Why do people leave Colorado? (Colorado Springs, Evans: job, house, moving)

[formercalifornian]

Deb...

I'm sorry that you are suffering from chronic pain. I can only imagine how miserable that must be. It is hard to discern what happened from your post, but I surmise that an officer came to your home after a report of reckless driving from someone who had observed you on the road. If that's the case, then please consider the possibility that you really were impaired while taking your meds. However, I don't know the whole story, so perhaps you were treated unfairly.

My experience with Colorado law enforcement has been overwhelmingly positive. Our community has very little crime, and the officers are friendly and helpful. I haven't ever had an interaction with an officer like that you have described. In fact, I ran a red light not long after I moved here and was given only a warning to be more careful in the future.

[Colorado Springs]

I totally agree. I know people who have lived here for over 20 years, and if it were not for extended family here, they would leave in a heartbeat. The police, especially in the ski resort areas (along the I-70 corridor) and during ski season, they camp out in the parking lots of bars and restaurants just waiting for someone to tail. They absolutely do have quotas, especially on holiday weekends (this past Memorial Day weekend, the Summit County Police Dept. - in the ski areas) had a quota of two DUI's per day, and you can look it right up on the internet. They even posted the results for the weekend!! If their job is to nail two people in a 24 hour period, you can bet they're using every resource, legal or not, to meet that quota. I have friends who left a bar after having 2 beers, were stopped within a mile of the bar and made to do the field tests. Others were taken into custody and brought to the filthy jail in Breckenridge (a dark little secret in that tony town) and charged with driving under the influence because they had taken Motrin! Colorado is also ranked #4 in the country for speed traps. These are deliberately set to entrap motorists. One example is the I-25 one just after the Briargate exit. The speed limit is 75 MPH, but as soon as you clear that exit, it goes down to 60 with absolutely no warning. A mile or so after that, it abruptly changes to 55 MPH, again with no warning. If you're not familiar with this stretch, you're going to get nailed, as the cops hang out under the overpass and just wait for speeders. I have heard so many horror stories of this nature, I drive with my eyes glued to the speedometer or with my cruise control on. Either way, it's stressful knowing they're just waiting to pick you off! Colorado is extremely beautiful and has a wealth of things to do. The skiing is second to none, and you can spend weeks driving around Colorado and still not see everything. I don't find the people overly friendly - the Evangelical influence is heavy (especially in Colorado Springs) and I find most of them hypocritical. Property taxes are too low, and as a result, the schools don't get the revenue they need, but the politicians are too afraid to suggest raising taxes. We have a home worth around $320,000, and our taxes are just around $2,000./year. There are many things I really like about Colorado, but I agree that having to worry about getting nabbed while driving really takes the enjoyment out of it.

[nelumbo]

I am (hopefully) someone who will be included in the statistics of people who move to CO for a few years, then move away. I know one or two other people in the area who also do not intend to stay for more than a few years. There is only one reason that I moved here - my job, which I do like. I had been hoping to get a job in a different area (east coast), but landed this one instead. A lot of the things that are big draws for the area are not things that I value - I don't like mountain activities or most outdoor sports/etc; I love humidity and big green trees, not semi-arid temperate steppe; and I prefer a denser urban area/lifestyle and have a high tolerance for high cost of living. Also, if most of your friends/family live on the coasts, the area can be a bit isolating. So, while I understand the appeal of the area to many people, I'd prefer to live somewhere else.

A possibility for people seeking friendly neighborhoods is cohousing - there are lots of cohousing developments in the area. I don't live in one, but I have a friend in Fort Collins who does, and likes it very much. There are lots of community activities (group dinners, etc) and shared space for kids to play, etc.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by Colorado Springs

One example is the I-25 one just after the Briargate exit. The speed limit is 75 MPH, but as soon as you clear that exit, it goes down to 60 with absolutely no warning. A mile or so after that, it abruptly changes to 55 MPH, again with no warning.

There's a similar speed limit decrease on I-25 N neat the Park Meadows Mall in Denver, but I think the change is warranted because that's an area with a lot of ramps shunting drivers on and off the highway. I never see cops hanging out there, though.

Property taxes are too low, and as a result, the schools don't get the revenue they need, but the politicians are too afraid to suggest raising taxes.

That's definitely not the case where I live. While the taxes seem quite reasonable to me, our schools seem to have more than enough money to go around. In fact, our local elementary is currently in the process of installing a climbing wall!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Colorado Springs

They absolutely do have quotas, especially on holiday weekends (this past Memorial Day weekend, the Summit County Police Dept. - in the ski areas) had a quota of two DUI's per day, and you can look it right up on the internet. They even posted the results for the weekend!! If their job is to nail two people in a 24 hour period, you can bet they're using every resource, legal or not, to meet that quota. I have friends who left a bar after having 2 beers, were stopped within a mile of the bar and made to do the field tests.

I wonder what the state of mind is of the officers who pull drunks over. I wonder what experiences the officers have had. I wonder how many mangled bodies these guys have come across because of some drunk. I love when they bust people. I wish they'd bust more of them. Maybe give them a little "Rodney King" business too. Two DUI's per night per cop is probably getting about three percent of the drunks.

[COflower]

Originally Posted by Charles

I wonder what the state of mind is of the officers who pull drunks over. I wonder what experiences the officers have had. I wonder how many mangled bodies these guys have come across because of some drunk. I love when they bust people. I wish they'd bust more of them. Maybe give them a little "Rodney King" business too. Two DUI's per night per cop is probably getting about three percent of the drunks.

It's a valid argument Charles, very valid.

I made a comment about Miss debm1776's "experiences" in my blog and by and large people agreed with me...it doesn't matter where you are people drink and drive (including prescription medicaiton) and cops are wanting to ensure the public is safe.

As a Libertarian, I find certain means to keep drunks off the road invasive. But with that said, I don't think it's a "right" for you, Joe Schmoe or me to be on the roads with our abilities impaired.


I do agree to a certain extent that quotas are a part of any law enforcement but officers don't randomly go after people. If you are following traffic rules, chances are you aren't going to be pulled over. If you are sober and have no means of suspicious activities, they wont pull you over.

Yes, there are those cops with a bad day and there are those with an agenda but they are not a common thing or the idea of local and state law enforcement would have come to it's knees years ago. But this woman to have the claims she's posted. I challenge her to get her arse in court and prove us all wrong that she was in the right, she hadn't had any medications, drugs or alcohol and that she got a UTI AND thrush during her stint in jail.

[COflower]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

There's a similar speed limit decrease on I-25 N neat the Park Meadows Mall in Denver, but I think the change is warranted because that's an area with a lot of ramps shunting drivers on and off the highway. I never see cops hanging out there, though.

I think what people dont' realize is that the Fed's placed a speed limit on areas with a certain amount of residents in a certain amount of square miles within the interestate.

I'm not singling you out here formercalifornian but wanted to take your post and make it worth what I am trying to say?

Anyhow, when congress (and I hope someone can back me up here as my Google-Fu broke so there's a good cite), approved the 75 mph speed limit, they impossed the idea that within a populated area of a certain amount of people, the speed limits would be decreased.

Now, the last time I cruised through from Denver to Academy Blvd. there was no "sudden change" of speed limit. There are/were signs posted that went from 75 to 65 to 60 to 55 for after the Briargate exit and that wasn't that long ago.

The towns of Fairplay and Alma do a similar thing but down to 20 mph from 55 mph IIRC.

I think a few people here are giving license to creative writing here.

You have to know the laws and if you've kept abreast of them over the years, you would know that most juristictions don't "suddenly" make changes. You would also know that going from open highway to dense populations, the speed limit will decrease.

I just don't get this "well I didn't know" attitude.

Read the newspaper, watch your local news. Things will change in this "we need to make laws because we have nothing better to do" society. Be ignorant or be up on the situation. It's up to you but don't blame your ticket on your own stupidity. I am serious, the signs coming into the Springs have always been pretty tell tale as to whats to come, not to mention common sense.

[Charles]

Sort of related, but am I the only guy who thinks the 55 mph speed limit on the 225 from the 25 to the 70 seems a little low? After barreling down the 25 from Monument at 75+, then you hit the DTC down to around 65, OK, that seems about right, but 55 on the 225 north to the 70 on the way to DEN?

[COflower]

Originally Posted by Charles

Sort of related, but am I the only guy who thinks the 55 mph speed limit on the 225 from the 25 to the 70 seems a little low? After barreling down the 25 from Monument at 75+, then you hit the DTC down to around 65, OK, that seems about right, but 55 on the 225 north to the 70 on the way to DEN?

Charles, after having lived there? No.

Even back in the 90s that place was a madhouse to get through during the work week. With the amount of traffic in that area? Heck, you'd be happy if you can get above 45 during a rush hour.

With that said, with the volumn of traffic in the area, the curves and such, I don't think it's too out of line to be at 55.

And, IIRC, you turn into the 55 mph at least at Orchard, which is before 225. Before T-Rex started, before there was the worst of traffic problems there, getting from Orchard (which is where I lived - actually Colorado and Orchard) to Evans took me a good half hour.

I don't think that 55 through Colorado Springs from about Academy (north) and Academy (south) is all that too much ask. 225 and the C Springs area on I-25 aren't all that much different.

[COflower]

Oh and LOL, I have to say that to long-timers and "natives" you don't put "the" in front of the highway designation.

It's "I-25" or "I-225" (eye-two-twenty-five), "I-70" and such. Not "The 225" or "The 25".

Hehe, sounds like you're from the (don't quote me on this) California region.

For as long as I have lived in Colorado (39 years) the designations I listed are more likely to align you with Coloradans than the other.

Just saying.