living in the middle of nowhere?

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: Spillips
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I went on a little road trip yesterday out past Sealy, TX probably 50 miles west of it. What do people do out there for a living? Each house had about 30 acres of what looked like just a grassy field. It didn't look like a crop field, but that must have been what it was. What do people do for fun and to make a living out there, especially when you have to drive 30-40 miles to get to town?


Sealy isn't exactly what I'd call "middle of nowhere!" You gotta go about 500 miles further west on I-10 before you get to the edge of nowhere, let alone the middle.



How about Odessa, TX? Like in "No Country For Old Men." Now THAT is the middle of nowhere, what I saw in that movie! High Desert...



Midland/Odessa is actually a fairly large pair of adjoining cities- combined population over 200,000 not counting the suburbs. Kinda in the middle of not-very-much, but still a big population center, way too much money, and on an interstate highway.

Ozona, Pecos, Fort Stockton, Van Horn, Alpine, Fort Davis, Marathon, Terlingua.... those are small towns in the better part of nowhere. And I love 'em.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wonder the same thing. How would someone not lose their minds being stuck out in bfe in deliveranceville or wrong turn-ville,where everybody looks inbred and related. Especially those tiny places that are hours away from a big city.


Would you like a list?

1. We don't have to deal with all the riff-raff that are in your inner city neighborhood.
2. We don't have the gang violence that you have in your inner city neighborhood.
3. We don't have the constant noise that you do in your inner city neighborhood.
4. We get awakened by singing birds rather than gunshots like you have in your inner city neighborhood.
5. We have the ability to produce much of our own food, unlike you in your inner city neighborhood.
6. We have clean air, unlike your polluted, trashy, graffiti covered inner city neighborhood.
7. We have much lower crime rates than you have in your inner city neighborhood.
8. We don't have to deal with people that aren't smart enough to understand the advantages to a rural lifestyle, unlike the people in your inner city neighborhood.

 

[oilslick44]

Fifty years ago I was in the Army at Ft.Hood. In my spare time
I used to drive my 52 Dodge around Texas exploring. I drove thru
small towns and didn't see anybody. I wondered the same thing.
Where are all the people and do they do for a living.

 

[Spillips]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: Spillips
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I went on a little road trip yesterday out past Sealy, TX probably 50 miles west of it. What do people do out there for a living? Each house had about 30 acres of what looked like just a grassy field. It didn't look like a crop field, but that must have been what it was. What do people do for fun and to make a living out there, especially when you have to drive 30-40 miles to get to town?


Sealy isn't exactly what I'd call "middle of nowhere!" You gotta go about 500 miles further west on I-10 before you get to the edge of nowhere, let alone the middle.



How about Odessa, TX? Like in "No Country For Old Men." Now THAT is the middle of nowhere, what I saw in that movie! High Desert...



Midland/Odessa is actually a fairly large pair of adjoining cities- combined population over 200,000 not counting the suburbs. Kinda in the middle of not-very-much, but still a big population center, way too much money, and on an interstate highway.

Ozona, Pecos, Fort Stockton, Van Horn, Alpine, Fort Davis, Marathon, Terlingua.... those are small towns in the better part of nowhere. And I love 'em.


Temple?

And

 

[AlienBug]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wonder the same thing. How would someone not lose their minds being stuck out in bfe in deliveranceville or wrong turn-ville,where everybody looks inbred and related. Especially those tiny places that are hours away from a big city.


Would you like a list?

1. We don't have to deal with all the riff-raff that are in your inner city neighborhood.
2. We don't have the gang violence that you have in your inner city neighborhood.
3. We don't have the constant noise that you do in your inner city neighborhood.
4. We get awakened by singing birds rather than gunshots like you have in your inner city neighborhood.
5. We have the ability to produce much of our own food, unlike you in your inner city neighborhood.
6. We have clean air, unlike your polluted, trashy, graffiti covered inner city neighborhood.
7. We have much lower crime rates than you have in your inner city neighborhood.
8. We don't have to deal with people that aren't smart enough to understand the advantages to a rural lifestyle, unlike the people in your inner city neighborhood.


You seem to think living in an urban area = living in a ghetto. This isn't 1978. With very few exceptions, American cities are having historically low crime rates.

New York City had 328 homicides last year in a city of over 8 million. The state of Indiana (6.5 million) had 330 killings. You're significantly safer in NYC.

 

[AZjeff]

Originally Posted By: madRiver
Some folks who live in desirable remote areas can telecommute near 100%. I can do my job anywhere in the world with resonable internet connection.


That's great, but how many of those people on those 30 acre plots do you think are doing it? I bet the percentage of people telecommuting is measured in the tenths or hundredths of a percent of the workforce. Great work if you can get it.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wonder the same thing. How would someone not lose their minds being stuck out in bfe in deliveranceville or wrong turn-ville,where everybody looks inbred and related. Especially those tiny places that are hours away from a big city.


They read the bible and clean their guns.

 

[xxch4osxx]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wonder the same thing. How would someone not lose their minds being stuck out in bfe in deliveranceville or wrong turn-ville,where everybody looks inbred and related. Especially those tiny places that are hours away from a big city.


Would you like a list?

1. We don't have to deal with all the riff-raff that are in your inner city neighborhood.
2. We don't have the gang violence that you have in your inner city neighborhood.
3. We don't have the constant noise that you do in your inner city neighborhood.
4. We get awakened by singing birds rather than gunshots like you have in your inner city neighborhood.
5. We have the ability to produce much of our own food, unlike you in your inner city neighborhood.
6. We have clean air, unlike your polluted, trashy, graffiti covered inner city neighborhood.
7. We have much lower crime rates than you have in your inner city neighborhood.
8. We don't have to deal with people that aren't smart enough to understand the advantages to a rural lifestyle, unlike the people in your inner city neighborhood.
I agree with this 100%. I could never live in a city. The traffic alone would make me go nuts. Rural living all the way for me.

 

[Spillips]

Originally Posted By: AlienBug
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wonder the same thing. How would someone not lose their minds being stuck out in bfe in deliveranceville or wrong turn-ville,where everybody looks inbred and related. Especially those tiny places that are hours away from a big city.


Would you like a list?

1. We don't have to deal with all the riff-raff that are in your inner city neighborhood.
2. We don't have the gang violence that you have in your inner city neighborhood.
3. We don't have the constant noise that you do in your inner city neighborhood.
4. We get awakened by singing birds rather than gunshots like you have in your inner city neighborhood.
5. We have the ability to produce much of our own food, unlike you in your inner city neighborhood.
6. We have clean air, unlike your polluted, trashy, graffiti covered inner city neighborhood.
7. We have much lower crime rates than you have in your inner city neighborhood.
8. We don't have to deal with people that aren't smart enough to understand the advantages to a rural lifestyle, unlike the people in your inner city neighborhood.


You seem to think living in an urban area = living in a ghetto. This isn't 1978. With very few exceptions, American cities are having historically low crime rates.

New York City had 328 homicides last year in a city of over 8 million. The state of Indiana (6.5 million) had 330 killings. You're significantly safer in NYC.


Some of the members here are in fact in a time lock of 1978 and previous.

 

[HM12460]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wonder the same thing. How would someone not lose their minds being stuck out in bfe in deliveranceville or wrong turn-ville,where everybody looks inbred and related. Especially those tiny places that are hours away from a big city.


They read the bible and clean their guns.









Yes!

 

[javacontour]

I think you need to look at it more granularly.

For example, I live in IL. If you look at the statewide average, we have a firearms death rate of 9/100k population.

But that doesn't tell the whole store. Chicago has a rate of 18.5/100k meaning the rest of the state has about a 1.5/100k death rate.

You can't compare a small area such as NYC to an entire state.

I'm not saying they don't exist, but I've yet to see a rural area that has a higher death rate / 100k on average.

Sure, some areas might have an astronomical rate that one year in the past generation where someone was killed. But the year over year averages tell me that urban areas have higher firearms death rates than rural areas.

Originally Posted By: AlienBug
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wonder the same thing. How would someone not lose their minds being stuck out in bfe in deliveranceville or wrong turn-ville,where everybody looks inbred and related. Especially those tiny places that are hours away from a big city.


Would you like a list?

1. We don't have to deal with all the riff-raff that are in your inner city neighborhood.
2. We don't have the gang violence that you have in your inner city neighborhood.
3. We don't have the constant noise that you do in your inner city neighborhood.
4. We get awakened by singing birds rather than gunshots like you have in your inner city neighborhood.
5. We have the ability to produce much of our own food, unlike you in your inner city neighborhood.
6. We have clean air, unlike your polluted, trashy, graffiti covered inner city neighborhood.
7. We have much lower crime rates than you have in your inner city neighborhood.
8. We don't have to deal with people that aren't smart enough to understand the advantages to a rural lifestyle, unlike the people in your inner city neighborhood.


You seem to think living in an urban area = living in a ghetto. This isn't 1978. With very few exceptions, American cities are having historically low crime rates.

New York City had 328 homicides last year in a city of over 8 million. The state of Indiana (6.5 million) had 330 killings. You're significantly safer in NYC.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wonder the same thing. How would someone not lose their minds being stuck out in bfe in deliveranceville or wrong turn-ville,where everybody looks inbred and related. Especially those tiny places that are hours away from a big city.


Would you like a list?

1. We don't have to deal with all the riff-raff that are in your inner city neighborhood.
2. We don't have the gang violence that you have in your inner city neighborhood.
3. We don't have the constant noise that you do in your inner city neighborhood.
4. We get awakened by singing birds rather than gunshots like you have in your inner city neighborhood.
5. We have the ability to produce much of our own food, unlike you in your inner city neighborhood.
6. We have clean air, unlike your polluted, trashy, graffiti covered inner city neighborhood.
7. We have much lower crime rates than you have in your inner city neighborhood.
8. We don't have to deal with people that aren't smart enough to understand the advantages to a rural lifestyle, unlike the people in your inner city neighborhood.


Good grief Pop_Rivit I live on Lake Conroe not in Houston's 5th Ward

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: AlienBug

You seem to think living in an urban area = living in a ghetto. This isn't 1978. With very few exceptions, American cities are having historically low crime rates.

New York City had 328 homicides last year in a city of over 8 million. The state of Indiana (6.5 million) had 330 killings. You're significantly safer in NYC.



I can tell you that the authorities are simply not reporting ALL the crimes in urban/metro areas, if they did there would be an uproar.

I would bet that violent crime is on a huge upswing, with the main street economy never recovered since 2008, and entitlements being reduced and or removed you will continue to see crimes increase.
I think it will be worse than at any time since the mid 70s.

Of most important note is that drug and gang related activities are spiking in areas that in the past never had such problems, it is now creeping into formerly quiet mid size towns and suburbs.

 

[supton]

Heh, I live north of NoWeare (local joke, sorry, a pun on North Weare obviously, and more funny in person). I like it, although I do find myself wanting to move a bit closer to a village. Like walking distance for the kids to go to friends houses, that sort of thing--gets old to drive them around for everything.

As far as I can tell, my town doesn't have a stop light of any sort. Town of 1,800 people and the police department averages about one ticket per day. Very quiet living, very peaceful. I can deal with the long drive to anything, although the hour long drive to work does wear one one eventually. But I'm always glad to leave work and watch the traffic die down; even if the road conditions get worse in the winter, as I get closer to home, I always breath a sigh of relief, as I know once I get halfway, it might be desolate but I won't get hit by anyone.

As for fun: there is stuff to do, just have to drive a bit. Not being social drinkers, movie goers or similar helps. We have some friends we like to see, and some stuff in the community perks our interest. But we are introverts also, so maybe that helps.

*

Saw this last night: how to tell if you are living in a rural, suburb or urban area:
-rural: you can stand naked on the porch and no one notices
-suburb: you stand naked on the porch and the neighbors call the cops
-urban: you stand naked on the porch (or outside) and everyone ignores you

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I wonder the same thing. How would someone not lose their minds being stuck out in bfe in deliveranceville or wrong turn-ville,where everybody looks inbred and related. Especially those tiny places that are hours away from a big city.


They read the bible and clean their guns.


Have to agree there. I've always noticed rural areas tend to have a lot of churches.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel

I can tell you that the authorities are simply not reporting ALL the crimes in urban/metro areas, if they did there would be an uproar.

I would bet that violent crime is on a huge upswing, with the main street economy never recovered since 2008, and entitlements being reduced and or removed you will continue to see crimes increase.
I think it will be worse than at any time since the mid 70s.

Of most important note is that drug and gang related activities are spiking in areas that in the past never had such problems, it is now creeping into formerly quiet mid size towns and suburbs.


I'm going to have to disagree there.

When I was living in NYC full time, crime was a very rare occurrence indeed.

The very idea that violent crime, especially murders, is going unreported? Come on. How is that supposed to work anyway? Someone gets shot and the police silence the victim, witnesses, and the hospitals? What about murders? MIB neuralizing everyone and then quietly disposing of the bodies?

One of the defining moments of the current crime situation in NYC was when my car disappeared while parked near Columbia University in Harlem. I called the NYPD and spoke to a police detective. My expectation was to get the 1980's NYPD response of "You'll probably never get it back. Press hard, three copies.".

To my surprise, not only did the detective absolutely refuse to believe that a car had been stolen in Harlem, but called me twice a day for 5 days until he uncovered that my car was mistaken for a another vehicle facing repossession and was accidentally towed by a New Jersey operator. Upon this discovery, he came to pick me up at my building, drove me to Newark, and bent the arm of the tow company to offer me cash compensation for their mistake.

The thing that always sticks in my head was how absolutely livid he was at the idea of a car being stolen in his precinct. And how proud he was that he was proven correct.

NYC truly is not the NYC of the 1980's.

 

[oilpsi2high]

Originally Posted By: madRiver
Some folks who live in desirable remote areas can telecommute near 100%. I can do my job anywhere in the world with resonable internet connection.


This. The only problem is finding a decent internet connection in a remote area.

 

[jhellwig]

Some people can survive without being five steps away from a starbucks, cafe, restaurant or shopping mall.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: madRiver
Some folks who live in desirable remote areas can telecommute near 100%. I can do my job anywhere in the world with resonable internet connection.


That's great, but how many of those people on those 30 acre plots do you think are doing it? I bet the percentage of people telecommuting is measured in the tenths or hundredths of a percent of the workforce. Great work if you can get it.


I didn't even have cell service, so unless they get their internet from satellite I doubt they even have internet.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman


I didn't even have cell service, so unless they get their internet from satellite I doubt they even have internet.


Seriously? "No cell service" just 50 miles west of Sealy? That would be around Columbus or a little west, and I've never lost coverage there. I fact there's not a single gap in coverage along I-10 until you get out between Ozona and Fort Stockton, and even now most of those gaps have filled in. And there are all sorts of available rural internet service options nowdays