Do you miss massachusetts? (Boston: sales, coupon, credit)

[TomnNC]

Nice, Outraged!! I hope people heed your advice and warning. It takes someone special to deal with MA. I dont know why people continue to deal with the attitudes, cost of living, weather, trash,and corruption that plagues the northeast. I am in NC now and wonder why I waited so long to leave that s---hole. I hope all the rude, corrupt, and self-centered folks stay in MA. Please dont come to NC.. We like the nice weather, low cost of living, FRIENDLY people, and clean streets.What a difference a move makes

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by Outraged_in_MA

What the hell kind of question is "Do you miss massachusetts?"

Who, in their right mind, would miss this hell-hole? It is the most ridiculous dump of a "state" I have ever seen in my life, and don't worry I've been to quite a few of them. (20 at last count, all of them on the west coast, the east coast, or the midwest; i.e. the places in america that you'd supposedly want to live.)

All I have to say is that Cosmic and Smarty know EXACTLY what this place is like, and if you've got two brain cells to rub together you'd listen to what they have to say. As for my two cents:

I spent six years in this miserable "existence", working my ass to the bone getting a PhD at one of the top two schools in MA. (If you're not aware, those would be Harvard and MIT). While I was busy doing that:

1) The State screwed me out of every last penny I had.
2) I got ripped off in two (out of three total) real estate transactions; lost $2000 total. Both of them were in reputable cities. Lexington and Boston.
3) The city declared war on my car. I'm not joking--I've been towed twice for being not ten, but EIGHT feet from a fire hydrant. Look around--every ass and their mother parks in front of fire hydrants in Boston. Did I also mention that I have gotten at least 20 false parking tickets? Yeah, the parking "police" love writing me tickets because I'm registered out-of-state. Try contesting a parking ticket with out-of-state plates. It doesn't work.
4) Seen corruption at its worst. If you like getting screwed, this is your place to be!
5) Did I mention I got screwed out of every last penny I had?
6) Fell in love with "street cleaning". They tow every car off the street every two weeks for "street cleaning", yet the place still looks like trash and at last count I've pulled 16 nails out of my tires. Oh and two pieces of random metal shrapnel too.
7) Been asked twice, after being cut off and nearly killed in traffic, to return to my home state. Don't worry buddy, I'd LOVE to return to my home state after living in this trash heap!
8) Damn near been killed at LEAST ten times in traffic.
9) Got screwed some more, out of the few copper atoms left over from those pennies in my pockets. Forget about the price of gasoline--that's chump change compared to the cost of insurance, "inspections", emissions tests, tows, parking tickets, tolls, and everything else the city thinks they have a right to ********* on. Want to hear a good one? After being charged $40 for a state "inspection", I was failed because my windshield wiper fluid was not 100% full. WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID. When I asked "Can I just buy a jug and put it in there right now?", of course I received the response, "No, you have to come back and pay another $40 for that."
10) Been constantly harassed by the "charming" people of boston. If you think, like I did at first, that "Oh, it can't be that bad", well buddy, think again. These people are scum.
11) Finally, got a job out of state, and you can BET i'm taking it!

GET ME OUT OF THIS HELL PIT!

I'm just curious...if so much of your problem is from the fact that your car displays out of state tags...why wouldn't you register your car in Massachusetts...I realize as a student you don't have to but if pretending to be a native would fix part of the problem while you have to be there finishing up your degree, then why not do it?

[im2005]

i am not from MA but lived there for a couple of years. happiest day of the 2 years i spent in boston was the day when i got another job out of state and was able to leave.

wasn't for me. and i never understood the infatuation that people who are from there have with their state/city. i've never seen anything like it anywhere in the country.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Isn't it posible that part of peoples problem with Boston is living in a city...not just THAT city?

I couldn't live in a big city like that but I loved to visit when I was growing up in Massachusetts.

I can't wait to get back and show my daughter around Boston AND the place where I lived growing up.

[NY'er lost in MA]

I went to school in Boston in the late 80's, then returned to my native NY for 7 years.

I did not miss Boston at all. I think for New Englanders, Boston and Mass are like the holy grail or something. When I moved back I did not live in NYC, but alot of people are surprised to hear that NY has a much lower cost of living.

I moved back here to MA about 6 years ago for a great job. I think for anyone that is not a MA native or from New England, there has to be a very good reason to relocate here.

All in all the place is ok. There are many places higher on my list, but for now, it's where you can find me

[twiggy]

I can see by how quickly you've butted in and changed this thread to "why I hate MA" the problems you've had in Ma, you've made for yourself. It's all about you is it. Why don't you make your own thread! Then I can choose to listen to you with out you ramming it down my throat! If I miss MA it's none of your business. Looking at the pages on this thread I'm obviously not alone. Don't be jealous. Be a self starter. Your off topic! Make a new thread warning people about the "dangers of MA if your someone who can't follow the rules and like to initiate rage". Sounds like we should trade states. There's plenty of sun, it's a republican state where you can figure out how to fix your own problems (just mind your own business). Of course it does top the stats. in underfunded education and social services, violent crime, suicide, and pollution. So if you don't need an education a hospital or to breath than I'll trade ya, because I do! The reason this thread is so popular is because a lot of people leave and realize New England is on the top end of the statistics, lowest amount of crime, higher marks for education, cleaner air. I laugh when I compare air quality from my state to yours. I have the same crime rate as the city of Boston and I live in a suburb 30 min. from the city. They have weekly warnings not to go outside here because of the pollution and we have so many failing schools out here we can't fill our top positions with our own natives, we need people like you to relocate here to fill those jobs. Our kids don't graduate high school and our finances are depleted trying to keep illegal immigrants out of the U.S. for your safety. If you don't like us, there's always TX! Cheap, sick and stupid. What a lack of gov. will do for its people! Taxachusetts here I come!

[puffle]

Hi NY'er,
What part of NY did you live in where the cost of living was lower than Ma?
We are natives of NY,moved to California and stayed most of our lives and then lived in Ma. for a year. In that year, we never had a parking problem, ticket,hassle,rudeness or anything that one of the posters described and we did not change our plates to save money until we were there seven months. In fact, on two ocassions the police let us go for speeding and going through a red light, accidentally. What we did experience that is drawing us back is the culture,beauty, sense of pride, proximity to other great areas,skiing,beaches, more money spent on education,more kids going on to college, more for your money than here and lack of phoniness that is great here in sunny California. I believe the word "poser" was invented in Ca. Didn't feel like that in Ma. To me, if you have a record of getting hassled, it is probably more about you and your attitude than the state you live in. You take you everywhere you go.

[katzenfreund]

I've only lived here 3 months, but haven't experienced any of the negatives some posters write about. Came here from MD and as far as high taxes, they are no lower there. We did not have the car excise tax, but then we were taxed on clothing, so it probably evens out. Crazy drivers, had that there, too. But we did not have the ponds, lakes, hills etc... and crime is much lower than the area we lived in previously. My experiences here have been positive so far.... and we have met some very nice people!

[puffle]

Originally Posted by katzenfreund

I've only lived here 3 months, but haven't experienced any of the negatives some posters write about. Came here from MD and as far as high taxes, they are no lower there. We did not have the car excise tax, but then we were taxed on clothing, so it probably evens out. Crazy drivers, had that there, too. But we did not have the ponds, lakes, hills etc... and crime is much lower than the area we lived in previously. My experiences here have been positive so far.... and we have met some very nice people!

When we lived in Virginia we had to pay personal property tax on vehicles. Did you have the same in MD? That would be the equivelant to the exise tax or vehicle registration in Calfornia. Owning a car is actually less expensive in Ma. than California. Insurance is about the same or lower than Ca. and registration is lower too and you have to renew yearly instead of every two if choose.

[ChunkyMonkey]

Originally Posted by Outraged_in_MA

What the hell kind of question is "Do you miss massachusetts?"


9) Got screwed some more, out of the few copper atoms left over from those pennies in my pockets. Forget about the price of gasoline--that's chump change compared to the cost of insurance, "inspections", emissions tests, tows, parking tickets, tolls, and everything else the city thinks they have a right to ********* on. Want to hear a good one? After being charged $40 for a state "inspection", I was failed because my windshield wiper fluid was not 100% full. WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID. When I asked "Can I just buy a jug and put it in there right now?", of course I received the response, "No, you have to come back and pay another $40 for that."

GET ME OUT OF THIS HELL PIT!

Massachusetts Smog Checks - Emissions Regulations, MA Smog Testing Stations - DMV.ORG
This is a quote from the dmv site:
Inspection Sticker Fees
The Massachusetts annual inspection process costs $29. You pay the inspector whether or not your vehicle passes inspection. Some stations accept credit cards. Others are cash only.
If Your Vehicle Doesn't Pass the Inspection

If your vehicle fails inspection, you can return to the same inspection station once within 60 days after the rejected examination for a free re-examination. If you wait longer than 60 days or go to a different station, you'll need to begin the process all over again.

Hmmm, the state inspection is $29 not $40 and if you fail you don't have to pay on the next visit. I know I just got it inspected. This cast serious doubt on your entire post. Get out and spread your "joy" to the next unsuspecting state.