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nowhereman427, wow, I can't believe there is someone else that feels the same way I do! I thought I was just getting weirder with old age or was developing some kind of a phobia. I live in Northern California, in the Sacramento area. Our region has experienced tremendous population growth during the past 25 years. Mostly people coming from the Bay Area - LOL! I just can't stand the crowds. the stores are so crowded all the time, I can't even walk down the aisle at the neighborhood grocery store without saying "Pardon me, excuse me" a million times as I try to maneuver my shopping cart around people. I especially hate it when they are standing in front of me looking at goods on the shelves, and won't move out of the way.
I became aware of these feelings in the past year or so, coincidently as our suburb continues to grow. Traffic is awful, and as you said, there are long lines for everything. I don't know if I'll ever make it to Idaho, although I'd love to visit as it isn't that far away, but I'm just grateful to learn there are others that feel as I do.
I thought the exact thing you did until I talked to another person that did move from here to Idaho for exact same reasons.
We are not alone. I thought same as you, am I going crazy as I get older? As time goes by there are more and more people everywhere which means traffic, long lines at stores. Another thing I realized is that I can't go in any direction in car without having to stop and use brakes. Up in Rio Linda you get more distance and can go further without stopping as the older homes there are spread out. But this is now ridiculous because now when I back out of driveway down here I always have to worry about someone hitting me. Then I go one block in either direction and I must stop because there might be traffic.
This sure does take a toll on car as well as the torn up roads.
When I am in San Francisco walking on the sidewalk at any time of the day I cannot walk a straight line without someone bumping me from the front, the back or both sides of me. Too many people and not enough space is what it has come down to. Same thing with public transportation here you will end up standing most of the way as the buses are all packed with people like sardines.
They do not promote driving here anymore and encourage public transportation but we still end up in each others way on a crowded bus or train bumping into another or before even before catching public transportation it is more difficult to to try to find a parking space as they are all full.
Remember when the automobile was a product of freedom to go anywhere? They make it harder on us now with raising gas prices and always raising bridge tolls. Public transportation keeps going up in price as well as the parking spaces you must pay for in SF anywhere from $1.00 to $6.00 depending on the demand.
Not anymore with no space and with spare the air days we have. They also have gone as far as we can't run our lawn mowers or burn anything in fireplace because of spare the air days which is relative to the overpopulation problem. Too many fish in the tank and the quality of life goes down.
I am very familiar with the Sac. Roseville and Placer Counties. There was a big boon of new homes put in and lots of development shopping malls near that Galleria area in Roseville. Now when I go up there there are traffic jams. Wasn't like that before as I remember that area since 1975. It's like the SF bay area got where you are except it's worse here.. All of that development brought in more people and all the farmland and open spaces disappeared.
Last edited by nowhereman427; 06-30-2014 at 01:15 AM..
Seriously, there is a lot of space here and not very many people. Idaho, for a century or so, has classically been a place for people to run and hide from human society. If you don't like people, Idaho, Washington, Montana, and Wyoming have lots and lots of open space, with a wild-eyed not-quite-sane old guy poking the barrel of his shotgun out the window of his cabin every 25 miles or so. Just be sure you can handle winter (you might find yourself regretting the lack of--ICK--people when something goes wrong).
Seriously, there is a lot of space here and not very many people. Idaho, for a century or so, has classically been a place for people to run and hide from human society. If you don't like people, Idaho, Washington, Montana, and Wyoming have lots and lots of open space, with a wild-eyed not-quite-sane old guy poking the barrel of his shotgun out the window of his cabin every 25 miles or so. Just be sure you can handle winter (you might find yourself regretting the lack of--ICK--people when something goes wrong).
Now that you mention this I thought I heard Idaho is the place where alot of survivalists live and are training in the forrests for another holocost to happen.
Now that you mention this I thought I heard Idaho is the place where alot of survivalists live and are training in the forrests for another holocost to happen.
It's called deer and elk hunting. Few of us are actually "preparers"...but an awful lot of us stock up food supplies in case we have a big winter storm hit, and we will buy a 1/4 or 1/2 steer at a time (local grass fed stock).
Perhaps just living the way many people here live is mistaken for "survival training".
Hey, I'm a survivalist here in CA trying to survive the urban jungle filled with gang bangers and other fun types. I can't wait to trade the denizens of this jungle for the critters in the forests of Idaho.
Not exactly the same but I have similiar concerns and am also looking for a place out of San Francisco, CA Bay area.
I want less government intervention. Less taxes. No more long lines because here you must wait in line for every thing.
Too many people ahead of you.
No privacy.
I need more privacy.
I prefer Little or no traffic along with no traffic signals because here we have too much congestion, traffic grid lock, road rage and you can't drive anywhere without having to stop and go which ruins your car and contributes to high cost of maintaining your car. Not to mention CA is not a automobile friendly state especially if you have a classic older car. Too many smog restrictions to get your $$$$.
We also have the worst roads that tear up our car. They keep using that as an excuse to raise taxes so that they will fix up these beaten up roads but they don't.
A similiar ballot will come every year for people to vote to improve roads and transportation and the people are fooled again just like sheep not realizing this is just another way of raising taxes, revenue collecting to feed corrupt governments here and getting your $$$$$
I seek A higher quality of life with less population because I have learned from being here all of my life that there are just too many fish in the tank and by that I mean when you have too many people the resources dry up faster and prices go up, cost of living goes up, Real estate, rents, mortgages, food, less jobs available, with more competition in everything. Supply and demand as they say. Conclusion the quality of life goes down as someone will beat you to the punch.
Gun culture I am 100% for that.
California is just the opposite in this area.
Actually it's not. Idaho is slowly becoming Californiacated. Higher registration fees are here. Boat inspections are here. Smog inspections are coming here soon too. Higher prices for land now here. Congestion is starting to be here now more and more. Less jobs. More homelessness. Everything you hate about Ca is slowing making it's way here one new resident at a time. Over time what you left will be right here. You all will feel right at home. In the new h ell you created someplace else. Remember California used to be a awesome state? Why have the residents let it down so much?
Actually it's not. Idaho is slowly becoming Californiacated. Higher registration fees are here. Boat inspections are here. Smog inspections are coming here soon too. Higher prices for land now here. Congestion is starting to be here now more and more. Less jobs. More homelessness. Everything you hate about Ca is slowing making it's way here one new resident at a time. Over time what you left will be right here. You all will feel right at home. In the new h ell you created someplace else. Remember California used to be a awesome state? Why have the residents let it down so much?
You are referring to that arcane and mysterious phenomenon whereby the population of the earth increases while its land area does not.
If you object to things like boat inspections and smog inspections, though, that's a bit contradictory, as people fouling the land, air, and water is precisely what makes some places turn into "hells." None of us has the luxury of just running around spewing waste and destroying resources. If those sorts of controls are an example of "Californication," I say, bring 'em on. Before environmental regulations existed, Idaho's forests were being destroyed and its rivers and lakes polluted with mining waste. There's a reason why Idaho has so many Superfund sites.
Actually it's not. Idaho is slowly becoming Californiacated. Higher registration fees are here. Boat inspections are here. Smog inspections are coming here soon too. Higher prices for land now here. Congestion is starting to be here now more and more. Less jobs. More homelessness. Everything you hate about Ca is slowing making it's way here one new resident at a time. Over time what you left will be right here. You all will feel right at home. In the new h ell you created someplace else. Remember California used to be a awesome state? Why have the residents let it down so much?
I recognize that some aspects of living in Idaho have changed over time, and it's convenient to blame newcomers to the state regardless of where they are from. That said, Idaho is a far, far ways away from being like California, and I don't think it will be like California in your or my lifetime.
Some perspective:
Let's start with something more important than fees or inspections. It's quickly apparent when you visit Idaho that people are much more friendly and open compared to California. Walk down the street in Idaho and people you don't know will look you in the eye, smile, and say "hello." This rarely happens in most urban areas of California. It really is a dramatic difference that is readily apparent once you are there.
On to a few facts and figures:
Cost to register a new Toyota Tacoma in California (based on a list price of about $19k): $225. Cost to register the same vehicle in Idaho: $48. Maybe the $48 is more than it used to be, I don't know, but it doesn't come close to what we pay in California.
Population density of Los Angeles County: 2425 people/square mile. Population density of Ada County ID: 375 people/square mile (I assume this may be the most heavily populated county in Idaho). On the other hand Bonner county is 24 people/square mile, which compares favorably to the sparsely populated San Bernardino county at 102. So, while Idaho's population has grown by 20% over the past decade, it's not even close to being as congested as California.
Let's think about the impact of ex Californians on state and local politics. In 2009-2010 6,700 people migrated from California to Idaho. From 2000 through 2010 275,000 people moved to Idaho from all states. Perhaps Californians make up 75,000 of those new residents. Idaho has a population of round about 1.6M people, so ex-Californians may make up 4-5% of the population of Idaho. Many of those are people who certainly don't want to bring California's ills to Idaho. On the contrary, we're moving there to escape the worst of California, not bring it with us. Although we are an easy target, it's doesn't seem realistic to attribute all the changes that have occurred in Idaho to people moving there from California.
Nowhereman, I can tell you that in our travels to north Idaho over the past year as we researched the area, looked at properties, and eventually decided that's where we wanted to spend the rest of our lives, we have not encountered the stereotypical anti-California attitude at all when we were there. On the contrary, everyone, down to the last person we have met, has been open, welcoming, and friendly.
I recognize that some aspects of living in Idaho have changed over time, and it's convenient to blame newcomers to the state regardless of where they are from. That said, Idaho is a far, far ways away from being like California, and I don't think it will be like California in your or my lifetime.
Some perspective:
Let's start with something more important than fees or inspections. It's quickly apparent when you visit Idaho that people are much more friendly and open compared to California. Walk down the street in Idaho and people you don't know will look you in the eye, smile, and say "hello." This rarely happens in most urban areas of California. It really is a dramatic difference that is readily apparent once you are there.
On to a few facts and figures:
Cost to register a new Toyota Tacoma in California (based on a list price of about $19k): $225. Cost to register the same vehicle in Idaho: $48. Maybe the $48 is more than it used to be, I don't know, but it doesn't come close to what we pay in California.
Population density of Los Angeles County: 2425 people/square mile. Population density of Ada County ID: 375 people/square mile (I assume this may be the most heavily populated county in Idaho). On the other hand Bonner county is 24 people/square mile, which compares favorably to the sparsely populated San Bernardino county at 102. So, while Idaho's population has grown by 20% over the past decade, it's not even close to being as congested as California.
Let's think about the impact of ex Californians on state and local politics. In 2009-2010 6,700 people migrated from California to Idaho. From 2000 through 2010 275,000 people moved to Idaho from all states. Perhaps Californians make up 75,000 of those new residents. Idaho has a population of round about 1.6M people, so ex-Californians may make up 4-5% of the population of Idaho. Many of those are people who certainly don't want to bring California's ills to Idaho. On the contrary, we're moving there to escape the worst of California, not bring it with us. Although we are an easy target, it's doesn't seem realistic to attribute all the changes that have occurred in Idaho to people moving there from California.
Nowhereman, I can tell you that in our travels to north Idaho over the past year as we researched the area, looked at properties, and eventually decided that's where we wanted to spend the rest of our lives, we have not encountered the stereotypical anti-California attitude at all when we were there. On the contrary, everyone, down to the last person we have met, has been open, welcoming, and friendly.
Dave
Coming from here it is hard to believe that but yet there is hope. The population here has spread faster than cancer. It seems like it gets worse and worse everyday from driving your own personal vehicle to having to take public transportation packed like sardines. One thing you will never die of here is loneliness or lack of privacy. There is no privacy here with cameras everywhere and no matter where you go there will be a line so you just wait your turn. Freeways are jammed packed it's driving me nuts.
Hey, I'm a survivalist here in CA trying to survive the urban jungle filled with gang bangers and other fun types. I can't wait to trade the denizens of this jungle for the critters in the forests of Idaho.
Hey I'm with you and tired of all this urbanization
Last edited by nowhereman427; 09-03-2021 at 12:23 AM..
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I just can't stand the crowds. the stores are so crowded all the time, I can't even walk down the aisle at the neighborhood grocery store without saying "Pardon me, excuse me" a million times as I try to maneuver my shopping cart around people. I especially hate it when they are standing in front of me looking at goods on the shelves, and won't move out of the way. 
Wasn't like that before as I remember that area since 1975. It's like the SF bay area got where you are except it's worse here.. All of that development brought in more people and all the farmland and open spaces disappeared.
