I’ll have to look into that, I didn’t know that.

Bruh what? Driving is the most dangerous thing most people do. We should absolutely treat people with kindness on the road.

Your question is offensive because it screams OUTSIDER! Who do you think you are to come to Vermont and dare question the way things are done here? If you see something, no matter how ridiculous it seems to you at first, second, third, or even the hundredth glance -- hell, even if you've studied the subject matter or whatever it is, in great detail over the course of a storied career -- keep your coddled, privileged, uninformed, elitist, and patently "un-Vermont" ideas to yourself. You are and always will be a know-nothing flatlander.

You should have asked which brand and size generator you should buy, from whom, and what a fair price is for installing it. Don't think about cause-based approaches to problem solving at this scale, think about creative reactive work-around "fixes" to perpetually disruptive conditions and you'll be fine. A good test for whether you're doing it right (and well) is if your process begins seeming repetitive and starts feeling like you're in a "death by a thousand paper cuts" spiral. Common tells or giveaways that you've arrived at "right mind", are when you stop saying out loud "WTF," or "You've got to be f%&$ing kidding me", etc., and just think it, like a stoic might.

Oh yeah, welcome!

Stated differently, don’t be a nicehole!

The Vermont Standoff. Less deadly than a Mexican Standoff, but far more infuriating.

Nah. That is not true.

I spent 20 years driving in places like Seattle, Oregon, Nashville, Denver and California. This whole time, I had this impression of Mass-holes being crazy on the road.

Then I returned home. I started driving in Boston, Vermont, the Maine coast, and highways in New Hampshire.

Boston and Maine drivers were delightful. When I put on my turn signal in traffic, there was space for me to fit. When I was on the freeway, people would pass and then move right. I rarely saw a slow car camping in the fast lane. The flow of traffic is amazing. I always had room to go where I signaled, or , where it was my right of way. At an intersection, people took their turns, and got out of the way. Not one car tailgated me. Not one car has cut me off. Not one driver or passenger gave me 'stink eye' or a middle finger in traffic. Not one car pulled out of a driveway in reverse, across 2 or 3 lanes of traffic, to go the other way. Not one car tried to make a left turn across traffic when it was not safe. (They turned right, and made a safe U turn. ) These are regular hazards in those other places.

California also has plenty of aboveground power. It seems like a good % of the forest fires are blamed on PG&E infrastructure.

weird, it’s like I posted on a public forum about it. what the sleuther you are!

I don’t want rate hikes, no one really does. But they are necessary in many cases because costs aren’t going down plus utilities need to pay for upgrades and repairs

I moved here from New York City 20 years ago, I live in Burlington, the intersection to go to to experience this the best is King Street and Pine Street. Just a block away on Maple Street it runs effectively, but this intersection I speak of is the classic no you go, no you go. So I’m the guy… That just goes. I figure while everybody still thinking about it I can be across the intersection on my way. And we need another whole post on shooting laughs which is another Vermont phenomenon, which can get you killed!

Use your turn signal.

Do what is expected. Go when it is your turn. Standing in the way when it is your turn to go is annoying. And not safe. So move it out of the way.

I’m from the Bay Area originally, I honestly think Vermonters are worse drivers. They are very good about driving safely in winter conditions, even when it’s not winter. However, I have noticed many Vermont drivers are oblivious to any other cars on the road. I regularly get pushed out of my lane, or have people pull right out in front of me and go 15 under while I am cruising at the limit making me slam my brakes. I see this sort of behavior so often it seems endemic to the state. I have even seen it within my own social circle from people who claim to be safe drivers.

This drives me crazy every time it happens

The worst is stopping in the middle of an active lane of traffic to let someone in/out. I can't count the amount of times I've seen that.

Ironic to think of a Bostonian worried about creating dangerous driving situations.

Thanks! Hope you enjoy

It’s honestly true. There’s so much road rage and rage in general, and peoples mental states are not getting better these days.. still love Vermont tho.

I hate when people don't follow basic right-of-way rules.

I always go!!

If you don't go I GO is my motto.

oh Honey, your testosterone injections are showing.

Waving people ahead gives them unnecessary initiative to move immediately and without checking. This is a known impact of being too nice, as sad as it is.

Yes, you're being polite by waving them in. No, you're creating additional traffic AND potentially putting everyone at risk. Drive predictably and assume others will not, then everyone can make it home.

I've been waived into traffic by someone "trying to be nice" so many times here. I've flat out refused and then it becomes a standoff of the "nice" person demanding I pull out when I can't see past their stupid SUV into oncoming traffic. I'd rather wait 15 minutes trying to turn left onto a road than have some fucking asshole stop traffic just so they can feel good about themselves.

The best comment so far

Vermont has all types of *white people*, and the dominant type here is old and rich. Vermont does not have all types of people from all walks of life. We are far too exclusive for that.

Unless black people move here and instantly become invisible (as I'm sure any black people not living in Chittenden County would like to be), we definitely do not have all types of people here. At all.

I'm originally from the Midwest. It is not uncommon for there to be no above ground power lines in newer communities there. In the Midwest, urban sprawl is lead by horizontal drilling operations. The lines are in the ground before houses, businesses, schools, etc. are laid out. If it were cost prohibitive in the region, the stingy politicians would squash it.

The Midwest might have billboards, but it does not have huge bundles of above ground power lines like the NE does (except in the older parts). The reason I've heard again and again is that the NE's abundant ledge makes it really hard to run long horizontal drilling operations. You can translate that to expensive if you want. I'm sure it could be done with enough time and funding.