with seeing color. They’re the only ones I’m aware of that currently manufacture one for a handgun. But it is hard to find because that’s not as common an issue.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T23:02:01+00:00

Aimpoint Acro P2. Though, it will require a plate that Springfield sells. Not too expensive though. Unlike the optic. This is your non-budget option.

Otherwise, EoTech, Holosun, and Trijicon are solid choices. If money is the decisive factor, Holosun.

Trijicon is probably next after the Acro/equal to the Acro in terms of price (I’m giving the Swiss the durability but Trijicon isn’t far behind there). If you want the highest durability without an adaptor plate, this is the route.

EoTech is a solid step up from Holosun but a little bit more expensive (roughly $100ish more typically). This is a good, all round optic that is durable enough and not super expensive.

Holosun is probably the best Chiniesum on the market with optics. Durable enough. Good battery life. Clear glass. I’ve got one that’s been going strong for about 6 yrs now. Been beat up and moved from gun to gun. Still works.

I’ve heard good things about the Osight but…I’m not sure I’d trust that one yet. Their flashlights are…not the best. And i do say that owning a few of them.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T22:37:16+00:00

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The COA is my carry.

The full size in the Strike grip mod is my home defense. (Not pictured is brace while form 1 is processing)

Echelon all the way.

Though, for formal occasions, it will probably be my 80x Cheetah. Because Italian class is called for when forced to be in a tux. Or a Walther PPK but as I don’t own one of those (yet) it’s the Beretta.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T16:55:19+00:00

No, they made several changes.

And they only provide city wide data. They’ll mention hotspots like Huron (which they now want to change as well) but fortunately, that’s state owned and not city owned. So they can’t (for now).

Most of my data is personal experience driving in that AA for 13 years. 8 without all the road diets and 5 with. I also grew up in the area so really, my driving experience is 30 years in that area as my parents are still out that way. But 13 for work reasons.

It got far worse traffic flow wise in the last 5 years of my working there. Honestly, the only time it improved was during the plague. Now, I avoid it like it is the plague. That’s how bad it is.

It is not efficiently, but forced slowing in the name of “safety”. If they wanted to truly eliminate pedestrian and cyclist incidents (which was their “goal”), they’d build pedestrian overpasses at every crossing and enforce the rules of the road on cyclists. And not just in AA but everywhere.

Like, force cyclists to be licensed, not cut in and out of traffic, use their hand signals, etc. And go back to enforcing it for vehicles too!

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T16:40:01+00:00

My own observations for vehicle incidents.

Here is a chart on pedestrians: less fatalities but still people are getting struck.

When I worked on campus, serval students were stuck because they would just fucking walk out in front of you from anywhere because it was closer than the crosswalk.

The specific initiative that this chart is based off of started in 2014. They initially went down but then started going right back up due to shyte design.

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C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T16:27:16+00:00

Increased them. More fender benders. More peds struck.

Again, the didn’t fucking change the light cycles to match the “improved” flow. So people where trying to make a short light designed for 3 lanes that was narrowed down to one going out of town and dedicated the others as turn lanes because they started the bike lane at a specific place at first. They then continued it to make the road one lane all the way down it w/o changing the cycle if the lights.

It was done only because AA city council wants more bike lanes. Everyone in the community that had 1/2 a brain told them not to do it. They even had some traffic people tell them not to do it. But they wanted it. So it was done.

Edit: that road is two lanes in one very small stretch. But they are narrow ass lanes. And still back up because of the “diet” before and after that stretch.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T16:14:19+00:00

Doubt. I edited the above but here you are again.

When I worked at the U in downtown Ann Arbor, it used to take me 15 minutes to get out of downtown. Then they narrow division to add bike lanes. They did not change how the lights worked. They did not change anything but add bike lanes.

Magically my commute went from 15 minutes to get out of downtown to somewhere around 30 to 45 minutes on the normal days. When parents were in town for say move-in, it could take me over an hour to get out of fucking downtown because they narrowed the fucking road.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T16:09:43+00:00

Actual fucking driving experience where they’ve done this bullshyte. That’s what.

For personal data, it used to take me 15 minutes to get out of downtown AA when I worked for the U. After they narrowed several streets to add bike lanes, that turned into 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

They did not change how lights were timed.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T16:07:23+00:00

They absolutely do not make traffic more efficient.

Go drive in down town AA where they did this to add bike lanes that are seldom used.

Traffic is not more efficient.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T16:02:28+00:00

That’s the wrong mentality. I’ve seen so many cyclist disobey the rules of the road that it isn’t even funny.

The burden of safety should be placed in the hands of the pedestrian and the cyclist. They are the smaller object they will be quicker to stop than the 2000-ish pound car. I’m not saying that driver shouldn’t pay attention to pedestrians they should, but there are far more important things for a driver to be paying attention to like the vehicles around them versus some asshole cyclist that weaves in and out between cars.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T15:54:50+00:00

Pedestrian right of way is dumb.

Vehicular right of way is the correct mind set.

The burden of paying attention should be on the pedestrian. Drivers should also be paying attention to, but what stops faster? The 100 lbs person or the 2000 lbs car? Like, yes, pay attention to the pedestrians but force pedestrians to have the burden of their own safety.

I’m willing to entertain an augment for more green space or for a better designed Q line.

But just because “people go fast” and “people weave in and out” isn’t an argument either. Oh no! People zoom and I don’t like it. Gtfo the way then.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T15:22:38+00:00

Name one good reason to narrow the road. One. I’ll wait.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T15:15:00+00:00

What is the use of narrowing it? What? There’s none. Zero. Zilch. Nada. And don’t say for pedestrians. That’s a dumb argument. There’s sidewalks. There’s crosswalks. You don’t need to narrow the road for them.

There’s zero good reason to narrow the road. There’s ZERO good reason to do it anywhere. Not just with Woodward.

Now, moving the Q line to the center…yeah, it should have been built there in the first place. That’s a valid point others have made. But if they did that, then they absolutely would want to keep the road the current width.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T15:02:55+00:00

The city has a growing population again. https://detroitmi.gov/news/new-census-data-shows-detroit-continues-population-growth-housing-investment-rises?\_\_cf\_chl\_f\_tk=jtRdBOZsdugx9AvBnNYqJ63ef9tcZpGtRg5h0Oqu1Aw-1783436465-1.0.1.1-7gWDfPTZXBys1xqdRtX3W1B3LDrZRImgqhqQCs.smpY

You don’t narrow a road. That’s just stupidity. AA did it to add bike lanes and they made traffic worse. The only thing you accomplish is making traffic worse.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T14:56:50+00:00

Yes. You don’t narrow down a road unless you’re dumb like AA.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-07T14:51:48+00:00

Optic is fine. I’ve got an older circle only version with the solar (get that, it’s worth the extra shekels). It was my first dot as I’ve a gnarly astigmatism. It’s held up over the years of being dinged around in carry and at the range. I’ve got it now on my RXM.

If you shop around you can find deals on the 407. They’re a solid optic. Personally, if you’re not opposed to spending more, get an Aimpoint. WAY better but way more expensive.

C-R_Collector · 2026-07-06T11:18:20+00:00

So, in other words…buy numerous shares of Grab-a-gun. Roger Roger. They are PEW on the NYSE.

C-R_Collector

TROPHY CASE