Snobs moving to the country

[buckeyefarmer]

Speaking of gravel roads, anyone remember getting their road oiled by the county to keep dust down?

They still do it at my dads.

 

[TheMan419]

Our houses are packed in fairly close in our neighborhood. While we live on 1+ acre, most lots are 1/4 acre, but deep. We get along fine with 6 out of 7 neighbors, and even #7 has calmed down over the years (she's on painkillers and alcohol). We went out of town Friday night. It snowed 6-7 inches Saturday. We came home Sunday and our driveway had been cleared for us.... stupid snobs! :laughing:

In our old neighborhood in the city, we talked to everyone and everyone talked to us. Smile and wave. Mowed each others' lawns. Cleared each others' snow. Traded baked goods and watched each others' houses when we/they were away. I've always liked having good neighbors close by in the city.

We went to a trivia night at a rural church to support a 4H swine club a couple weeks ago. I've not felt so unwelcome in a long time. Just didn't feel comfortable there at all. Not a friendly bunch if you're "an outsider".

We went to a trivia night at an inner city church and the atmosphere was much more friendly. I felt welcomed and comfortable.

Plenty of small towns here in the midwest where I here and see comments about city people, racist comments, etc... They don't like outsiders, and god help you if you're of a different race. My physical appearance tends to let me blend in with these folks, and I'm polite and listen, so they start making more casual conversation, and then the ignorance and hate starts spewing. It's widespread and common in small town/rural America. And that's the reality of it. I've witnessed it first hand my entire life. It's a little ugly secret no one wants to admit or talk about.

Man we were just outside of the lake effect band. We got maybe 3 inches over by US31. I did. however, plow my own drive. All the neighbors either have a service or their own large equipment to deal with the snow. If I were out and saw someone struggling with the drive I would certainly offer to help.

 

[MNBobcat]

Speaking of gravel roads, anyone remember getting their road oiled by the county to keep dust down?

We still do that every year except instead of using oil we use Chloride.

 

[MNBobcat]

What chapped my hide a few years back was I had worked hard for several months to get a neighborhood's roads blacktopped. I basically was the project manager (No, I don't get paid) and it was all done at no cost to any of the people who lived on the road. About a week after it was done I get a call from this guy who says to me, "The blacktop road is nice and everything but I don't like it that there is horse poop on the road" No "thank you" for my hard work, no nothing--just a complaint that some neighbor had ridden their horse down the road.

 

[MossRoad]

Man we were just outside of the lake effect band. We got maybe 3 inches over by US31. I did. however, plow my own drive. All the neighbors either have a service or their own large equipment to deal with the snow. If I were out and saw someone struggling with the drive I would certainly offer to help.

There was only a dusting Pennsylvania west through OH. Only a couple inches in Elkhart. Didn't get too deep until we crossed the river on Cleveland Rd. Then it was really noticeable. Portage, Lathrop, Bendix Dr, etc... all had slush ridges 4" high in the center of the lanes. Looked like they did minimal plowing.

At our first house back in 1985 we lived on the west side on Ford St. Had elderly neighbors next door (actually behind us on a side street). He mowed my side yard so it would match his front yard in summer. I'd snow blow our corner sidewalks, his sidewalk, our driveway to the street, the alley next to our house all the way back to his driveway and his driveway in winter.

I'd repair all the elderly folks' TVs on the block and set their VCR clocks for them for free. We'd go over for drinks, go fishing together, and go for rides in the country on Sunday. There was an old African American guy that lived down the block. I'd mow his lawn once a week. And loan him $20 the fourth week of every month and take him to the grocery store. The 1st of every month he'd pay me back. Went on for years.

Black, white, hispanic... we got along well with everyone in that neighborhood. I think the reason was we were all home owners, not renters. That, I believe, has a LOT to do with how a high density neighborhood in the city fares. Renters come in, absentee landlords, no pride in ownership.... its all down hill at that point.

That's why we finally moved away. The older folks started dying off, and their kids sold the houses to rental companies. It was the end of the neighborhood at that point.

 

[Looking4new]

Speaking of gravel roads, anyone remember getting their road oiled by the county to keep dust down?

Yessir! That was back in the 50's and 60's. Then oiling roads became illegal here. Now it is rot your car out faster calcium chloride or not as fast (but still rots it out) magnesium chloride.

 

[dodge man]

Reading people is like reading posts on a forum. Don't read something into it thats not there. Maybe people are shy. Maybe indifferent, maybe snobs, maybe azzholes, you just don't know.

 

[JerryK]

Speaking of gravel roads, anyone remember getting their road oiled by the county to keep dust down?

Yes Sir. Many a time in the 50's I would burn the bottom of my feet crossing the neighborhood roads on my twice daily trip to the beach. Turned the bottom of your feet black, too. But at that age that did not bother me as much as the searing pain trying to get across as fast as possible........

 

[turnkey4099]

Personally, if I was going by on the tractor, I would have stopped anyways and helped. I lived in town most of my life and recently moved to the country. Yes, people are friendlier here, but city people have a lot more to be leery about and I think its just bred into them not to be so trusting. Just sayin'

Same here. My lot (2 acres) is right on a main Washingtons State Highway(SR195). Someone has a problem that I see, I'll stop and ask if I can help. Pulled more than one stranger out of a snowbank in the winter time, hauled people to town with my gas can to get some gas for their rig, opened my house to people stranded in a blizzard, etc. I don't need to be waved or nodded at.

 

[turnkey4099]

There's been a no. of new people move in over the years on the country rd. between my place and the highway. I wave to all of them and found that after the 3rd or 4th time I get a smile and a way back.

Yep. Takes them a bit to learn 'country ways'