This is part of an ongoing series titled Mailbag, items readers submit via email or our feedback form. We get a ton of feedback, this is not close to everything (it’s about 4%), but it’s a good sample.
In response to: Charlotte men, drop the blue shirts and khaki pants. It’s not 1995 anymore.
“Oh you mean the official uniform of ‘I was an SEC Fratstar and now I work for a bank?'” – B
“I happen to like my blue shirts and have a variety (checkers, stripes) because they’re easy and I’ve been told they bring out my eyes.” – A
“So many defensive Charlotte men triggered by fashion commentary.” – K
“The two traditional shirt colors are blue and white. And khaki is a multi purpose color that pairs well with anything. I’m not sure how khaki and blue is ‘so 1995’. It’s as timeless as a polo shirt.” – J
“Nothing says ‘Trust me with your money’ like a turquoise bracelet with a skull charm.” – A
“For the record, I appreciate a man in khakis & a blue shirt. What I do not love is a man in a pencil-leg suit. Call me ‘traditional’ or ‘1995’, but I dig it. Now, if those khakis have pleats…no. Just no. Also, beards. When can this be over, please?” – W
In response to: What went wrong at the Mecklenburg County health department?
“Welcome to government-run health care. To all in Charlotte who want a single-payer system, be careful what you ask for, because your future of health care is the Veterans Administration and Meck County Health.” – S
In response to: Cash Confessional: A week of spending in Charlotte on a $60,000 salary
“I’d be like$78.23 spent the entire week, $78.23. Axios Charlotte we need a confessional of a savvy spender! i.e. ‘Hi I’m A**** and I wore a cow hat all day to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner for free yesterday at CFA.’ ‘Hi I’m A**** and I went on Tinder dates all weekend and got my meals paid for.'” – A
In response to: Does Mecklenburg County really need to choose either soccer or greenways?
“Greenways and have the billionaires cough up more money for soccer.” – J
“Nobody even cares about soccer in Charlotte. There are much better uses of our money and land!” – A
“I would think homeowners in the city would rather have a better parks system; parks and greenways would seem a more likely way to build property value than a soccer stadium. – H
“To give yourself some insight, take a look at the attendance of our CURRENT soccer team, the Charlotte Independence. The absolute last thing we need is to fund the projects of the affluent with taxpayer dollars when the current situation ALREADY shows us a roadmap to a loss. Get your head out of your a**, Charlotte.” – C
“Now that I know this I would say fund the parks, otherwise I would have thought that soccer would be good for the city.” – M
“Building a soccer stadium for rich people’s pet projects at the expense of taxpayers= hell no! Taxpayer funded greenways for EVERYONE (including low-income) to enjoy= absolutely! But honestly I would rather see that funding go into community programs and services.” – C
“Bruton Smith has a net worth of $1.5 billion and could easily fund either (or both) of these projects from his own pocket. Why does he need us?” – D
In response to: Top 10 chain restaurants you’d love to see come to Charlotte, ranked
“If In-n-Out comes to Charlotte, Cook-out is gonna go out of business.” – B
“WAWA!!!!!! I am a born and raised North Carolinian but a few summers ago my boyfriend was working in Pennsylvania. I visited him a few times and became OBSESSED with Wawa. Their coffee bar is incredible, their subs are fantastic, and it’s an all around perfect place. It’s in a league of its own. I regularly check their ‘Coming Soon’ Wawa locator on their website and it’s so frustrating that they’ve made it to Virginia and skipped over us to go down to Florida. I will say when I went to a music festival in Florida, we drove an extra hour out of the way to go to the closest Wawa.” – A
“We want Charlotte money to stay in Charlotte. Chains suck more than seasons 7-10 of ‘Friends’. Do better!” – F
“Thank you for engaging my morning gag reflex at the thought of eating Skyline Chili ever again. ” – C
In response to: A man took an upskirt photo of me. Here’s my warning so it doesn’t happen to you.
“Pull this on me and you’ll be luck to keep all your teeth and vision when I’m through with you!” – C
“You should never feel petty for reporting these types of crimes. People like this escalate until they’re caught and receive negative consequences. You made the city a safer place for every girl and woman and for all the boys and men who love and care for those women. Thank you!” – C
“As a survivor of sexual abuse, any abuse sucks. I don’t find that you were petty. Look at it this way, this could have been the beginning that would lead to something worse. So in reality, you stopped something from being worse.” – J
“Never feel petty about reporting or talking about this kind of incident, no matter how insignificant you feel when compared to other crimes of this nature. This is only the starting point for these criminals. Sexual predators go from thinking about these crimes, to peeping toms, to taking photos, to following women and stalking, to inappropriate touching, and all the way up to sexual assault. Criminals go from small acts to big, just to see how far they can test the boundaries before getting caught, if ever. Early action and early reporting can help alert police to this individual and lets the criminal know that their actions and behaviors are noticed and will not be tolerated. Bravo to you and the other victim for your individual bravery in reporting and facing this scum in court.” – A
In response to: 3 quick tips for when you teach your mom how to take her first Uber
“As a driver, #3 is all too real. So many people over fifty at the end are like ‘ok, so how do I pay you? Do I have to swipe my card?’ lol. My #1 tip for the technologically challenged is when you request a ride make sure to manually type in where you are. Typing in your address or what restaurant you’re in goes a LONG way towards me finding you. For example, if you’re staying at the Hyatt Place at Caldwell and 3rd vs. if you’re at the Fahrenheit, the way I have to go to pick you up varies.” – A
“I guess I fall under the category of an Uber newbie that is a Mom. I live in Charlotte but had a trip coming up to New York City by myself. My husband loaded my phone with Uber and Lyft and coached me how to use them. I felt very cool as I got my first ride from LaGuardia airport to my destination. On another occasion a funny thing that happened was I called for an Uber ride and knew to look for a certain car and driver. A car pulled up and I asked the driver if his name was “so and so” and I thought he said yes. He had a thick accent. Well he started to take me where I was going and my cell phone rang and some other guy said “I’m here to pick you up, where are you?” I said, “Oh, I’m already in another car”. So I learned about the $5 cancellation penalty. The driver of the car I was in said he wouldn’t charge me. I said I was so sorry and new to Uber. I gave the driver some cash to pay for trip. These are wonderful services and very easy and convenient once you get the hang of it.” – L
“I am a 56 year old woman with floundering technical skills (although I did just order a Chromebook and I am learning how to use Spotify). I have been tempted to just throw in the towel at times with technology. I have not taken uber or stayed in an airbnb… your mom? My hero.” – G
In response to: Inizio Pizza’s new Dilworth location opens today
“I picked the wrong week to follow in your carb-less steps” – R
“It’s the best pizza in Charlotte, hands down.” – S
“BLESS UP BUTTERCUPS” – J
“One bite. Everyone knows the rules…” – R
In response to: 6 must-try iced coffee drinks in Charlotte
“Don’t forget the dirty chai at Central Coffee Co.!” – H
“Cafè Marcotter at Amelies” – T
“Common Market has Stumptown on tap for $4…” – J
In response to: How long does it take to bond out of jail in Charlotte?
“Let’s all shed a tear that these poor souls stuck in jail a few hours have to delay their plans to commit future crimes.” – W
“Actually let’s shed a tear, for many reasons. Two weeks ago, at the government center uptown, there was a three hour presentation by national experts on the concept of bond. Many modernized nations do not use the concept of money for bonding out and we are in the minority. Almost every court in this country has found the concept of monetary bond unconstitutional, because the idea of basing people’s freedom on their income is arbitrary and capricious. Also there’s the whole innocent until proven guilty deal. But every major study shows the same thing; crime rates for reoffenders stay the same regardless if they are let go the same day or stay in jail for months. It’s the same thing with coming back to court; when someone is released doesn’t change anything. Plus studies show keeping someone in jail has long term detrimental effects, like if they lose that job over a misdemeanor, or if they are 16 or 17. Finally in the federal system, where offenders receive 4 times the average length of prison time, people are routinely let out of federal custody awaiting sentencing and are out in the general public. Also what’s not mentioned here is that there are dozens of people a year that have dismissed cases who are kept at the jail for additional days because of clerical and staff errors.” – J
In response to: Cutting the cord: How to get free HDTV in Charlotte (legally)
“One quick note: if you live in a house, it pays to go up into the attic and see if there are any cable connections up there. At my previous house, we were able to simply connect the antenna to the existing coaxial cable going all throughout the house. Not only does the antenna stay out of sight, it’s very likely it’ll get the best reception up there. (I assume, though I’m not sure, that this won’t work if your internet is from the cable company.)” – J
In response to: How to get $3 hoppy 9.6% beers and $3 glasses of wine in Myers Park? Say hello to Harris Teeter’s second-floor bar
Thank you @charlotteagenda @ted_williams, we posted a record night last night. Thank you for the support and the articles this past week! pic.twitter.com/H2AsWBNhAs
— MyersParkHTwinebar (@mphtwb) July 8, 2017
In response to: Top 10 breweries for babies, ranked
Hey Ted,
I noticed that you post a lot of sh***y articles and listicles that have a common theme. For instance, you will write about the “top ten breweries for babies” or the “top bacon egg and cheese sandwiches in Charlotte.”
I’m an aspiring sh***y author and your repetitive themes have inspired me to write a shitty article about the best snacks you can buy in Charlotte for under $4.20. Feel free to include the following in the Axios Charlotte and cover it with tons of Bojangles advertisements and other sponsored content.
Top 10 Charlotte snackfoods to grub on this summer for under $4.20
10. Quarter pound 7/11 hotdog ($2.46). Yes, you have to sign an informed consent form in order to legally consume this hotdog, but it is hella delicious. I recommend adding mustard.
9. Samples of Ghost Pepper Salami at Zablonq (Free). If you walk into Zablonq and ask for any pizza you can then request to sample all of the toppings. Ask for the ghost pepper salami and after eating it stand there mumbling “oh that’s pretty good, can I try the pepperoni?” After you get a few more free toppings just say that the ghost pepper is creeping up on you and pretend to dry heave as you hurriedly run to the door.
8. Ham and Cheese Lunchables ($2.78). Lunchables are always a good, portable choice for a quick snack and they can be found all over the shelves of grocery stores and convenience stores in Charlotte. It’s always fun to make a single mega cracker stacked with all of the meats and cheeses and then throw the leftover crackers at squirrels.
7. Bar Snacks at Luce (Free). If you walk up to the bar at Luce they have free olive and bread just sitting there. I once ate an entire loaf of bread before being asked to leave.
6. Chips and Salsa at Que Onda (Free). Sit down at the bar or a table at Que Onda and you will be served chips and salsa free of charge. After you’ve grubbed, slip off to the bathroom and out of the door.
5. Side order of Mac n Cheese at Rock Bottom ($3.29). This Mac n Cheese is amazing. You guys remember that time that Ted fell in love with a grilled cheese sandwich? This cheap treat will make you feel the same way.
4. Banana Bread at Coco and the Director ($3.49). This banana bread is on point although it is very crumbly. The serving size is large. For a small price you get a slice of banana bread the size of a human gall bladder.
3. Peanuts at Five Guys Burgers (Free). If you just stand in Five Guys pretending to read the menu you can grub on peanuts for free. Act super confused by all of the topping offerings and throw your peanut shells on the floor because being in America is awesome.
2. Side of Seasoned Rice at Mert’s Heart and Soul ($2.35). At Mert’s you can pretend as if you’re going to order an entree but really just order the side of seasoned rice and get free cornbread. It’s a great deal for good food. If you smother the cornbread in Texas Pete and pretend to die like that fat dude in Dumb and Dumber you do not get a laugh. It’s a tough crowd at Mert’s.
1. Crunchy Tacos at Taco Bell ($1.19). Get three tacos for a total of $3.57 or you can get four for just $4.20. I’m sure you’re thinking that the math doesn’t work out there and it should be four for $4.76, but if you arrive with a ziplock full of change that amounts to exactly $4.20 the TBell on South Blvd will give you four tacos for $4.20. Tell them Ted sent you.
