How about just fixing up (or tearing down and replacing) the houses that are falling into ruin? Might have to check if someone’s already living there though.

This morning there were three cars in the oncoming traffic. The middle one high-beamed me (and the vehicle in front of him, plus the two cars behind me). I didn't have my high beams on, but the guy behind me had those "bright" looking lights (I didn't think they were bad at all). So yeah, just high beam everyone when you think one guy has their high beams on (even when they don't).

It could be a coping mechanism. To fully embrace the anger and frustration he's likely feeling right now might drive him mad. But I do think people should entertain forgiveness more often than they seem to in this world. I'm not saying this woman shouldn't be punished, but punishment never brings back the victims or heals the family of the victims. Holding onto anger and hate is self-destructive.

If you don't maintain a normal house it can also depreciate.

My wife is Asian and we've had extremely few issues. I can't speak for the handful of black folks who live in our little town in the central part of the state, and I don't happen to know them well other than to wave at the ones who are our neighbors down the street, but they seem to be loved and respected by many locals as far as I can tell.

To amplify this post a bit, EC Fiber is pretty well built out in the areas from White River Junction up I-89 to the Randolph area. There's a great map of coverage on their website. Royalton/Bethel/Stockbridge would put you not too far from Killington and would be in the EC Fiber coverage area (and it's awesome Internet).

I didn’t mean to minimize the human aspect. No doubt that is the number one factor.

I didn't say anything about DeJoy, I asked about efficiency. I'm about fixing the problem, not assigning blame.

So mothballing sorting machines didn’t effect efficiency?

Anything's possible?

Lots of VTers are shagging NYers.

I don't take exception to her expressing how she feels and I'm in no position to question that. I feel her somehow divining what other people are supposedly feeling is less well supported.

I think I get at least some of what the author is getting at, but the phrase you quoted (“a deep and likely unrecognized sense of belonging in those [outdoor] spaces") seems weird to me. There is also the following line: "A belonging felt so deeply that some might experience it as an entitlement, as a sense of ownership."

This is essentially speculation about what other people the author encounters on the trail are thinking. There's no real way of knowing what is in the minds of these other hikers unless they flat out told her.

I've gotten occasional "entitled" vibes from people on the trail, but that's just my view. After these unfriendly people passed me, I didn't stop them to ask "hey, why didn't you say hi? Shy? Anxious? Fearful? Feeling entitled? Self-absorbed a-hole? Think you own the trail? Rich and above poors like me without all the expensive gear?"

And I'm not sure I would ever describe the feelings I have while on the trail as "deep belonging" or "ownership". Far from it. Mostly I feel in awe of the place, thankful that I'm still ambulatory and able to have the experience, keeping an eye on the weather because in a short amount of time the place can become completely inhospitable and deadly. None of us (or perhaps very few) "belong" there, IMO. I'm there not because of some birthright, but just a desire to experience something beautiful. Seeing people of all types on the trail can only add to that.

My wife and I hiked Mt. Osceola and wanted to take some photos at the overlook but one family (that was not white) hogged the spot for the entire time we were there (we even ate lunch). They refused to decenter themselves. This is not a race thing, it's a considerate person/non-considerate person thing and maybe more of an urban person in nature thing or entitled person thing, I don't know. We never once attributed their behavior to their race.

I’m referring to the idea that people in some neighborhoods will petition their town governments to lower the speed limits for perceived safety reasons. Whether that’s actually effective and scientifically provable is another matter. But in such cases you might not think that was in your personal best interest (although we might argue that point as well).

All I know is that I got raked over the coals financially when I came back to VT and tried to exchange the CAD to USD. Better to just stash the cash and use it the next time you go to Canada.

Maybe you shouldn’t think so much. :)

Maybe on their deathbed people who drove too fast will realize they didn’t gain much and will instead wish they’d slowed down and enjoyed the journey.

I used to commute up and down I-89 an hour and fifteen minutes each way when I was much younger. Over time I noticed that when I was really pushing it, speed wise, the trip felt longer. I had to pass more cars and it was just a bit more stressful. If I cruised at the speed limit and just listened to the radio or some music I’d often arrive at my exit with that feeling of “oh, I’m here already?”

In my early 20s I’d fly up and down the dirt road I lived on at 50+ mph. Until I hit that deer, that is. Now if I drive that same road I wonder how I could possibly have driven so fast thinking it was just fine.

We’re living in a society. Some speed limits are set with other people’s best interests in mind.

Same here. No real change in 40 years of driving other than, yes, the LEDs are annoying. But I’ve seen no evidence of constant high beams being an issue.

When’s the last time you actually heard of such a thing happening?

If I had a dollar for every time the wife said “they must have their high beams on” and I was like “nope”….

The Rutvegas Rutlands

Okay, I guess it's just me that feels like driving in Boston is taking my life into my hands.

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