A letter from the Southeast United States

I want people to have some thought to the impact that they have to the community that they have moved to. Understand the impact that you’re having to those around you that were there first.
And how specifically should people do that? I get the sentiment, but from a practical standpoint, what do you want to happen?
 
Downside is they bring their newly acquired FL driving skills along with them and pokey pokey around the corners ruining all of the great mountain motorcycle roads.

Living part time or not, the term for those drivers is "Floridiot".
 
And how specifically should people do that? I get the sentiment, but from a practical standpoint, what do you want to happen?
Do what anybody should do when they join a new place, group or organization. Keep your mouth shut. Assimilate to the culture that’s already there. Don’t try and change anything. You moved to the new place, or joined the new club, or became part of the organization because you wanted to be there because you found it attractive for some reason. So leave it alone. Respect the fact that the locals were doing just fine before you arrived. If you felt the need to move to a area that likes hunting and fishing, but you’re not into any of that. Just sit on your hands and shut up. Several states, including mine, have had to pass right to hunt and fish laws because of harassment from the new people. In many ways it’s no different than the people that move next to an airport and complain about the noise. As a pilot, we would say that the airport was there first and that you need to accept that the airport is there for a reason. Some people have a problem understanding that concept.
 
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Depends on how he votes.

Oh ****, power off, yoke forward, ailerons neutral, rudder opposite rotation…

Depends on how he drives, if he is one of those that almost comes to a stop before slowly getting the turn lane, stay away. Most turn lanes are 500’ long, get over and then slow down!
 
Wow! IBTL!!!

I am one of those damnyankees. Or yankees. Not sure which, as I'm too new to know the difference...I moved here from Minnesota due to being enthralled by a Southern boy. :biggrin: However, in possibly a rare case, things are more expensive here than they were "back where I come from", so I'm not affecting the local economy too much nor did I bring great wealth with me (yeah, I don't know what he saw in me, either...I wasn't rich and didn't have a plane, even! :lol:). I am trying to assimilate to the culture - for example, I now wear jeans in December and January, even when it's 55* out. I'm still working on learning how to make things like sweet tea, though, so maybe I haven't assimilated enough yet. Get back to me in ten years or so, maybe?

Seriously, though, it is a hard line to walk between new people and locals. A lot of places in the US are growing too fast for the infrastructure to keep up, and as mentioned, a lot of places are encountering what I would term as "money-influx inflation" (and I did make that term up). It hurts the locals. A lot. My parents are dealing with both in Texas right now (where they moved a few years back to follow my dad's job). Everything keeps getting more expensive because more people are selling their million dollar one-bedroom apartment in California, for example, keeping their California-money remote job, and coming to live in Texas...where most Texans are making a lot less than what they make. Prices rise because the demand for expensive things is being fed by ex-Californians, and stores and municipalities cater to those with the most purchasing power. I don't know the fix for it. It's an interesting effect of having internet jobs, but it is hard for the middle-class locals, especially, as that extra influx of money has basically pushed them into a lower "class bracket".

And yes, the drivers suck down here, and I don't know why. It's like three-quarters of them have never driven a car before and the other quarter have been driving since they were three. It's a very odd mixture.
 
Depends on how he drives, if he is one of those that almost comes to a stop before slowly getting the turn lane, stay away. Most turn lanes are 500’ long, get over and then slow down!

I just want them to learn how to merge.

In traffic, in the community, in life, etc.

Learn to merge.
 
Oh, yeah - grits. How could I forget grits?! If you can’t learn to love grits, please stay away from the South.
 
And yes, the drivers suck down here, and I don't know why. It's like three-quarters of them have never driven a car before and the other quarter have been driving since they were three. It's a very odd mixture.

That would be the 3/4 transplants vs the 1/4 natives. Your husband started driving a go-kart when he was three. I started on my grandpa’s tractor at about that age.
:)
 
Probably a civil war.

Load up the scattergun, granny! Them yankees are comin’!
Be careful what you wish for. But I’m ready. I have 400 pounds of beans and rice, a pantry full of Spam and more ammo than an army battalion.
 
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Depends on how he drives, if he is one of those that almost comes to a stop before slowly getting the turn lane, stay away. Most turn lanes are 500’ long, get over and then slow down!
I hate that. Along with driving slow in the left lane.
 
Do what anybody should do when they join a new place, group or organization. Keep your mouth shut. Assimilate to the culture that’s already there. Don’t try and change anything. You moved to the new place, or joined the new club, or became part of the organization because you wanted to be there because you found it attractive for some reason. So leave it alone. Respect the fact that the locals were doing just fine before you arrived. If you felt the need to move to a area that likes hunting and fishing, but you’re not into any of that. Just sit on your hands and shut up. Several states, including mine, have had to pass right to hunt and fish laws because of harassment from the new people. In many ways it’s no different than the people that move next to an airport and complain about the noise. As a pilot, we would say that the airport was there first and that you need to accept that the airport is there for a reason. Some people have a problem understanding that concept.
That's why we are moving to TN when we can, because it is the culture and attitude we share, and we want to be a part of. That culture and attitude is no longer where we are now, and we don't see it swinging back the other way anytime ever. We don't want to be forced to live with this new attitude. So we find a place where we don't have to, and don't want it to change.
 
Oh, yeah - grits. How could I forget grits?! If you can’t learn to love grits, please stay away from the South.

meh. grits are like getting a midget hooker....you do it every now and then when you have nothing better to do, you don't know why, you leave mostly unsatisfied, but you still tell your friends about it just for the laugh. grits are like farts, they're funny to talk about but that's about it.
 
meh. grits are like getting a midget hooker....you do it every now and then when you have nothing better to do, you don't know why, you leave mostly unsatisfied, but you still tell your friends about it just for the laugh. grits are like farts, they're funny to talk about but that's about it.

Yep, you belong in the PRK, all right.
 
meh. grits are like getting a midget hooker....you do it every now and then when you have nothing better to do, you don't know why, you leave mostly unsatisfied, but you still tell your friends about it just for the laugh. grits are like farts, they're funny to talk about but that's about it.
So what’s wrong with midget hookers? Some of my best friends are midget hookers.
Actually, I love good shrimp and grits. Some spicy sausage with it. Good eats.
 
So what’s wrong with midget hookers? Some of my best friends are midget hookers.
Actually, I love good shrimp and grits. Some spicy sausage with it. Good eats.
nothing's wrong with midget hooker friends, I'm envious actually. just don't expect them to help you move or be designated drivers (do they drive?) or give you high fives....
 
 
Same thing in Idaho, just replace "New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont" with "California, Oregon, Washington"
Idaho native here, and moving back this year now that we've retired. But the cars have NJ plates on them.

I'm thinking we'll be better off discarding the plates at the state line. Better to risk the tickets than be incorrectly identified by the new neighbors as north-easterners.
 
There was some pretty interesting data analysis by a number of geeks in Seattle; what feels like a decade ago.
They basically had the data to back up the position that the zoning laws which started in the 70s and exploded in the 80s are the major cause price spiraling out of control on houses. Historically, as the prices increased developers would tear down single family homes and put in multi-family which increase the local supply. Instead, zoning rules have pushed people farther and farther away, raising the prices.
They ****ed off a lot of people as they basically showed the methods picked by the housing advocates (subsidizes, rent control...) and the NIMBYs would fail and would only be a drop in the bucket. So, if you want to solve housing price problems, push to eliminate most zoning restrictions.

Tim
As someone who owns a few places around Seattle and is building two more infill houses, I can tell you that you are 100% correct. the last building permit I got took two years and probably 200K in design and engineering costs/studies to get, plus cost $50k by itself. That's why new houses cost a few million bucks.
 
Depends on how he drives, if he is one of those that almost comes to a stop before slowly getting the turn lane, stay away. Most turn lanes are 500’ long, get over and then slow down!

The indigenous do that here all the time, especially when using center “suicide” turn lanes. Lets slow down to 10mph, make the long line of cars behind me slow down, then inch into the turn lane. Of course southerners don’t use turn signals, that’s a sign of weakness.

The other thing that drives me bats is the locals all go 40mph up highway entrance ramps, and then half of them either A.) Stop at the end of the ramp when they realize they can’t merge into 70mph traffic at 40mph, or B.) Pull into traffic anyway causing those on the highway to brake hard and take evasive maneuvers.
 
A couple of questions:
For those of you with summer/winter abodes, how do you manage your long absences from the property?

Anyone retire to or live in Flagstaff, AZ? Can I get a seasonal pirep? I'm toying with the idea of buying a small place as a fall or winter or spring retreat.
Domenick, we went down for Spring break last year and it was amazing, but COLD even in April. I think for us PNW folks, the middle elevations like Sedona are going to be more favorable weather to escape our "soup".
 
meh. grits are like getting a midget hooker....you do it every now and then when you have nothing better to do, you don't know why, you leave mostly unsatisfied, but you still tell your friends about it just for the laugh. grits are like farts, they're funny to talk about but that's about it.
I felt the same way, but I had only ever had the runny slop the give you at waffle House. The b&b we stayed at in Vicksburg, MS served some cheesy grits for breakfast that were amazing.
 
meh. grits are like getting a midget hooker....you do it every now and then when you have nothing better to do, you don't know why, you leave mostly unsatisfied, but you still tell your friends about it just for the laugh. grits are like farts, they're funny to talk about but that's about it.
Call it polenta, and serve it as an Italian delicacy.
 
Idaho native here, and moving back this year now that we've retired. But the cars have NJ plates on them.

I'm thinking we'll be better off discarding the plates at the state line. Better to risk the tickets than be incorrectly identified by the new neighbors as north-easterners.
You don’t understand, they’re proud to be from the old country. They actually think it’s a good thing. Where I am at,. They used to actually put them on their mailbox post to let everybody know their origin. After a while, they figured it out it wasn’t such a good idea and they’ve since disappeared.
 
You don't wanna come to Carolina. If the skeeters, fire ants, or armadillos, don't get ya then the gators will ... :biggrin:
Don’t forget sand fleas. They ate the hell out of me at Parris Island.
 
Do what anybody should do when they join a new place, group or organization. Keep your mouth shut. Assimilate to the culture that’s already there. Don’t try and change anything. You moved to the new place, or joined the new club, or became part of the organization because you wanted to be there because you found it attractive for some reason. So leave it alone. Respect the fact that the locals were doing just fine before you arrived. If you felt the need to move to a area that likes hunting and fishing, but you’re not into any of that. Just sit on your hands and shut up. Several states, including mine, have had to pass right to hunt and fish laws because of harassment from the new people. In many ways it’s no different than the people that move next to an airport and complain about the noise. As a pilot, we would say that the airport was there first and that you need to accept that the airport is there for a reason. Some people have a problem understanding that concept.
Is that what your ancestors had to deal with when the Europeans moved on to their lands?
 
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